One of the more interesting developments in the Vancouver, BC condo market has been the recent availability of residences that are located in what was the Olympic Village during the most recent winter games. The complex was converted into just over a thousand high-end condos, and nearly half of them have been pre-sold. The sudden availability and popularity of these units has some folks wondering if the housing bubble – which seemed to skip Vancouver and BC the first time – is about to come bouncing in.

The Village was rechristened Millennium Water and tours of the grounds are bringing in around a hundred visitors per day. The condos themselves were created with some impressive energy-saving features, such as green roofs and shades that automatically help regulate the temperature inside. The price for an 815-square-foot, 1-bedroom unit is C$879,000 – meaning these units are about $12 pricier per square foot than the average square foot in Manhattan.

Also worth noting about the British Colombia housing market outlook for 2010 is that, after experiencing a rise of a little over 2 percent in the year 2009, residential prices on average are expected to go up by over 6 percent in 2010 and another 1 percent in 2011.

To the outsider, it may seem like Vancouver’s chief industry is the buying and selling of real estate. As soon as you step off the plane in this beautiful city, you are inundated with advertisements for planned condo communities, many of which aim to be little worlds in themselves with schools, shops and resort-level luxuries.

The market appears to have shifted from one that was more favorable to sellers to one that is more balanced. There has been an increase of supply, both in existing houses and in new construction, which is expected to contribute to the increasing equilibrium in the market.

However, mortgage rates are on the rise; in fact, they were just recently bumped up considerably. It is believed that this could dampen the enthusiasm for buying houses and condos and bring more moderation to the price increases.

All in all, the house and condo market in Vancouver, and in all of BC, appears set for some interesting times with buyers and sellers battling it out for the more favorable vantage point.

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Stephen Daniels is an acclaimed NetBiz SEO 2.0 researcher. If you’re looking into the Vancouver, BC condo market, he recommends real estate broker Red Dot Real Estate. With over $1 billion in sales since 1981, they offer experienced guidance and market the best developments in exceptional areas throughout Vancouver.

This part of the island has one of the mildest and sunniest climates in Canada. The scenery is quintessentially Vancouver Island: temperate coastal rainforests, sparkling ocean and majestic mountain ranges.

The city had its beginning as a trading post in the early 1800s. In 1849 the Snuneymuxw chief informed the Hudson’s Bay Company of the presence of coal in the area. By 1853 the company had built a fort known as the Nanaimo Bastion. Incorporated in 1874, Nanaimo is the third oldest city in British Columbia.

Since then Nanaimo has become a great place to live, work and visit. The city offers a clean, accessible waterfront, cultural festivals in the summer, a university campus, and superb scenery.

Because of its central location, Nanaimo is well connected. BC Ferries runs large ferries from Nanaimo to Vancouver every couple of hours and seaplanes are constantly coming and going from the downtown waterfront on their way between downtown Vancouver or Vancouver International Airport. Nanaimo also has an airport just a few minutes south of town.

By virtue of its connections and proximity to Vancouver, Nanaimo is the gateway to many other destinations both on the island – Tofino, Comox Valley, Campbell River, Port Alberni, Chemainus, … Off the Vancouver Island coast you will find: Newcastle Island, Protection Island, Gabriola Island, Valdes Island, and many other of the Gulf Islands.

Whether you are a visitor, or a baby boomer looking for a place to retire to, the City of Nanaimo has all the services you could ask for and more. Whether it is the big box stores in the North, all the shopping malls or the intimate boutiques and cafes downtown, Nanaimo has you covered.

The bustling harbour is the central focus for visitors to Nanaimo, with freighters, fishing boats, tugboats and barges, sail boats and float planes all coming and going from the downtown waterfront.

Nanaimo offers the perfect mix of work and play activities. With its pristine beauty, the incredible variety of adventures and the many activities you can choose from it is a great place to visit or live.

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Cortes Island is roughly halfway between Powell River and Campbell River. The island is 25 km (16 mi) long, 13 km (8 mi) wide and 130 km (50 sq mi) and 13,000 hectares in area.. It has a population of approximately 1000 permanent residents. Cortes has the largest community. Whaletown, Squirrel Cove and Mansons Landing are communities on the island.

