Thoughts, at the close of January, 2010.... - 01/31/10 11:26 AM
January 31, 2010. Here we are, at the close of the first month of the year. The days are definitely getting longer and this strange "warmer than the norm" weather pattern is making the daffodil, snowdrop, crocus bulbs appear a good four to six weeks early! Last year, we were afflicted with "colder than normal" temperatures, plus a lot of snow...some people, in higher elevations, were totally stuck at home for two to four weeks (no snow plows, here, as we don't usually get "real winter"). Complete opposite, this year! There may be a cold snap, in February, that would have … (5 comments)

Very best buy oceanfront on Salt Spring Island...build your dock! - 01/30/10 11:44 AM

Here's a terrific opportunity to own sunny and private waterfront, in an area of very fine homes, for a "best buy" price.
Tax assessed value is $990,000. The property is listed at $799,000.
There is an upgraded cedar cottage, open plan living/dining, with galley kitchen, bedroom off, full bathroom, plus "loft" sleeping area. Expansive decking for summer living pleasures, and a hot tub with a view.
Oceanside deck, too! The plus? There's a foreshore licence in place -- build your dock and keep your boat at home.
Sunny (s/sw/w exposures -- sunsets, here!), easy care landscaping, property in "natural state", … (4 comments)

Upcoming February events on Salt Spring Island! - 01/29/10 11:16 AM
January 29, 2010. Mark your calendars for some special offerings at ArtSpring! On Feb. 1st, ArtSpring presents Tokyo String Quartet, with the concert beginning at 8 p.m. The concert is preceded by a Garry Oaks Winery tasting, at 7 p.m. There's a special Friday performance of Shirley Valentine, on Feb. 5th, at 7:30 p.m. -- this is a fundraiser for Haiti. On Feb. 6th, in the ArtSpring Gallery, Theatre Alive! presents Baba Brinkman: with a Masters in Medieval and Renaissance English Literature, Baba has toured his award-winning hip-hop theatre show since 1004. Enjoy! On Feb. 7th, at 2:30 p.m., Vancouver's Historical … (4 comments)

Whistler...at the top of the Sea to Sky "world"....Olympics coming! - 01/28/10 01:21 PM
The Sea to Sky name captures the essence of this Pacific Northwest Coast gem, this Whistler locale that the world will enjoy during the excitement of the Olympics.
The B.C. Coast shimmers between the sea and the coast mountain range, a thin ribbon of beauty wrapping around a wilderness experience.
Whistler nestles in a valley between soaring peaks, with lakes and rivers to enjoy in all seasons, with dramatic and challenging golf courses for the summer season, with a dynamic year round cultural scene, and with world class cuisine, (emphasizing the organic splendour available in the nearby fertile Pemberton Valley).
Wildlife … (3 comments)

Sea to Sky region is very underacknowledged...time to act! - 01/27/10 03:48 PM
The Sea to Sky region, including Whistler, Squamish, West Vancouver, White Rock, Salt Spring Island & the Southern Gulf Islands, Victoria, Vancouver Island, and Kelowna, are all remarkably undervalued areas.
This thin ribbon of B.C.’s Pacific Northwest Coast enjoys exceptionally temperate weather…in some areas, it has a name: “cool Mediterranean” — and one can ski and sail in the same day! Where else in the world can one do this? That sailing takes place, too, in the best protected boating waters in the world, according to mariners who covet this “inner sea” of Georgia Strait.
With historic low interest rates, with … (2 comments)

Olympics are almost here...Pacific Northwest Coast beauty about to be discovered! - 01/27/10 12:24 PM
January 27, 2010. The countdown is on, to the Olympics. The opening ceremony is on February 12th. The Olympic Torch, which has been in relays around Canada, is back in B.C., and heading to Vancouver/Whistler, for the opening ceremony. We've been experiencing a "January Thaw" weather pattern -- seems more like very early Spring, on the Pacific Northwest Coast! -- but may cool up nicely in February. Communities on Vancouver Island and on the Sunshine Coast are presenting their areas in Vancouver, just ahead of the Olympics, to key people in tourism, from around the world. The Gulf Islands, the majority … (4 comments)

Italy? South of France? No...special Salt Spring Island oceanfront! - 01/26/10 11:33 AM
Here's a stellar oceanfront opportunity on special Salt Spring Island, awaiting your enjoyment! Level entry home offers a casually elegant lifestyle. Main level offers oceanview living, formal dining, entertainment solarium, master/ensuite, library/den, galley style kitchen with breakfast area, plus separate laundry and office off, formal entry/foyer. Dramatic oceanside decking off all principal rooms expands your summer living pleasure! Hot tub off master -- your own private space, with that great view. Lower garden level offers two further bedrooms/bath, plus workshop (home occupation?) and a terrific games room (billiards table may stay, if desired). Sunny decking off! The plus? Self-contained guest suite, … (2 comments)

