This stunning freehold PENTHOUSE with VIEWS from every room in a completely rainscreened building with large open patio leading off the master bedroom and living/dining area for summer water view BBQs and its own front door to the outside with a patio for coffee overlooking the river. This Penthouse has 15' high ceilings, 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, over 1330 sq ft of luxury living offering 2 gas fireplaces & a large private patio overlooking the Fraser River with a 270 degree views. This penthouse has been thoroughly & thoughtfully renovated with attention to detail. Unobstructed, expansive river views fill this beautiful home with light, remote controlled window coverings, and numerous built-in storage spaces. Mint condition & ready to move in! Sat/Sun Open House 2 - 4 pm.
Vancouver is now ranked as the worst place in the world for luxury homebuyers seeking a return on their investment, according to a global survey of 43 “prime residential” cities.
The Knight Frank Prime International Residential Index found that, while luxury property prices globally were up an average of 4.2% in the third quarter, compared with the same period in 2017, they fell 11.2% in Vancouver, where luxury home sales have tanked.
Singapore ranked No. 1 in the index, posting a 13.1% annual increase in the third quarter, according to Knight Frank. Madrid came in at No. 2 with a 10.2% increase in values, followed by Tokyo, where luxury home prices were up 9.4% from a year earlier.
In North America, Los Angeles carried the flag. It posted a 7.8% rise in luxury property values.
No other Canadian city made the list, and Vancouver ended up ranked No. 43, just behind Istanbul, where luxury home sellers suffered a 2.4% drop in value since 2017’s third quarter.
Vancouver’s high-end detached-house market is forecast to decline further, according to a recent Royal LePage survey, which laid the blame on government intervention.
The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions’ introduction of the new mortgage stress test in January created market turmoil as buyers moved to the sidelines, the agency stated.
“More significantly, in British Columbia, the 2018 provincial budget included policies targeting foreign and domestic buyers who do not pay tax in the province, as well as a tax increase for all homes over $3 million through increases to the property transfer and school tax,” noted Royal LePage president and CEO Phil Soper.
During 2018’s first quarter, sales of detached luxury homes in Greater Vancouver plunged 38.2% compared with the same period in 2017, while luxury condominium sales decreased 26.5%, according to the Royal LePage survey.
In the third quarter, 162 detached houses were listed for sale in the city of Vancouver through the Multiple Listing Service at $5 million or more. Only 14 sold.
The agency is forecasting that, by the first quarter of 2019, the median price of a luxury detached house in Greater Vancouver will fall a further 3% compared with the first quarter of 2018, to $5.51 million.
However, luxury condominium prices are forecast to increase 2% to $2.5 million in the same period.
Royal LePage suggests that demand for luxury condos among millennials and downsizing baby boomers acts to “insulate condominiums from the price declines we are seeing in the luxury detached-home market.”
Navigating Metro Vancouver’s housing market can feel daunting, especially when market conditions are changing.
In 2018, the region’s housing market has been in a transition from a seller’s market to one that favours buyers.
If you’re considering entering the market, you’ll want to take the time to choose the right Realtor for you, says Phil Moore, Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver president. “In this market, you have more time to look at homes and be choosy. Take the same approach with Realtors: invest the time, be selective, and choose one with the skills, expertise and demeanour that’s right for you.”
It’s a working relationship that can last several weeks and months and you want to be comfortable with the right person.
Click on the video below to learn more about all the ways a Realtor can work on your behalf:
“The first thing we always suggest is to talk with your family or friends about who they have worked with,” said Moore. “Many times, buyers and sellers don’t ask for references, [but] past clients can tell you a lot about how the Realtor works, how they communicate and whether they can deliver the results you’re looking for.”
Moore suggests looking at the process of engaging a Realtor like conducting a job interview. “Visit a few open houses. Drop by a real estate office in your neighbourhood. Talk to different agents, and ask them about their marketing strategies, their skills and their level of training and education.”
Buying or selling a home is the biggest financial decision most people will ever make. Your Realtor is your professional representative through this process. Their role is to advise and guide you at every step of the process.
Click on the video below to learn about how working with a Realtor offers you an extra level of protection:
This includes everything from knowing the history of the home, the neighbourhood and its schools to handling the complex paperwork involved in a real estate transaction, Moore said.
And while there is more data than ever available to consumers, Realtors have the knowledge and experience to best interpret it for their clients.
“Buying and selling can be a stressful time,” said Moore. “Knowing you have a professional with experience and expertise representing you in the market, one who listens to and understands your needs, will give you peace of mind and allow for a smooth process.”
Above all, Moore said consumers should feel empowered and confident throughout the buying or selling process.
This stunning freehold PENTHOUSE with VIEWS from every room in a completely rainscreened building with large open patio leading off the master bedroom and living area for summer water view BBQs, and its own front door to the outside with a patio for coffee overlooking the river. This Penthouse has 15' high ceilings , 2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, 1330 Sqft of luxury living offering 2 gas fireplaces & a private patio overlooking the Fraser River with a 270 degree view. This penthouse has been thoroughly & thoughtfully renovated with attention to detail. Unobstructed. expansive river views fill this beautiful home with light. Imagine waterfront tranquility in Vancouver along the restful Fraser River. This condo home has a brand new modern designer kitchen with brand new appliances, gas fireplaces, polished tiled bathroom floors, Kohler bathroom fixtures, and solid hardwood flooring. A large balcony leads off the huge living/dining area with remote controlled window coverings, and numerous built-in storage space. Mint condition & ready to move in! CAPTAIN'S WALK is a sought after prime location in South Vancouver, only minutes to the Airport & rapid transit to downtown. WATERFRONT PENTHOUSE with an amazing view! Private & secure key-access elevator from your 2 parking spaces direct to your unit. Bike room & clubhouse with a pro-active strata to ensure that your investment is safe. Pet friendly and rentable.
An aerial view of West Vancouver, one of Canada's most pricey real estate markets. The Vancouver region has fallen from first place to dead last in a global ranking of luxury housing markets.
If there's anything Vancouver's property market isn't, it's average. In fact, it's looking increasingly like a land of extremes.
A new report from global realty firm Knight Frank ranks the city's luxury property market as the weakest among major cities worldwide. Two years ago, the same index had Vancouver in top spot.
Knight Frank's prime cities residential index for the third quarter of 2018 places Vancouver 43rd out of 43 cities, with luxury prices dropping 11.3 per cent in the past year. Toronto ranked in 7th place, with 8.5-per-cent price growth over that time. (See chart below.)
Singapore took first place, with 13.1 per cent price growth. Toronto and Vancouver are the only Canadian cities ranked in the report.
Watch: This burned-out house in Vancouver is selling for $4M (story continues below).
"Toronto continues to see prime prices rise in its exclusive areas of Rosedale and Yorkville," Knight Frank said in the report.
"Vancouver, however, sits at the bottom of our rankings as upmarket areas such as West Vancouver have seen a marked slowdown in sales and prices as a result of the raft of measures introduced in February's (provincial) budget."
But that's just looking at luxury housing. When looking at the overall market, the two Canadian cities reverse roles: Vancouver ranked in 10th place in Knight Frank's assessment of the entire housing market last month, while Toronto saw a steep drop to 137th place, out of 150 cities, down from first place a year earlier.
Vancouver's housing market has been so quiet lately you can hear the crickets chirp. The latest data from the city's real estate board showed sales fell 43.5 per cent in September from the same month a year earlier, and are well below the long-run average.
Meanwhile, with fewer homes selling, the supply has soared, with 38 per cent more homes for sale today than a year ago.
The city joins other metro areas whose luxury markets have softened recently, particularly Sydney and Hong Kong, both of which, like Vancouver, were high flyers until recently. If these cities have anything in common, it's their link to China's economy — which has been going through a slowdown recently.
A policy-induced slowdown?
But other factors have taken a more direct toll on Vancouver's once-hot real estate. The foreign buyers tax, introduced in 2016, has reduced demand from abroad, and new housing taxes introduced this year are keeping potential buyers from entering the market, as they wait to see what the effect will be.
Finally, new mortgage rules, introduced at the start of this year, effectively reduced the amount homebuyers can borrow by about 20 per cent.
Here's Knight Frank's ranking of the world's luxury housing markets. (Full report is here.)
KNIGHT FRANKKnight Frank's latest ranking of major global luxury housing markets places Vancouver dead last.
Calling all ghouls & goblins, it is time to celebrate Halloween 2018! Communities across Metro Vancouver are hosting dozens of family-friendly pumpkin-filled events. The list of Halloween events is massive…we are adding new events to our list every day! If we’ve missed an event you know about please send an email to vancouver@familyfuncanada.com and will update our list faster than a ghost can say “boo”.
It’s time to rattle your bones and bring your hauntorage to the Halloween Monster Maze at Tsawwassen Mills. Every ghoul who dares to finish the windy path receives a scratch card, and there are over $10,000 in prizes to be won including candy, gift cards, retailer prizing, and more! In addition to completing the Halloween Monster Maze, participants will enjoy thrilling events such as: Halloween make-up and nail art, Spooky Science for Kids with Science World, ghost stories, Halloween crafts, and costume photo day.
Abbotsford
Even the cows are getting in on the Halloween celebration! Moo or Boo at EcoDairy includes a spooky photo booth, a costume contest, games, a scientist laboratory, and craft-making station.
Britannia Beach
It’s the witching hour this Halloween at Britannia Mine Museum! Enjoy a weekend of spoo-ook-tacular activities for all ages, including the Strange Science Show, Insect Emporium, Witch’s House and spine-tingling train ride and storytelling in the Britannia Mine tunnels, and much more.
Burnaby
It’s getting spooky at the Burnaby Village Museum. This Halloween the Burnaby Village Museum will be taken over by witches. It’s a scary feast for the senses! Your admission cost includes trick-or-treating, entertainment and carousel rides for all.
Halloween on the Heights is a kid-friendly Halloween outing! Trick-or-treat down Hastings Street.
CANCELLED for 2018 due to construction: Kids love the Halloween Train Rides offered by the Burnaby Central Railway! Everyone visiting & riding the trains are strongly encouraged to wear their costumes. Admission is $3.50 per person. FREE hot chocolate & cookies will be on hand.
Enjoy a Halloween skate with face painting, creepy crafts & ghostly games. Everyone is encouraged to wear their costumes. Admission is $2 per person; kids aged 3 and under are FREE.
Bosnor’s Big Boo has everything you need for Halloween fun! Activities include Imagination Playground, creepy crafts & ghostly games, cookies for kids, face painting, colouring & more. The beloved Haunted House returns again in 2018.
Kids will love the crafts, ride-on-toys, face painting, games, balloon critters, buck-a-boo circuit and more! The Halloween Howler is perfect for kids aged 8 years & under.
