Click here to see the fun events you can be part of, commencing Dec 27th…

If there’s a job to be done the spirit does like to do it well. That includes keeping you posted on the conditions for skiing and boarding at Kimberley Alpine Resort. The official opening day for 2010/2011 was held two days ago, on Friday 17th December. I made sure to be there to snap some shots of the conditions. Knowing some folks who work in ski patrol and others in outdoor ops at Kimberley Alpine Resort, I had already heard that the Tamarack Chair was going to be opened on Friday. On preview weekend the Main quad chair and the Easter chair were both open, and not all the runs off the Easter were open. With all the lifts open… this would mean runs would be open that haven’t been skied on yet by the paying visitor (only by the patrol on their safety checks). As I realised this, I thought I should really have made it up the hill earlier. The pace I was on, I’d be getting to the lift line up at about 8:43am.

The clock at Kimberley Alpine Resort was not wrong.

We arrive at the ski hill and there are only two rows of cars in the main parking area…. interesting! I head up the steps past the new conference centre and towards the North Star Quad lift. There’s nobody there yet. Can this be true? Opening day for Kimberley Alpine Resort and I’m getting the first chair again? This should make for a good morning.  My ski-fanatic husband was working today and unfortunately a blog is not part of his work so I stood alone waiting.

Some people start arriving. First is Dan “the Tan Man”, well known in local ski circles. Dan is the reason why Cominco Gardens look so good all summer. Ryan Peterson is next, a local skier who is regularly at the head of the line up any day the conditions are good. Ryan had booked off opening day months ago to ensure he didn’t miss out! As more people trickle in, I see Liana, the latest addition to our team at Mountain Spirit Resort. We’re both working in the office from 12pm and clearly had the same intentions – to enjoy the best part of opening day first!

The "Main" looking pretty nice.

9am rolls around and there’s maybe 40 people waiting in line. Pretty different to opening day at Fernie, when apparently some chap actually slept overnight in a tent in order to bag “first chair” rights!

W’re off. The conditions look amazing. We’ve had 20-30cm of fresh snow in the past 5 days since preview weekend. Usually I feel in a rush to get first tracks on the first runs but today is a little different. It feels like the ski hill has been hired out for my friends and my exclusive pleasure. There is no question about which direction to head in after getting off the quad. We all head over to the Tamarack. “Wahoo!” it’s first tracks for everyone all the way down the “tammy”.

The Tamarack run from the Tamarack Chair.

Second run – let’s do the same one, it was so good. By this stage I’m in a group of half a dozen local skiers and boarders including my mate Dave who works at Kelsey’s. That’s him enjoying the view from the bench at the top of the Tamarack.

Third run, let’s take Upshot. It’s the run skiers left of the tammy and has been totally brush cut over the summer. Last year I rode it there were plenty of alders but this year it’s a different story. The bottom half was total dreamy floaty movie style skiing and boarding for all. Thankfully only Ruth, the British liftie at the Tamarack chair, saw me fall when I transitioned from the deep floaty stuff onto the groomed flat track to the lift (don’t tell anyone)!

At the top of the Tamarack chair, our path crosses with Dan and Ryan. “How’s the back side?” I ask them. “Awesome and there’s nobody there” they reply. Sounds familiar. I should point out at this stage that RCR had originally planned the official opening day for 18th December and then changed it, bringing the opening forward by one day to Friday 17th. This happened about a week or two ago so for people visiting from outside Kimberley, it might have been hard to change schedules and work plans in order to arrive on a Friday. For locals living in Kimberley who knew about the change and could get out and ski on Friday, it was much appreciated – thanks!

Anton's run, formerly called the Easter, from the Easter Chair.

After meeting Ryan and Dan I suggest we head over to the Easter chair and hit up the untouched runs past Vortex. I nip over onto Runt and take it down to the Easter. Our “posse” meets up and we ride together across the Ridgeway towards Geneva. We’ve been told the only run not open is Notre Dame so that means 5 untouched runs between it and Vortex.

