'X' MARKS the SPOT

What’s happening right now is arguably without precedent in the history of our little town. To put it mildly … we live in fascinating times! In the past few years we’ve seen a dramatic increase in interest and activity in our market, in particular from out-of-province buyers. This applies to the Shuswap as a whole, but Sicamous - based on the following home-grown advantages - seems to be at the forefront of it all...

• An unbeatable natural setting.
• A gloriously benign climate.
• Two pristine lakes for the price of one!
• Beautiful sandy beaches.
• Limitless year-round sporting and recreation opportunities.
• Small town values and hospitality.
• Equidistant between Calgary and Vancouver.

These factors, together with a robust oil industry, baby-boomers looking for desirable communities to retire and recreate in, as well as our growing reputation as a genuine all-season destination, have added sizzle to an already hot market. This has led to a dizzying number of developments - Bayview Estates, Grandview Shores, Old Town Bay and Hyde Mountain being a few of the more obvious and substantial examples.

With sensible and sensitive local stakeholder management, this phenomenon should be to the advantage and satisfaction of most, in particular in a lifestyle and aesthetic sense. I believe the town can only benefit from the kinds of upgrades to communal facilities and infrastructure that typically accompanies such progress, whilst still maintaining its small town charm, identity and the sort of qualities my family were looking for when we moved here: strong community values, safety, good schooling (I have two young boys), outdoor lifestyle opportunities and last, but by no means least for a family more accustomed to living in the sub-tropics, climate! And here’s the thing …. we found it all in Sicamous - the ‘House Boat Capital of Canada’. Small enough to be homely and intimate, but busy enough in the tourist seasons to have a real ‘vibe’. The summers sizzle, the autumns glow, the winters are kind and the spring’s are vibrant and explosive. Sports men and women are substantially catered for, with world-class facilities in abundance. Throw into this enticing mix an energetic and productive arts and crafts community, and it’s plain to see why we, along with a growing number of converts, chose to live and recreate here.

On a map, Shuswap Lake vaguely resembles an ‘X’, and for me there is a poignant symbolism in this, because … ‘X’ marks the spot of the most beautiful part of Canada!

Local websites of interest:
www.sicamous.com
www.shuswapdestination.com
www.bayviewsicamous.com