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Sunday, March 18, 2018

Is cottage life for you? Find out at the Spring Cottage Life Show


   One-Tank Trip for March 17/18

   (c) By Jim Fox

   There’s something in the Canadian psyche that draws us to the great outdoors and cottaging.
   Not just people, but pets, too, are mysteriously attracted to spending as much time as possible by the lake, river, stream and immersed in the woods.
   “The lifestyle of a home surrounded by the striking beauty of lakes, forests or mountains enjoyed with loved ones is an irreplaceable experience and one that remains part of the Canadian dream for many,” said Kevin Somers of Royal LePage Real Estate Services Ltd.
Cottagers can enjoy colourful dockside sunsets over the lake. (Jim Fox photo)
   And why not, with about 250,000 fresh-water lakes and 100,000 kilometres of rivers in Ontario?
   Find out if you are a “dreamer or doer” at the Spring Cottage Life Show from next Thursday to Sunday (March 22 to 25) at the International Centre (6900 Airport Rd.) in Mississauga.
   The Canadian recreational property market had “healthy increases in both sales activity and pricing” last year, Somers said.
   Dream properties can be hard to find as retiring baby boomers, millennials and Gen Xers escaping high house prices in the cities, and investors are in the market to buy or rent.
   The 2017 LePage price summary for lakeside recreational properties ranged from $160,000 around Lake Huron to $594,200 in southwestern Ontario, $464,400 in the Bruce Peninsula and $1.5 million in Muskoka.
   A Cottage Life study with the Ontario Real Estate Association of 1,100 cottage owners found the “most-predominant trend” is year-round cottaging.
   Some 64 per cent of owners attributed four-season’s use for buying, with 56 per cent planning to convert to year-round use.
   It found 44 percent of cottage owners plan to retire or live at the cottage part-time within the next 10 years.

   One more day at the cottage (show)
Whooo are you asks this owl along with birds of prey from Wild Ontario. (Jim Fox photo)
   Due to popular demand, they’re making it a “four-day weekend” to check out the Cottage Life show this year.
   “This will give visitors even more opportunity to explore and discover all that the show has to offer,” said Rebecca De Silva, manager.
   Highlights include meeting the Brojects’ brothers Andrew and Kevin Buckles, and contractors Marshall Black and Simon Hirsh of Cottage Life TV’s new series, Lake Docks and Decks.
   Calling it the “largest, premier, one-stop destination to get ready for summer,” visitors can check out 600 exhibitors offering the latest in boats, docks and water toys.
A vast selection of cottage “toys” and items fills the International Centre. (Barbara Fox photo)
   There’s also information about builders, innovative products, green solutions, furniture and decor, arts and crafts, food and entertaining, and more.

   Find out about prices and deals from more than 500 cottage realtors representing 36 regions in Ontario.
   Learn about cottage real estate from realtor Rob Serediuk, host of What’s For Sale, who will discuss mortgages and best practices for financing a dream recreation property.
   Bonneville Homes has a walk-through model cottage and there’s beverage sampling at the Dock Party and cooking demos on the kitchen stage.
   Planning a cottage wedding? From renting porta-potties to creating rustic dockside decorations, Lynzie Kent, host of Crazy Beautiful Weddings, and Cottage Life editor-in-chief Michelle Kelly give tips.
Log furniture and more are among the 600 exhibitors at the cottage show.
   Other topics are conservation, container gardening, staining decks, chainsaw safety, design ideas, building an outdoor bar cart, cottage games, outdoor activities and cottage country critters.

   If you go
   Show hours are March 22, noon to 8 p.m.; March 23, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.; March 24, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; and March 25, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
   Admission is $20; $25 on March 24; $10, ages 13 to 17; free, to age 12; $30, weekend pass; $15, age 65 plus, March 22 and 23. Save $4 on adult admission after 4 p.m. on Thursday and Friday. Free parking. Details: cottagelife.com/shows

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Jim Fox can be reached at onetanktrips@hotmail.com
For more One-Tank Trips: http://1tanktrips.blogspot.ca

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