Jasmine Henczel 'Agent Jazz'

Squamish Fire Fighter Association Annual Charity Car Wash

Who: Squamish Fire Fighter Association

What: Annual Charity Car Wash

When: Saturday April 16 from 12Noon to 4pm

Where:  Squamish Station Squamish (Nester's)

Why: Fundraising for the Squamish Hospice Society

The Squamish Firefighters Association is holding it annual charity car wash Saturday April 16 rain or shine at Squamish Station Square (Right By Nester’s) between the hours of 12 to 4pm. All proceeds are being donated to assist the Squamish Hospice Society - a truly fantastic group that does such amazing work in our community.

So after you’ve dropped off your recyclables at the 1st Annual Re-Use It Fair at the Adventure Centre c’mon by the Squamish Station Square and have a fire fighter wash your vehicle for a good cause!

For more information about the Squamish Hospice Society please visit www.squamishhospice.com

See you there!

Jasmine

Hello Everyone,

Starting at sea level in Vancouver, riders will head over the Lions Gate Bridge in a dedicated lane on their way up to Whistler. Once over the bridge, riders will travel up Taylor Way to get onto the upper levels Trans Canada Hwy with a right of way at all intersections. The journey then begins.

The Journey

Riders will travel the rest of the route in a dedicated lane all the way up to Whistler. You'll be distracted from the 2,400 meters in climbing by the spectacular views of Howe Sound as you ride to Squamish - the half way mark and rest stop. You may be surprised to realize you'll also enjoy 1,750 meters of descent as you roll through the Coast Mountain Range for a net gain of 650 meters elevation to arrive at the finish line in the heart of Whistler Village.

The Route

The newly upgraded Sea to Sky Highway was designed to accommodate traffic for the 2010 Winter Olympics… but it's been waiting for you. You won't believe your eyes as you travel this spectacular route.

The Finish

Riders will finish in Whistler Village with a celebration worthy of this epic ride including live music, a beer garden, massage tents, a rider expo in the plaza and all your friends and family. Your personal luggage from the start will be available for pick up plus a complimentary bike check as you enjoy the festivities.

About

Gran Fondo's are mass participation cycling events that have enjoyed incredible popularity in Europe for decades, and are beginning to gain momentum in North America. The RBC GranFondo Whistler will be the first world-class Gran Fondo in Canada in 2010 (but followed by more in 2011).

Loosely translated from Italian, GranFondo means "big ride." Rides are often 100 km or more for a large number of cyclists at a variety of skill levels - everyone from the competitive cyclist to the amateur wanting to challenge themselves over distance and time enjoy these events. While these are not races, top finishers are often recognized.

Gran Fondo's are judged by the challenges they offer steep climbs, long distances and a combination of the two. The RBC GranFondo Whistler will not disappoint with 2,400 meters of climbing over the entire route. And if that isn't enough, the RBC GranFondo Whistler will also offer primes (or mini timed races) along the way at particularly challenging sections to give riders that extra motivational boost. This will be a challenge worth bragging about and you'll be rewarded with a Founding Riders Finisher's Medal. 

All Abilities Are Welcome

The Gran Fondo is the full distance of the ride designed to challenge endurance. Many Gran Fondo events offer a "mini" or "medium" version called the "Medio".  This is appropriate for those not quite ready for the full distance but who still want to participate in the challenge. The Medio in the RBC GranFondo Whistler will start in Squamish to cover a distance of 60 km, but will still be a challenge by including the steepest of the climbs up to Whistler. A "Giro" is a common cycling term for race. The Giro division in the RBC GranFondo Whistler will be the race component. Open to licensed riders in Categories 1 through 3, the Giro will be an all out race to the top of Whistler at an anticipated average speed of over 30 km/hour.

Participation in RBC GranFondo Whistler this year is limited to 4,000 riders.

For More Information

For more information please visit www.rbcgranfondowhistler.com

The 16^th Annual Brackendale Fall Fair is back on Saturday September 11 from 10AM to 5PM! There will be over 50 vendors, food and live music. Plus games for all ages, mini golf, hay rides, zucchini races and, of course, farm animals!

The Brackendale Fall Fair will be held at the Brackendale Farmers Institute (BFI) Park.  This is the forested area south of Brackendale Elementary School, west of Ross Road, east of the railway tracks and north of the Ross property on Depot Rd.

The Olympic Flame will be arriving in Squamish from the Sunshine Coast on February 4 and will depart on February 5 to head north to Whistler.

