2016

Vancouver Island Little Qualicum Cheeseworks near Rathtrevor http://www.cheeseworks.ca/where-to-buy/the-farmgate-store/

Comparison: Living in Sask vs Vancouver Island – Weather

July 18, 2016 — Leave a comment

Posted by Wanda

This post is the first in a series to explore our observations regarding the differences between Saskatchewan, Regina area and Southern Vancouver Island (VI, Victoria/Chemainus).

We have been not been on “the Island” for long (collectively over the years maybe three or four months so some of our impressions may be based on unusual or one time factors (e.g. anomalous weather, specific location). There is however a saying we’ve heard around the island that sums up the biggest difference  between VI  and SK, “Relax: You’re on the Island”…

Weather

Conventional thinking holds that Vancouver Island is warmer (but wetter) in the winter and cooler in the summer than Saskatchewan.

During our visit to the Island in January (2016) we arrived to a wet snowfall, which virtually disappeared in a few days. When going out we usually dressed in a light coat or sweater, and sometimes gloves and scarf when it’s a bit chiller. On most days there was some rain (or a kind of mist, accompanied by a distant fog horn which I thought sounded hauntingly beautiful) but on most days there was far more sun than we expected. There were also a few days of full sun along with many days with periods of both sun and overcast. Only a few days during our month stay in January was a total rainout. The rain on the island comes in the forms of a gentle but steady rainfall to a wet mist type rain. Nothing like the straight sideways wind, rain and snow, found in Saskatchewan. For the most part when it rained on the island it never hampered our plans, we just dressed accordingly and grabbed an umbrella!

As for wind the eastern side of VI is much less windy than SK. It’s unusual to experience onshore winds over 5-10 kph.

Fun note: On the Island they were selling annual flowers on racks outside the stores on Jan 4th! The same day we also saw people golfing, sailing and motorcycling too.

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Regina

Regina Intl. Airport – Click here to view weather stats for Jan 2016

 

Regina Intl. Airport – Climate Normals Graph

Click on the graphic below or the above hypertext to view interactive version of this graph.

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Vancouver Island/Victoria

Victoria University – Click here to view weather stats for Jan 2016

 

Victoria Intl. Airport – Climate Normals Graph

Click on the graphic below or the above hypertext to view interactive version of this graph.

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National Comparisons: (from Environment Canada)

Average number of hours of bright sunshine a year in major Canadian cities.

City Hours
Calgary, Alberta 2405
Winnipeg, Manitoba 2372
Regina, Saskatchewan 2338
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 2329
Edmonton, Alberta 2299
Victoria, British Columbia 2193
Hamilton, Ontario 2088
Ottawa, Ontario 2061
Barrie, Ontario 2055
Toronto, Ontario 2038

 

Average number of days annually with some bright sunshine.

City Days
Calgary, Alberta 333
Edmonton, Alberta 321
Regina, Saskatchewan 321
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 320
Winnipeg, Manitoba 318
Victoria, British Columbia 317
Windsor, Ontario 307
Kelowna, British Columbia 306
Montréal, Quebec 304
Barrie, Ontario 303
Ottawa, Ontario 303
Toronto, Ontario 303

 

Percentage of daylight hours that are sunny

City % Sunshine
Calgary, Alberta 53
Winnipeg, Manitoba 51
Regina, Saskatchewan 50
Saskatoon, Saskatchewan 50
Edmonton, Alberta 49
Victoria, British Columbia 46
Hamilton, Ontario 45
Ottawa, Ontario 45
Montréal, Quebec 44
Toronto, Ontario 44

“Going Coastal”

July 17, 2016 — Leave a comment

Posted by Wanda

Buying a new home is the first step, making it your home is the second. As a result of spending quite a bit of time on the coast I have fallen in love with its easy-going lifestyle. I enjoy seeing the coastal beauty of everyday life here, and of course in a breezy coastal seaside town that means nautical!

I love the laid-back Beachhouse coastal look with its crisp clean whites punctuated with the colour of sand, ocean blues and beachcomber accessories but I am also drawn to the Classic Coastal look. This look also starts with a clean white pallet, then is accessorized with nautical navy and reds. The key to decorating Classic Coastal is adopting a less is more attitude and a more formal look, mixing stripes with a few well-chosen nautical prints. I believe we will likely use elements of each as both successfully borrow the beautiful ocean views and blend them into a coastal inspired living space that brings the outside in like a breath of fresh ocean air.

I will be posting our decorating ideas in an “Idea Book” as we go along. I am sure they will continually change as we get closer to the actual finishing of the home but it’s always fun to dream!

Click on the picture below to open the book.

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“The House”

July 16, 2016 — Leave a comment

Posted by Wanda and Jim

We just spent a considerable amount of time looking into the type of house we would like to build on a lot on Vancouver Island. We came up with a very high level plan which would probably work well on this property. We are hoping to keep the square footage down to below 2500 square ft. and we would like to have a main floor level entry from the garage on the upper level of the lot. Here’s what we came up with.

Coming from “flat land” Saskatchewan we do however worry about living on a sloped lot, but having a sweeping view of the ocean (Stuart Channel) makes it a compromise I believe we could probably live with.

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We also would like to build a suite with kitchenette in the lower level to accommodate all the visitors we hope to be getting from Saskatchewan, Alberta and beyond. 🙂 Yes, and what a great holiday for our family and friends! We will supply the accommodations and a car for you to explore the Island, what a great deal! (More about that later, you might notice it becoming a bit of a reoccurring theme in our future postings!)

“The Markets”

July 15, 2016 — Leave a comment

Posted by Wanda

We love the Markets on the Island! The first thing we do when arriving here is pick up our fresh produce from the farmers market. Our favourite market to shop is “The Old Farm Market” on the Trans Canada Highway between Duncan and Cobble Hill. The smells, colours and the friendly people add so much to the shopping experience. I always love shopping there but it’s truly special during the Autumn season when great piles of orange pumpkins and multicoloured corn are found amongst the leafy fall decorating and colourful seasonal produce. This market is just one of many that can be found locally and has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. If you ever get the chance to stop by, don’t forget to treat yourself to an ice cream before you head back home with your bags of farm fresh goodness!

There are so many markets on the Island to check out, but every Wednesday the town of Chemainus has one you’ll really want to check out. A busy place as many tourists along with the local community stop by to purchase not only the fresh food, but to browse and chat with the many artisans selling their wares. A great place to shop for unique and locally made gifts!

Saturday is the big market in Duncan; held in the pretty downtown area and it’s well attended by both vendors and local shoppers. Come early though as they sell out!

The Old Farm Market

 

“The bump”

July 14, 2016 — Leave a comment

Posted by Wanda/Jim

We just came back from the island after spending 12 days in and around the Chemainus and Nanaimo area. We were shocked by how real estate sales on the island seem to be booming. The real estate agents are calling it a “bump” As we drove around the island all the “For Sale” signs we saw during our last visit had little sold signs attached to them! Before we left Regina I thought something was going on as I noticed some of the prices rising but had no idea how quickly both land and houses were selling. After much discussion we decided to buy a piece of land to get a foothold into the market. The window was closing fast on the availability of properties so we decided to act. We are now negotiating on a property in Chemainus on Orca View Terrace. The last ocean view in our price range!

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