Monday 28 April 2014

Go green by investing in railway improvements

There is a lot of talk about “going green,” global warming, ice caps melting and rising sea levels. At the same time we are investing millions, if not billions, of dollars to improve and widen roads and bridges so we can accommodate even more vehicles.

Aren’t vehicles the very things that contribute to the above-mentioned problems?
Instead we should be investing in modes of transportation that are green — like trains. Here on Vancouver Island we have the fantastic opportunity to bring a railway back to life that has been neglected for decades. The infrastructure is already in place (like tracks, bridges, crossings and stations). I know it needs upgrading and it will cost quite a bit of money, but it will be money well spent.

It’s almost certain that the cost of energy is going up over the coming years, and owning a vehicle will get more expensive. An improved train system would be good for commuting, tourism and business. Anyone in doubt should drive to Victoria in the morning and experience the “Colwood Crawl.” Then try to imagine what it will be like in 10 years.

Let’s look into the future and support this train before it’s too late.



Sunday 13 April 2014

Who we are | Westhills - Our-story


Description: Our-story
The Westhills lands encompass 209 hectares (517 acres) of rolling sloped lands, knolls, and rocky outcroppings and are located in the City of Langford. Originally comprised of two large parcels, the properties were held for decades by two local families. In 2006, the owners of the westernmost lands formed the Westhills Land Corporation (WLC) to develop the site. Westhills subsequently acquired the second parcel, which was already zoned for residential development and a lakeside pub.


By adapting these strategies to meet the unique requirements of the Westhills site, the developers have created a warm and welcoming community that honor’s their foundation principles of sustainability, affordability, design excellence and quality construction.

Due in large part to the vision of Langford Mayor Stewart Young and Council, the Westhills Master Plan was arrived at through a design charette process involving a variety of stakeholders and consultants. These included The US Green Building Council, the Canada Green Building Council, the BC Ministry of Community Services and the Design Centre for Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Through this planning process the City of Langford has been able to form a cohesive partnership with the owner of Westhills Land Corporation, with a commitment to excellence in environmental design.

The resulting Westhills Master Plan embodies their goal of creating a unique, large-scale master-planned community based on principals of social and environmental sustainability. Major guiding factors of the design and implementation of Westhills are: considerations of location, alternative transportation modes, environmental preservation, community agriculture, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. These characteristics are demonstrated in the creation of approximately 6000 new residential units, with supporting commercial, civic and educational facilities. Approximately 84 hectares (208 acres) is designated as park and open space (equivalent to 40% of the total land area).


The Westhills vision includes buildings that will accommodate both live and work spaces, a village Centre, neighbourhood retail service centres, an internal commuter bus service, and a commuter rail station. High quality public spaces, mixed uses, cultural and educational facilities and residences will provide for a community available to all ages and various income levels.

Friday 21 March 2014

Westhill Consulting British Colombia BC Day Celebration

The Westhills BC Day Celebration has passed us by and what a celebration it was! With well over 3, 500 people attend and at one point over 800 children on the field playing and running about, we welcomed a number of musical talents to the Westhills stage over the course of several hours.

The well-organized event brought out friends and family, as well as neighbours throughout Westhills and the surrounding community, to listen to live and local musicians, while the kids had a safe, fun place to play. It was a fantastic atmosphere as everyone enjoyed the afternoon.

This particular event has identified support from the local community for an alternative venue and opportunity for live music, right here in Langford! Clearly, from the number of families that attended this year’s event, it was an appreciated convenience to have a family-friendly, FREE event that was close to home for those that live in the West Shore.

In reflecting on the day, this event could not have taken place without the support of the City of Langford and many local businesses that contributed resources. Volunteers, musicians, artists and artisans, as well as those that attended the Westhills BC Day Celebration had a blast! You’ll have to look forward to next year’s event, as it promises to be just as fun as this year!