Don’t miss out on a night of Halloween fun! The Great Pumpkin Halloween Swim includes games, haunted houses, candy & prizes. Family-swim rates apply.
Using recycled fabrics and simple craft items learn how to create an original costume inspired by myth, magic, and imagination. The Halloween at the Shadbolt event happens at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
Chilliwack
Just because you’ve visited once doesn’t mean you’ve seen it all! Reapers Haunted Attraction is the scariest indoor horror experience around. This attraction is not for the faint of heart! The Moran Family has been honing their scaring skills for 25+ years and they are good at it.
Coquitlam
Take part in a Family Haunted Halloween at Pinetree Community Centre. From creepy crafts to fang-tastic face-painting and ghoulish gym games & a bouncy castle, the kids will be filled with Halloween giddiness. Come in costume as there is a parade! The $5 registration includes a hot dog, fruit & a drink.
Don’t miss Heritage Halloween at Mackin House. Enjoy Stories on Wheels – a unique street theatre storytelling act inspired by the traditional Japanese travelling show called Kamishibai (literally paper theatre). The tales are told by a comic narrator, using beautifully illustrated picture cards displayed in a magnificent miniature wooden stage attached to the back of a vintage bicycle. There will be snacks and crafts for everyone too.
It’s time to rattle your bones and bring your hauntorage to the Halloween Monster Maze at Tsawwassen Mills. Every ghoul who dares to finish the windy path receives a scratch card, and there are over $10,000 in prizes to be won including candy, gift cards, retailer prizing, and more! In addition to completing the Halloween Monster Maze, participants will enjoy thrilling events such as: Halloween make-up and nail art, Spooky Science for Kids with Science World, ghost stories, Halloween crafts, and costume photo day.
Spooky Sunday makes its way to the South Delta Recreation Centre for an afternoon full of fun, family-friendly activities, including: Roaming Rascals, Haunted Halls, photo booth, crafts, games, and a Halloween skate.
Wear your costume and take part in a ghostly skate & party at the Delta arenas! Regular admission rates apply. There are events happening at South Delta Recreation Centre, Sundgod Recreation Centre, and Ladner Leisure Centre.
This Halloween, join one of Canada’s most beloved family singer-songwriters, Norman Foote, for costumes, music and angels singing with ghosts and zombies. Don’t miss the Norman Foote Halloween Howl on October 27.
Langley
Fancy a swing on a glowing hoop? What about a game of glowing hopscotch? There is all sorts of Fall magic at Langley’s Harvest Glow. This month-long event is perfect for families – especially those with kids aged 6 years and under. There is lots to do, there is ample space to exercise the kids, and everything is indoors so you are guaranteed dry fun regardless of what the weather is doing outside.
As is tradition during the month of Halloween, the Fort Langley National Historic Site is bringing back their Graves Tales walking tours. Steel your nerves and join the expert storytellers for a two-hour adventures of spine-tingling adventure as you wander the village of Fort Langley at night.
Are you ready for the annual Halloween at Fort Langley? Trick-or-treat at Fort Langley National Historic Site! Gather around the bonfire for ghost stories, explore the Spooky Servants Quarters and get your face painted. If you dare, give yourselves goose bumps meeting some of “Mike’s Critters” creepy companions.
Wear your costume and have fun making crafts, decorating cookies, listening to a Halloween story & more at the Halloween Family Fun Events in Langley.
This Halloween, join one of Canada’s most beloved family singer-songwriters, Norman Foote, for costumes, music and angels singing with ghosts and zombies. Don’t miss the Norman Foote Halloween Howl on October 26.
Maple Ridge
The Historic Haney House Museum is dressed up for Fall. Spend the afternoon decorating cookies, enjoying a guided tour, and making crafts. Kids are encouraged to wear their costumes. Admission is $5.
What better to place to commence the Halloween festivities than Pitt Meadows’ spookiest old buildings? Museum After Dark is an annual event which occurs the last Sunday before Halloween. Are you brave enough for the Mad Museum Scavenger Hunt, where you will be challenged to find such dreaded treasures as Polly Pink Eye and her best friend Creepy Carla, the Pitt Meadows Merman (recently discovered perfectly preserved in the banks of Pitt Lake)? Other activities include making eyeball lights and super scary shrinky dinks.
New Westminster
In need of a good mystery? Check out The Haunting of Hill Houseby the Vagabond Players in New Westminster. Please be advised this musical is intended for mature audiences; why not make it a date night?
The Great Pumpkin Patch fun includes: haunted house, spooky science activities, cookie decorating, family photo booth, reptiles, face painting, crafts, goodie bags and one pumpkin per family!
Kick off Fall with a family-friendly celebration at Sutherland’s Haunted Harvest Fair! Fun for kids, food, craft fair! Haunted Houses (one tailored to older kids, one to the younger kids), bouncy castles, face painting, live music, delicious treats and a craft fair.
Grab your ghouls and goblins and come down to Lower Lonsdale for Trick or Treats and scary surprises with your local independent retailers. Come dressed up, have fun and support your local businesses. More than forty local Lower Lonsdale businesses participating. Look for TRICK OR TREAT HERE decal in window.
Port Coquitlam
Re-opened: Your kids will be begging you to let them come plant shopping with you at ArtKnapps nursery so that they can play at Funland. Check out the kids’ rides, zip line, pumpkin patch train ride, and other fun attractions.
Richmond
Once Upon a Pumpkin is a FREE drop-in event, at the Richmond Nature Park, that teaches kids about the origin of Halloween.
Hundreds of jack-o-lanterns line a walking trail. Mischievous racoons, a friendly bear, chatty crows and their forest friends emerge from the bog to greet visitors. Join the Richmond Nature Park for Wild Things, a Halloween-inspired event.
Do you dare to explore the haunted house, encounter ghoulish cannery characters along the way, and see what tricks you have to play to get some treats? It’s Halloween at the Cannery!
Trick or treating in Steveston Village is an extremely popular event! Trick or treaters take to the streets of Steveston in the daylight and visit participating businesses offering treats. Neighbourhood kids are invited to bring their treat bag and have some non-scary fun.
Everyone is invited to the FREE Halloween Fireworks Festival in Richmond. Enjoy music, dancing demonstrations, children’s activities, roving entertainment, fire juggling and a spectacular fireworks finale!
Surrey
Not everyone is ready for the full-meal-scary-deal offered by Potter’s House of Horrors. If you have kids under 10 years, or don’t particularly like scary things yourself, check out L’il Haunters. The walk-through experience isn’t scary but it is definitely spooky!
Looking for a fright, come down to Potter’s House of Horror and they’ll show you scary! Bring your family and friends for a Spooky Halloween Night! Once again there are TWO houses of haunt: Monstrosity 2.0 and Devil’s Descent. Buy your tickets online in order to avoid line ups. And if you aren’t into insanely scariness, check out L’il Haunters (that was spooky enough for this momma).
Woo woo the Pumpkin Express is ready to pull into the station at Bear Creek Park! Delight in the crafts and activities under the tent on the platform. Each child will receive a treat to enjoy on the pumpkin express train as it travels through the decorated forest. As they depart from their adventure each child will be given a small pumpkin to remember their day.
When you ride the Scream Train at Bear Creek the forest comes alive with ghosts and ghouls intent on scaring you amidst creepy sounds and special effects. Favourite characters like Chainsaw Charlie are back. You might also run into the walking dead who roam the platform every Halloween! The Scream Train is recommended for older children who can handle being scared.
Spooktacular Newton is back for a fourth chilling year! Arrive in costume and ride the haunted train if you dare. Or play it safe and take part in fun crafts and games! Get spooked at the spook theatre and leave with a memory at the photobooth. Whilst trick-or-treating, stop by the petting zoo and grab a pumpkin from the patch for a small donation to the Surrey Food Bank.
You’re invited! Come in costume for…Halloween in the Forest, a free indoor/outdoor event! Meet the Forest Fairy & friends, learn about owls, bats, spiders and raccoons, carve a pumpkin (while supplies last), and enter the costume prize draw. This event is prefect for families with small children.
Squamish
For an outdoor Halloween experience that turns trick or treating into a wilderness adventure, head to Squamish’s Sea to Sky Gondola. At the base of the gondola, a DJ will spin spooky tunes, and there will be spooktacular performances by the talented dancers of TPAC. Costume-clad kids can grab a trick or treat bag to decorate (available for first 250 kids) and get their faces painted at the Base Camp Café in the valley.
Vancouver
Western Canada’s most terrifying adult-themed Halloween event, Fright Nights is back to haunt Playland on select nights from October 5th through October 31st. Visitors can count down the days until Halloween with eight haunted houses, two thrilling live shows, fifteen blood-chilling rides and 90 monsters roaming the grounds.
The Ghost Train at Stanley Park is back for 2018! Are you ready for an Alien Invasion that’s out of this world? Join agents as they investigate a spaceship crash landing right in the middle of Stanley Park! Journey into restricted zones as you ride the popular Ghost Train to unravel the mystery of some very unexpected park visitors. Be prepared to treat yourself to the stellar sounds of a 5-piece rock band, visit the very secretive Area 52, ride through a star field tunnel of lasers, and steel your nerves for the slow reveal of the twelve foot greys.
The Vancouver Halloween Expo is the largest Halloween convention of fandom: cosplay, films, comics, anime, games, makeup, costumes, arts and performances returns to Vancouver. Come and enjoy the arts, music and performances of fantasy, explore exhibitors and meet super heroes, celebrities and amazing cosplayers! This is a family-friendly event so be sure to follow the costume-rules.
FlyOver Canada is celebrating the fun of Halloween by adding some spine-tingling entertainment to its popular, must-see attraction. Broomelda the Witch invites guests to venture through the Haunted Hallway and onto a thrilling ride across Canada. If everyone survives, visitors will earn their official “Witch Academy Diploma” at the end.
The Vancouver Halloween Parade is a family-friendly with marching bands, horses, vehicles, floats and performances. Downtown Vancouver is about to become the largest Cosplay stage. It’s the time when supernaturals, heroes, villains from films, comics, anime and games all come alive.
Glow in the Garden returns for 2018! Experience an unforgettable Halloween walk in the woods at VanDusen Botanical Garden. The Garden comes to life with spellbinding lights, ghoulish music, and glowing pumpkin characters. After the walk, costumed kids will enjoy creating fun Halloween crafts inside.
Coal Harbour Community Centre is hosting their 10th annual Pint-Sized Pumpkin Carving event! Get into the spooky spirit as you carve your own jack-o-lantern.
Are you brave enough to experience a Halloween Sleepover at the Vancouver Aquarium? The fun begins at 9pm and goes all night until 9am. Food, frightful fun, and fishy encounters are all part of the adventure.
