Multi-family units hottest real estate north of Malahat
The rest of Vancouver Island was in-step with Greater Victoria’s real estate market in September, according to figures released by the Vancouver Island Real Estate Board.
Like Victoria, the Island board saw a significant increase in multi-family unit sales, while single-family home sales were flat compared with the same time last year.
Last month, 345 single-family homes sold between the Malahat and the North Island, down from 347 in September 2018, while 85 condos sold last month, an increase of 15 per cent from last year, and 51 townhomes sold an increase of 11 per cent.
Inventory in the region was also up in September, to 2,025 units from 1,747 the year before.
The Island board also noted prices continue to rise with the benchmark price of a single-family home up to $523,100 in September, a four per cent increase from one year ago.
Year-over-year in the condo category, the benchmark price rose by two per cent to $298,900 and the price of a townhouse rose by four per cent to $411,100 last month.
Fisheries-science vessel on track at Seaspan
Seaspan Shipyards has reached “structural completion” of the third offshore fisheries science vessel for the Canadian Coast Guard, meaning all external hull welds have been completed and inspected. The vessel is expected to be launched in early 2020.
The milestone comes hard on the heels of the launch in June of the second vessel, which will be named the CCGS Capt. Jacques Cartier, and the delivery of the first, the CCGS Sir John Franklin.
The Sir John Franklin is the first newly built large ship in the fleet for 30 years, and the first large vessel designed and built under the federal government's national shipbuilding strategy.
The vessels have been designed specifically to meet the needs of the coast guard and scientists from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans.
Local gelato creator wins U.S. festival
Stefano Mosi, owner and founder of Victoria’s Mosi Gelato, has won gold at the Gelato Festival America and is a step closer to vying for a chance to compete in the Gelato Festival World Masters 2021 in Italy.
Mosi’s Seamist Sorbetto, which uses Silk Road Tea, fresh mint, lime, lemongrass, peppermint leaves and restorative seaweed, has bought him passage to the 2020 Gelato Festival North American final in Miami, where he will compete against other regional winners from across North America.
“It has been a dream of mine for years to compete in this festival,” said Mosi. “And to know that we can now take the flavours of Victoria to the North American Finals and hopefully to Italy feels incredible.”
