Rumours and things

Rudy Nielsen’s LandQuest Realty has a ski resort for sale in the Okanagan.

Rudy was one of presenters this past April at our Real Estate Development Conference. The Mt. Baldy Ski Area just East of Oliver and Osoyoos is for sale. The ski resort became 41 years old this season. Three U.S. developers purchased it in 2004, Brett Sweezy, Brent Baker and Robert Boyle and have decided to sell the resort. The fully operational resort has over $13 million in existing real estate, with approved density for over 1200 dwelling units. Thirty-four runs and 600 acres of trails. The mountain has come a long way since it first began in 1968 and with its approved Resort Expansion Master Plan will continue to expand into the future.

Contact at LandQuest Realty Dave Cochlan at 604-664-7340.

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Remember Susan Jacks, the beautiful singer with the Poppy Family in the late 60s and early 70s? Her big hit was “Which Way you Goin’ Billy.” She is living in Vancouver once again and has a serous kidney problem. She is looking for a transplant and her family have all agreed to giving her one of their’s. She was something else and I hope she is being looked after.

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Now is the perfect time to rethink your Baby Boomer strategy because this group is undergoing a sweeping change in attitudes. The 2007-09 recession intensified many life-stage changes that were already happening, acting like a generational time-release capsule. After all, a financial calamity is often a great catalyst for change -- especially when you are turning 50 (or 60), grappling with the changes that menopause brings, watching your children leave home (or return), or helping your parents through the end stages of life.
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There was a feature in the Calgary Herald about the alleged Ponzi scheme from two Calgary individuals that forced a local woman to take her own life after she lost everything she had to these weasels. Even though I have written a number of articles about the scheme I never really wanted to use her name. I felt so sorry for her family and friends. To lose a friend, daughter, and sister in this manner was most difficult I am sure.

These alleged crooks, which haven’t been charged in court yet, have hurt so many people all across western Canada and in Washington State. There are somewhere in the neighborhood of $400 million plus involved in this alleged Ponzi scheme.

The RCMP is calling this an investment scam.

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The Canadian Christmas tradition was always the Pot of Gold chocolates everyone seemed have in their home back years ago. The black box of chocolates and cellophane wrapped. The boxes only appeared at Christmas and Moir’s of Halifax made the chocolates. Now the brand has been sold to Hershey and the boxes we saw on display this past year were wannabes and they were not in the league of the original Pot Of Gold. I still remember the maraschino cherries.
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They are based in Vancouver but their success across the west has been very rewarding for the A&W franchise. The company is moving into Ontario with thirty-six restaurants this year.

I remember back in the fifties with our family, when we went to an A&W in Winnipeg, where with our three daughters we bought a bag of baby burgers and a jug of their famous root beer. It was so good. I believe this was the first A&W for Canada. There are now 171 franchises in B.C. and 700 in western Canada. The reintroduction of the Poppa, Momma and that burger family was a solid move by the management of the company to cut a niche for themselves in the crowded burger business. I do like a poppa burger, once in a while.
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There is another good development in the works and this one is for Penticton and the site where the old Super Valu store was for many years. Vancouver developer Rick Borsuk of Sunwest Enterprises wants to build three towers 20, 22 and 23 stories high. This complex is all about giving downtown Penticton a shot in the arm of residential, a hotel, retail, office space, restaurants, food store and a parking garage. The complex is the design of by the Calvin Meiklejohn firm.

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I would like to ask just one question of the boys and girls in Ottawa. If migrants around the world want to come to Canada for a new start all they have to do is get an old rusty ship, fill it with people, charge them a bundle and come into the Canadian waters west of Vancouver and we are ready to accept them?

Break the queue and after a few weeks you will be welcome. It doesn’t matter that many families in this valley alone are doing things the proper way to bring in a family member and are waiting for their time to make a move. It just doesn’t seem fair.

No one can explain to me how we ever check on these people who say they are from somewhere, have no papers to prove anything and we just believe them. I can’t understand it.
T
here has to be a better way of dealing with this situation.