36 BCBUSINESS JUNE 2017
went out and splurged on the strength of their
theoretical wealth. One bought a Porsche
Boxster. Then everything collapsed.
"We've been through this before, so we're
careful," Helen says. But they have spent $1 mil-
lion on their new home just north of Comox, in
Seal Bay, building a new house and cottage, and
installing a hot tub from which Helen can watch
the deer walk by.
Their property is where the Watkinsons chose
to splash out a little. Back in New Westminster,
the Sauers also splurged with their real estate
winnings—but only a tiny bit. Avid recreational-
vehicle travellers for the past 30 years, they
upgraded to a slightly less old and slightly larger
ride this spring.
B U Y I N G A N E W B O A T –
A N D D R O W N I N G I N D E B T ?
Those are two examples of how di'erently the
residents of various communities choose to
spend their mad money.
While people in Comox and Courtenay spent
only about $2,000 on average in 2015 on recre-
ational equipment and vehicles, the gung-ho resi-
dents of Fort St. John dropped $4,700 in those
categories. Perhaps that isn't too surprising, since
Fort St. John households had the fourth-highest
incomes in B.C.—but their spending on boats and
RVs outdid even the three cities higher on the
income list, West Vancouver, Oak Bay and North
Vancouver.
Another city that ranks high for recreational-
equipment spending is Kelowna, even though
income levels are considerably lower than in
oilpatch Fort St. John. Is it because people there
don't have so much mortgage debt, so they have
more play money?
Mike Stang doesn't think so. A 39-year-old
who divides his time between his businesses
in Alberta and his life beside Okanagan Lake in
Kelowna, he says it's more about what residents
see as a priority.
"Per capita, recreation is just more valued
Fort St. John
households had
the fourth-highest
incomes in B.C.—
but their spending
on boats and RVs
outdid even the
three cities higher
on the income list,
West Vancouver,
Oak Bay and
North Vancouver
++
DREAM HOME
Kelly and Helen
Watkinson
built a place in
Comox after
selling their
Burnaby house