Quiet and hospitable Cortes Island is one of the most inspirational of the islands of the Discovery Islands, with its lakes, beaches, and jagged gorges. Cortes also has a prosperous arts and crafts industry. Drum makers, potters, painters, carvers, and other artisans all live and work on the island. Cortes Craftshop in Squirrel Cove, a co-op of island artists and craftspeople, showcases local work.

The island offers the chance to enjoy the natural beauty of the area. The land and sea are home to bald eagles, many species of seabirds, shore birds and marine mammals, as well as deer and other smaller creatures. Boating, sailing, kayaking, scuba diving, fishing, swimming, bird watching and hiking are some of the many outdoor activities available to visitors to the island.

The island offers numerous recreational activities. There are hiking trails, parks and beaches to enjoy. Hague Lake in Manson’s Landing Provincial Park has a sandy beach. The island’s trails are great for hiking and mountain biking, and there is a campground and beautiful beach in Smelt Bay Park. The island has many beautiful beaches and lagoons, perfect for bird watching.

Cortes is at the entrance to Desolation Sound. Gorge Harbour has a marina, and there are government wharves at Cortes Bay, Whaletown, Squirrel Cove, Manson’s Landing, and Gorge Harbour for boaters to use as their jumping off point.

Salmon fishing in the area is well-known. The waters around Quadra and Cortes Islands have yielded some of the biggest salmon ever caught on BC’s coast. There are local charter boat operators available for fishing or wildlife viewing excursions.

Life here will remind you of a different time. There still are Saturday night dances, Friday markets, summer festivals, general stores and a local craft store. You will not find any fast food franchises, malls or night clubs. You’ll find friendly people who make you feel welcome and give you the same sense of security that you haven’t felt in years. It still feels that way here!

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The island’s dramatic coastline has sheer cliffs; sand, pebble and white-shell beaches; sheltered bays and unusual sandstone formations. Douglas fir, arbutus and rare, native Garry oak flourish in the dense, inland forests. Galiano is a 50-minute ferry ride from Tsawwassen at Sturdies Bay, where you can find accommodations, markets and gasoline.

Galiano Island is considered by many to be the most pictorial of the Gulf Islands. You may think so too once you see Montague Harbour Provincial Marine Park. This gorgeous 97-hectare park has pristine beaches, lush forests, meadows, a tidal lagoon, and a network of beautiful, romantic walks. Bluffs Park is another fine example of Galiano’s remarkable beauty and features a hiking trail and a view of Active Pass. For a difficult hike, follow the trail to the top of Mount Galiano; your reward is the impressive view.

Galiano, like Mayne, offers panoramic views back to Vancouver/Lower Mainland and Coastal mountains from their east side. For a more protected oceanfront options one needs to go the west side of the island, facing Trincomali Channel and looking across to Salt Spring Island..

Galinao is well-known for its Heritage Forest preserves, and its several marine park reserves. A less familiar one is the Dionisio Marine Park, home of the breathtaking Coon Bay, just where Porlier Pass enters into the Georgia Strait.

Galiano Island is roughly half way between Vancouver and Victoria and the most northerly of the Southern Gulf Islands. To get to the Gulf Islands you must board B.C. Ferries. The trip length varies depending on the time and route chosen. The Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal is roughly 25 minutes north of the Victoria’s downtown.

Wildlife is plentiful. Eagles soar over the island. Otters, seals and orcas swim in the ocean. The island is a birdwatchers paradise with over 130 species of birds. Whale watching is exceptional in Active Pass.

Walkers, hikers and cyclists take pleasure in the quiet country roads and trails that lead to awesome ridges and viewpoints, amazing sculptured sandstone cliffs, coves and sheltered beaches. Scuba diving in the clear, clean coastal water is among the best in the world. Strong currents and temperate waters provide variety and abundance of marine life that is quite exceptional.

