CREATING AN OCEANSIDE COMMUNITY IN COLWOOD
Variety of housing to be built over 20 years on Royal Bay
It seems like a lofty task — potentially even impossible — to have a master-planned community be all things to all people, but Greater Victoria’s Royal Bay could have that potential.
The sizable location of the Colwood community makes it a decidedly unique place, according to Russell Tibbles, president of site developer Royal Bay Community Limited Partnership.
“This is 400 acres of oceanfront property — it’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” he explains. “It’s going to be a complete, cohesive, and inclusive community with a mix of residential and office space, parks, schools and shops.”
For a century, the location functioned as a rock quarry, but even then, its natural beauty was evident. Tibbles says Emily Carr spent a summer painting in the region in the 1930s, remarking on it being “a place of high skies, blue and deep.”
As well as breathtaking expanses of ocean, people can take in rolling hillsides and green space galore.
During the planning process for Royal Bay, the team made it a mission to ensure there would be a park within a five-minute walk of every home. With an eventual 2,300 homes in total — ranging from single-family homes, townhomes and rental apartments and strata condominiums in low to mid-rise buildings — it was a challenge, but one that was a high priority.
In total, 100 acres — a quarter of the site — has been set aside as green space. They include parks with natural trails and high bluffs, urban-style playgrounds and an oceanfront park.
The 1.3-kilometre-long oceanfront stretch is completely publicly accessible, and residents may be able to look forward to kiteboarding and kayaking just steps away from their front doors.
Tibbles also says work is being done on creating a Garry Oak ecosystem, which is both region-specific and relatively rare. It includes mosses, grasses, rock outcroppings, and meadows, which will create habitat for native species.
With all that being said, Tibbles says the area has more to offer than just access to the great outdoors.
“The Westshore has really grown and come of age. It’s a dynamic area with beaches, restaurants, urban amenities, and offers an active lifestyle that’s very compelling to people.
“We took a look at the best practices and principles from areas around the world and have tried to apply them here to provide quality of life.”
Key to this was creating a real sense of community. From building so many different types of housing on the site, Tibbles says they expect to see every type of purchaser at every life stage, from first-time buyers to seniors. He believes they will come in a wide range of ages, with different budgets, and many different socioeconomic groups represented.
He believes they will become a tight-knit community over time because of the emphasis on pedestrian and cycling paths, as well as roadways, and gathering points like neighbourhood parks and coffee shops.
The Westshore has really grown and come of age. It’s a dynamic area with beaches, restaurants, urban amenities, and offers an active lifestyle.
We don’t want people to feel pressured or rushed, so we’ve set up private viewings to let people get to know us and the product.
It’s amazing to see how it’s evolved from a golf course, to a golf course community, to a community that is richer in amenities than any other in the region. BRAD PELLETIER
Groundbreaking will take place in July for Royal Bay’s “neighbourhood house,” which will house a restaurant and café for the surrounding residential area, as well as community space.
A new high school opened for the community in September 2015, with planning work continuing on a new elementary school. Royal Roads University isn’t far away either.
And for those who want to go into town, it’s an approximately 25-minute drive to downtown Victoria.
When it comes to the singlefamily homes being built in the first phase, GableCraft Homes president Alex Ferguson says they had young families in mind.
“The members of our design team are members of this demographic themselves.
“We spent a lot of time thinking through the finer points of say, where to put muddy boots and backpacks when coming into the home through the back entry, or where a powder room would make the most sense.”
They also thought through “zones” in the homes, where as necessary, families could spend time together, or separate into children’s areas and private spaces for grown-ups.
They went over laundry rooms and pantries with a fine-tooth comb, emphasizing functionality and storage capabilities.
Understanding that this type of homebuying process – where there are multiple options available for interiors and exteriors — can be complicated, they have set up the GableCraft Home Store to walk consumers through the myriad decisions involved.
They can choose between different floor plans, colour schemes, finishes, and exterior elements.
The homes include front porches and detached garages that open up to wide paved lanes in the back – perfect for a little street hockey or roller-skating.
“We don’t want people to feel pressured or rushed, so we’ve set up private viewings to let people get to know us and the product,” Ferguson explains.
“This is about building relationships and controlling the rollout of homes, because there are lots more coming.”
Both Tibbles and Ferguson say most of the interest is coming from people who are already in the immediate community, in Greater Victoria, or in the Lower Mainland.