The Ridgeway can sometimes be slow for snowboarders. I had made sure to have my board waxed with the correct was for the temperatures, down at ski repair in the Rental Shop. I made it the whole way along the Ridgeway without having to unstrap my board, which is nice. There’s still about 6 of us at the top of our chosen run – the Tramway. I drop over the edge and this snow is even better than the snow on the tammy! And it looks like only 6 people have been here before us. Fresh tracks for everyone AGAIN! Yeehaw!

I don’t even need to turn. It is effortless. I look behind part way down and I only see Liana. Our buddies took the right hand option one third of the way down and are now enjoying their fresh tracks on Tramway. Liana and I meet at the bottom of the Easter Chair where we see our buddies again and a couple of other people. We don’t even need to ask how everyone is as the answer is the same, “FANTASTIC!”.

Let’s head back to the front, it’s time to go to work!

It’s official. The grand opening of the Kimberley Conference Centre & Athlete Training Centre took place on November 25th, 2010.

The spirit was off in Regina, SK, on a spirited mission and so didn’t attend the grand event. Instead I managed to get a private tour the week before. The centre is definitely impressive. The conference facilities are the best I have seen anywhere on my travels. The whole main building is accessible and the use of gently inclining ramps in the design makes for a great spot for couples to tie the knot (in what’s called the pre-function area) as well as a great opportunity to people watch as you enjoy cocktails prior to entering the grand hall. The main function room can be split into two, each with the opportunity for professional AV with large screens mounted on the walls. There are many break-out rooms with more AV equipment. The catering area looks very sophisticated and well equipped to handle the large events (there is up to 500 person capacity in this conference facility).

Upstairs is home to the Athlete Training Centre. Due to copyright on the word paralympic, that word isn’t used in the name but I’m going to chance typing it on my blog quite happily. This is definitely an word class training facility for paralympic athletes. Having seen the paralympic athletes training here every year I’ve lived here, I can understand how much this facility is going to improve their training experience. Gone are the days when artificial limbs have to be left in the Slopeside Cafe! The ski-in main floor area features a totally accessible sharpening and waxing area, including very large locker spaces which can fit wheel chairs or artificial limbs. There are large changing and showering areas and the icing on the cake is a very generous training room with state of the art accessible fitness and weights machines.

Here’s what the City of Kimberley has to say about the opening:

“The City of Kimberley is pleased to announce that the Conference and Athlete Training Centre is now open for business. This project is a great example of what can be accomplished through the development of meaningful partnerships with a common goal and vision. Our partners include: the Federal Government, the Provincial Government, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, Columbia Basin Trust, New Dawn Developments and their many sub-trades and BCMP Architects. We also recognize and commend the volunteer advisory committee members, who have championed this project from conception. The Conference Centre itself is the largest of its kind in the Kootenay Region. It accommodates 350 person banquet style or 500 person theatre style events, provides a large pre-function area and 4 breakout rooms. This facility enables organizations and businesses to host major conferences and seminars, where individuals can come together to learn, exchange ideas and share knowledge.

For more information or to book the facility, please contact Tim Greiner, General Manager at 250-427-6272 or via email manager@meetkimberley.ca or click on the Conference Centre’s website link: Kimberley Conference and Athlete Training Centre.  If you would like to add your business to the Conference Planner’s Database of local accomodations, products and services available, please complete and submit the Product Inventory Data Sheet form to City Hall by mail, email, fax or in person.

The BC Real Estate Boards monthly stats are out and so far this year is definitely looking positive for the Kootenays region. To save you reading the entire report, here’s a snapshot.

JULY 2010 YEAR TO DATE / year on year comparison for the Kootenays:

• Total dollar volume of sales is up 17.4%
  
• Unit sales are up 14.5%
• Average unit price increased by 2.5%

We haven’t increased our prices (yet!).

You can download the entire report by clicking here.

