Great Outlooks Draw Lower Mainlanders to Kelowna
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SPONSORED BY WILDEN Great Outlooks Draw Lower Mainlanders to Kelowna COMMUNITY SPIRIT, TOP 10 REASONS WHY PROXIMITY TO NATURE FAMILIES EMBRACE AND BIG-CITY OFFERINGS THE KELOWNA AMONG THE DRAWS OF LIFESTYLE KELOWNA DEVELOPMENT 1. Nature on their doorstep CHRIS FREIMOND 2. 2,000 hours of sunshine annually Laurel Stein and Dwight Willett 3. World-renowned wineries, considered their options carefully golf courses and ski resorts when they first started thinking five 4. Some of the best hiking trails years ago about moving from their townhouse in West Vancouver. in Canada They were looking for a new kind 5. A vibrant cultural scene of lifestyle — more relaxed, closer 6. 132 kilometres of sparkling to nature and less rushed than the Lower Mainland. They looked at Lake Okanagan the Sunshine Coast and Bowen 7. A diversified economy offering Island, but in the end, they settled great job opportunities on Kelowna. Stein has a simple explanation for 8. Real estate prices that are their decision: “Because it’s really 50 per cent below Metro Following a vacation in Kelowna nice,” she says. Vancouver’s average Following a vacation in Kelowna in 2014, Laurel Stein and Dwight in 2014, when they rented a house Willett decided to buy a lot in 9. Easy connectivity to the rest of in the Wilden neighbourhood, a a new subdivision located in Canada through B.C.’s Wilden and build their dream picturesque hillside community third busiest airport north of downtown Kelowna, the home. couple decided to buy a lot in the 10.Great schools, colleges new subdivision and build their and universities, including dream home. area provides; proximity to nature a UBC campus “When we were in the Wilden and local amenities like ski resorts, vacation home for those three wineries, the lake and hiking. And, of weeks, everything just felt really course, the Okanagan is known for good,” says Stein. “One day we drove its good weather.” TOP 10 JOB up to the Wilden presentation centre Housing affordability was a big OPPORTUNITIES and looked at the show homes and factor in the Dodds’ decision. They IN KELOWNA put our name down for a lot.” were in a condo in Port Moody, but Willett says they had considered with a growing family, they knew Kelowna once before, but this time it they would need to start considering 1. Registered nurses and was different. They broke ground on Spread over 2,000 acres, Wilden encompasses natural ponds, a bigger new home. psychiatric nurses their new 3,500-square-foot home in panoramic ridges and a wide network of trails. Their new townhouse is twice the July last year and moved in on May square footage of their Port Moody 2. Health care managers 28. needs to travel for work, proximity $35-million, 104,000-square-foot condo and cost less than what they 3. Construction managers “We were looking for the right feel, to the airport is important, and he’s Okanagan Centre for Innovation in sold the condo for, and there is still 4. Social, community and and we knew this was it,” he adds. now only 20 minutes away. downtown Kelowna was hailed as a the option to either build or buy a “We wanted a place exactly like we Karin Eger-Blenk, director of Blenk symbol of the city’s transformation detached home down the road, he correctional services now have.” Development Corp., the family- into a top technology and economic adds. managers Being close to nature is important owned company developing Wilden, hub. None of this comes as a surprise to 5. Medical laboratory and to Stein. says she hears similar comments Kelowna’s economic outlook was Tom Dyas, president of the Kelowna radiation technicians Spread over 2,000 acres, Wilden from new residents every day. one of the factors that attracted Chamber of Commerce. encompasses natural ponds, “I don’t think there are many Cameron Dodd to the city. He “We are hearing more and more 6. Dentists panoramic ridges and a wide places in the world where you can recently started a new job as about new residents who have 7. Specialist physicians network of trails. live in such a beautiful setting and development and planning manager moved to Kelowna to pursue their 8. General practitioners “We can walk out of our front still so close to a vibrant city,” she with Blenk Development Corp. careers and maintain a lifestyle that door and be in nature in about 30 says. “Time is our most precious He has purchased a townhouse fits their expectations – and their and family doctors seconds,” she says. “Wilden has been asset. Living in Wilden, you simply under construction in the budgets,” he says. “These stories are 9. Ambulance attendants developed so that there are pockets have more of it, because you never neighbourhood and will move in being covered in our local media, and paramedics of nature interspersed among the have long commutes.” with his wife and five-month-old son good news stories that talk about homes.” With a population of approximately later this summer. He is currently the multiple pluses of living in the 10.Dental assistants The couple were also pleasantly 123,000, Kelowna is the largest city commuting from his home in Port Okanagan: friendly community, surprised by Kelowna’s cultural and in the Okanagan Valley. The airport Moody, but looking forward to good housing prices, good jobs, Based on the percent of the 2020 entertainment offerings. is the third busiest in B.C. and the settling in Kelowna. beautiful, year-round outdoor workforce that will be new hires. “Eating out, for example, is easy,” economy is varied and diverse with “There are several reasons why lifestyle.” says Stein. “Everything is so close a strong focus on tourism, the wine we decided to make the move, This story was created by Content Source: Growing in the Okanagan 2020 Labour Market Outlook published by the by.” industry, regional agriculture and but lifestyle is the main one,” he Works, Postmedia’s commercial Central Okanagan Economic Development For Willett, who works on contract services. says. “We were really attracted by content division, on behalf of Commission for a federal government agency and The recent opening of the outdoor recreation activities the wilden.ca.