A couple of months ago I wrote about Calgary's expanding condo market and since then it has continued to grow. A new record has been set with the listing of a two-story 4,400-square-foot luxury penthouse condo for $10 million at the Astoria on Tenth tower. The penthouse will be available in either a classic or contemporary style. It will have 1,200 square feet of outdoor space spread out over five balconies. The apartment will have top-of-the-line finishes, limestone fireplaces and crystal chandeliers. The apartment will include a large private wine vault, media room, billiards room, built-in cappuccino machine and a library. An interior finishing package will be sold for $1 million with $500,000 for home automation and a high-end audio-visual system.
The Astoria will have 225 suites more than half of which have already been sold. The 35-story tower will also have commercial space, with retail space on the main level and mezzanine. Occupancy is planned for 2010.
A Canadian whisky has to surrender its name as part of the ongoing battle to protect the name of Scotch whisky. A court has decided that Glen Breton, the only single malt whisky produced in Canada, has to drop the "glen" part of the name because it might fool people into thinking the brand is Scotch whisky. Scottish brands often have names such as with a "glen" in the title such as Glenfiddich, Glenlivet or Glenmorangie.
As you might imagine, the Scotch Whisky Association is thrilled with the ruling of the Canadian Federal Court which refused to register the "Glen Breton" trademark. They produced evidence in the form of instances of Glen Breton being described as Scotch whisky in retail outlets, menus, newspaper articles and websites. The distillers on Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia will be appealing the decision. You can't really accuse the company of being deceptive, it's says Canadian right on the bottle and the large maple leaf on the label should be a clue as to origin.
You may never have heard of Kelowna, British Columbia but it's one of the fastest growing cities in North America. The city on a Okanagan Lake offers beautiful scenery and a relatively mild climate. Today's three-bedroom home is situated on a hill for panoramic views of the lake and the surrounding hills. The home was designed by Isabel Chen and sits on 1.19 acres. The modern home has an open floor plan and plenty of windows and sky lights. There is a separate guest suite over the garage that has a private deck. There is geothermal heating and air conditioning. I like the look of the saltwater concrete pool and the wide wood decks. It's not a wildly charming house but the view and the simple and clean space warm my heart. It is listed at $2.2 million Canadian.
Real estate in the States may be having tough times but in Canada things seem to be booming and we are seeing more amazing estates all over the country. This one in Metchosin in Greater Victoria, British Columbia is one of the most expensive. The home was finished in 2006 and sits on 67 acres. The design received a National Canadian Architect Award. The design is a mix on interior and outdoor design that includes pools of water which are part of a geothermal heating and air conditioning system that pulls water from the ocean and runs through the house. The water also divides the living and bedroom areas. The home is quite striking, if perhaps a bit chilly looking. I love the giant red sofas in the living room area. The estate includes a guest house, boat house, covered pool, and a tennis court. It is listed at $24 million Canadian.
Some of the most architecturally interesting projects are coming out of Canada. SilkWind is a tower located in Victoria. So far Victoria hasn't attracted a lot of international interest from condo buyers, but this tower's cosmopolitan appeal may change that. Its 23 stories will be home to 150 condominiums. The building is triangular which matches the site shape, and the shape is also meant to mimic the prow of a ship. The suites' interiors have cherry or maple cabinetry, plasma fireplaces, marble and granite countertops and hardwood floors. Amenities include an exercise facility, infinity pool and resident lounge. There is also a 24-hour concierge service and a 152-stall bike storage area. The units range from 1,071 sq. ft. to 2,104 sq. ft. and will sell from the mid-$500,000's to $1.8-million.
What is going on in Canada, the condo market is sizzling hot! Here in the States we are watching condo projects hit the auction block because they won't sell. In Canada they are lining up in the cold to get their paws on fresh new condo projects. We saw it in Vancouver and now we are seeing it in Toronto at 1 Bloor St. East, a $450 million 80-story slice of a skyscraper we first talked about in April. Back then various analysts were expressing fears that the condos might be too ritzy for Toronto. It doesn't seem like that will be a problem as people are camping out for a whole week just to get their first pick of the condos. Real estate agents have recruited hardy souls to hold their places in line because each person is able to secure three condos. The luxury suites start at $300,000 and run up to $18 million for the penthouse suite.
Real estate may be slumping in the States but in Vancouver, Canada prices are booming. The center of Vancouver is the most expensive housing market in Canada with the average sales price for a condo in Vancouver has been about 408,500 dollars this year, up 14.6 percent from last year. One sign of this the flurry of excitement over Millennium Water, a multi-million dollar housing project that is billed as Vancouver's last waterfront development. Suites in the condo complex will be home to the Olympic athletes in 2010 and once they leave the condos will go to eager buyers. How eager? They can't move in for three years but according to CTV, buyers camped out for days earlier this week for a chance to buy the condos. The suites range in price from $600,000 to $3.4 million and range from 500 square feet to 2,500 square feet. The homes offer balconies with park or water views and are available in three different color schemes: Vancouver, Canada or World.
At the recent Toronto International Film Festival once of the hot places to go was the newly opened Hazelton Hotel. The stylish hotel has a hot restaurant called One, a posh screening with leather seating and a health club that boasts a mosaic lap pool and a fitness area as well as a spa with four private treatment rooms. The hotel will also be home to a retail store called Hazel that will carry fashion lines from international designers.
Oh yes, and there are rooms too, 77 of them including suites. The rooms have an average size of over 600 square feet and each one has a plasma TV, iPod docking station, granite-lined bathroom with a soaking tub and a rain shower, heated floors and Bulgari amenities. Weekend packages at The Hazelton Hotel including a one-night stay, bottle of champagne, in-room breakfast and welcome gift start at $650.
