This year we have experienced a number of unheard-of-weather events in and around Vancouver, and there just might be one more rare event coming.

Odds are good for a white Christmas in Vancouver this year.

'It's very likely, it's nearly a 100% chance that we will have a white Christmas this year for Metro Vancouver', says Environment Canada meteorologist Doug Lundquist.

December is the coldest month of the year in Vancouver, but that doesn't often translate into snow on the ground on December 25th. But thanks to some Arctic and Pacific air meeting in the area for the next few days, it's almost certain snow will fall and stay for Christmas.

Currently, the forecast is calling for temperatures to drop to -4C on Christmas Eve, with snow falling, and we might not see temperatures above freezing until December 27th.

Lundquist notes that Vancouver often see this happen this time of year, but it only settles in for a few days. This year it just happens to fall on the right days.

The coldest days are looking like Christmas Day into Boxing Day and then it warms up a little bit as early as the day after Boxing Day.

This all lines up to create a winter wonderland for those staying in their homes on Christmas, but Lundquist notes it'll also wreak havoc on the streets in the city, and cold cause real problems for anyone traveling on the highways.

Highway 3 and 99 into the interior are open again/ These roads are scary at the best of times in the winter. Please be carefull and check Drive.BC for conditions and dress warmly.

At Keith Vines and Associates, we offer good old fashion service, working with our home buyers and sellers in a relaxed, friendly manner, applying every available tool available to achieve the best possible outcome. If you are curious as to what homes are selling for in your neighbourhood or complex, sign up for Neighbourhood Update – and get the facts.

The pandemic has changed a lot of real estate trends, one of the lesser known of which is multigenerational living in luxury homes.

This usually consists of 3 generations and are most common in Sino and Indo Canadian communities. However, the COVID-19 crisis has taken it to a whole new level.

With the pandemic, people want to have all their family members under the same roof for security purposes, for lack of confidence in long-term care facilities.

Because we are having 3 generations under 1 roof, the homes tend to be no smaller than 6,500 square feet, and typically come with large bedrooms, amenities like home gyms,  pools and tennis courts, and there's even demand for home elevators to accomodate the elderly.

Will this trend continue after the pandemic subsides? Or will it ever subside?

Renowned Canadian artist and writer who was inspired by the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast would have been 150 today.  Carr did not receive widespread recognition for her work until she changed her subject matter from Aboriginal themes to landscapes - forest scenes in particular. As a writer she was one of the earliest writers of life in British Columbia. She has been described at a 'Canadian icon'.

Emily was born in Victoria on December 13, 1871, the year British Columbia joined Canada. She was the second youngest of nine children. Her family home was on Birdcage Walk (now Government Street), in the James Bay district of Victoria, a short distance from the legislative buildings.

In 1898, at the age of 27, Emily made the first of several sketching and painting trips to Aboriginal villages. She stayed in a village near Ucluelet and recalled that her time there made a lasting impression on her. Her interest in indigenous life was reinforced by a trip to Alaska. Even though Emiliy left the villages of the Pacific Northwest, the impact of the people stayed with her. She adopted the indigenous name, Klee Wyck and she also chose it as the title of one of her works of writing.

In March 1912 Emily opened a studio at 1465 West Broadway in Vancouver, but when locals failed to support her radical new style, bold colour palette and lack of detail, she closed the studio and returned to Victoria. That summer, Emily again traveled north, to Haida Gwaii and the Skeena River, where she documented the art of Haida, Gitxsan and Tsimshian.

A British Columbian we can all be proud of. Happy Birthday Emily!

At Keith Vines and Associates, we offer good old fashion service, working with our home buyers and sellers in a relaxed, friendly manner, applying every available tool available to achieve the best possible outcome. Please take a moment to sign up for Keith’s Grapevine – a periodic eletter full of interesting market news, advice and tidbits

With all the harsh weather and devastation we have seen and experienced over the past few weeks it hardly seems right to reminisce. But we hang onto our memories and dream of times back on the road again. As many of you know, I ride a Kawasaki Vulcan Cruiser and like most motorcycle riders - I love the open road.