DATE: Thursday, February 4th, 2010

TIME: 3:00pm – 8:00pm

3:00 pm – 5:30 pm Squamish Rotary Presents CANADA V.S. USA hockey game

(Featuring Chamber member Squamish Wolf Pack www.squamishwolfpack.com) 6:00pm – 8:00pm Outdoor Entertainment featuring all locals

LOCATION: Brennan Park Recreation Centre

HIGHLIGHTS:

Event features a free, two-hour, family-oriented community celebration with a line-up of local entertainment including the Welh Tima Kexwusem Dance Group, G.Joli Daduwalia & the Squamish Bhangra Crew, West Coast Lumberjack Show, Mat The Alien, and First Nations rock& roll band Bitterly Divine. Visit www.squamish.ca/residents/2010-winter-games/the-torchrelay for more information.

SQUAMISH MAKING OLYMPIC HISTORY

Join Squamish Loggers Sports to make an Olympic First!

DATE: Friday, February 5th, 2010

LOCATION: Loggers Sports Grounds

TIME: 8:00am SHARP! Get their early so not to miss it!

Interconnected with Valleycliffe, Hospital Hill is named for the location of the Hospital that you must pass to get to this quaint neighborhood. Hospital Hill offers views of both soaring mountains and of the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean. Not all of the homes here have ocean views but those that do certainly have an amazing location on the edge of the cliffs overlooking Squamish. This area is within walking distance of downtown Squamish. Hospital Hill literally offers rock climbing out your back with immediate access to the Squamish Smoke Bluff. And, a trail system which follows the hillside along the climbing areas down to the Adventure Centre where you can go for a lovely afternoon snack or coffee break on the patio which overlooks the Chief. And don’t forget about Crumpit Woods which is home to an expansive trail network. The Crumpit Woods area is a great start off point for cross-country mountain bike rides

Homes in this area tend to be in the mid to higher price range with many of the homes being in the luxury home category.

For more details on available homes in this area or other areas of Squamish, feel free to contact me personally. I would be happy to show you around!

You can reach me on my cell phone at 604.815.7766 or by email at Jasmine@AgentJazz.ca

Up next! Part 3 in my series of ‘Getting to Know Squamish’ - Downtown Squamish

Welcome back to part 2 of my discussion on the Squamish Oceanfront!

The Squamish Oceanfront area has undergone environmental studies to ensure that that it can be developed in a number of capacities; from parkland to residential homes. Outside of outdoor recreation, recent uses for the oceanfront have included television and movie filming, and the occasional waterfront festival/concert.

I have been told by members of the District of Squamish that there should be a Master Plan in place by sometime in the fall of 2009. This means that, in theory, we could begin to see infrastructure, such as roads, street lights and so on, being built and prepared in the area within the next year – though, this would be a rather optimistic outlook, as these things do take time.

I have tried to stay in touch with what is going on with the oceanfront development because it is my belief that this will severely impact the future of Squamish. The potential for this area is so immense that it is hard to wrap one’s mind around it. A quick drive down to Nexen Beach combined with a little brainstorming and you will see what I mean. The options truly are limitless! A few examples of what you may see down on the waterfront in years to come are marinas and piers, a cruise ship terminal, a passenger ferry to Vancouver, a boardwalk, parks, shops, theatres, residential homes and other amenities – though none of these have been confirmed.

For more information about the Oceanfront Development in Squamish, you can check out the following websites:

www.squamishoceanfront.com

www.createtheoceanfront.ca

www.squamish.ca

If you are interested in learning more about the Squamish Oceanfront, ask me about the ‘Oceanfront 101’ meetings that I hold occasionally. They are a great way to keep informed, meet community members and listen to guest speakers on various topics pertaining to the Oceanfront. The sessions are always laid back with a focus on group discussions.

If you are new to the area or, if you are interested in learning more about Squamish, please feel free to contact me anytime. I would be happy to show you around Squamish and answer any questions that you may have. You can contact me directly at 604.815.7766 or Jasmine@AgentJazz.ca

The Squamish Oceanfront Part 1 of 2

If you have not been to the Squamish Oceanfront yet you should definitely take some time to explore this incredible area! The Squamish Oceanfront offers amazing 360° views from its rustic shoreline. Included in the views are the Stawamus Chief, Shannon Falls, the Mamquam Glacier, and Diamond Head/Atwell Peak - an extinct volcano. Just off of the coastline of Nexen Beach, you will most likely see sailboats, kayakers, the colorful sales of the kite surfers and the windsurfers all taking advantage of the perfect wind and blue water. The entire peninsula is encircled with a 1km walking trail which almost always hosts community members and their four legged, furry friends. This truly is a spectacular place to visit with the family!