The Halloween Carnival & Ghostly Graveyard is a fun, hair raising event which will get kids aged 2-7 years into the spooky spirit. Enjoy creepy crafts, treats, eerie entertainment and more! Don’t forget to wear your costumes.
Explore a haunted house, make spooky crafts, vote for the best Halloween display…the annual Wesbrook Village Halloweencelebration returns October 31st.
It’s time for the annual Halloween Hunt at City Square Centre. Enjoy Trick-or-Treating, cookie decorating, face painting, and a Magic Show. Be sure to enter for a chance to win the Grand Prize a Nintendo Switch with Grand Prize a Playstation 4 Pro game.
It’s a Halloween Party for Kids! Dress up in your favourite costume and come enjoy games, crafts, and treats. Event is suitable for children 0-8 years old. Please pre- register in advance, this popular event sells out. $5/child.
West Vancouver
This Halloween, join one of Canada’s most beloved family singer-songwriters, Norman Foote, for costumes, music and angels singing with ghosts and zombies. Don’t miss the Norman Foote Halloween Howl on October 30.
Don’t forget: Everyone is invited to the Tsawwassen Mills Halloween Monster Maze! Every ghoul who dares to finish the windy path receives a scratch card, and there are over $10,000 in prizes to be won including candy, gift cards, retailer prizing, and more! In addition to completing the Halloween Monster Maze, participants will enjoy thrilling events such as: Halloween make-up and nail art, Spooky Science for Kids with Science World, ghost stories, Halloween crafts, and costume photo day. Check out their full Halloween events calendar here.
Although we do our best to provide you with accurate information, all event details are subject to change. Please contact the facility to avoid disappointment.
Lindsay is the City Editor for Family Fun Vancouver. Her greatest joy is found spending time with her family and heading out on new adventures: be it taking in a theatre performance, tumbling with her kids at a play facility, cheering at a sporting event or indulging at a yummy new restaurant. Lindsay truly believes family experiences give fuel to daily life. In addition to being the fabulous Vancouver City Editor, Lindsay is also the National Sales & Marketing Director for the entire Family Fun Canada network. Looking to work with Family Fun to promote your event or destination? For advertising opportunities on any of the Family Fun sites please email her at lindsay@familyfuncanada.com!
Artist Lexie Owen has placed bronzed items, such as bananas, avocados and milk cartons, on the shelves of Harry Mah’s McGill Grocery, as part of her most recent art installation entitled, fittingly, Corner Store. Photos Grant Lawrence
When you pop into your friendly neighbourhood corner store, one of the last things you would expect to see is a solid bronze banana.
Or, for that matter, a bronze avocado. Or a bronze potato. Or a five-pound bronze can of pop. All nonchalantly placed throughout the shelves, exactly where they would normally be found.
Those and several other eye-catching castings of perfectly regular corner store items have been causing customers to react with a mixture of confusion and delight for the past two weeks at the venerable McGill Grocery, at 2691 McGill St. in East Vancouver.
“We’ve definitely had some customers who are dumbfounded when they see the pieces,” co-owner Harry Mah told me.
Mah is a longtime community leader of the Burrardview annex of Hasting-Sunrise, where McGill Grocery is the beating heart. Many refer to Mah as the unofficial mayor of the neighbourhood. Mah runs the store with his brothers, Peter and Charles.
The Mahs inherited McGill Grocery from their mother, Oy Hee Mah, who purchased it in 1977, after the family immigrated from Toishan, China. According to Harry, a store of some kind has been in operation on that corner of McGill and Slocan dating back to at least the 1930s.
So what of the bronze castings currently found throughout the store — items that my kids think are part of some kind of awesome treasure hunt?
Finding Lexie Owen's bronze creations on the shelves and counters of McGill Grocery is like a treasure hunt. Photo Grant Lawrence
They are the creations of emerging artist Lexie Owen. The gleaming groceries are a portion of Owen’s most recent installation entitled, fittingly, Corner Store. The other half of the exhibit can be found at Access Gallery at 222 East Georgia in Chinatown, where a miniature corner store has been recreated in the gallery.
Owen has been the artist-in-residence at Burrardview Park Fieldhouse — located a block and a half away from McGill Grocery — for the past four years, and considers herself a social practice artist.
“I’m really interesting in social structures and how those social structures materialize in the way that we relate to the world,” Owen, an Emily Carr graduate, explained to me.
How much is that bronze banana in the window? Gleaming groceries like these are a portion of Lexie Owen’s most recent installation, Corner Store. The other half of the exhibit can be found at Access Gallery at 222 East Georgia in Chinatown, where a miniature corner store has been recreated in the gallery. Photo Grant Lawrence
“It’s become very apparent during my time in this neighbourhood of just how valued McGill Grocery is, especially the way the Mah brothers interact with this community,” Owen continued.
“I really wanted to find a way to recognize that, and I also realized that they were already doing what the city wanted me to do with my residency, which is to create community engagement.”
The interaction Owen speaks of is the friendly Mah brothers’ uncanny knack for not only knowing seemingly all of their customers names, but their kids’ names and their grandparents’ names. The Mahs treat those who walk into their store more like friends stopping in for a visit rather than clientele. People hang out. It’s like Cheers without the beer. And even though it’s small, McGill Grocery always seems to have that one exact thing you need.
“Just the fact that they’re now second-generation running a corner store is pretty remarkable in this day and age,” added Owen. “Ever since I started the residency, Harry in particular has always been really supportive, so I eventually just asked Harry if I could place some sculptures in the store. He said ‘yes’ without hesitation.”
It turned out that Mah was looking for a way to raise Owen’s profile in the neighbourhood.
“Even though she had done various community projects, there were people who didn’t know she was even in the fieldhouse, let alone what she was doing,” said Mah. “So when Lexie approached me with this idea, I said sure, perfect, go for it.”
Since then, McGill Grocery customers have been hands-on with the art, curiously hefting the heavy, solid bronze casts (the can of beans tops out at 10 pounds). And the Mah brothers have found themselves as inadvertent curators, explaining the art to their bemused customers. Some folks have even offered to buy certain pieces, such as the bronze banana.
“We explain to them that this is art, and that art can exist anywhere, that beauty can be found in everyday items,” said Mah. “What Lexie has done is taken the art out of the gallery and put it in the store, and put our store products into the gallery.”
The Corner Store exhibit runs concurrently at McGill Grocery and Access Gallery until the end of October. Before Owen’s residency at the Burrardview Park Fieldhouse wraps up at the end of this year, she’s planning a Corner Store walk of the neighbourhood on Saturday, Oct. 27 from 1 to 3 p.m., and a Fieldhouse Arts Salon in November, inviting everyone in the neighbourhood with a creative practice to display their work.
Amazing VIEW home! Fantastic custom built European-style newer home with high-end materials and finishes throughout. Views to everything Vancouver has to offer-water, ocean, sea, mountains & city lights! Incredible, functional layout with heated floors and energy efficient heating technology system, Marvin sash windows, high-end Miele appliance package, custom backsplash, wood flooring and staircases. All this perched high-above Vancouver in Hastings Village steps to the best schools, restaurants, recreation centres, swimming pools, parks and shopping. Open Sat/Sun 2-4 pm.
Sold (Bought): West Van property has multiple draws
The big sell: This West Vancouver property boasts numerous accolades, including ocean views across Burrard Inlet from its primary rooms, a completely renovated 3,850-square-foot interior and a private 12,500-square-foot lot near Rockridge School, Gleneagles Community Centre and golf course, and West Vancouver Yacht Club in the Eagleridge neighbourhood.
NICOLA WAY
Updated: October 27, 2018
This home at 5880 Falcon Road in West Vancouver sold for $2,250,000. For Sold (Bought) in Westcoast Homes. [PNG Merlin Archive]PNG
A snapshot of recent residential real estate activity in Metro Vancouver
5880 Falcon Road, West Vancouver
Type: Five-bedroom, five-bathroom detached
Size: 3,850 sq. ft.
B.C. Assessment: $3,192,000
Listed for: $2,495,000
Sold for: $2,250,000
Sold on: Aug. 6
Days on market: 27
Listing agent: Tom Hassan at Royal LePage Sussex-Tom Hassan
Buyers agent: David Matiru and Eric Langhjelm at VPG Realty
The big sell: This West Vancouver property boasts numerous accolades, including ocean views across Burrard Inlet from its primary rooms, a completely renovated 3,850-square-foot interior and a private 12,500-square-foot lot near Rockridge School, Gleneagles Community Centre and golf course, and West Vancouver Yacht Club in the Eagleridge neighbourhood. Vaulted rafter ceilings accentuate the vistas and light, while the open-concept design allows a seamless flow through the kitchen, dining area and living room. Sliding glass doors provide access to a covered balcony, which overlooks the swimming pool, hot tub and sundecks below. There are three bedrooms on the main level, including a spacious master suite with a walk-in closet and an ensuite with a claw-foot bathtub and a separate shower. The lower level has two bedrooms (both with ensuites), a library, gym, family room and hobby room/office.
214 — 3709 Pender Street, Vancouver
Type: One-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment
Size: 727 sq. ft.
B.C. Assessment: $446,000
Listed for: $525,000
Sold for: $518,000
Sold on: Aug. 5
Days on market: 19
Listing agent: Shannon Ezekiel and Marni Tritt at Engel & Volkers Vancouver
Buyers agent: Cameron Walker at Royal LePage Sussex
1027_homes_sold-W.jpgPNG
The big sell: Burnaby’s Willingdon Heights is the location for this one-bedroom corner-unit condo that forms part of the Lexington North complex. With a convenient position by Boundary Road and East Hastings Street, there are plenty of amenities nearby, including direct transit routes to downtown Vancouver. The 21-unit building was constructed in 1994 and has been fully rainscreened. This home has undergone a total redesign and features engineered walnut floors, custom cabinetry, quartz countertops, stainless-steel appliances, surround sound by the gas fireplace, a ‘floating’ window bench and a sliding opaque glass barn door at the entrance to the bathroom. Half of the 380-square-foot patio is dedicated to a relaxation and entertaining area with decking and seating under a covered pergola. The unit comes with a parking space, a storage locker and a monthly maintenance fee of $243.98. Pets and rentals are permitted with restrictions.
2020 Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver
Type: Three-bedroom, two-bathroom townhouse
Size: 1,657 sq. ft.