They expect the vast majority of buyers to be end users.
The full buildout process will see the involvement of several developers and could take the next two decades to complete.
This will allow them to be responsive to changing community needs, and allow Royal Bay to grow as a neighbourhood at its own natural pace.
Twenty-five years after the first golf ball rose over the fairway at Predator Ridge, the Okanagan course has become one of the most prominent communities in Canada, and it continues to evolve.
Located in the Okanagan Valley, just outside of Vernon, Predator Ridge opened in 1991. It was the vision of three veterans of the industry, Barrie Wheeler and father and son Herb and Dave Paterson, who discovered the grassland area with rolling hills and sweeping views of mountains and crystal blue lakes. At first glance, they knew this was the perfect location for a golf course and community.
“With its rural location, the odds were probably against Predator Ridge at the beginning,” says Brad Pelletier, vice president of Wesbild, the development company that has owned the resort since 2007. “It’s amazing to see how it’s evolved from a golf course, toagolfcoursecommunity, toacommunity that is richer in amenities than any other in the region.”
Today Predator Ridge offers unparalleled four-season active lifestyle. For homeowners, that lifestyle includes a wide array of member privileges, including, but not limited to, special guest rates for golf and discounts at the Range Lounge & Grill. The renowned Predator Ridge restaurant has become a destination for Okanagan foodies with its dedication to homegrown wines and “fresh from the field this morning” produce.
WiththenewadditionoftheRangeLounge & Grill 132-seat patio, you can now enjoy the naturally spectacular views while sipping a glass of local rosé and soaking up the sunshine and the sweet, grass-scented breezes.
Fortunately, it’s easy to burn off extra calories in the Okanagan. Homeowners can book lessons with former LPGA player, AJ Eathorne, take a tour of this amazing community with former two-time PGA winner, Richard Zokol, or take in a morning yoga class overlooking Lake Okanagan on the region’s only outdoor yoga platform.
The community’s bocce ball club now has 60 members. It is rivalled in numbers and enthusiasm only by the dedicated road biking club. Along with 36 holes of awardwinning golf, there are plenty of amenities at Predator Ridge, including a fitness centre, pools, tennis courts, access to a world-class spa and expansive network of hiking, biking and walking trails.
This year Predator Ridge introduced an extension to their existing trail system to include apath thatlinkstoEllison Provincial Park’s 25-kilometre trail system. “Some of the trails have grades that can be challenging for some riders, so we now have electric bikes available to rent so they’re accessible to everyone,” said Susan Morris, Predator Ridge’s Fitness Centre Manager.
Claire Radford, the community’s property specialist and a sixteen-year resident, says one of the community’s greatest attractions for potential homebuyers is its homeowner services team. “They just take care of everything. For example, you’re welcome to garden if you want to, of course, but member services cares for every yard. When you go away, everything still looks just beautiful. It’s such an easy lifestyle.”
The privileges of homeownership reach a new high this July with an exclusive rodeo weekend for homeowners/members to celebratethecommunity’s25-yearanniversary.
It starts with a barbecue and bonfire with live country music and continues through Saturday with rodeo-style activities for all ages, including Cody Snyder’s Bull Bustin’, wine and beer garden, food stations, and a plethora of events. The rodeo ends with a grandstand show featuring Tom Cochrane with Red Rider. The weekend wraps up with a stampede-style breakfast and western golf day on Sunday.
The resort will also host a series of anniversary celebration events on the 25th of each month, from June through September, focused on a monthly theme: the region’s cuisine, golf, “Petator Ridge” pet-friendly program, biking, and the great outdoors.
Newthisyear, homebuyerswillhaveawide range of new properties to choose from.
You’ll find 17 home sites in the exclusive neighborhood, Havencrest. The newest neighbourhood is nestled between beautiful rock outcroppings and undisturbed natural vegetation letting you experience nature at its best.
The sites are high elevation, offering stunning views overlooking Birdie Lake and the beautiful hillsides that surround Predator Ridge. These new lots are spacious, inviting the privacy you seek and suitable for a walkout lower-level home of single-level living.
The new series of semi-detached Portfolio homes offer convenient and easy one-level living options, as well as split-level living with lots of outdoor living space.
Each features modern design with stunning vaulted ceilings, stained wood beams and posts and huge windows.