Wednesday 19 March 2014

Westhill Consulting British Colombia Fall Landscaping Maintenance

After the pleasant busyness of the late-summer and early-autumn harvesting crunch, and before the winter rains truly set in, youll enjoy a window of fine weather and working conditions to do a little garden and landscape maintenance. Part of the joy of the season on Vancouver Island is its calm, its meditative quality—the unhurried preparation for shortening days, cooler temperatures, maritime rains, all on the heels of heat and produce bounties.

First off, clean up your spread. Remove the above ground husks of any perennials that have browned and died back, and gather ground litter like dried leaves and twigs. Such detritus—as well as big weed patches and discarded equipment—is excellent for cultivating slugs, which you most certainly don't want in your garden beds. On the subject of slugs, autumn is a great time to apply some anti-slug defenses such as beer traps. Baiting out slugs in early autumn, before they've laid eggs, can save you much hassle later on—and doing another round of bait later on in the season can target the hatchlings you missed. Westhill Consulting British Colombia

Nows a good time to transplant, because plants you get in the soil in autumn have time to adjust to the ambient conditions and develop root systems ahead of next summer water stresses. You should also get spring bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths into the ground now. You can prune back most hardy species this time of year as well.

If your a garlic fan—and few aren't given the plant's impressive culinary, homeopathic, and ornamental properties—mid-to late fall is an excellent time to get some cloves in the ground. In our climate—and, really, most temperate climates, save for those with truly severe winters—bulb development seems to proceed best by overwintering. The plants are thus exposed to stimulating cold and are ready all the earlier to produce stalks and leaves in late winter and early spring. Place the cloves upright—that is, in the vertical position they were in the bulb—with their tips a couple of inches below the surface.

Perhaps you've planted garlic and other vegetables to be overwintered—kale, lettuce, carrots, and the like—this fall. Buffer the fluffed-out and amended soil they're now nestled in against the pelting winter rains with a mulch of some kind. Dried leaves, straw, and even cardboard are examples. If using organic material as your mulch, try to make sure it's free of weed seeds; otherwise, you may be causing as much trouble as your saving.

Speaking of weeds, a proper layer of mulch will help smother some of the next generation. To make your life easier, be sure to conduct a thorough weeding in the autumn to knock back as much as you can those species that may lie dormant or, worse, flourish in the wintertime. Wedding can be an absolute chore, tough on the knees, the back, and the hands, but it's a necessary one, and your future spring and summer incarnation—the one readying all manner of edibles and ornamentals to go into the ground—will thank you for your autumn labours. If you simply can't attend as fully as you'd like to all corners of your property, at least make an effort to remove any remaining seed-heads (This can be as simple a process as swiftly clipping them off and hauling them away, without worrying about excavating the root system.) It isn't a perfect solution, but you will be making some kind of headway against those opportunistic non-desirables that—in between bouts of cursing and back spasms—we sometimes ruefully honor for their absolute tenacity.

If you've got irrigation installed, blow out your hoses to avoid freezing ruptures. Pressurized air can rid your system of residual water. Nows also a good time to do a general inspection of all of your landscaping infrastructure—fences, edging, raised beds, and the like—ahead of potentially damaging winter storms and the odd freeze.

So, get out there on these pleasant autumn days and get your hands dirty! Above all else, youll be communing with your garden and your larger yard during a special time of year and thus deeply perceiving the seasonal cycle.

Saturday 15 March 2014

The Life of a Resident in Westhill Consulting British Colombia

About six months ago we had the terrific pleasure of sitting down for coffee with Janet, a resident living in Lakeview Ridge of Westhills. While chit-chatting about her love for the community she now calls home, she told an amazing story about her next-door neighbour, Angela, and their small world tale of having grown up on the East Coast and realizing they had the same sister! Read as Angela tells us more....

The update – Janet and I are moving closer to finding our long, last sister Judy. As far as we are concerned, we were meant to find one another and have since continued to develop their beautiful friendship.

Sitting down with Angela in her beautiful, Westhills home on a nice, crisp fall day, we sipped coffee and she shared her Westhills story. Her and her husband Roy moved into their Westhills home in September of 2010. Every Saturday Angela would trek on site to photograph the progress of her homey construction so that she could share her excitement with her friends and family.