B.C. Assessment: $977,000
Listed for: $998,000
Sold for: $1,000,000
Sold on: June 17
Days on market: 18
Listing agent: Ina Ervin at Coldwell Banker Prestige Realty
Buyers agent: Chris Sham at Heyday Realty
This home at 2020 Chesterfield Avenue in North Vancouver sold for $1,000,000. For Sold (Bought) in Westcoast Homes. [PNG Merlin Archive]PNG
The big sell: This three-level townhome belongs to a self-managed five-unit complex in North Vancouver’s Central Lonsdale district. It was built in 1982 and has a floor plan in excess of 1,600 square feet, as well as two side-by-side covered parking stalls with direct access to the home. The entrance is on the lower floor, where an 12-foot-long foyer leads past a guest bedroom, powder room and laundry room to stairs that lead to the main level. The open-concept kitchen features ample countertop space, premium appliances, a sizable centre island and large windows. The living room has engineered hardwood floors, a modern wood fireplace and there are balconies at either end of this level. There are two bedrooms upstairs, a semi-ensuite bathroom and a private balcony off the master bedroom.with mountain and city views. The monthly maintenance fee is $360.00 and pets and rentals are permitted.
These transactions were compiled by Nicola Way of BestHomesBC.com.
Last year, Apple instituted a program to replace out-of-warranty batteries for the iPhone 6 or later for just $29 — a $50 price drop from the usual $79 cost.
If you own an iPhone 6 or later and have battery issues, you have until December 31 to take advantage of the lower price to replace your battery.
If you own an iPhone 6 or later and have issues with your phone's battery life, now's the time to visit an Apple Store and get your battery replaced.
It said the goal was to preserve battery life on those older phones and prevent them from shutting down unexpectedly, but customers felt as if Apple communicated this message too late, as many had come to believe that iPhones purposefully got slower to compel people to upgrade to newer models.
After a good deal of consumer outrage, Apple addressed iPhone battery and performance in an open letter to customers later that month.
The most important part of Apple's informational letter was an offer toward the end: Apple said it would reduce the price of an out-of-warranty iPhone battery replacement to $29 from $79 "for anyone with an iPhone 6 or later whose battery needs to be replaced, available worldwide through December 2018."
And so if you own an iPhone 6, an iPhone 6s, an iPhone 7, or any other phones made after that and are experiencing battery issues — maybe it's draining faster than it used to — head to an Apple Store before December 31.
A small anecdote: My fiancée owns an iPhone 6s and had been experiencing battery issues for months. She'd constantly need to recharge her phone at work and at home, and she felt as if it hadn't always been this bad. So a couple of months ago, we visited an Apple Store, where an employee measured her phone's battery life and found the degradation to be at about 83%.
Apple says it will offer to replace batteries when battery degradation reaches 80%, but the employee gave my fiancée the option to replace it right then and there for $29. So we did that and walked around the mall for a few hours while we waited.
It was worth the wait — since that visit, she's noticed improvement in her phone's battery life and no longer needs to charge it throughout the day.
So if you're experiencing anything similar, go visit an Apple Store or mail your devicebefore December 31 and pay the $30 to get your battery replaced. You'll be paying more if you choose to wait.
It's 126 feet tall, two feet wide and heads nowhere.
A massive ladder has been erected over a Vancouver street as a symbol of encouragement for those passing below.
Called 108 Steps, the galvanized steel sculpture stands tall over Kingsway near Nanaimo Street.
The piece constructed by Korean artist Khan Lee is meant to encourage viewers to "reach upward and beyond to achieve perceivably unattainable goals," according to developer Westbank, which paid for the project.
The artist has studied at Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and is a founding member of the Vancouver-based artist collective known as "Intermission."
The 108-rung ladder is perhaps unintentionally reminiscent of a similar structure in New Westminster which was intended to lead somewhere.
Earlier this year, the city announced it would give $70,000 to whoever comes up with the best plan to spruce up a fire escape dubbed the "staircase to nowhere."
The structure was built after the city tore down a parkade on Front Street that included a fire escape for the neighbouring heritage building. A new set of steps was installed in 2017 at a cost of $200,000, but it took months for the city to actually connect it to the building, earning the staircase its nickname.
Autumn leaves turn East Vancouver street into international attraction
The vibrant autumn leaf show along Cambridge Street is popular among locals and tourists this time of year. But it’s never been this popular, say some residents, who are tiring of the crowds. Photo Michael Euley
Imagine getting home from work to find a family you’ve never met having a picnic on your front lawn. As you survey this scene of strangers, you realize it’s just that: a scene. The picnic is staged in an effort to capture a perfect moment under a stunning canopy of bright autumn leaves. Once the shot is captured, the family packs up their faux lunch and mills about in the street for a while.
Such odd activities and encroachments have become commonplace on Cambridge Street in East Vancouver every fall season. The red-hot attraction is a two-block cluster of towering, 60-foot red maple trees. Each autumn, their leaves turn a dazzling crimson, accented even more so this season, contrasted against the bright blue skies that we’ve basked under for much of October.
Add it up and the result is a perfect fall storm of unexpected tree tourism in the Hastings-Sunrise neighbourhood. When I went by the corner of Cambridge and Penticton Streets this weekend, it was like a street festival, with at least 100 people wandering around the intersection, iPhones, cameras and selfie-sticks aloft.
Photo Michael Euley
Dawn Pemberton is a renowned soul singer who has lived on Cambridge Street for 15 years. She’s noticed a sharp increase in interest in the past half dozen years.
“It’s getting out of control,” Pemberton told me. “I’m right in the thick of the insanity. On the one hand, it’s great that people are enjoying nature and loving the trees, but now there’s tour buses showing up. Tourists are climbing on other people’s parked motorcycles. They aren’t paying attention to traffic as they try to get that perfect shot. I’m worried someone is going to get hurt.”
I was stumped as to how this leafy street in East Van become became such a spruced up hotbed for fall foliage. It seems the answer is a combination of old fashioned word of mouth branching into the power of the world wide web. When I rooted around the intersection, I met people pining over the trees from Shanghai, Hong Kong, India, San Francisco and South Africa.
“We found out about these leaves from Baidu.com,” one woman told me. When I asked what Baidu was, she looked at me a little dumbfounded. “It’s like Google,” she replied, “for China and Chinese people.” She also told me the colour red is very symbolic in Chinese culture. “Red is for luck, happiness and good fortune. Red is very special. This street is very special.”
Another person from Victoria told me she had spotted the leaves on Instagram and had to see them for herself. Vancouver photographer Spencer Finlay’s blazing shot of Cambridge Street’s cardinal canopy has racked up nearly 3,000 likes and 137 comments on Instagram, many asking, “Where’s that?” (I met another budding photographer named Michael Euley who kindly supplied some photos for this column.)
The turning of the leaves usually lasts about three weeks but has been extended this year, thanks to the lack fall storms and the prolonged ridge of high pressure that has kept Vancouver in unseasonal sunshine. But the popularity of the trees — and the antics of the tourists going out on a limb — has some neighbours seeing red.
Fee Johnson has lived on Cambridge off and on over the years and has never seen anything like she has this past month.
“I had people pose on my porch and then tell me off when I tried to open my door because it wrecked their picture,” Johnson told me. “And yes, I had a family set up a picnic on my front lawn. Another guy was jumping up and down on the road and throwing leaves in the air. I almost hit him with my car even though I was going five kilometres an hour. I got told off again when I asked a man to move his tripod so I could park. I have a special needs son and two other boys and I need to park in front of my house.”
Photo Michael Euley
Sometimes, according to Pemberton, neighbours have taken their bark too far. “You hear people honking, but one guy really lost his mind,” she recounted. “He was racist and rude and went way too far.”
While I was on Cambridge Street, I witnessed an angry male cyclist yelling at several older women to get out of the street. I called him out for it, and he was immediately apologetic.
Pemberton offered a little bit of advice for those seeking sappy selfies under the tunnel of red fortune that is her block every October:
“Even though the street is a public place, it’s not a park. People do live here. Please be respectful of that, and be aware of your surroundings. Enjoy the leaves, but feel free to come back and help us rake them up.”
B.C. government introduces legislation on speculation tax
The legislation did not contain an opt-out clause requested by municipal governments, many of which are warning the tax will have the reverse effect and actually discourage development of new housing.
ROB SHAW
Updated: October 19, 2018
B.C.'s speculation tax: What you need to know | Vancouver Sun1:37
VICTORIA — B.C.’s New Democratic government dug in its heels on the contentious real estate speculation tax Tuesday, moving forward to bring it into law despite the protests of local mayors and a development community that warned it could cause more affordable housing problems than it will solve.
Finance Minister Carole James introduced enabling legislation for the tax, eight months after it was first announced in February’s provincial budget. It will levy a surcharge on vacant second homes in much of Metro Vancouver and other areas, in an attempt to push owners to either rent out those homes or sell them to boost the housing supply.
The legislation did not contain an opt-out clause requested by municipal governments, many of which are warning the tax will have the reverse effect and actually discourage development of new housing.
“When you face a major provincial crisis like (affordability), it’s the responsibility of the provincial government to act, not to let municipalities pick and choose whether they want to address affordable housing,” James told reporters.
“Affordable housing is a crisis and it’s our responsibility as government to act on that.”
“It seems the premier heard many of our local governments, but went in a little bit of a different direction,” said Chilliwack Mayor Sharon Gaetz, UBCM’s second vice-president.
“I know the issue is not going to go away. I’m really hoping it will be carefully monitored and may be an opportunity to look at it again in the short future.”
James did extend an olive branch to the development community by exempting companies holding multiple properties for new housing development if they can show they are moving forward on a regular permitting, consultation, financing and construction project schedule “without undue delay.”
Urban Development Institute president Anne McMullin said her organization was “pleased” with that exemption.
“In the midst of a housing crisis, we applaud the government’s recognition that taxes on development lands will increase costs on the delivery of all types of new housing,” she said in a statement.
“We encourage government to also act in budget 2019 to apply similar exemptions for the new school tax and other new property taxes that are passed on to eventual homebuyers and renters.”
James said those exemptions are not planned.
The speculation tax will apply to those who own multiple properties in Metro Vancouver, the Capital Regional District (excluding the Gulf Islands and the Strait of Juan de Fuca), Kelowna, West Kelowna, Nanaimo-Lantzville, Abbotsford, Chilliwack and Mission.
The tax will apply at a reduced rate in 2018, based on property owned as of Dec. 31. It expands in 2019 to 0.5 per cent of assessed value for B.C. residents, one per cent for Canadians from outside B.C., and two per cent for non-Canadians.
Owners are exempt if they rent their properties for at least six months a year. And there is also a tax credit for B.C. residents with second homes valued under $400,000.
James pointed to exemptions she said will make the tax fair, including for people facing medical emergencies, people who have to relocate suddenly for a job, seniors who enter care homes, people undergoing a separation, and those with disabilities.
“If people choose to leave their homes vacant where the housing crisis is the deepest, we are asking them to pay their fair share. All that revenue will be returned to British Columbians in the form of affordable housing,” said James.
