A ceremonial sod-turning on June 10 marked the launch of Canyon Desert Resort, the latest project Calgary-based Bellstar Hotels and Resorts Ltd. is undertaking in B.C. through its development wing, Bellstar Developments Inc., in partnership with the Osoyoos Indian Band and GGC Developments Inc. (also developer of Watermark Beach Resort in Osoyoos).
A show home will be built this summer while the first phase of 17 lots is expected to be under construction later this year. Six sales have occurred to date, primarily to buyers from B.C. and Alberta. The project will see 450 villas developed on a strip of land between Nk’Mip Canyon Desert Golf Course and the course’s clubhouse.
Curt Jansen, director, resort real estate, with Bellstar, describes the project as “golf-cart-friendly.” All homes will have a spot to park residents’ golf carts, which will be able to scoot down to the shores of Tuc-el-Nuit Lake. The emphasis is on lifestyle, with “rural authenticity” and “big city amenities” touted on the project’s fact sheet.
When not teeing off on the green, residents have boating, birding, biking and hiking within walking distance, as well as the local hospital.
The project is seen as a significant boost to Oliver, which is seeking to capitalize on its identity as “wine capital of Canada” (a change from last century, when it was the country’s cantaloupe capital).
One admires the can-do attitude of Osoyoos Chief Clarence Louie that has driven projects such as Canyon Desert – both the repositioning of the golf course as well as the new Bellstar development – and past projects including Spirit Ridge Resort and Spa and Nk’Mip Cellars. The past decade has seen the band’s activities contribute to transformation of Osoyoos and Oliver for a new generation of vacationers.
Osoyoos is now a resort municipality, and new projects such as the Cottages on Osoyoos Lake by Chilliwack’s Van Maren Group are benefitting from successes to date.
But one of the shuttle drivers couldn’t help but notice that the changes that benefit her business and other tour operators in town have also cut down on the amount of foot traffic. Osoyoos’ Main Street was once thronged with tourists in summer; now, vehicles dominate as visitors flit to and from beaches, wineries and other attractions on four wheels rather than two feet.
The question is, will local infrastructure adapt?
A challenge Brent Toderian has faced regularly since his appointment as director of planning for Vancouver is push-back from homeowners over initiatives ranging from EcoDensity to new community plans to protests against specific developments. The outcries have a common theme: concern that what makes the city what it is will be lost in the city’s transition to its future self.
Speaking to the local chapter of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) on June 2 as part of a panel regarding future land-use scenarios, Toderian doesn’t foresee the encounters stopping.
Many former industrial areas around Coal Harbour, False Creek and now the Fraser River, have been allocated to residential development. The remainder is now seen as too valuable to lose, not only because of ongoing demand but because of a fashionable anticipation that many manufacturers will repatriate jobs to save on labour and shipping costs.
“The easy parts are over,” Toderian said. “We’re going to be into the gradual evolution of the city.”
While existing neighbourhoods were largely unscathed by previous rounds of gentrification and densification, the same may not hold true in future. The recently formed Residents Association Mount Pleasant (RAMP) wants a say in how its neighbourhood evolves, following a path worn by Norquay residents in 2007 and the celebrated “NPA hacks” of the West End that Mayor Gregor Robertson referenced in an unscripted council moment last summer.
The good news is Toderian would seem to agree with RAMP that highrises are not always the source of density. Toderian told the ULI he expects Vancouver to pursue a mid-rise course punctuated by towers, showing slides of projects including Intergulf Cascadia’s project at 1740 West Broadway and the Elements development at Broadway and Ontario Street.
A low- to mid-rise vision is also planned for the East Fraser Lands. Robertson touted the plans as emblematic of the city’s future form.
“The river … made possible the industrial development and growth that was pivotal in the shaping of this city,” he said, honouring the mills that previously occupied the location. “The evolution of this site really mirrors the changes we’ve seen right across the city and it serves as a marker for where we are going as a city.”