Robbie Burns Day...all those Scots are listening! - 01/25/10 11:52 AM
January 25, 2009. It's Robbie Burns Day! For all those of Scots heritage, or those who would like to claim so, it's time for the salute to the haggis, and some Scottish Country dancing! No matter where you live, there will be a Burns supper, pipers, dancing, and general Celtic flair! We're all familiar with Auld Lang Syne, at New Year's, which is one of Burns' poems. Another one is A Man's A Man For A That. He is famous for his writings about the value of the common man, and at a time when this was not the "flavour of … (3 comments)

The Sea to Sky "world" is a seasonless one.... - 01/24/10 04:34 PM
Sea to Sky’s world encompasses magical Whistler, the agricultural paradise of Pemberton, the town of Squamish, nestled into the lee of Howe Sound, the “Amalfi style” Sea to Sky Highway that emerges into Vancouver’s cityscape, and to the ferries waiting to spirit one to Vancouver Island and the pristine Gulf Islands…these are not seasonal areas!
Yes, tourism plays a strong part in the entire Coast region.    The residents of Whistler and the other nearby Sea to Sky areas know that they enjoy the “best of the best”.     Each community is self-contained, offering an enticing year round lifestyle, and all of them are … (4 comments)

The Sea to Sky "world" awaits your pleasure..... - 01/24/10 04:11 PM
The Sea to Sky corridor brings you from the lights and hum of Vancouver, to Whistler Village’s alpine flair, in just under two hours.   It’s a stellar driving experience!
The new highway hugs the dramatic coastline of Howe Sound, dotted with Gulf Islands, ringed with majestic mountains (make sure you stop at the viewpoint, and gaze at the spectacular Tantalus Range — your heart will soar!), and with the waters of the Salish Sea (the original name for Georgia Strait) stretching to the distant blue line of Vancouver Island.
This Strait is considered by many mariners to offer the best … (0 comments)

Romantic get-away on Salt Spring Island...waiting for you! - 01/22/10 02:49 PM

Here's a lovely gem of a cottage/home -- perfect as a single or a couple's retreat for now, and easy to add onto, for later. Designed after a plan of Thomas Jefferson's honeymoon cottage, by noted artist, Michael Hames, in the late 80s, this sweetie has been renovated/upgraded in 2007/2008. Open plan living/dining, galley style kitchen, spa style bathroom, stacked washer/dryer, on main level, plus large master/sitting room on upper level. Wood floors, stone fireplace up and down, expansive decking both at main entry and rear entry, to expand summer living pleasures. New roof, lovely little workshop/studio, separately sited, and … (6 comments)

Salt Spring & southern Gulf Islands are in the best protected boating waters? - 01/22/10 01:59 PM
That’s what boaters say, when they discover this entire Georgia Strait area.
The Gulf Islands, including Salt Spring Island, the jewel of the Southern Gulf Islands grouping, nestle into the lee of the much larger Vancouver Island.
This offers a “rain shadow” effect, and so the Gulf Islands enjoy a very appealing micro-climate, known as “cool Mediterranean”. Vineyards, olive groves, orchards…this is a foodies paradise!
With more hours of sunshine and warmer temperatures than elsewhere on the Pacific Northwest Coast, these Island treasures are protected by a government body (called the Islands Trust), with the mandate of “to preserve & protect” … (0 comments)

In a time of "shift", it's good to listen to "adjacent channels".... - 01/22/10 10:49 AM
January 22, 2010. Am off today, to Vancouver, to attend the annual investment conference presented by Michael Campbell, of Money Talks fame. This is the equity side of investment choices, and it's always interesting to learn their "projections" for the coming year. I attended last January's conference, too, and was surprised at the speakers (and they were from many different locales, both national and international) general ebullience about the market. Their projections did indeed come about, too, with a huge resurgence in the market, a far cry from the media "doomers" reporting of October, 2008. It's always important to get out … (4 comments)