Academics are split on the effectiveness of the measure. It was partly based upon work done by professors to improve housing measures. However, Andrey Pavlov, who specializes in real estate at Simon Fraser University’s Beedie School of Business, said the tax is poorly named because it does little to curb speculation and is actually more of a vacancy tax.
Pavlov said it might provide short-term relief for rental vacancy and housing prices, but government’s move to limit homeowner rights will actually discourage long-term development.
“It does not address the root cause of the problem,” he said. “I call it symptom relief. That’s fine. But unless it’s very clear this is temporary, it’s just going to backfire in the long run because that measure alone without the corresponding increase in supply is going to reduce new supply even further.”
Pavlov said government should focus more on improving municipal development times.
Government estimates almost two-thirds of those expected to pay the new speculation tax — about 20,000 of the 32,000 homes that qualify — will be British Columbians, not foreigners or residents of other provinces.
James argued Tuesday that figure includes satellite families — defined as B.C. residents who obtain more than 50 per cent of their income from worldwide sources outside of the province. However, she admitted B.C. does not know how many satellite families actually exist in the province.
The tax is expected to generate $201 million in revenue.
Although the legislation was introduced Tuesday, the fate of the tax remains unclear.
The NDP government doesn’t have the votes in the legislature to pass the tax into law without the support of either the Greens or Liberals, both of which have said they want the bill changed to include the opt-out. It remains unclear if the Liberals and Greens can actually work together to pass amendments.
“We’ve said clearly from the start we are opposed to this phoney speculation tax and will be voting against it,” said Opposition Liberal leader Andrew Wilkinson.
Green leader Andrew Weaver said he is still reviewing the bill.
“I still have concerns that Canadians are not being treated equally and that there is an insufficient role for local governments in determining what happens in their communities,” he said.
Online real estate property website Zillow has announced that it is expanding its listing services north of the border into Canada.
The Seattle-based company has released its first 50,000 listings on its website and mobile app, based on the partnerships it has created with Canadian brokerages and franchisors.
Thousands of listings can currently be viewed for the housing markets in the Vancouver, Calgary, and Toronto areas, but at the time of writing there are no listings for the Montreal area.
Canadians looking to buy or rent property can search for-sale or for-lease properties by postal code, city or province, and use search filters to customize and save their search parameters.
Information provided for Canadian listings include the home’s list price, a description of the property, photos, and available home facts and statistics. Other details consist of the listing agent’s contact information and link to the brokerage or franchise website.
“It’s an exciting time at Zillow and we’re thrilled to start expanding our listings coverage outside the US and provide the millions of home shoppers who use Zillow every day an easy way to see Canadian homes for sale,” said Errol Samuelson, Zillow Chief Industry Development Officer, in a statement.
“Zillow provides unprecedented global exposure for Canadian listings on a reliable and trusted platform home shoppers love. We’re excited about the momentum we’re making in Canada, and with every new Canadian partnership we build, the home shopping experience on Zillow will only get better.”
Listings can be posted onto the site for free by an agent whose brokerage or franchise is partnered with Zillow.
The business says it has a wide global reach, with over 100 million visits per year from non-US viewers. It was founded in 2006 by former Microsoft executives and the founders of Expedia.
The company’s stock is up by $2.18 (+5.62%), reaching $40.98, as of 1:30 pm EDT today upon news of its Canadian expansion.
You can be forgiven for not knowing about the Sanctuary at Hastings Park; it’s the definition of a “hidden gem“. Tucked into the middle of the Hastings Park / PNE complex and surrounded by dense foiliage, this wildlife habitat isn’t easy to find if you don’t know where to look, especially if your main visits to the grounds are trips to Playland or to the annual summer Fair at the PNE. (Heck, if you’re new to Vancouver, you may not even know that the PNE is part of Hastings Park!)
Because it’s not well-publicized, this divine little spot is both a sanctuary for wildlife—106 species of bird have been spotted here—and a sanctuary for people, too: with so few visitors, it’s easy to feel completely alone with nature here.
For most of it’s 100+ years, Hastings Park has been anything but a traditional park / wildlife habitat. Used for both the Hastings Racecourse and the trade shows, amusement park, and other PNE facilities, it was only in the late 1990s that the community began a Hastings Park Restoration Plan, which led to the opening of the Sanctuary’s wildlife habitat (as well as other green spaces in Hastings Park) in 1999.
Today’s Sanctuary is a gorgeous 4 hectare garden, complete with a large pond, bubbling brook, winding pathways, bridges, and plenty of picture-perfect sitting spaces. It’s a short walk around the space, and the pathways make it easy to navigate on wheels. (I took my son in his stroller and had no problems.)
From the southwest ‘corner’ of the Sanctuary, you can divert to the serene Momiji Gardens (look for the white Garden Auditorium building, along E Hastings St.). This lovely Japanese garden commemorates a shameful time in Canadian history: the internment of Japanese Canadians during WWII. The garden is located here because Japanese Canadians were held in PNE buildings before being moved to internment camps throughout B.C.
Getting to the Hastings Park Sanctuary can be tricky. I suggest entering from Renfrew St. and, once inside the grounds, heading east, as if you were driving to Playland. You can park near the Hastings Racecourse, then, directly south of the parking lot, you’ll see a stone bridge that will lead into the Sanctuary. Once there, just follow the path!
You can learn more about Hastings Park—and the continuing plans for its development—through the Hastings Park Conservancy. The Conservancy also offers guided nature walks through the Sanctuary at least once a month; more info here.
Know of any other Vancouver hidden gems? Or have memories to share about Hastings Park? Please post below!
"Vancouver-based company Hoi Fu Enterprises Ltd., owned by mother Jin Lan Feng and son John Yuan, was in the process of acquiring land in Richmond, B.C. The property at 4008 Stolberg St. was valued at over $25 million"
#vanre $649,000, Tax Assess $718,000. "Welcome to Marine Woods, the MOST popular family friendly townhouse complex in Champlain Heights! Almost 1700 sq ft, this 3 bedroom, 3 full bathroom townhouse is perfect for you."
#vanre $839,900, Tax Assess $886,000. "Award-winning Domus is located across the Heritage architecture of Homer St in Yaletown. This bright SW suite has open views of a large garden terrace - like living across from a park!"
#vanre $998,000, Tax Assess $1,076,000. "Walk up the stairs to enter this bright and tastefully updated 2 level, 2 bedroom, 2 bathroom townhome in prime Kitsilano."
#vanre@JoannahConnolly "If built at the proposed 163 metres, 601 Beach Crescent would be the fourth-tallest tower in the city, after Shangri-La, Trump Tower and One Burrard Place."
#vanre "The affordability crisis is now more of a regional problem than simply a Vancouver issue, and vacancy rates in the suburbs are approaching zero while rents continue to climb higher, according the report."
#vanre#bcpoli@DouglasTodd "the tax will only apply to 1% of British Columbians ... non-Canadians will be asked to pay a rate of 2%, while Canadians whose primary residence is outside B.C. will pay 1%. B.C. residents will get off the lightest paying 0.5%"
#vanre@StephenPunwasi "Say you just moved to Vancouver, and the first thing you do is head over to the River Rock Casino. You leave with enough cash for a 35% downpayment on a house, so you go shopping."
#vanre#vanpoli@AdrienneTanner "The answer lies at least in part with double-digit property price increases and a housing affordability crisis the likes of which Vancouver has never seen."
#vanre@Gordmac980 "Sales fell 33.2 per cent compared to the same month a year ago, and the average residential price of $685,749 was down 1.1 per cent from September of 2017. Total sales dollar volume was down 34 per cent from September 2017."
#vanre#cannabiscanada "He said the same rules that are applied to cigarettes can be applied to marijuana, adding that a 'vast majority' of condos will adopt bylaws that prohibit growing and smoking cannabis in their private homes."
#vanre@EvanBDuggan "separation is emerging between the pattern of commercial investment and home-buying ... the supply of homes for sale continued to increase across the region in September, while homebuyer demand remained below typical levels."
#vanre $1,199,000 Tax Assess $1,405,000. "Space or Location? Why choose when you can have both in this beautiful home situated for easy walking access to all the best of Vancouver, this home also offers 1416 sf of spacious open plan living."
#vanre#bcpoli The world according to Mike De jong: "As we now know, the majority of that demand was domestic, and that’s a good thing. Unfortunately, we didn’t keep pace in terms of the supply of homes and condos."
#VanRE@quinngreg "British Columbia saw the most significant deterioration, with starts falling 43 percent in September to an annualized 25,611 units, the housing agency’s report showed. They dropped 42 percent in Vancouver and 56 percent in Victoria."
#VanRE@steeletalk "A local realtor has crunched the numbers and thinks the average price of a detached house in Vancouver will decline 21% from its recent peak to $1.5 million by 2019 and will stay at that level until a recovery begins in late 2021!"
#VanRE@Pazderlaw "Land assemblies are here to stay. With 40-50,000 people moving to the Lower Mainland yearly and every politician and his dog in favor of increasing density (although how that is either “green” or “sustainable” is a mystery to me)"
#VanRE "the combination of the mortgage stress test introduced in January this year, along with mortgage interest rates rising, are making it much more expensive to buy a home. Therefore the market correspondingly balances this out with declining prices"
#vanre @DouglasTodd “The breadwinner of an immigrant-investor family, ‘usually returns home to support the family’s millionaire lifestyle in Canada’ and, unlike a refugee who stays in Canada, doesn’t pay significant income taxes in this country.”
“We have a crisis where hard-working British Columbians are being shut out of the market. We have seen examples of families being forced to live in tents, workers & seniors living in their cars & young professionals leaving the province.”
#vanre#bcpoli "faced with some of the highest housing prices in the world. The speculation & vacancy tax is already moderating the housing market curbing foreign investment against people looking to use the market as a resting place for foreign capital"
#vanre Someone's high because where detached go, attached is sure to follow. "Eventually, he added the drop in sales of roughly 43% will lead to a price correction of 5 to 10% in single-family homes, but not for condominiums where demand is still 'high.'"
#vanre@pmcondon2 "a far better fix would be to build housing for students, faculty and staff right on campus. Even proponents of the Broadway extension don’t claim that we need such an expensive system ... it’s wildly overbuilt for current transit loads."
#vanre#bcpoli "when the province is facing a crisis and the people for British Columbians is facing a crisis and the economy is facing a crisis because of the lack of the affordable housing, it is the responsibility of the provincial government to act.”
#vanre#bcpoli@ashifa_k "I can tell you it is tied to the opioid crisis that has taken thousands of people from their families,” said @Dave_Eby. “It’s linked to the real estate market and prices that have made life unaffordable for British Columbians.”
#vanre $2,988,800, Sold Jan-2016 $3,200,000, Tax Assess $3,317,800. "Ideal corner lot in one of the West Side's most sought-after neighborhoods. Substantial 49 x 130.35 with North Mountain view. Located on the quiet part of W. King Edward, only 2 blocks to Dunbar shops."