Paul Sullivan of the New York Times writes: “EVERYONE needs a place to live, but no one needs a second home. So choosing which vacation home to buy and where should be enjoyable. Still, people routinely buy second homes that end up being less than they expected, or worse.” Interestingly, as you read his comments you’ll realise that fractional ownership at Mountain Spirit Resort, Kimberley, BC, Canada is a solution that really offers a stress-free vacation home:

Paul continues “I speak from experience here. My wife and I own a condominium in Naples, Fla.”

“Milton F. Pedraza, chief executive of the Luxury Institute, an organization that does research on wealthy consumers said one common cause of second-home misery was that owners failed to factor in how much time and money were needed to maintain a place from hundreds, if not thousands, of miles away.”

“Adults buying second homes should ask equally tough questions — of themselves. Why, after all, do you want a second home? What are you going to use it for? Do you have any idea how much it is really going to cost?” – At Mountain Spirit Resort, the costs of ownership are very transparent. With quarter ownership the costs are shared between four owners (and you don’t even have to meet them).

Beyond the ups and downs of the real estate market, Mr. Pedraza said most buyers underestimated the maintenance costs of a second home.“Think of the 20 to 25 suppliers who come to your house for air-conditioning, heating, landscaping, the pool man, the plumber — now you’ve got to procure those same suppliers for another property,” he said. “If you have the money and it doesn’t mean anything to you from an investment point of view and you can hire the staff, then fine.” As a fractional owner at Mountain Spirit Resort, you don’t have to deal with the a/c, heating, landscaping, pool or plumbing. Our staff on site look after it all for you.

“Deb Howard, a realtor in Lake Tahoe and chairwoman of the National Association of Realtors’ resort and second home committee, said many people looked at the properties as a place for the family to gather and as something to leave to the children. But they still need to consider the carrying costs of the property.” Another reason why quarter ownership makes sense at Mountain Spirit Resort. A quarter of the cost and a fantastic place to reconnect with the family and truly relax.

Ms. Howard says her first question to buyers is always what kind of lifestyle they expect to have. But her second is whether they need to rent the home to cover the costs. “Sometimes it’s not the right decision,” Ms. Howard said. “You’re not going to use it enough. Or it’s not going to meet your financial goals.” Not only are the costs quartered, Mountain Spirit Resort also offers an optional rental program to all owners which makes it easier to manage the costs in owning a vacation property.

Paul says it’s less relaxing. What persuades people to buy a second home is usually a vacation. A second home, they think, will keep the party going with the added benefit of having a place of their own. “They only see the benefits — sitting by the pool, having a piña colada, driving into the driveway and leaving the Rolls Royce there,” Mr. Pedraza said. “They never figure the gate is going to be broken and they will need an electrician.” At Mountain Spirit Resort, we have an on-site Maintenance Manager who fixes the gate if it is broken, and you don’t even need to know about when it is broken! Mountain Spirit Resort makes vacation ownership relaxing for you!

Enthusiasm for a place can also lead to a hasty purchase. Barry Peele, an International Realtor in Beverly Hills, said a client recently bought a waterfront home in Miami only to find out after the closing that the dock would not accommodate his yacht. Suddenly, the convenience of walking out to his boat — the original attraction — was gone. At Mountain Spirit Resort we guide you through the purchasing process with no haste. We even come out and stay first and experience all the amenities the area has to offer. By the way, we don’t have a dock but we are truly ski-in ski-out and our underground parkade has enough vertical clearance to allow you to drive in with an SUV, with a ski box on top – a pretty common requirement in ski resorts but rarely available!

And then there is the pressure to use the place. “People have high expectations of their usage,” said Brian Sharples, chief executive of HomeAway, which runs several vacation rental Web sites. “The industry average is 30 days of use per year.” As a fractional quarter share owner at Mountain Spirit Resort, you have about 13 weeks a year to enjoy your suite. If you do use just 4 weeks, you can place your suite in the rental pool for the other 9 weeks and our rental manager does all the work for you!