Mid-January "happenings" on Salt Spring Island.... - 01/21/10 01:18 PM
January 21, 2010. Paula Kiffner and Friends concert on January 24, at ArtSpring, at 2:30 p.m. Call the ArtSpring Ticket Centre (250-537-2101) for more information. Some of the very finest soloists in our region have gathered to present a terrific concert of the music of Bach and Brahms. Enjoy! Did you know that Treehouse in Ganges Village (all cosy and warm, with their great new enclosure, for the "winter season") is still presenting great live music for your pleasure? Every Friday and Saturday, from 5 to 8 p.m. The 22 and 23rd, it's Island Girls Showcase and on the 29th, it's … (1 comments)

Oceanview building opportunity, on Salt Spring Island! - 01/20/10 02:08 PM

Here's an exceptional holding property opportunity, on special Salt Spring Island!
In Phase 6, of prestigious Channel Ridge, and on community water and sewer, this topographically interesting building lot offers panoramic ocean, island, and mountain viewscapes! Paved road to your property, too.
Sunny (s/sw/w exposures), with dramatic sunsets for your enjoyment.
This area of fine homes is a popular choice on Salt Spring. Channel Ridge offers large park reserve parcels between phases (the development plan was laid out, in the mid 70s, by H. Schubart, an architect who moved to Salt Spring from California, in the 1960s, and who studied … (4 comments)

Raffi's Child Honouring Centre is now open, on Salt Spring Island! - 01/19/10 11:29 AM
The Centre for Child Honouring is now officially open, at 291 Long Harbour Road, on Salt Spring Island. Raffi is the guiding presence behind this concept, and it's nothing less than a societal shift. Iona Campagnola gave the opening address (she is the patron of Raffi's Centre). The 22 acre w.f. farm offers a home with a view to rest the soul. This space was a custom designed home, and has a "living roof". In the Spring, it will be full of colour as flowering plants erupt into bloom.    A year round creek, ponds, a barn, studio, cottage, plus the main … (1 comments)

Blue Monday antidote? - 01/18/10 05:48 PM
So, today is known as Blue Monday, the most depressing day of the year?
Apparently, it's a mix of "let down" after the lights/activity of the holiday season, plus the bills arriving re all that expenditure, plus the dreadful weather that January delivers to most locations, that makes us all want to turn into bears and go hibernate somewhere.
Best advice?   Get moving!    Take a walk, briskly, breathing deeply.    Work out, if you're a gym person.    Enjoy a warming meal...stew or exceptional soup or the very best macaroni and cheese in the world.    The idea is to enjoy "comfort food".    Yours … (7 comments)

"Wildlife" at your doorstep, at this special oceanfront on Salt Spring Island! - 01/18/10 01:47 PM

Here's a very special oceanfront property, a mini-point of land, with an extravagant panoramic ocean,
islands, mountain vista. In a prestigious area of fine homes, this "west coast contemporary"
3 bed/2 bath home, was designed by well known architect H. Schubart (originally from California,
Schubart studied with Frank Lloyd Wright). The home also offers a self-contained oceanside guest
suite, plus an oceanview office/studio. Hot tub with a view! Sunny, s/sw/w exposures (sunsets!),
private, "natural" easy care landscaping. The plus? Foreshore licence in place -- build your dock,
and keep your boat at home!
One of the very best waterfront opportunities, … (3 comments)

Raffi's grand opening, today, on Salt Spring Island! Any Beluga Grads nearby? - 01/17/10 12:05 PM
January 17, 2010. If you're on Island, today, drop by 291 Long Harbour Road, between 2 and 4 p.m., for the grand opening of Raffi's Child Honouring Centre. Beluga Grads especially welcome! Raffi's desire to create a way for society to be renewed, by focusing on the well-being of the very young, has evolved into this Centre, a teaching facility to help to implement his idea. More info? Check Raffi's website: www.raffinews.com Don't forget to listen to my live Monday morning radio show (7 to 9 a.m., Pacific time) -- guests tomorrow will include Steve Coopman, talking about Scotch, and Murray … (2 comments)

Salt Spring oceanfront point, tranquil bay, "west coast" design home! - 01/16/10 11:25 AM

Here's a private and sunny oceanfront point of land, with sole exclusive use of an adjacent
2 acre fenced pasture (keep a horse, or sheep!), plus a 1/9th share in a 35 acre pastoral
acreage..."West Coast Contemporary" style 3 bed/3 bath home, with open plan living/dining,
country kitchen, den/office, and expansive view decking/with a hot tub with a view! A tranquil locale at Salt Spring's special "south end".     Mooring buoy in place; summer
moorage here -- keep your boat at home! Heirloom orchard, fenced veggie garden, appealing mid-90s architect designed custom home...
subtle "tlc" will make this property "sing" once … (2 comments)

