LEFT: COURTESY OF TONY BROWTON, RE/MAX CITY REALTY; SOURCES: STATISTICS CANADA, BC ASSESSMENT 34 BCBUSINESS JUNE 2019
the family home, pocket some coin, and
downsize into a lakeside cottage.
The desire for a simpler and safer time
spent outdoors is the motivation for those
who see value in giving their kids what
they, as children, took for granted: an
ability to experience nature rsthand, to
roam widely and freely. This scenario, to
a degree, is what motivated MacLennan.
"This would be a place where I could see
a lot of stars at night, and where my son
is going to discover what it's like to collect
snails," she says.
The words spill qu ick ly out of
MacLennan, 43, a composed communica-
tions professional whose approach to buy-
ing a vacation property was re‚ective of
MacLennan herself: informed and highly
organized. In keeping with her methodi-
cal nature, she had a wish list, literally,
of what they were looking for, broken
down into must-haves, nice-to-haves and
deal breakers.
"Well, it had to have character,"
MacLennan says. "We wanted it to be
waterfront. Not 'water view,' waterfront.
And a replace." All pretty standard. But
the list also included sexless pragmatic
C O T TAG E I N D U S T RY
The province's top 10 recreational property markets in
2018, based on sales tracked by Landcor Data Corp.
SALES
1. Gulf Islands ............52
2. Port Alberni ............42
3. Sechelt ....................38
4. Chilliwack ..............29
5. Salmon Arm ...........28
6. Grand Forks ............26
7. Prince George........25
8. Nanaimo ..................21
9. Vanderhoof .............20
10. Duncan ....................17
9
4
5
7
2
1
10
3
8
6
BEACHCOMBER HEAVEN
GIBSONS
POPULATION: 9,132 (2016 census)
POPULATION DENSITY PER SQ. KM: 665.2
PRIVATE DWELLINGS: 4,481 (occupied by
usual residents: 4,182)
CLOSEST HOSPITAL: Sechelt Hospital
CLOSEST INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT: YVR
COMMUTING TIME FROM DOWNTOWN
VANCOUVER: 2.45 to 3.15 hours (includes 30-
to 60-minute ferry terminal wait)
AVERAGE ASSESSED VALUE 2018, SINGLE
FAMILY RESIDENTIAL: $605,000
AVERAGE ASSESSED VALUE 2019, SINGLE
FAMILY RESIDENTIAL: $675,000 (+12%)
WHAT $500,000 WOULD GET YOU THIS
SPRING: Two-bedroom, 905-square-foot
ocean-view cabin
BUY HERE IF… You want a quiet, beautiful
setting in or around a quaint and attrac-
tive town that has a modest selection of
pubs, and a restaurant scene that will likely
become more sophisticated. Ex–Lower
Mainlanders have been moving to the
Sunshine Coast to escape high housing
costs, and they expect to eat well