This huge country manor is so large that it could easily be pressed into business as a unique hotel. The estate is 150 acres that includes forests, a freshwater stream, cattle pastures, walking trails, gardens and a pond. The home includes a large living room, formal dining room, a large kitchen, 11 bedrooms and an indoor pool.
The home belongs to George Ross Eaton, a Canadian department store heir. It was designed by Thierry Despont and building of this expansive over 28,000-foot mansion began in the late 1980s but didn't finish up until 1996 at a reported cost of $20 million Canadian. A few years later, facing tax problems, Eaton put the home on the market for that price but didn't get any takers. He later took the house off the market. An article I found on Canadians For Properly Built Homes, details a fascinating saga in which Eaton alleges a number of problems with the home. Another piece, in the Toronto Star, reports on a lawsuit in which the Eatons claimed they suffered fatigue, headaches and respiratory problems while living in the home. They say they spent over $4 million repairing the home.
Now the home is on the market for an undisclosed price. It's a rather particular home, heavy on the wallpaper and velvet, lavish certainly but old-fashioned and even a touch gloomy. Larger pics of this white elephant in the gallery or a all at once after the jump.
Expensive red wines from France, Italy and Napa are commonplace but one of the latest high-priced wines comes from British Columbia. Mission Hill Family Estate Winery has announced the 2004 release of their Oculus wine, a high-end red modeled after fine Bordeaux wines. The Globe and Mail reports that the wine is listed at $70 but could go higher in the provinces. The wine is priced $10 more than the 2003 vintage and it is expected that the wine will hit $100 in 2010 right around the time that the world's eyes turn to B.C. for the Vancouver Olympics. Oculus is just the most expensive of reds from wineries in the area. Mission Hill Family Estate Winery has an interesting history, the owner Anthony von Mandl, is the man behind Mike's Hard Lemonade. He used his alcopop cash to invest in the finest equipment for his winery such as $1,000 French-oak barrels, automated grape-sorting tables, stem-removing conveyors and computerized basket presses. Oculus is named for the circular hole at the top of Rome's Pantheon and is a small amount of Mission Hill's output - just 3,000 to 3,500 12-bottle cases depending on the year.
What do the companies that offer helicopter skiing do in the summer when the snow has melted? How about helihiking. Canadian Mountain Holidays has six lodges in Canada that serves as luxury base camps. By day you can travel to places that would normally take you many days to backpack to and still be back at the lodge for a restful evening by the fireplace. The packages include helicopter flights each day, meals, services of the guides, accommodations and gear. Three-day packages start at $2,207 (Canadian dollars).
The latest celebrity to get into the wine business is hockey's Great One, Wayne Gretzky. Wayne Gretzky Estate Wines will carry his number, 99 on the label and is a partnership with Niagara's Creekside Estate Winery in Jordan Station. Gretzky launched the new brand at his restaurant in Toronto, Gretzky's. The first three wines are a 2005 Meritage (a red blend), a 2006 Chardonnay and a 2005 Vidal Ice Wine. Gretzsky's wines will be created by Creekside winemakers Craig McDonald and Rob Power. They are priced at $17 for the red, $14 for white and $45 for the icewine (Canadian dollar prices). and are available starting at the Willow Heights Estate Winery. A portion of the proceeds will benefit youth hockey programs. Gretzky is also working on a Wayne Gretzy Estate Winery. Gretzky's not the first hockey player with his own wine but he's definitely the most famous.
I believe that one of the biggest trends in the luxury real estate market going forward will be retirement residences that bring a variety of services under one roof. In Canada, Amica is the company that seems to be taking the greatest advantage of this growing need. The company has created a series of developments all over Canada. They most recently announced the Amica at Windsor, a $36 million luxury retirement residence of 155 suites which includes a 29-suite Vitalis (assisted living) floor. The building will include a dedicated home theater room, an English-style pub, a private dining room, a spa salon, and a Wellness & Vitality center. Amica at Windsor is the company's 24th retirement community and will be completed in 2009. There are currently nine Amica projects in development and the company offers a variety of options from condo living to assisted living suites and short term programs. Shown above is the Watermark condominiums in Vancouver.
I don't know about you but I am completely obsessed with the show "Deadliest Catch" that profiles crab fishermen. The Crab Catch package at Hastings House on Salt Spring Island in Canada won't be quite so dangerous but you do get to experience a crab fishing expedition with crab fisherman, Gary Le Marchant, on the 24' Welbury Bay crabbing boat. Guests will be given rain slickers and issued a crab fishing license. Gary will offer a hands-on workshop on crab information including a lesson in crab cleaning. The next night, guests will be treated to an evening of crab cooking instruction with chef Marcel Kauer who will demonstrate the best way to cook and dress a crab. The two-night/three-day Crab Catch package runs from May 1 to September 30, and is priced starting at $650 CAD per person (based on double occupancy). The package includes continental breakfast daily, afternoon treats, the crab excursion, a four-course Chef's dinner of crab specialties and each couple will receive a recipe book and measuring tool to take home.
I cover plenty of wine festivals but not as many whisky galas. The Spirit of Toronto event on May 12 is a whisky-lovers dream. It includes sampling of more than 100 single malt whiskies, masterclasses with distillers, a whisky cocktail bar,live jazz and an outdoor cigar bar. The event will also include Canada's first rare whisky auction, which will offer a rare whisky which was distilled at the Glenury Royal distillery in northeast Scotland. The distillery shut down in 1985 and only 498 bottles of this 50 Year Old were produced in 2003. Proceeds from the gala go to the Parkinson Society Canada as a tribute to Michael Jackson author of the "Malt Whisky Companion" and a person living with Parkinson's disease. Tickets are $105.