When people realize how infrequently they are using their second homes, they often turn to Web sites to rent them. Mr. Sharples, who has a second home in Aspen, Colo., said the income could defray some of the costs, from taxes to maintenance. But renting out any home can be stressful, and you may not make enough money to justify the hassle. Renting out is hassel-free at Mountain Spirit Resort. You don’t need to post your rental on a website. Our Rental Manager, Bellstar, does everything for you, including managing the maintenance, housekeeping, 24/7 front desk, marketing, reservations etc.

Paul thinks it’s time consuming. He comments: Since people do not use their second homes regularly, they cannot just walk in as if it were their primary residence. At a minimum, they have to open up the house when they arrive, make sure everything still works and close it down when they leave. As a fractional owner at Mountain Spirit Resort, this is definitely not the case. The suite is checked regularly and prepared prior to your arrival, so the lights are on, the music is playing and the ambiance is just right to start relaxing! You don’t even have to clean when you leave!

Paul finishes saying: “These are luxury problems, of course. The recession has shown the stress that houses can put on anyone. But before you plunge into a second home, ask why you are doing it. In the end, staying in a hotel could be a lot more relaxing.” I agree, with Mountain Spirit Resort you own in a condo-hotel which provides the solutions to Paul’s problems!

I found this article and thought it was spot on in terms of describing the benefits of fractional ownership at Mountain Spirit Resort in Kimberley. This chap is called Bob Wood and is a regular contributor to Regular Forever Young. Bob found it easy to write on the pros and cons of fractional ownership of a recreation property – he’s an owner himself. Here’s his article:

I’m sitting on the side deck of our comfortable, modern two-bedroom, Muskoka-style cottage ready to attack a mystery novel, sipping a glass of chardonnay. My only worry on this day is whether I’ve applied a suitable amount of sun block. While April 13 may seem a little early to be soaking up cottage-country rays, the warmth of the afternoon sun is trapped on the porch, making a liar of the thermometer and tricking me into thinking that we’ve skipped spring and jumped straight into summer.

And as I look around, it’s all mine – sort of. We get to enjoy spring, the other three seasons and a bonus summer week with the five-week fractional-ownership package we purchased a few years back at the Bayview Wildwood Resort’s Cottages at Port Stanton development.

Started in 2003, the Cottages at Port Stanton bills itself as the closest fractional ownership project to Toronto – a 90-minute drive. With “unbeatable views” of Sparrow Lake and the surrounding rugged Canadian Shield countryside, we have been able to appreciate “the joys of lakeside living” pretty much as advertised since April 2004.

Is fractional ownership for you? Before we bought into Port Stanton, my wife and I, now both in our 50s, hadn’t really given the idea much thought. I suppose fractional ownership seemed like something intended for other people – with lots of money.

Up until about six years ago our vacation experience was split between “car camping” at various provincial parks and booking inexpensive hotel accommodation. Then, the need to escape the day-to-day grind of work and, additionally, take a break from caring for aging parents began to get to us and so we decided to spoil ourselves with a three-day/two-night package at a family resort north of Orillia known as the Wild Echo Bay Lodge.

Looking across Sparrow Lake on a snowy Friday night, we detected some building activity and decided to check into it. We were thinking at the time it was a timeshare and we expected the stereotypical hard sell associated with those places – but instead got the soft sell. And we were sold. The Cottages at Port Stanton rose on the site where Wild Echo Bay Lodge used to be.

We soon learned the difference between timeshares and fractional ownership. These units were the latter.

It turns out, the idea of sharing resources to purchase a vacation property has been around for years. As far as formalizing such arrangements in a commercial form, timesharing preceded fractional ownership. The first timeshares were apparently offered at a ski resort based in the French Alps in the sixties.

The fractional-property industry in North American didn’t really get going until the early 1990s, beginning at ski resorts in Colorado and other Rocky Mountains states.

So what’s the difference?