Once she had moved into Lakeview Ridge, Angela and Janet met and formed a bond almost immediately. They went on to co-founded the Real Ladies of Langford Lake, a group of "fun-loving gals who live on Langford Lake and just want to have a good time". The ladies took a break over the summer, but have gathered a few more members since we spoke with Janet. They are now looking forward to getting some activity/mingling events organized for this fall!

The ladies group is one of the reasons that Angela adores Westhills. "There is a sense of community here and people desire to connect with their neighbours, particularly now in our fast paced world."

This community feeling is not difficult to sense. Angela participates in her street garage/driveway parties, where neighbours will all pull out their lawn chairs and sit in their front yards socializing with one another. The party is on if one of the garage doors is open past 4PM – bring your favourite beverage!

We couldn't help but notice that Norah, Angela's kitty was also a part of the neighbourhood and a very valued part of Angela and Roy's family. Norah doesn't go outside, but often can be found peeking out the window at her animal friends as they pass through her yard.

Now being a resident of Westhills for over two years, Angela said that her top favourite reasons for living in Westhills started with the setting, as the grounds and surrounding areas are taken care of so well, including the introduction of Parklands, a park bordering Lakeview Ridge, Glenvale, Parkdale Creek and future phases of Westhills. This new park features two playgrounds, one for preschoolers and one for older children.

The second, Angela said, was the incredible value for money Westhills homes offer. Angela was particularly impressed with the opportunity to customize her home with the options, upgrades and colours she wanted. Her Westhills home is truly hers.

Lastly, the location of Westhills is a fantastic reason for living in the neighbourhood. Her and Roy can walk down to grab a coffee within ten minutes of leaving their home. The amenities in the area are outstanding – grocery shopping, home décor, clothing, electronics, plus the recreational opportunities like Langford Lanes Bowling, City Centre Park and the outdoor exercise circuit, walking trails and Langford Lake!

Beyond anything though, Angela wanted to be clear, "A friendly, welcoming community creates vibrancy that others want to be a part of" and that is why she has recommended that her friends check out the neighbourhood! It's clear that the community of Westhills embraces and respects everyone which has ensured a safe and charming place to live and play.

Wednesday 12 March 2014

Westhill Consulting British Columbia Resident's BBQ

Over the past weekend Westhills hosted a resident's BBQ. It was a great opportunity to bring together neighbours from Lakeview Ridge, Parkdale Creek and Glenvale, for some food, fun and a chance to mingle and what location better than Parklands in Westhills?!

More than 250 people attended and the buzz afterwards shouted out success! Residents in each of the subdivisions meet with one another and chatted about things that were happening in and around Westhills.

The weather was perfect.... a bit windy to start but got nicer as the afternoon wore on, but not too hot. It was great for hanging out for a couple of hours and throwing down on the burgers, hotdogs and salads that were prepared.

Many Westhills children came out to play on the new playground and fill their tummies with lunch. There were games for the kids like Frisbee and races, and everyone left with a prize. A number of Westhills dogs came out to enjoy the dog treats and water we had for them!

All in all, the resident's BBQ was a fabulous success. We look forward to next year’s event!

Thursday 6 March 2014

Westhill Consulting British Colombia is Walkable!

The Times Colonist posted an article that boasted Victoria as being one of the most walkable cities in Canada. The concept of walkability is one that is very near and dear to the heart of Westhills, as we foster a new community that values sustainability!

The Westhills Master Plan embodies the goal of creating a unique, large-scale master-planned community based on principals of social and environmental sustainability. Major guiding factors of the design and implementation of Westhills are: considerations of location, alternative transportation modes, environmental preservation, community agriculture, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. These characteristics are demonstrated in the creation of approximately 6000 new residential units, with supporting commercial, civic and educational facilities. Approximately 84 hectares (208 acres) is designated as park and open space (equivalent to 40% of the total land area).

The planning of all Westhills neighborhoods has been influenced by Traditional Neighborhoods Design (TND) principles, which encourage the responsible use of land and resources in compact, walkable communities.