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As mail addressed to Port San Juan (the original name of the town) was frequently delivered to the San Juan Islands in error, settlers renamed their post office Port Renfrew in 1895 in honour of Lord Renfrew, who at one stage planned to settle Scottish crofters to work the land in the San Juan Valley.

Present day Port Renfrew is best known as being the trailhead for both the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail and the historic West Coast Trail, a world-famous hiking trail that came into existence in 1907 to help save sailors shipwrecked along the rugged coastline.

The West Coast Trail, lies within the southern boundaries of the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve of Canada, and runs for almost 77km along the west side of Vancouver Island between Port Renfrew and Bamfield in the north.

If you’re planning to hike this trail you need to make a reservation with the park (http://www.pc.gc.ca/eng/pn-np/bc/pacificrim/activ/activ6a/v.aspx) and make arrangements to be transported across Port San Juan to and from the trailhead at the mouth of Gordon River.

Port Renfrew is located at the western end of the Juan de Fuca Marine Trail. This trail runs for almost 30 miles (47 km) along the south-western coast of Vancouver Island, from Botanical Beach to China Beach. This trail was built as an alternative to the increasingly popular West Coast Trail, the easiest section of this trail is in the Botanical Beach area near Port Renfrew.

The Pacific Marine Circle Tour is an excellent way to explore the historic south West Coast of Vancouver Island without having to retrace you route. The wilderness route traces the coastline from Victoria through Sooke and onto Port Renfrew before turning inland and heading towards the Cowichan Valley, before looping back down the Trans-Canada Highway from Duncan to Victoria along the east side of the island.

Port Renfrew offers great salt and fresh water fishing. Many record catches have happened in this region. Salmon, halibut, cod, bass and crab are regularly caught by avid saltwater anglers, while the San Juan River offers excellent freshwater fishing for cutthroat trout and steelhead. Tourist information, supplies, accommodation, camping facilities and fishing charters are all available in Port Renfrew.

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Denman Island is situated in the northwest corner of the Georgia Strait, approximately 2 1/2 hours north of Victoria, 1 hour north of Nanaimo, and 20 minutes south of Courtenay. The 2 km ferry ride provides amazing views of Denman, as well as Vancouver Island’s Beaufort Mountains.

19 km long and 5 km wide, Denman is has a rolling ridge that starts on the eastern side that island and goes up to 60 to 100 metres toward the western side of the island. There are sandy beaches, rocky coves, hiking trails, lush forests, and unspoiled farmlands to enjoy. One can closely watch deer, pheasants, herons, hawks and even the bald eagle!

There are three beautiful provincial parks on Denman Island with plenty of hiking trails in between. Boyle Point Provincial Park, located at the south end of the island is an ideal spot for eagle watching, especially during the spring herring run. From the local hiking trail one can see the Chrome Island lighthouse. Fillongley Provincial Park is located on the east side of the island and has some of the largest remaining stands of Douglas Firs and Cedars in the region. This is the only site on Denman Island for public camping, and advanced booking is recommended in order to secure a spot in this scenic beachfront campground.

From Buckley Bay, 20 kilometres (12 miles) south of Courtenay, a 15-minute ferry ride takes you to Denman where, after a short 15-minute drive, you can take a connecting ferry to Hornby Island. Reservations are advised for accommodations. Denman Island has plenty of activities to satisfy the outdoor enthusiast.

Denman Island is one of the Northern Gulf Islands and is found off of the Comox Valley Region of British Columbia, Canada. ferry service links Denman Island to both Hornby Island from Gravelly Bay on the east side of Denman and across Baynes Sound to Buckley Bay on Vancouver Island on the west side.

Downtown Denman consists of one general store – gas station – government liquor store, post office, a natural foods store, hardware store, bookstore, dental bus (shared with Hornby two weeks a month), craft stores, a bakery/cafe, two real estate offices, an insurance brokerage, two community halls, the Dora Drinkwater Volunteer Library, a community school, and the museum.

Denman Island has something for every person. Denman’s convenient location, picturesque natural environment and abundance of local arts & crafts will make it a hard place to forget.