Salt Spring..."apart", but not isolated! - 01/15/10 12:39 PM
What an interesting little microcosm Salt Spring Island is! Our own flag (one end green for the forest, one end blue for the sea, white in the middle with the same red maple leaf that graces the Canadian flag), plus our own currency (designed by local artists, backed by Canadian Dollars in the vault of the local Credit Union, and legal tender on Island), plus our own airline (floatplane company, Salt Spring Air), plus our own (weekly) newspaper (Driftwood), plus our own community radio station (www.cfsi-fm.com), plus our own community bus, our own island taxi, 3 ferries that service the Island … (4 comments)

Oceanfront acreage, awaiting your pleasure, on special Salt Spring Island! - 01/14/10 06:08 PM

Superb 9 + acre property, in "natural" unspoiled state -- a mix of coastal forest (Cedar, Fir, Maple, Alder) and Garry Oak and Arbutus groves.
700 + feet of easy access oceanfront, with lovely swimming cove. A terrific dock system -- keep your boat at home! Dramatic ocean and island and mountain viewscapes -- a true panorama of loveliness!
See the majestic Olympic range from here, too. Architect designed home has been significantly renovated/upgraded, and all principal rooms enjoy those views.
Walk your private trails, enjoy the pond at property's entrance, develop further to your desires (zoned for main home, … (6 comments)

"No man is an island...", as John Donne alerted us. - 01/14/10 05:10 PM
The earthquake in Haiti could have happened here. We are also close to a major fault line. In one way, it doesn't matter. Where it happens...it happens to us all. Remember John Donne, that 17th Century poet: he reminded us that "no man is an island", and at the close of his sonnet he further reminded us "do not send to ask for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee". We are firmly in the opening days of Marshall McLuhan's "global village". The "butterfly wing" concept is here. No matter where we are, where we find ourselves, we need to … (2 comments)

Olympic countdown! - 01/11/10 11:50 AM
January 11, 2010. We're fast approaching the Winter Olympics, held this season in Vancouver/Whistler (February date). I'm the Managing Broker of the Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring) branch office, and my affiliation with the parent company, Sea to Sky Premier Properties, based in Whistler, allows me a venue of exposure for my listing clientele, in the international arena. Real estate as an industry has changed profoundly, and it's the outcome of the internet's influence on our entire communications system that has created this mammoth shift. The car industry, the stock market side of investment, etc., all changed dramatically with … (4 comments)

Mark your calendars, for these Salt Spring Island "happenings"....shoulder season delights! - 01/09/10 11:16 AM
January 9, 2010. Always wanted to be an actor? Here's your chance...auditions are being held again on January 13th, starting at 7 p.m., at the portable behind the Parks and Rec office at Portlock Park, for the upcoming Salt Spring Community Theatre production "Who's Under Where?". Call Steve at 250-653-0004 for more information. Into Tango? Tomorrow, you have the opportunity of attending a dance lesson with a noted Buenas Aires teacher. Call Karen, at 250-653-4589 for more info (4:30 to approx. 7 p.m., third floor, at Core Inn). Tomorrow evening, at Moby's, it's Jazz/Folk, with Hugh Fraser, from 7 to 10 … (3 comments)

Raffi's Child Honouring Centre opens on January 17th...the public is welcome! - 01/08/10 06:13 PM
If you're on Salt Spring Island, on the 17th, drop by the new home of Raffi's Child Honouring Centre.   Between 2 & 4 p.m., the Islanders/public are invited to check out this space.    On 22 acres, a waterfront farm, the home lends itself to conversion to offices and meeting rooms, plus a large seminar space.  
Raffi's dream has been to create a Centre, to bring forth a healing message by presenting it where it counts...with children.    As one of his latest CDs sings: "it takes a village to raise a child".   
Throughout his over 30 year career, as a noted world … (0 comments)

Maple Bay oceanfront point, old growth forest...Vancouver Island beauty! - 01/08/10 11:40 AM

Very unique and very beautiful -- a 10 acre oceanfront point of land in delectable Maple Bay, a prime waterfront gem on Southern Vancouver Island! Old growth forest, trails created in the 1920s, easy access oceanfront, beaches/bays,,,swim, kayak, sail, dive...enjoy the wildlife: seals, eagles, deer.... This property has been in the same family since 1900! Very "softly" developed -- it was their family "summer place". 1912 character cottage on site, plus 40s-era boathouse with "suite" above, plus dock. Sunny (e/s/w exposures), very private, expansive views, very beautiful land. Drilled well developed; generator for power. It is possible to connect to … (0 comments)