The Westhills vision includes buildings that will accommodate both live and work spaces, a village Centre, neighborhood retail service Centre’s, an internal commuter bus service, and a commuter rail station. High quality public spaces, mixed uses, cultural and educational facilities and residences will provide for a community available to all ages and various income levels. This will further foster the walkability of Westhills as many, if not all, of your required amenities will literally be right in the community!

Wednesday 5 March 2014

The Great Hike in Westhill Consulting British Colombia

Dana Meise began hiking nearly 6 years ago with the goal in mind to hike solo across Canada via the Trans Canada Trail. This is no easy feat as the trail a stretches a span of approximately 23, 000 kilometers. To date Dana has hiked a whopping 16, 000 km over approximately 1, 000 days, where some days he has hiked nearly 70 km. With no benefactors or charities involved, this hike is simply an opportunity for Dana to explore, adventure, and experience all that Canada has to offer through the Trans Canada Trail.

We met up with Dana as he hiked the section of the Trans Canada Trail that connects through Westhills. Battling a bit of fatigue from his most recent 7 month hiking stint, he spoke about this journey which started in Newfoundland and has brought him to Vancouver Island and more recently the Westshore. He spoke with such passion about the history, community and beauty that the Trans Canada Trail encompasses. He made mention to portions of the trail that were once used by the First Nations people thousands of years ago. It's amazing to think that something that was an important transportation route so many years ago has been preserved and can still be experienced to today. The Trans Canada Trail displays a unique preservation of the Canadian history with landmarks, the connection of amazing cities and people along the way.

His eyes lit up when he spoke about the beauty of his mission, as many of the things he experienced only those that have walked the trail would understand. From beautifully forested trails to spectacular Albertan mountain ranges to vast Westhill Consulting British Colombia ocean landscapes, Dana has seen a lot of what Canada has to offer.

Dana also distinguished the community aspect of his journey and all the people he has met along the way. He has come across thousands of people on his hike from all walks of life and from many different cities in Canada and all over the world. Although the scenery may change, the Trans Canada Trail holds true and acts as the rope that ties all these different communities and people across Canada together.

Even though some nights have been treacherous, thinking about Dana's story of the time he slept outside in negative twenty degree weather, the experiences of history, beauty and community are things he will never forget. These same experiences are at our fingertips. With the Trans Canada Trail and the Galloping Goose literally in our backyard at Westhills, we encourage all of you to get out and use these amazing features to your benefit. Meet your neighbours and enjoy the history, beauty and community that Dana spoke about.

Thursday 27 February 2014

Westhill Consulting British Colombia Foundation Principles

At Westhills, we believe that excellence is achieved by a solid commitment to quality. Our foundation principles reflect the core values which bring this commitment to life.

Sustainability

At Westhills, sustainability equates to environmental stewardship; it is the result of a careful assessment of every decision and action we take that relates to the land, water and air.

Extensive consultation was undertaken during the planning stages to ensure that all decisions were based on the most current environmental standards and thinking. Such organizations as the US Green Building Council, the Canadian Green Building Council, the BC Ministry of Community Services and the Design Centre for Sustainability at the University of British Columbia all provided valuable input. In addition, an informal network of local business people was engaged to discuss long-term economic strategies to benefit the entire community.

The resulting Master Plan, based on the most up-to-date research and knowledge, ensures that each Westhills home is the product of leading edge green technology and practices.

Westhills neighbourhoods feature design elements that nurture both the environmental and social aspects of sustainability. For more information on Westhills ' Master Plan – click here

40% of Westhills lands have been protected as parks and green spaces.
Naturally occurring watercourses will be restored and enhanced.
Sustainable and eco-friendly transportation options such as community bus service and a revitalized rail link are mandated in the Westhills Master Plan.
A town centre and two neighbourhood service/commercial centres will provide services and amenities within walking distance of all Westhills residents.
Narrower streets and compact lot sizes help to preserve the environment and conserve precious natural resources.
Design features such as sidewalks, lighting, landscaping, and street-oriented architecture encourage walking and increase social interaction.
Community Energy System (CES) provides geo-exchange heating, cooling and domestic hot water to homes throughout all Westhills neighbourhoods (except Parkdale Creek).