#vanre $938,000, Tax Assess $1,174,000. "Renfrew Vancouver East. Cute 2 bedroom home with nice living room, kitchen with eating area and full bathroom on main floor."
#vanre#vanpoli@murphyyvr "Too much new development, or land inflation due to increased development potential, kills social capital. This affects both housing and small businesses. Addressing this requires a deeper dive into the details of zoning."
#vanre@fabulavancouver “Communities are essentially hollowing out there. Some coffee shops on the west side are now closing a couple of days a week [because they can’t get servers who can afford to live nearby].”
#vanre @DouglasTodd “Most of the roughly 5,000 migrants a year who exploit Quebec’s buy-a-passport program immediately move to Metro Vancouver and Toronto, where their foreign-sourced dollars pump up the cities’ already high-priced real estate.”
#vanre “‘Tax changes targeting foreign buyers or higher stamp duty (Vancouver, Toronto, Hong Kong) has led to slower growth at the luxury end of the market,’ Knight Frank said in the report issued last week.”
#vanre "Sales in Vancouver fell by 1.5 per cent in September and benchmark prices declined 1.2 per cent, the Canadian Real Estate Association said Monday."
#Vancouver#Canucks Thanks @BarryDeley for sticking up for the @fr_aquilini@Canucks, and bringing up the fact there was exactly no retribution on Matheson. They need some enforcement to protect their players.
#vanre pushing up camper prices "cost her $6,200. A good deal for a used fibreglass trailer, according to Ian Giles, vintage camper fanatic & repairman. Mr. Giles estimates the standard used vintage camper now sells for $8,000 to $10,000.” @audreycarleton1
#vanre Remember this article a month from now. "Despite B.C. home sales taking a nosedive in September, BCREA stands by its assertion that the 'downturn is largely behind us' and that market activity is expected to pick up."
#vanre#bcpoli@TiffyCrawford13 "The B.C. Court of Appeal on Thursday turned down a proposed class-action suit against the Sahota family. The B.C. government says it will review a court ruling to determine whether changes are needed to protect renters."
#vanre#vanpoli Housing Affordability "@fumano has compiled brief summaries on where they stand on key issues facing the city. The following responses were submitted by seven top mayoral candidates."
#vanre#vanpoli@fabulavancouver "The Globe canvassed parties to get their positions on recent affordability initiatives taken by the outgoing Vision Vancouver council - and their big ideas to ease the housing crunch."
#vanre#vanpoli@DavidChenTweets "There are many accusations about why there is an agenda to remove them. It would be prudent to obtain a current seismic report from a different engineering firm"
#vanre@Dufresnm "the Branch is working to recover the funds owing. That said only a small amount ($70,000) has been recovered so far from asset auctions & seized funds. A judgment on a multi-million-dollar property is still going through the legal system"
#vanre@steeletalk "We heard about a new report, titled No Vacancy, shows that Metro Vancouver’s affordability crisis is now surging into the suburbs. @carolejames tells us what the province is doing to tackle some of the troubling findings in No Vacancy."
#vanre $5,280,000, Tax Assess $6,502,000. "Impressive First Shaugnessy Georgian with 100' frontage, circular driveway w/porte cochere, North-South lot, plus back lane access. Large 5,000 sf living, with spacious principal rooms with generous-cut interiors."
#vanre $2,180,000, Tax Assess $2,809,100. "Prime Dunbar location in a family neighbourhood. Seldom available, this special location has a peaceful and tranquil outlook over forest, backing onto Pacific Spirit Regional Park."
#vanre $1,499,000, tax assess $1,925,300. "West of Main Street! This 3 level home offers 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms with a lower level with high ceiling. Close to Oakridge Mall, Canada Line, transit, Queen Elizabeth Park, Main Street shops and lots more."
#vanre@wanyeelii "In short, the housing affordability crisis has reached a point where Vancouver organizations are finding it hard to operate social-housing programs — the very thing people rely on when they can’t find housing."
#vanre#vanpoli@JeremyHunka@ugm "With the crisis spreading, calling Metro Vancouver home is only getting harder. Your vote matters. On October 20, vote with affordability and homelessness in mind. Learn your mayoral candidates’ stances"
#vanre $515,000, Tax Assess $572,000. "Perfect Kits Location! Connaught Park Place is steps to IGA, London Drugs, Connaught Park, community centre and all that Kitsilano has to offer."
The rate at which presale condos and townhomes are being snapped up has plummeted across Greater Vancouver and the Fraser Valley – especially in downtown Vancouver, according to a July 18 report by a real estate marketing company.
MLA Advisory, the research arm of marketing firm MLA Canada, said in its mid-year report that the absorption rate of newly released presale units in June 2018 across the Lower Mainland was just 50 per cent, compared with 94 per cent in January this year. The monthly absorption rate is the proportion of units that are both released and sold within that month.
Overall, from January to June inclusive, 74 per cent of the 7,753 presale unit released in the Lower Mainland were sold. However, the pace of sales is slowing, with 79 per cent sales in 2018’s first quarter, and 69 per cent in Q2.
MLA said the more modest pace of sales was good news for homebuyers and the industry.
“The current pre-sale landscape is shifting from its once unsustainable, hyperactive growth to a balanced, more normal market,” said Suzana Goncalves, chief advisory officer and partner at MLA Canada. “This is good news for everyone to ensure more modest and realistic price growth, more choice for consumers and the need for higher quality product from the industry. The economic fundamentals including low interest rates, steady employment landscape, and continued demand to move to our sought-after city will allow for a steady shift into a balanced market.”
Local market divergence
Some local markets bucked the region’s overall trend, however. Burnaby North, which is seeing unprecedented levels of residential development at Brentwood and Lougheed, had a January-thru-June sold rate of 91 per cent, out of nearly 1,600 new homes released. Most of these units were concrete condos in Brentwood, according to MLA.
MLA’s report said that West Coquitlam and North Surrey also saw strong presale activity, “proving that demand remains high for transit-oriented communities.”
The City of Vancouver, on the other hand, is seeing presales of 61 per cent in East Vancouver projects, 54 per cent for new condo developments on the West Side, and just 34 per cent downtown, according to MLA research.
MLA's report said, "Vancouver proper is seeing a decline in pre-sale absorption as price levels have reached a significant threshold. Some potential buyers in Vancouver are seeking more affordable options with a perceived higher [appreciation]."
The lowest absorption rate was seen in Port Coqutilam, at just 19 per cent of units sold between January and June. Richmond’s rate was also low at 39 per cent.
Investors selling assignments
The anticipation of slower sales and potentially lower prices could be encouraging some pre-sale buyers to sell their sales contracts, known as assignments. A look at listing services Craigslist, Kijiji and Vancouvernewcondos.ca on July 18 found 587 presale condos being offered from West Vancouver and Squamish to Surrey and Langley by both real estate agents and private owners.
The February 20 increase in the B.C. foreign-home buyer tax from 15 per cent to 20 per cent could also be a factor in slower pre-sales. Since 2016, the share of new condominiums sold to foreign buyers reached 16 per cent across Metro Vancouver and accounts for about one-quarter of buyers in Richmond and Coquitlam, according to Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp.
Looking to the second half of 2018, MLA is expecting to see 67 project launches with more than 7,700 new homes – around the same amount as in the first six months of the year.
North Vancouver is forecast to be the most active market in the Lower Mainland, with nearly 1,500 new presale homes expected to be released.
Vancouver Election 2018: 8 hot topics and where leading mayoral candidates and electoral organizations stand
7 mayoral candidates and four parties present their platforms on the key issues in Vancouver's municipal election: housing, the overdose crisis, transportation, governance and taxation.
Vancouver residents will choose a new mayor and council in the Oct. 20 election. To help voters choose among an unusually high number of candidates, city columnist Dan Fumano has compiled brief summaries on where they stand on key issues facing the city. The following responses were submitted by seven top mayoral candidates (presented in alphabetical order) and four parties running council candidates, and have been edited for clarity and length.
Clockwise from top left: David Chen, Hector Bremner, Fred Harding, Ken Sim, Wai Young, Shauna Sylvester and Kennedy Stewart.PNG
Housing Affordability
Hector Bremner (Yes Vancouver): Vancouver’s current plan is 91 years old and does not allow modern forms of housing in 75 per cent of the city. Vancouver is way behind comparable cities in terms of process and technology. Yes Vancouver wants to revolutionize the way housing is planned, zoned and approved in Vancouver.
David Chen (ProVancouver): Require 50 per cent rentals for all new builds, use rental-only zoning around transit corridors, build larger temporary modular housing units to accommodate families, switch co-ops to five-year automatic renewals after first 50 years, build more co-ops and social housing. Fix maximum social housing rents at 30 per cent of median area household pre-tax income.
Fred Harding (Vancouver 1st): Vancouver 1st is committed to building affordable rental housing on city-owned land that will be targeted at costing the tenants monthly rents of $400, $900 and $1,300, for a bachelor, one- and two-bedroom unit, respectively.
Ken Sim (NPA): We need solutions that will make an impact immediately to relieve pressure on limited supply. That’s why the NPA would immediately allow two secondary suites in every detached home — of which there are around 40,000 in Vancouver. The NPA would also build dedicated rental buildings on city-owned land, fast-track housing for those who need it most, and clean up the development approval process.
Kennedy Stewart (Independent): Stewart says Vancouver need housing that’s affordable for everyone. Nis platform includes building 85,000 homes over the next 10 years, including 25,000 affordable, non-profit run rental units, 25,000 market rental units, and 35,000 new condominiums, coach houses, and townhouses. He wants to streamline the development process for purpose-built rental, and create a new renters’ advocate office.
Shauna Sylvester (Independent): Sylvester says the city cannot rest until it has a three per cent rental vacancy rate and the price per square foot for housing is a better match with typical wages. She would support more purpose-built housing to create thriving neighbourhoods for children, working professionals, seniors and businesses by using city resources, renewing leases for all co-ops, and encouraging purpose-built housing through faster permitting and fee waivers.
Wai Young (Coalition Vancouver): Coalition Vancouver would not sell one square inch of city land. To reduce shortages, it would allow one additional rental unit per home. Longer term, it would focus on purpose-built rental buildings and co-ops. It also plans to build entry-level homes intended to be within reach for millennials.
Coalition of Progressive Electors (COPE): Over the past year, COPE, including council candidate Jean Swanson, has been seeking a rent freeze. COPE would use all city available powers to protect renters and small business tenants, and will tax mansions over $5 million to end homelessness in one year and build city-owned non-market rental housing in subsequent years.
