218 replies to this topic

[Mike K.]

The worst ideas start with a thought. Erase that from your memory and go find a beach!

[Matt R.]

ASE, do yourself a favour and just go fishing. Don't get tangled up in buying major commitments for millions of dollars, no matter how romantic the idea might be. The restaurant/lodging/tourism industry is littered with the carcasses of well meaning retirees who decided to complicate their lives in the worst way.

I’ve worked for a couple of folks who retired after successful careers and thought owning a small business would keep them active etc but all it did was make them work full time. I’m hoping to be done in 10 years and can’t imagine myself wanting to anything but a part time employee or casual labour to pay the property tax bill. Pretty sure I’ve worked two lifetimes already.

Edited by Matt R., 06 June 2023 - 10:44 AM.

[Victoria Watcher]

I think that you Matt likely possess a rare combination of culinary and business talents.

Rare.

Edited by Victoria Watcher, 06 June 2023 - 10:31 AM.

[Matt R.]

And endless stamina and reasonably good mental health and a partner with an accounting degree helps.

[AllseeingEye]

I’ve worked for a couple of folks who retired after successful careers and thought owning a small business would keep them active etc but all it did was make them work full time. I’m hoping to be done in 10 years and can’t imagine myself wanting to anything but a part time employee or casual labour to pay the property tax bill. Pretty sure I’ve worked two lifetimes already.

 

Yup and that'll likely be the case; my friend who just retired with more $ than you can shake a stick at always wanted to be in the movie biz - not as someone famous, or in the acting or Big Honcho directing fields naturally - so he's thinking of applying as a chauffeur simply to drive industry folks around from A to B to C, lol. He's got the industry contacts to do it - he just needs a hat!

 

The up-island resort idea is romantic and all fine and good and reminds me of great family memories; and IMO it would work as long as all you are is the $, period. 

[Mike K.]

The land is going to sell to a developer. Gone are the days of these little highway bungalow places. The money isn’t there, the hassle is 10/10 and with every year a major overhaul gets closer. Those places are already dated and could use a refresh.

[lanforod]

And endless stamina and reasonably good mental health and a partner with an accounting degree helps.

We all know you’re nuts actually. 😂

[Matt R.]

I did couch that with "reasonably". 

[AllseeingEye]

Holy moly some of those higher end Parksville beach resorts are charging up to $700/night as we move toward July/August. Mrs ASE needs a nice weekend away and I was thinking how nice it would be to walk on some of those great local beaches this summer but maybe we'll go to Whistler, Seattle or Vancouver instead and find other things to do, lol. 

[LJ]

And endless stamina and reasonably good mental health and a partner with an accounting degree helps.

And don't forget the stunning good looks.

[Matt R.]

There is a reason they keep me in the kitchen!

[Matt R.]

Holy moly some of those higher end Parksville beach resorts are charging up to $700/night as we move toward July/August. Mrs ASE needs a nice weekend away and I was thinking how nice it would be to walk on some of those great local beaches this summer but maybe we'll go to Whistler, Seattle or Vancouver instead and find other things to do, lol.

Demand must be through the roof. We are doing august numbers already, everything is full.

[AllseeingEye]

Demand must be through the roof. We are doing august numbers already, everything is full.

 

Yeah was really looking forward to just walking that beach and kicking around the town exploring some craft and other small shoppes - the Mrs' fav thing to do and this weekend is all about her - as well as sampling some of their restaurants. Anecdotally I hear for a small town there are some really interesting eateries and we were both looking forward to that.  So it looks like Whistler after all....

[Matt R.]

I also love going to that area. Have long had family in and around port alberni, Qualicum and Parksville, lots of great times spent on those beaches, but haven’t been back in many years unfortunately.

[AllseeingEye]

I also love going to that area. Have long had family in and around port alberni, Qualicum and Parksville, lots of great times spent on those beaches, but haven’t been back in many years unfortunately.

 

Is there any kid who grew up on the south island who *didn't* ever do a family camping trip to Rathtrevor?? If there is I never met him. Some of my best memories of the area in addition to fishing every possible location on the Englishman River where you can legally fish.

 

In addition just to the north of town is a great waterfront pub at French Creek, the French Creek Marine pub on Lee Rd which we discovered completely by accident some years ago. Arguably my favourite pub on the island or was at least the last time I was there in 2018. Was looking forward to checking it out as well.

[Matt R.]

I have an uncle who worked at the mill in Port, they live beachfront in Qualicum. Not a bad spot.

Speaking of pubs, finally got to the Crow and Gate a few weeks back, great experience, food was pretty good but not really the point I guess.

Edited by Matt R., 06 June 2023 - 09:23 PM.

[Nparker]

Is there any kid who grew up on the south island who *didn't* ever do a family camping trip to Rathtrevor?? ...

This kid.

[Matt R.]

We went for our end of school trip in grade 7 from Torquay. Not my cup of tea, personally.

[AllseeingEye]

This kid.

 

That's too bad NParker; I think I was 6 when we first did it. Growing up literally everyone in my neighborhood camped at Rathtrevor either with the immediate family or later when they would go with their (usually) teenage or early 20's "gang". For many families back then Rathtrevor was *the* annual family island camping experience and they'd return and repeat every year like people today book and re-book their favorite condo or resort in Cabo or the Yucatan. Priceless memories.

[Mike K.]

The Island has grown by 20% but infrastructure hasn’t kept up. So everything is going to get busy, things are going to get full. Go camping some time, and see how many more people you run into. It’s nuts.

Consider that we have the same highways with the same capacity as we did in the 70s, save for the inland highway, which was built in the early 90s.

Nothing is improving with our infrastructure aside from patchwork. The Malahat is still a disaster with no plan to fix it. Highways 4, 14, and 19 have large sections with no detours. But the population keeps growing, and demand keeps rising.