At present, there is no development to speak of on the Squamish Oceanfront with the exception of an old pier, dated boat terminal and a left over paved area from the past, which locals use to park their vehicles. This site was once considered industrial but for the past few years has been left dusty and vacant.

With over 60 acres on the oceanfront, there is a tremendous amount of potential to create one of the most incredible oceanfront communities in recent history. It is a rare opportunity to have such a piece of land in an existing community which has remained relatively untouched. This bare land is slated for a large-scale development and revitalization project.

Check back on Friday July 17th for Squamish Oceanfront Part 2 of 2 where I will be discussing what will be happening in terms of development on the Squamish Oceanfront!

The current ‘big question’ is..."Will the Squamish real estate market follow the Vancouver real estate market?"

Generally, the Squamish market seems to follow the trend of the Greater Vancouver market. Currently, Squamish is experiencing a Buyers market. Prices having declined from this time last year, rates to borrow money are at historic lows, sales volumes are down (with some exceptions) and there is a smorgasbord of homes to view. If we take a closer look at what the market in Vancouver is doing we get a sense that they are recovering quickly with sales volumes up and multiple offers on many properties.

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver reports that sales of detached, attached and apartment properties increased in the Greater Vancouver area by 75.6 per cent in June 2009 to 4,259, from the 2,425 sales recorded in June 2008. The figure is just short of the record breaking 4,333 sales which occurred in June 2005.

As discussed in a previous blog, so far this year in Squamish, only one month has shown an improvement over last years market - May of 2009 which was up 17% from 2008 with 48 sales in Squamish, compared to last year at 41 sales for that month. If we take a closer look at these numbers we can see that the detached housing market actually recovered fairly well because, of those sales, there was a 41% increase in the number of detached home sales for May in Squamish. While sales of attached properties (condos/townhomes) were up only slight with 24 sales, up from 21 sales from the previous year.

So, knowing this, we have to ask ourselves, “Will the Squamish real estate market follow the Vancouver real estate market?" It is possible that we will see the market pick up in Squamish over the next while. However, I often get asked, “What is the market going to do next?” I tend to answer that I do not have a crystal ball because I can only look at the statistics and the movement of local, regional and national housing markets as a guideline along with the trends, prosperity and livability of communities such as Squamish (who, for example, will be impacted greatly by the 2010 Olympic Games). In the end nobody can know with 100% certainty what the market is going to do next but it never hurts to have studied all of the necessary market information to see where the trends may be going.

Having said that, and after reviewing the necessary information, I feel that the market in Greater Vancouver has picked up tremendously, coupled with the low mortgage rates and large selection of well priced homes in the Squamish market right now, we could see Buyer activity pick up. I would also make mention that there is a lot of potential in Squamish and with many new areas being developed and planned. This combined with the completion of the upgraded Sea to Sky Highway will only make Squamish a more desirable option for those living and working in the Vancouver area but wanting to be closer to nature.

To learn more about the current market situation in Squamish and area, please contact me directly at 604-815-7766 or email Jasmine@AgentJazz.ca.  I would be happy to discuss any questions that you have.

(**Squamish stats are based on manually extracted MLS statistics, specifically for the Squamish area. While Greater Vancouver stats have been taken directly from June 2009 publication of stats from The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver)

Squamish Real Estate Fact (**based on manually extracted MLS statistics, specifically for the Squamish area)

Currently the real estate market in Squamish is down in real estate sales volumes by 49% for this same period last year. (January 1 to July 1). Only one month has shown improvements over last years market - May of 2009 was up 17% from 2008 with 48 sales in Squamish, compared to last year at 41 sales for that month. With 142 sales in total from January 1 2009 to July 1, 2009 compared to last year for the same period with 278 sales.

Based on these statistics, one can see that it is a great time to purchase in Squamish the market. Low sales volumes coupled with a decrease in the price to purchase and low interest rates makes for a buyers market which is sure to offer opportunity to first time home buyers and those looking for investment opportunities.

It is important to have a Real Estate Agent that is watching the market closely. Feel free to contact me personally to talk about the Squamish Real Estate Market at Jasmine@AgentJazz.ca or on my cell phone at 604-815-7766.