Green Party of Vancouver: The Greens would seek to amend Vancouver’s Charter to recognize the right to housing, and redefine affordability in bylaws to be 30 per cent of income. It would set a goal of 50 per cent below-market-rate housing for new multi-residential developments and launch a city-funded, city-built housing program on city-owned land. It would change bylaws to make construction cheaper, encourage secondary suites and fast-track permits for affordable housing.
Vision Vancouver: Vision will speed up permits, zone to allow more housing options and deliver more city-built affordable housing, including co-ops, as part of a comprehensive plan for 88,000 new homes over 10 years. Vision’s school board candidates are working to pilot housing for teachers.
OneCity: OneCity believes housing is a human right. We are committed to renewing co-op leases and supporting more co-ops and co-housing. OneCity will utilize rental-only zoning and incentivize purpose-built rental housing across the city, attentive to the needs of urban Indigenous people, seniors, families, people with accessibility requirements, pet owners, and more. OneCity will strengthen tenant protections and build 25,000 truly affordable non-market housing units.
Which candidate's policy on HOUSING AFFORDABILITY do you agree with most?
A land assembly is simply the joining of adjacent lands to make a larger parcel. This is normally done so that the larger parcel can accommodate the building of more living units (be they houses, townhouses, low rise or high rise condominiums). Selling as part of a land assembly usually means that the vendor will get a much higher price than he or she would on a one off sale to an individual buyer.
A realtor knocks on your door and says that he or she is representing a buyer or developer who is interested in purchasing your property as part of a land assembly.
What should you do?
– Find out as much as you can from the realtor about the assembly including who is behind it (i.e. developer, city hall, school board or other government authority or other), how much land is being assembled, what is going to be built on the property (i.e. townhouses, low rise, high rise or other), what is permitted by the current Community Plan for your neighborhood, who else has signed a sale agreement in your area for this assembly, the time frame for the development, whether the realtor wants to represent you or the buyer (dual agency where the realtor represents both the buyer and the seller is now forbidden in BC except in unusual circumstances). Link.
– Ask the realtor to leave copies of all documentation with you for your review including marketing materials, listing agreement and proposed contract.
– Before you sign any listing agreement or contract of purchase, take it you your lawyer for review. Don’t ask the lawyer to “have a peak at the documents” because you don’t want to spend much money. These are complex documents and the lawyer has to take the time to read and understand them in order to properly advise you. I have had clients who have inadvertently signed two year listing agreements for land assemblies, assuming that they could cancel them if the realtor was not performing to their satisfaction. Unfortunately that is NOT the case. In a recent scenario, a school board presented an offer to a client of mine which had an open ended subject removal date (meaning that it would have tied my client’s property up indefinitely). The offer was drafted by a large Vancouver law firm, so one would have to assume that was not a drafting error. Unscrupulous developers, realtors or others often seek to hide unreasonable clauses in the fine print. Don’t assume that you can void a contract because you didn’t read it before signing (you will have an uphill battle in court on that front). Don’t rely on the buyer’s realtor or other third party to explain it to you, in place of your actually reading it or having your lawyer review it and explain it to you.
– THE DEVELOPER’S GOAL: is to tie up your property for as long as possible without paying you anything unless the proposed development goes ahead. The carrot which is dangled in front of you is the potential to get a lot more money for your home than its normal market value. The developer accomplishes this slight-of-hand by the use of “subject conditions,” which are terms which make the contract binding on him only when they are removed.
Typical subject conditions are: • A certain number of neighborhood owners signing on; • Satisfactory Phase I environmental site assessment; • Satisfactory Feasibility Study; • Other due diligence searches and investigations such as title review, soil sampling, site assessment etc.
– Often it can take a half a year or more to complete these matters. In the meantime, your property is effectively tied up. It can’t be sold to someone else and it’s unlikely that you would want to renovate or upgrade it with the possibility of a sale on the horizon. On occasion, the developer will want an Option registered on your property as well.
– THE SELLER’S GOAL: is to have your property under contract for as short a time as possible and to get some non-refundable compensation from the developer if the property is going to be tied up for more than three or four months. Options cost money and there is no reason to grant one to a developer and not get paid something if the sale never materializes. I have had clients who have had their property tied up for eighteen months only to have the development cancelled at the last minute. In such a case, keeping $20,000 or more for your trouble makes the situation somewhat more palatable. Beware the Listing Agreement also. These are very complex, one sided standard agreements drafted by the real estate board’s lawyers. Once they are signed, unless modified by you or your lawyer first, they can lock a seller into a long term relationship with the listing realtor –again effectively tying up your home without compensation.
Other considerations are:
– Payment of the deposit on the subject removal date. That deposit should be minimally 5-10% of the ultimate purchase price, non-refundable and preferably, released to the seller forthwith upon subject removal. If not, it’s held in the real estate brokerage’s or developer’s lawyer’s trust account. Stipulate that it be held in an interest bearing account and that the interest accrues to you if the completion date is more than three or four months down the road. If the deposit is to be held in trust, add a clause requiring the developer’s brokerage or lawyer to release the deposit to you or your lawyer forthwith, if the developer fails to close on the completion date (otherwise, you may have to go to court to get it, as the Real Estate Services Act requires either mutual consent or a court order to have a deposit released. Link.
– Rent back. Often, the development may not be built for a year or more after the completion date. In such case the house may be livable during that period and the seller should negotiate for free rent for a year or more, while he or she finds somewhere else to live. Make sure that there is a sub-lease clause so that if the seller finds another property to buy or rent that he can sublease the property to someone else and keep the rent as part of his remuneration.
– VIP or Friends & Relatives status on developer’s other projects. If the developer is a large one like BOSA, Polygon, Pinnacle, West Bank, Onni, etc., you may be able to obtain preferred status on their other developments, if you see something in their other offerings which is appealing.
– Capital gains and other tax implications. Even before your lawyer reviews the documents, a call to your accountant is in order to understand what the tax implications are of your possible sale. In the case of a single family dwelling on a normal sized lot which has been used for residential purposes, it is almost certainly a non-taxable transaction. However if the property was an acre or two and/or used for commercial activities there may be capital gains or GST consequences. In real estate, all surprises are bad as a rule, so it’s best to find out in advance.
– What is out there for you to acquire? Ask your own realtor to advise you about what you could buy for the suggested sale price in the area that you want to re-purchase in. Often people are shocked to find out just how little they can buy for a million dollars these days (particularly if they bought a long time ago for a hundred thousand dollars or less!)
– Never make a rushed decision. Developers and realtors are always pushing for a signature NOW. Take your time and assess the situation in consultation with your lawyer, accountant and your own realtor. In most instances, it’s the land assembler that is coming to you, not the other way around, so you are in the driver’s seat as long as you don’t give in to fear or greed.
Conclusion
Land assemblies are here to stay. With 40-50,000 people moving to the Lower Mainland yearly and every politician and his dog in favor of increasing density (although how that is either “green” or “sustainable” is a mystery to me), it’s wise to at least be aware of the basics if you find someone knocking on your door to buy your property for this purpose.
If you have any questions, or want to share your land assembly story we would love to hear from you! Feel free to contact Kenneth Pazder or Melissa Valana at 604-682-1509.
Disclaimer: The foregoing is not intended as legal advice. It is presented for information purposes only. Always consult legal counsel before signing a land assembly contract or listing agreement for same.
With home sale activity dipping below long-term historical averages, the supply of homes for sale in Metro Vancouver* reached a three-year high in June.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential home sales in the region totalled 2,425 in June 2018, a 37.7 per cent decline from the 3,893 sales recorded in June 2017, and a 14.4 per cent decrease compared to May 2018 when 2,833 homes sold.
Last month’s sales were 28.7 per cent below the 10-year June sales average.
“Buyers are less active today. This is allowing the supply of homes for sale to accumulate to levels we haven’t seen in the last few years,” Phil Moore, REBGV president said. “Rising interest rates, high prices and more restrictive mortgage requirements are among the factors dampening home buyer activity today.”
There were 5,279 detached, attached and apartment properties newly listed for sale on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in Metro Vancouver in June 2018. This represents a 7.7 per cent decrease compared to the 5,721 homes listed in June 2017 and a 17.2 per cent decrease compared to May 2018 when 6,375 homes were listed.
The total number of homes currently listed for sale on the MLS® system in Metro Vancouver is 11,947, a 40.3 per cent increase compared to June 2017 (8,515) and a 5.8 per cent increase compared to May 2018 (11,292). This is the highest this total has been since June 2015.
“With reduced demand, detached homes are entering a buyers’ market and price growth in our townhome and apartment markets is showing signs of decelerating.”
For all property types, the sales-to-active listings ratio for June 2018 is 20.3 per cent. By property type, the ratio is 11.7 per cent for detached homes, 24.9 per cent for townhomes, and 33.4 per cent for condominiums.
Generally, analysts say that downward pressure on home prices occurs when the ratio dips below the 12 per cent mark for a sustained period, while home prices often experience upward pressure when it surpasses 20 per cent over several months.
The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $1,093,600. This represents a 9.5 per cent increase over June 2017 and is virtually unchanged from May 2018.
Sales of detached homes in June 2018 reached 766, a 42 per cent decrease from the 1,320 detached sales recorded in June 2017. The benchmark price for a detached home is $1,598,200. This represents a 0.7 per cent increase from June 2017 and a 0.6 per cent decrease compared to May 2018.
Sales of apartment homes reached 1,240 in June 2018, a 34.9 per cent decrease compared to the 1,905 sales in June 2017. The benchmark price for an apartment is $704,200. This represents a 17.2 per cent increase from June 2017 and a 0.4 per cent increase compared to May 2018.
Attached home sales in June 2018 totalled 419, a 37.3 per cent decrease compared to the 668 sales in June 2017. The benchmark price of an attached home is $859,800. This represents a 15.3 per cent increase from June 2017 and is virtually unchanged from May 2018.
*Editor’s Note: Areas covered by the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver include: Whistler, Sunshine Coast, Squamish, West Vancouver, North Vancouver, Vancouver, Burnaby, New Westminster, Richmond, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, and South Delta.
The real estate industry is a key economic driver in British Columbia. In 2017, 35,993 homes changed ownership in the Board’s area, generating $2.4 billion in economic spin-off activity and an estimated 17,600 jobs. The total dollar value of residential sales transacted through the MLS® system in Greater Vancouver totalled $37 billion in 2017.
The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver is an association representing more than 14,000 REALTORS® and their companies. The Board provides a variety of member services, including the Multiple Listing Service®. For more information on real estate, statistics, and buying or selling a home, contact a local REALTOR® or visit www.rebgv.org.
Contact
Craig Munn Manager, Communication Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver 604-730-3146 cmunn@rebgv.org
Even the cows are getting in on the Halloween celebration! Moo or Boo at EcoDairy includes a spooky photo booth, a costume contest, games, a scientist laboratory, and craft-making station.