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Chemainus is located in the District of North Cowichan, tucked neatly in the Cowichan and Chemainus Valleys, on south eastern Vancouver Island. North Cowichan is the third oldest municipality in British Columbia, with a population of approximately 27,000.

Never let those who say it can’t be done, stand in the way of those who are doing it. This is the credo of Karl Schutz, the force behind the original Chemainus Mural Project. There were many who looked at Chemainus, and declared that turning the town into an Outdoor Art Gallery simply could not and should not be done. Fortunately, the people who were busy trying to do it were too busy to get discouraged. And that is why, today, Chemainus is world famous and known as “the little town that did.”

With more than 35 murals and 13 sculptures depict the town’s history, people and future. Chemainus’ murals are world famous and attract hundreds of thousands of visitors annually. It’s the world’s largest outdoor gallery, and each year new artworks are added. Follow the footprints for a self-guided tour of Chemainus’ colourful past, or take a tour via horse-drawn carriage or simulated steam train.

In the heart of town, one will find the Waterwheel Park. While children play the parents can relax and watch performers at the outdoor band shell. Don’t miss the sights and shops in Old Town, just a short stroll through the Gateway. Kin Park is a seaside picnic spot with a playground, swimming beach with change houses. There is even a boat ramp.

A Boeing 737 is adding to the major attractions found in this picturesque little town. This artificial reef was sunk in January 2006 and now has a number of years of life under the Salish Sea. Divers from all over the world have visited this dive site. Many visit every year to see the changes.

There is an abundance of other activities found in and around Chemainus. These would include: golfing, boating, fishing, hiking and camping. For those interested in history, there is the Chemainus Valley Museum or there is live theatre if you wish to pursue your cultural side.

Chemainus is located south of Nanaimo and one hour north of Victoria on the Trans-Canada Highway. Cassidy Airport is 20 minutes to the north and the town is also serviced by coach lines between Victoria and Nanaimo. A more stunning route to travel is via the Esquimault and Nanaimo railway, which passes through some of the most beautiful scenery in Canada and provides striking views of the Gulf Islands.

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Ganges was named after HMS Ganges, the flag ship of the Royal Navy’s Pacific Station between 1857 and 1860. Ganges Harbour, previously named Admiralty Bay until renamed by Captain Richards in 1859, provides a tranquil summer anchorage for boaters wishing to explore the village of Ganges. The anchorage can be very busy and crowded in summer, so mariners are cautioned to keep an eye on the weather or book into one of the marinas in Ganges Harbour.

The Landmark Mural on a retired can buoy is a “must see” while in Ganges. The buoy used to mark a spot 420 km up the coast at a location known to the Coast Guard as Delta 10 near Skeena River. It now marks the entrance to Centennial Wharf in Ganges, BC. There are Orcas, salmon, cod, an octopus seals and other marine life adorning the buoy, as well as a Coast Guard cutter and kayaks. The mural depicts what would be seen on and below the water near Salt Spring Island.

Visitors and local residents a like come together on Ganges for the popular and lively Saturday market in Centennial Park. The Farmer’s Market on Saturday mornings is a great place to meet local artists, crafts people and vegetable growers.

Two companies have scheduled float-plane service to Vancouver and back. A water taxi company offers scheduled service to Galiano and Mayne Islands as well as 24 hour emergency service. Lady Minto Hospital is located in Ganges. There is an RCMP detachment to provide policing. The Fire Department main hall is in Ganges.

There are five real estate companies and dozens of agents to look after the needs of buyers and sellers. There are three gas stations, two large grocery stores, eight art galleries, two banks and a credit union, plus dozens of other businesses right in Ganges. There are also three building suppliers and a major hardware store in or near Ganges.

Orcas can sometimes be seen cruising the waters around Salt Spring Island. Harbour Seals are always present. Sea lions are occasional visitors. A number of fishermen make Salt Spring Island their home and many of them tie up in Ganges at Centennial – otherwise known as the “Government Dock.”

The Gulf Islands are known for being artisan enclaves, with laid-back communities of artists, poets, and gifted craftspeople. Ganges leads the island communities in this respect, with local artisans offering unique, hand-made crafts and treasures. You’re bound to find something original to take home with you.