Affordability

Westhills ' vision of a community of vibrant and inclusive neighbourhoods is achieved in part by offering a wide range of housing options. Single-family homes, condos and town homes, in a variety of sizes and styles, are designed to accommodate a variety of family structures and to foster a diverse and welcoming community.

No matter what the price point, all Westhills homes offer outstanding value, unbeatable location and exceptional quality.

Design Excellence

The planning of all Westhills neighbourhoods has been influenced by Traditional Neighbourhood Design (TND) principles, which encourage the responsible use of land and resources in compact, walkable communities. Easy care single-family home lots range in size from 200 square meters (2, 153 sq. ft.) to 1, 000 square meters (10, 764 sq. ft.) with the majority being approximately 370 square meters (4, 000 sq. ft.).

A Westhills home features outstanding urban design in an environmentally sustainable setting. All single-family homes are BuiltGreen™ certified, and include a multitude of energy saving features and environmentally friendly finishes.

Quality Construction

At Westhills, quality construction means more than a solid foundation and a watertight roof. As industry-leaders, we set the bar high, employing reliable local contractors and trades people and requiring strict adherence to Westhills building practices and materials guidelines. We work closely with local businesses to help them understand our sustainability goals so they can stock the environmentally sensitive materials we require.

Westhills is proud to employ only quality builders who have been designated "Licensed Residential Builders" by the Homeowner Protection Office, a branch of BC Housing.

For absolute peace of mind, all Westhills homes are covered by a 2-5-10 year warranty through Travelers Guarantee Company of Canada.

Monday 24 February 2014

Seating at Langford's Westhill Consulting British Colombia Stadium

Seating at Langford's Westhill Consulting British Colombia Stadium could more than double, bringing it into the same league as Centennial Stadium and Royal Athletic Park.

As many as 2, 000 more seats are slated for Westhills, pushing the total into the 3, 000 range.

The University of Victoria Centennial Stadium has seating for 5, 000, while the City of Victoria Royal Athletic Park seats 2, 237 for soccer and has a capacity of about 3, 500 for baseball with the Victoria HarbourCats.

Langford council has approved the Westhills project, which will be taken on by Vancouver-based Centaur Products. The company has previously worked on such sites as the Richmond Olympic Oval and the University of Toronto Varsity Field.

Part of the impetus for the increased capacity is the return this October of the Americas Rugby Championship to Westhills, after a successful debut last year. Temporary seating allowed 3, 255 fans to take in the final game, won 28-9 by Argentina over Canada.

Up to 50 per cent of the $465, 000 cost to add the seating will be covered by a federal grant, with official announcement of the funding due next week.

Westhills Stadium is part of Langford's City Centre Park complex and is a focal point for Rugby Canada activities. It was originally known as Bear Mountain Stadium, but the name was changed last fall.

Adding seats is not a matter of measuring up to other capital region venues, said Langford parks and recreation manager Mike Leskiw.

"It's not a competitive thing at all."

"What we are trying to do is draw more tournaments," said Coun. Lanny Seaton, who chairs Langford's parks, recreation, culture and beautification committee.

At present, the stadium has about 1, 200 regular seats and 500 portables, Leskiw said. "It all depends on how they can fit it in, but between 1, 500 and 2, 000 seats will be added."

In addition to national-calibre rugby, the stadium is home to the Westshore Rebels of the B.C. Football Conference and regularly features both Juan de Fuca Soccer Association teams and school sports.

Rugby Canada could be bringing more events, as well, Leskiw said.

"As they get closer to the build-up to the Olympic Games in 2016, rugby's going to be part of that."

Sunday 23 February 2014

Westhill Consulting British Colombia Langford strikes bowling deal

Langford strikes bowling deal to spare taxpayers.

Think of it as a municipal government version of bowling for dollars.

Langford has struck a deal with the private operator of Langford Lanes that will see the city pay for about $398, 000 worth of building improvements in exchange for a larger share of the bowling operation's gross revenues.