A timeshare is a right to the use of a property. Timeshares can be resold to another party as time, not as traditional real estate. On the other hand, fractional ownership (generally defined as a percentage share of an asset) can be resold, as fractional ownership conveys title of land.

As far as usage of the property, there are different schemes – fixed periods, floating dates and blends of both. A fractional share gives the owners certain privileges, such as a number of days or weeks when they can use the property.

For me, fractional ownership works just great. Here’s how:

• Disciplined me to take holidays

According to a Decima Harris research poll done last year, nearly one-quarter of employed Canadians report not taking all of their vacation days. This translates into 34-million unused days in Canada overall, representing about $6.03-billion in labour donated to employers. I am not inclined to work for free.

• Gets me away from the phone

We jump when the phone rings, which is probably a good thing.

• A break with no maintenance

Unlike traditional cottage owners, we’ve got no chores to do when we get there.

• A place for everything

Everything in our luxury, furnished cottage is always where it is supposed to be – not something that can be said about my permanent residence.

• The price is right

It seems cheaper than other types of vacationing. I leave it to financial gurus to prove me wrong but our maintenance fees for a week run in the $500 range for a two-bedroom. We originally paid about $44,000 for 50 years’ use of the property.

• Love that natural living. We can get closer to nature than our regular suburban existence.

I haven’t found any negatives yet and as I sip my wine and contemplate the good life, I don’t think I will find any.

Fractionals: a growth industry

Not so long ago, if you wanted a weekend or summer getaway, you bought a cottage and with it the costs of upkeep, or rented at a resort – hoping you could get a decent slot in the season you wanted. The idea of buying “part” of a cottage – one where someone else shouldered the responsibility of maintenance – was unheard of.

Today, however, fractional ownership is a rapidly growing industry, says Sue Nickason, a marketing consultant working with three such communities, including the new Cottages at Windermere House.

Fractional-ownership developments are springing up throughout Muskoka as well as other “cottage country” regions, like Haliburton, the Kawarthas, the lake region north of Kingston, and Georgian Bay. Nickason says the priorities for most are lakes, golf and ski opportunities. Most also like to be within three hours of their home base, although she sees buyers coming from as far away as Alberta and even England.

Read the article here: http://www.foreveryoungnews.com/leisureandlifestyle/article/16069

What an exhilarating way to spend a day. My hubby and I got our towel and change of clothes ready and met the rest of the rafting adventurers at the building with the fish on the roof – the home of Kimberley Raft Company. We clambered aboard their big blue bus and set off at around 9am, driving past St. Mary’s Lake and onward into the pristine wilderness of the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy. When we arrived at Dewar Creek, I didn’t realise just what all would be provided as the guides fitted us out with wetsuits, jackets, wet boots and helmets. They even packed lunch for everyone.

Next, everyone grabbed a paddle and we had a thorough briefing prior to setting off to ensure everyone was prepared to follow the commands together and make sure our adventure would be as safe as we could make it, regardless of what the river willed!

Setting off, the guides ensure all commands are practiced on the water, not just on land. Everyone was confident and prepared for the whoops of the gentle rapids, and those to come later. We made our way down Dewar Creek, sticking close enough to the other raft to allow us some laughs at their expense: getting their raft stuck on a rock for a few seconds allowed us to sneak past and lead the way at one stage!

Lunch time came and we had time for a break and devour some tasty wraps and delicious chocolate chip cookies. The guides got everything ready and served up the buffet on an overturned raft – perfect. We ate perched on the edge of a spectacular canyon and watched the water crash against the rocks.

Energy levels topped up, we were now ready for the 2km of Class 3 rapids we’d been building up to. We boarded our rafts and got stuck in, attacking the rapids in the centre of the river and hitting all the “niggies” we could! Our guide Dan steered us into the best rapids, almost too well at one point when he was catapulted out of the boat! The pre-departure training paid off as we stayed calm and had him back on board and back in control within seconds.