Community radio alive and well on Salt Spring Island! - 01/07/10 11:25 AM
The new community radio station is well on its way! Island businesses are advertising, and programs are filling in the daily schedule -- lots of variety! Check out the programming choices on the website (www.cfsi-fm.com), and tune in to listen: 107.9 fm or via streaming audio on the website. If you're around on Monday mornings, please listen to my weekly show (7 to 9 a.m., Pacific Time) -- music and musings, plus interviews with interesting Islanders! In my 20 years on Island, I've been lucky to meet so many talented and interesting people, many of them first encountered during their property … (2 comments)

Twelfth Night today...means the tree comes down, in the English tradition... - 01/06/10 11:02 AM
January 6, 2009. Today is Twelfth Night, also called the Epiphany, and the 12th day of the Twelve Days of Christmas, in the English tradition. (English Christmas begins on Christmas Eve, when the tree goes up, and it comes down on January 6th). The Magi, the Wise Men, are celebrated on Twelfth Night. A special cake with a coin inside is a traditional dessert -- the one who gets the coin gets the luck for the coming year. Traditions are links to our past and markers to our future. For those who celebrate Twelfth Night, enjoy!
… (1 comments)

Market thoughts, as we float into 2010...with a Gulf Islands flavour.... - 01/05/10 04:16 PM
January, 2010. Here we are, striding into a new decade, never mind a "New Year"! In the Chinese zodiac system, we are also entering the Year of the Tiger. It's a year of turbulence, change, plus enormous opportunity...so it's important to keep one's focus and to pay attention to the 'surround sound' of one's life. The Chinese New Year begins, this year, on February 14th. Interesting, that this is also Valentine's Day, the day that celebrates love.... My December market analysis was divided into "past", "present", and "future": here's a repeat of my "future" thoughts.... The future: The media, which reported … (2 comments)

Oceanview acreage, with sunsets...off the grid opportunity on Salt Spring Island! - 01/05/10 03:32 PM

Looking for a great holding property? Here's a gem, on special Salt Spring Island! Very private, sunny, close to an old growth park reserve and to an ocean bay, where one can moor a boat. Arbutus (Madrona) and Garry Oak groves, coastal forest mix (Fir, Cedar, Hemlock, Maple, Alder), natural meadow areas, rocky/mossy knolls -- a very Gulf Island" ambiance! Driveway into property, from main road, plus drilled well developed. Ocean and mountain viewscapes, plus sunsets! Camp out in summer season, and create your dream when you're ready -- close to all amenities, yet in its own magical world. An … (4 comments)

Change...it's with us, and it means opportunity... - 01/04/10 11:39 AM
In change lies opportunity. Heraclitus, a philosopher in Ancient Greece, thousands of years ago, reminded us that change is the only constant. The concept was picked up by Thales, who alerted us that we never step in the same river twice...the water has flowed on. Good images to carry into 2010.... So, no roadmap. Old signposts no longer point in significant directions. The things that used to work no longer do. New answers are required, reflecting new situations. What does that mean? Well, it might mean that we need to learn the gentle art of "free floating". We definitely need to … (2 comments)

Superlative view, architect designed gem, on Salt Spring Island! - 01/03/10 11:59 AM
Looking for a stellar view, a panoramic vista that wraps from Vancouver Island, across the Gulf Islands, sweeping past the Lower Mainland Coast Range, catching Mt. Baker's majesty, plus the San Juan Islands and all the way to Mt. Rainier, on a clear day?
Ocean, islands, mountains...it's a treasure!
he spectacular architect designed and custom built home offers two master sitting "wings", with ensuite/separate laundry for each "wing". A guest bed/bath, too.
Zoned for guest cottage plus separate studio.
Dramatic design, wonderful living, custom kitchen, oceanview dining, with expansive decking for sunrises and sunsets! Lap pool!
Close to all amenities, yet … (4 comments)

 
Li_read-008495_edited_ Rainmaker_large

Li Read

Salt Spring Island, BC

More about me…

Sea to Sky Premier Properties (Salt Spring)

Address: # 4 - 105 Rainbow Road, Salt Spring Island, BC, V8K 2V5

Office Phone: (250) 537-8763

Cell Phone: (250) 537-7647

Email Me

real estate, b.c. real estate, salt spring island real estate, Canadian real estate, luxury real estate, waterfront specialist, private islands specialist, estate style properties, secondary home marketplace, active rain, Li at Sea to Sky Premier Properties, Mayne Island, Galiano Island, Pender Islands, Saturna Island, Salt Spring Island, southern Vancouver Island.


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