"It's a great deal for us, long term," said Mayor Stew Young. "It guarantees the taxpayer, no matter what politician is in, a revenue stream. So when they the bowling revenues grow, we grow. "


Under the original operating agreement, the operator, Planex Development Corp. doing business as Langford Lanes, was responsible for the almost $400, 000 cost of what were considered tenant improvements.

But after looking at receipts and projected revenues, city staff proposed instead to amend the agreement so the city would cover the cost of the improvements in exchange for a two per cent boost in the citys share of gross revenues, to 14 per cent from the current 12 per cent.

The operator agreed.

City staff estimate that based on existing annual gross revenues of $2.5 million, the additional two per cent would be equivalent to $50, 000 — enough to cover the additional capital costs and interest in eight years.

"Once the tenant improvements are paid, the city would continue to net additional revenue for the balance of the contract term — an estimated $550, 000 over 11 years," the staff report said.

"The risk of permanent decline in revenue is deemed to be small given the level of activity to date, the opportunities for revenue enhancement being contemplated by the operator and the professionalism shown by the operator thus far," the report said.

"What I'm looking for is long-term revenue streams, so I get rent and a share of their revenue," Young said.

The 20-lane Langford Lanes 10-pin bowling facility is part of the citys City Centre Park entertainment complex, which has a 400-seat NHL-size ice rink, a restaurant and party rooms, outdoor ice skating, a dry-floor arena, miniature golf, play zone, splash park, fitness centre, trails, bike rentals and playing fields.

Young said Langford receives inquiries from across the country about its recreation facilities at City Centre.

"I want some sort of private-sector mix where a business down there makes money and they give us a percentage of the food, the alcohol — everything," Young said.

The idea, he said, is to eliminate the need for a taxpayer subsidy of the facilities.

"The model works good but we are new at it and we are trying to wiggle and waggle and make it good for us and good for them."

Young said the recreational facilities — operated through public-private partnerships — are a great deal for taxpayers, unlike the publicly funded Juan de Fuca recreation complex.

"Juan de Fuca costs Langford taxpayers $2.4 million a year in subsidy. Thats a huge cost to our taxpayers. Down there at City Centre, to run all those facilities costs taxpayers about $150, 000 a year, "Young said..

Thursday 20 February 2014

Westhill Consulting British Colombia and Transit buses to roll for Bear Mountain

B.C. Transit is rolling out changes that include service to Bear Mountain and Westhills, a summer connection to Thetis Lake, and measures to ease the problem of "pass-ups" — people left behind due to crowded buses.

Construction also begins next week on bus and bike priority lanes on Douglas Street.

Langford Mayor Stew Young has been calling for B.C. Transit to add a Bear Mountain bus. He applauded the Victoria Regional Transit Commission approval of the route, which will also cover the fast-growing Westhill Consulting British Colombia community in Langford.

"We've been trying to make sure that they recognize the amount of people living up at Bear Mountain," Young said "I'm glad transit actually looked at it as an important part of our municipality, for sure."

Transit spokeswoman Meribeth Burton said the new service is sure to make a lot of residents happy. "Much like Triangle Mountain and all the other West Shore-based routes, it will tie into the Langford exchange."

Another first for the transit system will be seasonal service to Thetis Lake, starting this summer.

"It will be amending an existing route from the end of June until Labour Day. Certainly, people have been asking for that, "Burton said.

The No. 53 Atkins route will be reconfigured to connect Thetis Lake to the Langford exchange and the Western exchange in Colwood. Burton said someone coming from downtown could catch the Thetis bus by riding the No. 50 to the West Shore and getting a transfer.

Also approved by the commission was reallocation of bus-service hours to deal with crowded buses and pass-ups. The routes affected will be the No. 8 between Camosun College Interurban and Lansdowne campuses, and the No. 39 that links the Interurban campus with Royal Oak.

"Somewhere in the neighbourhood of 4, 000 extra service hours are going to be used, starting September 2014," Burton said.