After the adrenaline of the rapids, we enjoyed some beautiful natural scenery until we reached the end of this trip. But all was not over – the guides offered us the option of “swimming” across the river in what looked like fairly gnarly rapids to me. Again, training was given on which direction to swim to start, when to go from front crawl to the “defensive” position on your back with feet in front. Over half the group gave it a go and gained one more final thrilling experience before relaxing on the big blue bus and returning back to Kimberley. Thanks to Craig’s team and having another awesome experience with the Kimberley Raft Company!

We’re delighted to share with you our latest news – the award of four green keys in the global Green Key Eco-Rating Program. The Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a graduated rating system designed to recognize hotels, motels and resorts that are committed to improving their environmental and fiscal performance.

Unique Achievement:

Mountain Spirit Resort is the only accommodation provider in the Kimberley area to have achieved the four Green Key status.

A Conscious Decision:

The road to achieving this standard started with the design of the building. Environmentally conscious decisions were made, such as incorporating geothermal heating and cooling for the entire resort building, including the year round, outdoor pool and hot tub. In the construction of the building, more environmental initiatives were adopted including automatic lighting in common areas, energy star rated appliances and low E windows.

A Team Effort:

Bellstar Hotels and Resort’s local team has been working hard to build upon this foundation. Bellstar has achieved this Green Key Eco-Rating in less than 12 months as Rental Manager for Mountain Spirit Resort. Nigel Hamacher, Guest Services Manager commented: “We’re very proud of what we do to consider our environment here. Every member of staff is doing their part. It’s a great team and a great resort.” Nigel’s team has come up with ideas such as donating toiletries to the homeless and elderly and carrying out a wide range of recycling internally.

Own Green:

Mountain Spirit Resort is now open and available for ownership and for rentals. For more information on ownership opportunities of suites or commercial spaces contact me today.

Stay Green:

For reservations call 1-877-432-6006 or visit MountainSpirit.ca.

Meet Green:

Plan your organisation’s next meeting in Kimberley and book the new Kimberley Conference Centre for your meeting and Mountain Spirit Resort for your accommodation.

As construction of the Kimberley Conference Centre and Athlete Training Centre gets close to completion, the website for the Conference Centre has been launched. “Accessible” and “Incomparable” are the taglines – definitely appropriate for such a beautiful location for organisations to meet, or couples to tie the knot. Check out the site here. Meet green at the Kimberley Conference Centre and stay green at Mountain Spirit Resort.

The Kimberley Conference & Athlete Training Centre was named number 1 state-of-the-art conference venue by Alberta Venture Magazine. Click here to read the article.

The construction of the Kimberley Conference Centre & Sports Training Centre is progressing extremely well. I know because I can see it easily from Mountain Spirit Resort, which happened to be designed and constructed by the same architect and construction team: BCMP Architects (recently merged with Omicron) and New Dawn Developments.

Kimberley Conference Centre & Athlete Training Centre

This state of the art, dual purpose facility is the first of its kind to be constructed in North America. The building will be comprised of 24,000 square feet of space over two levels. One level offers multiple meeting and conference set up options. The second will be a ski-in sports training centre, designed with Paralympic athletes at the forefront, and of course, fully accessible.

Some questioned the location in Kimberley Alpine Resort rather than downtown, but doesn’t it make total sense? For meetings, conferences, weddings and other events the conference facility, which can hold up to 500 people seated theatre style, is located at the base of one of BC’s largest ski resorts, with superb accommodation and amenities at Mountain Spirit Resort located just a few hundred metres away, in addition to a variety of other accommodation options. The future spa will offer an ideal outlet for attendees and athletes alike to soothe aching muscles, or simply relax and rejuvenate. The resort offers dining and entertainment options however the downtown core is only a few minutes by car or public transit. Venturing to the platzl visitors can walk and enjoy the many independent coffee shops and restaurants and browse the variety of stores.

Kimberley is clearly entering a new era with the Conference Centre and Athlete Training Centre opening in October.