Bar None

As the Winter Games approach, all eyes are on British Columbia. Understandably, host cities Vancouver and Whistler are hogging the spotlight. But peaceful enclaves away from the crowds, media hype and sporting frenzy remain in Canada’s Pacific province.

Perched on the east coast of Vancouver Island, directly across the Strait of Georgia from the big city itself, sits Nanaimo, B.C. Even when one of the biggest sporting events in the world isn’t going down across the way, this scenic spot known for its gorgeous setting and temperate weather is a relaxing retreat away from it all, that should not be missed by any visitor or native of the province.

Nanaimo started out as a trading post in the early 1800s. Several decades later, coal was found in the area and the city became known for its export of the highly in-demand resource. Coal remained vital to the economy until the 1960s, when forestry took its place. A pulp mill from that era remains to this day, and is a large boost to the local economy. Shipping and tourism are also vital to the area’s prosperity, while the region’s top employer is currently the provincial government.

Today, with around 80,000 residents, Nanaimo boasts a picture-perfect waterfront, stimulating local culture and a quaint old town famous for its watering holes. And yes, its climate — lucky for Nanaimoites — is one of the mildest in the entire country.

Living in Nanaimo
Custom home-builder Rick Earl, owner of Watercress Developments Inc., has been constructing homes in the Nanaimo region for over 16 years. The company’s modus operandi is that every home is a work of art — one that should be created for the specific taste and lifestyle of its owner.

A Nanaimo resident himself, Earl can’t imagine a better place to call home. “I used to be on the mainland, which was great — it was exciting for a certain part of my life,” he says. “But coming to Nanaimo now, even if I go over and come back, with the greenery that’s here and the pace — pretty much as soon as I get off the ferry I notice the peacefulness of being here.” The views and the harbours in particular, he says, are breathtaking, adding that the city is only in the early stages of its development and has a lot of potential.

In terms of activity, residents are spoiled for choice. “The opportunities for recreation within the reach of the island... people can find a lot of enjoyment being here and opportunity to experience other activities, from diving to sailing [to] surfing in Tofino — all within a couple of hours,” says Earl. “We [also] have Mount Washington, which is about an hour and 15 minutes from here. So literally people can ski and scuba dive in the same day.” Anywhere on the island, it seems, isn’t far from outdoor adventures and natural beauty. But Nanaimo is specially situated, smack in between two of the country’s showpiece cities — 55 km away by sea from our West Coast hub, simultaneously bustling and laid-back Vancouver; and 110 km northwest of the provincial capital and city of gardens, Victoria.

“People can ski and scuba dive in the same day.”

It’s that appeal that makes Nanaimo a popular destination for professionals and retirees — not only from B.C., but from all over Canada and internationally, too.

Primarily, Watercress homes are high-end and detail-oriented. What makes his company unique, says Earl, is their level of care. “I think we can offer attention, frankly: attention to the client, attention to their project and attention to detail within their project,” he says. “We’re very collaborative in our approach from homeowner through to architect, and then including crew. Basically the idea is that good ideas and development of ideas will lead to the better product.”

Custom building can be a lot of things. In a subdivision, a custom home might mean that a few details in a typical home plan are changed for the owner. But a “custom home” from Watercress is another thing altogether. “The typical custom home that we’re building involves design from scratch,” says Earl. “To make the optimum of a project using the assets of the property and being able to work with the property to have the most appropriate types of access, is all served well by having a plan developed from scratch.”

“From scratch” means that Watercress will work with the homeowner and the architect from the very beginning. “The design build is really something that’s close to my own heart. It’s just about approaches that really maximize the potential in a project,” says Earl. “And a design is so critical to what the end product is going to be. The way that the team works together can really bring out potential that isn’t identified at first, because one person to another will actually stimulate ideas and thinking. In the end it’s not so much whose ideas they were but what ideas are good for a project and good for an individual.”

This kind of tailor-made construction is not only beneficial for the owners, but necessary in a landscape such as Nanaimo’s, whose rugged features (lots of rock and diverse elevation changes) call for creative and savvy design and construction.

Watercress has constructed sprawling, multi-million-dollar abodes and waterfront dream homes. Most recently, Earl completed a more-than-8,000-sq.-ft. property with the help of Ottawa-based architect David Mailing.

The home itself, built for Ottawa clients who are moving west, is, in typical B.C. style, at one with nature. Built on the side of a mountain, the property has world-class views of both the ocean and the coastal mountains on the mainland. Mailing says it was designed specifically for the site and with the views in mind. “The concept was really to have it kind of come out of the rock, so to speak, almost organically,” he says. “It’s very much an arts and crafts style that is very in sync with B.C. architecture. So there’s a lot of natural materials, lots of wood, a lot of stone.”

The project was very involved, and Earl and Mailing worked together for over a year and a half. Luckily they have great working chemistry. “It’s an experience and if we’re going to be working together for any length of time, the quality of that experience is important to me. So we give a lot of attention to that,” says Earl. “[Mailing] is very creative and open. We found him to be very open to our ideas as the project developed and as a result we’ve just been able to develop details of the design further to everybody’s satisfaction, and it has made for a very enjoyable experience.”

Mailing also credits the “team effort” that has resulted from working with Watercress. Although in this particular scenario Watercress joined the project at a later stage (Earl is usually involved from the design stage), the company has been very important to the home’s success. “[Earl] continues to be a very strong contributor — he and his team — which I frankly encourage,” says Mailing. “It’s the best way to get the most out of everybody, to get a better product in the end, and everybody gives a higher effort.”

And what does Mailing — who visited Nanaimo more than once a month for the last two years of the project — think of the area? “It’s a lovely little city that has a lot going for it. It’s got a wonderful harbour — the views are spectacular in several directions,” he says. “The terrain is anything but flat, there’s a funky downtown area and then all of the amenities that we’ve become accustomed — all the comforts of home.” •