Now the question that you may be asking yourself is where do you find more information on this subject? Click here for additional information on the Ganges? To widen your research to the coast of BC in general go here! Around Vancouver Island

Queen Charlotte City has no fast food restaurants; no cell phone service and that contributes to a peaceful escape in and of it selves. You’ll feel more peaceful and re-energized the longer you stay.

People come to experience the natural beauty and the rich Haida culture that flourishes here, but there’s a lot more to explore in Queen Charlotte City. When arrivals come to explore the area, one of the most popular adventures in town is the salmon charters, halibut fishing, steelhead and trout river fishing.

Haida Gwaii is often called the Galapagos of British Columbia; the Islands are a rainforest of natural beauty and wildlife. The mild climate allows for lush vegetation and abundant wildlife. Deer, racoons, black bear, and many varieties of birds such as bald eagles and peregrine falcons can be viewed seasonally in easily accessible areas.

The Queen Charlotte Mountain Ranges provides the surroundings for the Island communities and a haven for hikers of all levels. The Charlotte Lowlands and Skidegate Plateau encompass everything from muskeg to marshes to soft hills. There are many less challenging paths, often reaching or following inland lakes and rivers, available for hikers, bikers, birders, fishermen, hunters and nature lovers to try. Or you could challenge yourself by climbing Sleeping Beauty for a 360 degree view of Skidegate Inlet to the west coast.

The small town is a community of fishing and logging industries, offering a wide range of services. This quaint town offers the island’s hospital, library, police station, unique gift shops, gas stations, accommodations, a grocery store, ATM and laundromat.

Plus there is a selection of recreational opportunities available. These would include: fishing, kayaking, floatplane trips, beachcombing and diving are all fantastic. Whale watching is exceptional. Other activities include wilderness camping, boating, off roading, hiking, bird watching, wildlife tours and Haida First Nation cultural interpretive tours.

Haida history and culture can be experienced first hand in the remote Gwaii Haanas National Park Reserve and Haida Heritage Site. The Haida have been in this area for 1000s and 1000s of years. Take a guided tour of Gwaii Haanas and you will come across abandoned Haida villages and very old, weathered totem poles. Among the most notable of these sites is SGang Gwaay on Anthony Island, home of what is considered to be the most impressive collection of standing Haida mortuary poles any where. This wonderful village was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1981.

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There is a gravel logging road that is graded and maintained by logging companies heading west out of Youbou. The road condition, which leads to Nitinat Lake, Bamfield and Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park, can vary considerably, as the maintenance and repair is determined by logging activities in the area.

Development of the area of Youbou had its beginnings in 1907 when two timber cruisers arrived here. They were working for a company that would later to be called the Empire Lumber Company. This company assured that the Esquimalt & Nanaimo Railway was soon to be built.

With the arrival of the E&N Railway in 1912, the Empire Lumber Company began to establish work camps. Equipment was brought in and logging was underway by 1913. The logs were transported out of the area to the coastal tidewaters on the E&N Railway.

The same year a small mill was built at “Cottonwood”, as Youbou was originally known. However it was not until after WW1 that the Cottonwood mill, also known as the Medina Mill, shipped the first load of sawn lumber.

US-owned TimberWest closed the Youbou Mill in favour of exporting the raw logs to sawmills south of the border. In a sweetheart backroom deal with the BC Government of the day (1997), the legal and contractual obligations to the Youbou disappeared with the stroke of a pen.

Youbou was named after the original mill owners, Mr. Yount and Mr. Bouton. The Youbou Sawmill officially closed in January 2001 but the town lives on.

The Community Hall is a center point for community events such as dances, playschool, 5 & 10 pin bowling, sports and children’s programs and much more. There is a public beach at Arbutus Park and extensive recreational opportunities, including swimming, canoeing, kayaking, boating, fishing, and hiking on Bald Mountain at Marble Bay. Or you can get away from it all on the secluded beaches of Price Park and more.

Come see for yourself. Youbou on Vancouver Island where the people are friendly, time slows to a halt, the air is fresh and the water is blue.

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