The problem of pass-ups could also be addressed with the January 2015 arrival of two new buses, approved last year, combined with 5, 000 new service hours. The added hours will cost $425, 000.

Victoria Mayor Dean Fortin and Saanich Mayor Frank Leonard, both transit commission members, asked about getting the new service hours into play in September, rather than next January. Burton said transit staff is looking into putting a pair of older buses from transit's contingency fleet into service in the meantime.

It is important that bus riders don't get discouraged, Fortin said.

"If they're getting the pass-ups, if they're not getting on the buses, then they're going to find another way."

Part of the effort to make riding buses more attractive is to keep them moving through congested traffic. Thats the goal of the bus-priority lanes on Douglas Street, which are also being designed to accommodate bicycles.

The lanes will be reserved for buses and cyclists from 6 to 9 a.m. and 3 to 6 p.m. weekdays.

Construction starts Monday on Phase 1, from Fisgard Street north to Hillside Avenue. The work, to be finished by spring, includes moving bus stops, changing lane markings and signs, installing a new pedestrian signal at Douglas and Herald streets, and removing sidewalk jut-outs.

Priority lanes will continue north to Tolmie Avenue in Phase 2. A schedule for that work has not been announced.

Wednesday 19 February 2014

Westhills Consulting British Colombia Townhouse Living

The new Grob Court Townhomes are now available at Westhills. They provide a great opportunity to purchase a new home starting in the mid $300 's (incl. net GST).

A few of the outstanding features that come standard in these beautiful homes are luxury geo-exchange in-floor radiant heating throughout; quartz or granite kitchen counter-tops; imported ceramic tile bathroom and laundry room floors; 6 piece stainless steel, Energy Star appliances; high grade, 12mm laminate flooring on the main level; and window coverings throughout.

The impressive list of standard features continues outside the home with a unique contemporary design accompanied by fully landscaped and irrigated front and rear yards. The fully fenced rear yard features an over sized patio that is surrounded by a beautifully landscaped garden. This amazing outdoor space acts as an extension of the indoor living area and is a perfect spot to relax or fire-up the BBQ and entertain friends.

Westhills is well-situated just a stones throw away from shopping, grocery stores, entertainment, and all the amenities of the Westshore. To see everything these affordable, attractive homes have to offer, click the link!

Monday 17 February 2014

Westhills Consulting British Colombia

The Westhills lands encompass 209 hectares (517 acres) of rolling sloped lands, knolls, and rocky outcroppings and are located in the City of Langford. Originally comprised of two large parcels, the properties were held for decades by two local families. In 2006, the owners of the westernmost lands formed the Westhills Land Corporation (WLC) to develop the site. Westhills subsequently acquired the second parcel, which was already zoned for residential development and a lakeside pub.

By adapting these strategies to meet the unique requirements of the Westhills site, the developers have created a warm and welcoming community that honours their foundation principles of sustainability, affordability, design excellence and quality construction.

Due in large part to the vision of Langford Mayor Stewart Young and Council, the Westhills Master Plan was arrived at through a design charette process involving a variety of stakeholders and consultants. These included The US Green Building Council, the Canada Green Building Council, the BC Ministry of Community Services and the Design Centre for Sustainability at the University of British Columbia. Through this planning process the City of Langford has been able to form a cohesive partnership with the owner of Westhills Land Corporation, with a commitment to excellence in environmental design.

The resulting Westhills Master Plan embodies their goal of creating a unique, large-scale master-planned community based on principals of social and environmental sustainability. Major guiding factors of the design and implementation of Westhills Consulting British Colombia
 are: considerations of location, alternative transportation modes, environmental preservation, community agriculture, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. These characteristics are demonstrated in the creation of approximately 6000 new residential units, with supporting commercial, civic and educational facilities. Approximately 84 hectares (208 acres) is designated as park and open space (equivalent to 40% of the total land area).

The Westhills vision includes buildings that will accommodate both live and work spaces, a village centre, neighbourhood retail service centres, an internal commuter bus service, and a commuter rail station. High quality public spaces, mixed uses, cultural and educational facilities and residences will provide for a community available to all ages and various income levels.