It’s getting spooky at the Burnaby Village Museum. This Halloween the Burnaby Village Museum will be taken over by witches. It’s a scary feast for the senses! Your admission cost includes trick-or-treating, entertainment and carousel rides for all.
is a kid-friendly Halloween outing! Trick-or-treat down Hastings Street.
Enjoy a Halloween skate with face painting, creepy crafts & ghostly games. Everyone is encouraged to wear their costumes. Admission is $2 per person; kids aged 3 and under are FREE.
Bosnor’s Big Boo has everything you need for Halloween fun! Activities include Imagination Playground, creepy crafts & ghostly games, cookies for kids, face painting, colouring & more. The beloved Haunted House returns again in 2018.
Kids will love the crafts, ride-on-toys, face painting, games, balloon critters, buck-a-boo circuit and more! The Halloween Howler is perfect for kids aged 8 years & under.
Don’t miss out on a night of Halloween fun! The Great Pumpkin Halloween Swim includes games, haunted houses, candy & prizes. Family-swim rates apply.
Using recycled fabrics and simple craft items learn how to create an original costume inspired by myth, magic, and imagination. The Halloween at the Shadbolt event happens at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts.
Just because you’ve visited once doesn’t mean you’ve seen it all! Reapers Haunted Attraction is the scariest indoor horror experience around. This attraction is not for the faint of heart! The Moran Family has been honing their scaring skills for 25+ years and they are good at it.
Take part in a Family Haunted Halloween at Pinetree Community Centre. From creepy crafts to fang-tastic face-painting and ghoulish gym games & a bouncy castle, the kids will be filled with Halloween giddiness. Come in costume as there is a parade! The $5 registration includes a hot dog, fruit & a drink.
Don’t miss Heritage Halloween at Mackin House. Enjoy Stories on Wheels – a unique street theatre storytelling act inspired by the traditional Japanese travelling show called Kamishibai (literally paper theatre). The tales are told by a comic narrator, using beautifully illustrated picture cards displayed in a magnificent miniature wooden stage attached to the back of a vintage bicycle. There will be snacks and crafts for everyone too.
Delta
Spooky Sunday makes its way to the South Delta Recreation Centre for an afternoon full of fun, family-friendly activities, including: Roaming Rascals, Haunted Halls, photo booth, crafts, games, and a Halloween skate.
This Halloween, join one of Canada’s most beloved family singer-songwriters, Norman Foote, for costumes, music and angels singing with ghosts and zombies. Don’t miss the Norman Foote Halloween Howl on October 27.
Fancy a swing on a glowing hoop? What about a game of glowing hopscotch? There is all sorts of Fall magic at Langley’s Harvest Glow. This month-long event is perfect for families – especially those with kids aged 6 years and under. There is lots to do, there is ample space to exercise the kids, and everything is indoors so you are guaranteed dry fun regardless of what the weather is doing outside.
As is tradition during the month of Halloween, the Fort Langley National Historic Site is bringing back their Graves Tales walking tours. Steel your nerves and join the expert storytellers for a two-hour adventures of spine-tingling adventure as you wander the village of Fort Langley at night.
Are you ready for the annual Halloween at Fort Langley? Trick-or-treat at Fort Langley National Historic Site! Gather around the bonfire for ghost stories, explore the Spooky Servants Quarters and get your face painted. If you dare, give yourselves goose bumps meeting some of “Mike’s Critters” creepy companions.
Wear your costume and have fun making crafts, decorating cookies, listening to a Halloween story & more at the Halloween Family Fun Events in Langley.
The Historic Haney House Museum is dressed up for Fall. Spend the afternoon decorating cookies, enjoying a guided tour, and making crafts. Kids are encouraged to wear their costumes. Admission is $5.
What better to place to commence the Halloween festivities than Pitt Meadows’ spookiest old buildings? Museum After Dark is an annual event which occurs the last Sunday before Halloween. Are you brave enough for the Mad Museum Scavenger Hunt, where you will be challenged to find such dreaded treasures as Polly Pink Eye and her best friend Creepy Carla, the Pitt Meadows Merman (recently discovered perfectly preserved in the banks of Pitt Lake)? Other activities include making eyeball lights and super scary shrinky dinks.
In need of a good mystery? Check out The Haunting of Hill Houseby the Vagabond Players in New Westminster. Please be advised this musical is intended for mature audiences; why not make it a date night?
Boo-o-o! Come in costume to the FRDC’s Creepy Crawly Halloween event! For games, crafts, trick or treats and more on October 27th.
The Great Pumpkin Patch fun includes: haunted house, spooky science activities, cookie decorating, family photo booth, reptiles, face painting, crafts, goodie bags and one pumpkin per family!
Kick off Fall with a family-friendly celebration at Sutherland’s Haunted Harvest Fair! Fun for kids, food, craft fair! Haunted Houses (one tailored to older kids, one to the younger kids), bouncy castles, face painting, live music, delicious treats and a craft fair.
Grab your ghouls and goblins and come down to Lower Lonsdale for Trick or Treats and scary surprises with your local independent retailers. Come dressed up, have fun and support your local businesses. More than forty local Lower Lonsdale businesses participating. Look for TRICK OR TREAT HERE decal in window.
Re-opened: Your kids will be begging you to let them come plant shopping with you at ArtKnapps nursery so that they can play at Funland. Check out the kids’ rides, zip line, pumpkin patch train ride, and other fun attractions.
Once Upon a Pumpkin is a FREE drop-in event, at the Richmond Nature Park, that teaches kids about the origin of Halloween.
Hundreds of jack-o-lanterns line a walking trail. Mischievous racoons, a friendly bear, chatty crows and their forest friends emerge from the bog to greet visitors. Join the Richmond Nature Park for Wild Things, a Halloween-inspired event.
Do you dare to explore the haunted house, encounter ghoulish cannery characters along the way, and see what tricks you have to play to get some treats? It’s Halloween at the Cannery!
Trick or treating in Steveston Village is an extremely popular event! Trick or treaters take to the streets of Steveston in the daylight and visit participating businesses offering treats. Neighbourhood kids are invited to bring their treat bag and have some non-scary fun.
Not everyone is ready for the full-meal-scary-deal offered by Potter’s House of Horrors. If you have kids under 10 years, or don’t particularly like scary things yourself, check out L’il Haunters. The walk-through experience isn’t scary but it is definitely spooky!
Looking for a fright, come down to Potter’s House of Horror and they’ll show you scary! Bring your family and friends for a Spooky Halloween Night! Once again there are TWO houses of haunt: Monstrosity 2.0 and Devil’s Descent. Buy your tickets online in order to avoid line ups. And if you aren’t into insanely scariness, check out L’il Haunters (that was spooky enough for this momma).
Woo woo the Pumpkin Express is ready to pull into the station at Bear Creek Park! Delight in the crafts and activities under the tent on the platform. Each child will receive a treat to enjoy on the pumpkin express train as it travels through the decorated forest. As they depart from their adventure each child will be given a small pumpkin to remember their day.
When you ride the Scream Train at Bear Creek the forest comes alive with ghosts and ghouls intent on scaring you amidst creepy sounds and special effects. Favourite characters like Chainsaw Charlie are back. You might also run into the walking dead who roam the platform every Halloween! The Scream Train is recommended for older children who can handle being scared.
For an outdoor Halloween experience that turns trick or treating into a wilderness adventure, head to Squamish’s Sea to Sky Gondola. At the base of the gondola, a DJ will spin spooky tunes, and there will be spooktacular performances by the talented dancers of TPAC. Costume-clad kids can grab a trick or treat bag to decorate (available for first 250 kids) and get their faces painted at the Base Camp Café in the valley.
Western Canada’s most terrifying adult-themed Halloween event, Fright Nights is back to haunt Playland on select nights from October 5th through October 31st. Visitors can count down the days until Halloween with eight haunted houses, two thrilling live shows, fifteen blood-chilling rides and 90 monsters roaming the grounds.
The Ghost Train at Stanley Park is back for 2018! Are you ready for an Alien Invasion that’s out of this world? Join agents as they investigate a spaceship crash landing right in the middle of Stanley Park! Journey into restricted zones as you ride the popular Ghost Train to unravel the mystery of some very unexpected park visitors. Be prepared to treat yourself to the stellar sounds of a 5-piece rock band, visit the very secretive Area 52, ride through a star field tunnel of lasers, and steel your nerves for the slow reveal of the twelve foot greys.
The Vancouver Halloween Expo is the largest Halloween convention of fandom: cosplay, films, comics, anime, games, makeup, costumes, arts and performances returns to Vancouver. Come and enjoy the arts, music and performances of fantasy, explore exhibitors and meet super heroes, celebrities and amazing cosplayers! This is a family-friendly event so be sure to follow the costume-rules.
FlyOver Canada is celebrating the fun of Halloween by adding some spine-tingling entertainment to its popular, must-see attraction. Broomelda the Witch invites guests to venture through the Haunted Hallway and onto a thrilling ride across Canada. If everyone survives, visitors will earn their official “Witch Academy Diploma” at the end.
The Vancouver Halloween Parade is a family-friendly with marching bands, horses, vehicles, floats and performances. Downtown Vancouver is about to become the largest Cosplay stage. It’s the time when supernaturals, heroes, villains from films, comics, anime and games all come alive.
Glow in the Garden returns for 2018! Experience an unforgettable Halloween walk in the woods at VanDusen Botanical Garden. The Garden comes to life with spellbinding lights, ghoulish music, and glowing pumpkin characters. After the walk, costumed kids will enjoy creating fun Halloween crafts inside.
It’s time for the annual Halloween Hunt at City Square Centre. Enjoy Trick-or-Treating, cookie decorating, face painting, and a Magic Show. Be sure to enter for a chance to win the Grand Prize a Nintendo Switch with Grand Prize a Playstation 4 Pro game.
It’s a Halloween Party for Kids! Dress up in your favourite costume and come enjoy games, crafts, and treats. Event is suitable for children 0-8 years old. Please pre- register in advance, this popular event sells out. $5/child.
Finding Lexie Owen's bronze creations on the shelves and counters of McGill Grocery is like a treasure hunt. Photo Grant Lawrence
How much is that bronze banana in the window? Gleaming groceries like these are a portion of Lexie Owen’s most recent installation, Corner Store. The other half of the exhibit can be found at Access Gallery at 222 East Georgia in Chinatown, where a miniature corner store has been recreated in the gallery. Photo Grant Lawrence
The vibrant autumn leaf show along Cambridge Street is popular among locals and tourists this time of year. But it’s never been this popular, say some residents, who are tiring of the crowds. Photo Michael Euley
Photo Michael Euley
Photo Michael Euley
