Collingwood, ON

A quick check on Google reveals that, simply put, a cyclotron is a particle accelerator that changes directions and speed and then ultimately, collisions may create entirely different secondary particles. 

What does this have to do with real estate you ask?  Well nothing really except that we've had a large number of artists of all kinds move into the South Georgian Bay area in recent years and that trend is continuing.  For that reason, I try to keep my eyes and ears open to what's new or interesting in our arts community.

So, about the cyclotron.  The always interesting and creative, Harry Posner of the Zencha Tea Bar will be hosting an event called Cyclotron II on Tuesday, May 13th at the Blue Mountain Foundation for the Arts Centre located at 163 Hurontario Street next to the Gayety Theatre in downtown Collingwood.  As Harry said in a recent email, "There will be a gathering of poets, storytellers, and singer/songwriters who have been challenged to present their material in a brand new way. A literary evening with a twist, an opportunity to break boundaries, push envelopes, and otherwise have a great wordsmithing time."  The event will run from 7-9 p.m. and admission is free.

It should be rather interesting to see what synergies come out of such a unique evening with all these creative minds crashing into one another!

For a long time, we really didn't have very many attractive housing options for retirement living in the area.  Sure, we have a plethora of condominium units but most were designed for vacation lifestyles rather than full-time living in a community geared to the needs of retirees.  All of that has changed in recent years and fabulous options now exist.

A couple of weeks ago, Chris and I went over and took a tour of Raglan Village which is an adult community in- town Collingwood that opened earlier this year.  It offers three types of housing choices including rental townhomes, condominium apartments and, a retirement home offering different levels of assistance.

The property is set-up as a Village with all of these housing styles in a contained area.  All residents of the Village automatically get membership in the Raglan Club which includes a recreational centre with swimming pool, a fitness centre, wellness spa, theatre and bistro games lounge.  There are if a beautiful and bright dining room offering meal choices and, there are a wide range of recreational and social programs available.  I was also happy to see a full-service hair salon and a doctors office right on site.

The suites we viewed in the retirement residence were gorgeous as were the public areas such as the lounges, club facilities, library and entrance ways.  Staff were very friendly and the few folks we chatted with who are already in residence were all delighted with their new home.

I find this concept to be long overdue in our area and it's great to see the option for a continuum of housing in one development that provides for changing needs as years go by.  Someone who makes one of the condominium units home today may move to the retirement suites down the road but yet be able to stay within their familiar community. 

It's good to know about the options available so we can assist our clients in making a life transition as they sell one home to move to another.  In my books, Raglan Village looks like a winner.

The school with the deepest roots in the Collingwood community would surely have to be Admiral Collingwood Elementary School.  Most of the "locals" I have met over the last couple of decades attended that very school and everyone has a story to tell.

The first school sat at the corner of Hume and Hurontario Street and was originally built in the 1920's as the Collingwood Collegiate Institute (CCI) High School.  In 1958, a new school was built for CCI farther south down Hurontario Street at which point the original school became home to Collingwood's Senior Public School for Grade 7 and 8 students.  In the early 1980's, the school changed again into a full elementary school serving Kindergarten to Grade 8.  In the late 1990's and early 2000's, discussions were held about closing the school.  Emotions ran deep.  Many of the populace had attended this school and, the architecture and majesty of the old school had historical significance.  Ultimately, the old school was torn down and a new Admiral Collingwood Elementary School was built in 2003 on its current site at Dey Drive in the south east part of Collingwood.

The school continues to have a fantastic reputation.  According to the Principal's message on their website,  they have a student population of about 350 people.  They offer the extended French program for Grades 5 to 8 and, they are on a "balanced school day schedule with our breaks from 10:25 am-11:10 am and 12:50 pm-1:35 pm."

I don't get to eat out that often but when I do, I want to have a great experience, great food and great service.  I LOVE food (just look at my picture and all those chins), wine and good company too so having a restaurant like the First Street Bistro in town is pure heaven to me.

After spending over two decades in Alberta, owners Andi and Nancy Furrer decided they wanted to relocate back to Ontario primarily as family was in this part of the country.  That's when we met and from the first real estate search phone calls and emails, we became fast friends which continues to this day.  When I asked Nancy why they chose Collingwood over every other town in Ontario she said, "Collingwood's location beside the Escarpment, on Georgian Bay allowed us to continue to enjoy our outdoor pursuits, which were very much a mainstay of our existence in the Alberta Rockies.  Our family embraced the small town atmosphere, while the growth trends in the area provided a stable environment for our new business enterprise." Gee, and I thought it was because of me. 

