The French Connection
If you are looking for that ‘je ne sais quoi’ for your chosen ski destination this year then you are likely to jet over to the popular French Alps or Pyrenees, however if it is the French that you love and the ultimate skiing buzz is your game then 6 hours on a plane in the opposite direction will take you to the heart of French speaking skiing on the other side of the pond… Canada!
For those of you that know your piste from your après ski then you’ll know that talk has turned to Canada since it has been selected for the 2010 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games in Vancouver and the reception from residents and visitors alike has been far from icy. Canada, already famed for its abundant great outdoors, active living and the four seasons of which winter is debatably most popular, has received a record $2.1 billion income from overseas visitors in the second quarter of 2008, up 5.6% from 2007 as 24.7% more travellers stepped ashore; this trend is only set to increase as the Olympics get closer meaning further improvements to infrastructure and facilities for visitors.
Going head to head with the western ski centre of Vancouver, the eastern coastal provinces are home to some of the best ski resorts as voted by the Canadians themselves. Mont Tremblant in Quebec has been ranked No. 1 in 2008 by Ski Magazine for eighth consecutive year, a testament to its superb facilities: 94 different runs served by 13 state of the art lifts, groomed slopes of all grades to suit skiers and snowboarders of differing abilities, with wide cruising runs, powder bowls and snow parks for freestylers.
The French connection to this region is evident, 89% of all French visitors to Canada chose Quebec because of the shared language and multicultural population and just as we love their taste in wine, we Brits apparently admire the French taste for travel and living too. In 2006, 6,500 British citizens made up their minds to emigrate permanently to Canada. This makes Canada one of the UK’s top ten emigration destinations and also makes the UK the largest inbound travel market other than the US.
“The combination of the Winter Olympics appeal, guaranteed snow and increased popularity by those looking to relocate has had a knock on effect to the property markets where the demand is set to soar,” according to John Prior, Principal of Undiscovered Properties.
“Canada is simply magnifique! It is rich in culture and offers variety in terms of the landscape, activities and people, most importantly in today’s economic climate Canada has the world’s most stable banking system according to the World Economic Forum. We are already seeing a rise in the number of people who are of course looking for their dream ski home but also those who are seeking a break from the bleakness of the UK.”
On the market:
For that French vibe on new shores – Eagles Ridge Golf and Country Club, Canada
Exclusive 3, 4, 5 and 6 bedroom lodges found on the border of the Mont Tremblant National Park, only 15 minutes drive from the Mont Tremblant ski resort and merely 90 minutes from the cosmopolitan city of Montreal and its international airport. Prices start from £249,000 / $500,000
Or for the perfect “on-mountain” location, consider La Grande Foret, MtTremblant with magnificent 4-6 bedroom log and frame build homes each in 3 acre lots over-looking the ski mountain and also Lac Tremblant and only 5 minutes from the heart of Mont Tremblant, and with prices for both property and lot starting from £345,000 / $690,000 it’s the place to be. For more information contact Undiscovered Properties on 0870 7347968, email contact@undiscoveredproperties.com or visit www.undiscoveredproperties.com.
For more information contact Undiscovered Properties on 0870 7347968 or visit www.undiscoveredproperties.com. And check out their subsidised ‘ski-inspection visits’ over a long weekend
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Notes to editors:
Statistics from http://www.corporate.canada.travel/en/ca/index.html
http://uk.reuters.com/article/reutersEdge/idUKLNE49802O20081010