Pacific Opera moves online

Pacific Opera has moved off stage and ONLINE for the foreseeable future to continue to share the love of opera and the knowledge of our artists and community.

Get all the info here: https://pacificopera.ca/about-us/news-media-releases/

Greater Victoria Neighbourhoods – Bear Mountain

Bear Mountain’s internationally acclaimed golf resort and approximately 1,150 residences alongside exudes a clean, contemporary, and upscale atmosphere. The resort and neighbourhood are located on 836-acre rugged and rocky sites, adjacent to Skirt Mountain which is 13 km northwest of downtown Victoria on the boundary between the City of Langford and the District of Highlands.

The intensely beautiful area is part of the Gowlland Range and a popular destination for hikers and mountain-bikers. The area’s name was derived from its indigenous name SPAET ("spa - eth"), which means bear in the Salishan language.

Bear Mountain Golf Resort and Spa is a two course, 36-hole design by Jack Nicklaus in an idyllic natural setting where golfers can enjoy the game even in the middle of winter. Here, you will also find the high-performance Training Centre of Cycling Canada’s National Mountain Bike team, the official Training Centre of Golf Canada’s National Junior Squad and Canada’s largest indoor/outdoor red clay court tennis facility.

Bear Mountain Community Association has the stated vision of “celebrating a quality of life that is unique to Vancouver Island and the value they bring the city of Langford with world-class golf, hotel and spa experiences, hiking, tennis, swimming, restaurants, tournaments, cultural events, shops, and an incredible inclusive spirit.

When you buy a home in Bear Mountain, you’re buying into a lifestyle of outdoor beauty and luxury.

Should Foreign Buyers be Banned from the B.C. Housing Market?

Andrew Weaver, head of the BC Green Party, believes BC should follow New Zealand’s example and entirely ban foreign buyers from owning homes in the province.

“(Foreign buyers) looking for a safe place to park your capital because of tumultuous times. We don’t believe they should put the social costs on British Columbians and make so they can’t afford to live here.”

Joshua Gottlieb, Associate Professor of Economics at UBC has a different perspective.

“There is no evidence that an absolute ban is going to solve the (affordability) problems.”

He and his colleagues with BC Housing Affordability Fund suggest a more measured approach that would not discriminate based on nationality and wouldn’t be such a blunt instrument as an outright ban.

“It would make more sense to raise the property tax but give a credit on income tax if they are participating in the local markets. That would make the tax system more efficient and avoid all discrimination. This surcharge would also allow much more effective data collection as people would have an incentive to report their income taxes and link them to their property taxes in order to get that credit.”

Joshua Gottlieb, associate professor of economics at the University of British Columbia, explains why banning foreign buyers from the Vancouver market won't solve the city's affordability problem.

Rental Eviction Rules – No Evictions Allowed After March 30, 2020.

B.C.’s new measure of banning rental evictions during the COVID-19 crisis left one big question mark: Does the no-eviction rule apply retroactively to tenants in recently purchased homes, where the new owner intends to occupy the property, or where existing eviction notices served before the announcement grandfathered in?

Richard Bell of Bell Alliance – a leading real estate lawyer in B.C. received advice directly from the provincial government and provides clarification:
“Up until today [March 30], if an eviction notice has already been given to the tenants to vacate because the buyers are to take possession, that eviction still stands. However, any new home purchase contract, from today onwards, you will not be able to evict the tenant, under any section of the legislation.”

However, the eviction ban will impact sales of currently tenanted homes because new buyers will not be permitted to evict sitting tenants from March 30 onwards until the ban is lifted.

Victoria Neighbourhoods: Jubilee

On the edge of Victoria, bounded by the municipalities of Saanich and Oak Bay, you will find the neighbourhood of Jubilee – North and South.

It is largely a residential neighbourhood with a wide variety of housing throughout the area and anchored by the Royal Jubilee Hospital with commercial and medical practices close by and clustered around major intersections along the important transportation routes.

The major routes ensure Jubilee residents have easy access to all points around the city. They also enjoy two neighbourhood parks including Redfern and Fern, and kids have access to play areas offered at local schools such as Ecole Victor-Brodeur. The Spirit Garden is a publicly accessible green space; a linear garden linking Newton Street and Kings Road.

The North Jubilee Neighbourhood Association is very active and interested in maintaining a healthy community for their residents. They recently (starting February 2019) lobbied for and received agreement from Saanich councilors to pay $5.5 million to B.C. Hydro who owned the 5.5 acres bordering Royal Jubilee Hospital, with the aim of saving the green space and turn it into a park. (https://www.njna-victoria.net)

Schools include St Patrick’s Elementary and Victoria College of Art – both private schools, and Ecole Victor-Brodeur which is a francophone school for K-Grade 3 students.

Realtors® Still Working

“This is a time to ensure our clients are safeguarded as well as to ensure that our community stays healthy,” says Victoria Real Estate Board President Sandi-Jo Ayers. “Many Realtors are leveraging new technologies including video home tours and virtual showings. Our message is - if you need us, we are here."

Home and Condo Values Still Rising

The Multiple Listing Service® Home Price Index benchmark value for a single-family home in the Victoria Core area increased by 5% in March 2020 to $877,700 - up from $836,100 in March 2019. Homes are also 1.1% higher than February's value of $868,100.

The MLS® HPI benchmark value for a condominium in the Victoria Core area increased by 4.8% in March 2020 to $531,900 – up from $507,700 in March 2019. Condos are also up from the month before with a 0.9% rise from February’s value of $527,400.