Chef Andi is a native of Zug, Switzerland and he brings a culinary acumen acquired over 30 years in quaint fine dining hideaways and high volume environments alike, in both urban and resort settings.  On completion of his European training, he worked in various prestigious hotels and independent restaurants before immigrating to Canada.  Chef Andi's Canadian experience began at Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta; then included time in Toronto - from Yorkville to the Toronto Island Yacht Club as well as the Prince Hotel.  He enjoyed much success as a creative, high profile Chef during 20 years in Alberta, in the Rocky Mountain towns of Banff and Jasper, as well as in the city of Edmonton, during which time he became a member of Les Toques Blanches International.  His first ownership opportunity was a 150 seat restaurant in Jasper, prior to Between Friends Restaurant in Collingwood, now known as the First Street Bistro.

Nancy has spent many years involved in the service aspects of hotel and restaurant operations after completing post secondary studies in Hospitality & Tourism Management at Toronto's Ryerson University.  After a 12 year hiatus spent cultivating their family, Nancy returned to the workforce to actively manage the office and dining room service at their restaurant in Jasper.  Since moving to Collingwood, she has managed the dining room service and administration needs for Between Friends Restaurant/First Street Bistro, while pursuing greater knowledge of wines of the world.

Even though the Bistro has been mentioned in Toronto Life, Where to Eat In Canada and such, I've always thought that Chef Andi should be REALLY famous.  His passion for food is evident in his remarkable knack for marrying seasoning and textures that, combined with his wealth of food knowledge have built him a strong reputation for producing consistently memorable and truly awe-inspiring cuisine. He uses locally grown organic produce whenever possible and even gets out to handpick his own Wild Leeks and Fiddleheads each spring. Asparagus and strawberries come from Meester's farm and White's Fisheries supplies fresh Georgian Bay Whitefish, Lake Trout and Sturgeon on occasion.  The Bistro carries a good selection of wines and spirits with a cellar list always available with special finds and vintage releases.
 
As a team, Andi and Nancy have been complimenting each other for more than 27 years.  They have an amazing team including servers Marc and Diane who raise service to a whole new level.  Having said all of this, you'll be glad to know that the Bistro offers casual fine dining at a very reasonable price level that will make it a favourite place to visit again and again.

I think we are very fortunate to have a place as phenomenal as the First Street Bistro right here in Collingwood.  I would best sum up my feelings by saying that when I dine at the Bistro, I don't just leave full.  I leave fulfilled.  There is a world of difference and if you have not experienced it yet, do yourself the favour soon.

Do you remember riding the escalator in the middle of Woolworth's in Collingwood?  Today in its place, you'll find the Admiral Building which is home to a flagship LCBO along with other shops and services.  In the 18 plus years that I've been practicing real estate, just about everything has changed.

Back then, we typed offers using carbon paper for copies and white-out to make corrections.  Our daily MLS® data came from paper spewed out from a little ticker-type box.  We'd copy, cut and paste listings and pop them in the mail to be received a week or so later by our out-of-area clients.  Actually, we didn't really have Buyer clients in those days.  Our job was to almost always represent Sellers since Buyer Agency was unheard of.  Offers were usually presented in person as we drove hours to see people because faxed contracts were not yet legal.  Few REALTORS® had computers let alone email, voice mail, cell phones or Blackberrys.  Very few had assistants or home offices and the mandatory continuing education requirements of today didn't exist.

Insurance companies didn't worry about oil tanks or 60 amp electrical services as they do today.  GST didn't exist!  Mortgage interest rates were double digits and everyone needed at least 10% down to buy a property.  Privacy legislation hadn't been introduced, grow houses didn't exist and we didn't yet have any idea of what a prolonged recession could actually do to real estate prices.

18 years ago, Collingwood had not annexed part of Nottawasaga, Clearview Township didn't exist and Meaford was just a town.  Almost all condominiums in the area were in Cranberry Village and Lighthouse Point hadn't been built.  The Niagara Escarpment and the Conservation Authorities had a whole different set of rules and since then, every municipality has changed its Official Plans and zoning by-laws more than twice.  There was no Village at Blue  and the concept of luxury real estate was not even a notion in this area.

Today, the delivery of real estate information is as quick as the click of a mouse and listings or offers can be sent by email.  Buyers can instantly search MLS® listings online and homes for sale are often showcased with virtual tours.  Real estate consumers are better protected than ever by changes in legislation and by improved education for REALTORS®.  Interest rates are under 6% and you can buy a house with no money down.  Choices abound with numerous opportunities to buy condominiums, single family homes or luxury custom homes in prestige neighbourhoods.  There are land-lease and fractional ownership developments and, recreational investment options.

Today, South Georgian Bay is a different place.  We can grab a coffee at Espresso Post or Starbucks and alternative libations at Zencha tea bar.  We can golf on a world class course or spend a day at an exclusive spa.  There are numerous exquisite choices for fine dining and blessedly, a choice of chocolate and candy shops.  There are clubs for networking, learning and lectures, outstanding local theatre and a thriving arts community.  You can get the inside scoop by reading local blogs and community websites like mycollingwood.ca. 

Is change a good thing?  In the case of real estate and South Georgian Bay, I'd have to say a resounding yes.  It's been a helluva ride and I can't help but wonder what the next eighteen years will bring.