One of my favourite rides with my buds was the Pacific Marine Circle Route on Vancouver Islands' Juan de Fuca Highway/BC-14W. from Sooke to Port Renfrew and back out through Lake Cowichan.

The road is nicely paved and curvey and passes through some beautiful scenery.

Make sure you stock up on gas and munchies in Sooke because it will be a little while before you can fill up again. 

Explore the windswept coast of East Sooke Park, and then a little further down the road are the Sooke Potholes. A popular place for swimming in the river rock pools when the water levels are low in the summer.

Only about 2km after the round about in downtown Sook you will find Whiffen Spit. Take a walk a check out the great views of the calm Sooke basin on one side and the wilder Juan de Fuca straight on the other.

About 20 minutes past Sooke you'll see a little A-frame cabin on the left hand side. That's Shirley Delicious. It's a nice cafe, bakery and coffee shop and everyone says its a must-stop. Unfortunately it wasn't open when we rode by.

We eventually made it to Port Renfrew, where we spent the night. It's a gritty little  logging town that is slowly transforming itself into a nice eco-tourism hub thanks to the new reputation as the tall tree capital of Canada.

There is a small general store in town and the Port Refrew Pub is open year round, where we had a delicious meal with some of the locals.

This all took place on a warm sunny weekend in July, but the route definetly has its own weather system. Yes, a lot of fog and mist in July. But a ride I will never forget, and look forward to doing again.

At Keith Vines and Associates, we offer good old fashion service, working with our home buyers and sellers in a relaxed, friendly manner, applying every available tool available to achieve the best possible outcome. We also love referrals and will gladly pay for them. If you would entrust us with your friends/family, kindly send them our way. Refer, and You Shall Receive

It's that time of year again.  Hampton Cove in Ladner, where my wife and I live was all lit up on Monday for our annual 'Light The Night' where families go for a nice walk-about armed with a hot chocolate in hand. A great neighbourhood get together.

This year Surrey has a number of fantastic displays. I have compiled a list below, but it's by no means all of them.

14612 106A Ave

House has about 20 inflatables of all different sizes. A family of snowmen and reindeer. Lights are on all day and night.

7311 194th St

Fun for children of all ages.

Kimble Light Show - 6116 163A St

A display synced to music, which starts at the top of the hour. The light show goes for approximately 35 minutes, followed by a static display o the lights for the remainder of the hour. Charity: Parkinson Society BC

Frosty and Friends - 17022 62nd Ave

A beautiful display featuring thousands of lights and decorations timed to music. Lights are on nightly from 5pm to 11pm. to Dec 31. Donations collected for the Surrey Food Bank.

Whoville Corner - 16468 104 Ave

Enjoy this walk-through display featuring 'Moose' the moose,  'Pink Fluffy Unicorn Dancing on Rainbows', a light tunnel and more. Non-perishable food items and donations accepted to Surrey Food Bank.

Totally Sleighed It - 15967 19A Ave

Synced to music, this family Christmas light display runs nightly to 10pm. Tune into 87.9 FM and enjoy the show from the comfort of your car. Donations collected for Jessie Lee Elementary School.

Art & Lous Christmas Lights - 15097 90A Ave

Enjoy this nightly walk-through or drive-by until 10pm until Jan 1st. More than 10,000 lights and a nativity scene are featured. Santa will make a special pre-Christmas visit on Dec 18th. between 6:30 and 9:30 p m.

Gold-Des Family Christmas Display - 35-1818 168th Ave

A nice townhouse with a display packed with more than 60 handmade Christmas characters and lots of lights.

Mike and Cass's Holiday House - 9762 130th St.

Visit their holiday house to enjoy some Christmas spirit and smiles, with  lots of lights and inflatables. Donations for the BC Cancer Society.

Neighbourhood Lights - 15175 62A Ave

This row of townhouses has done a fantastic job of lighting up the street. The neighbour on 62A ave go all out with the light displays. Each yard has a different theme, and the whole street is lit up!

More areas to come.

At Keith Vines and Associates, we offer good old fashion service, working with our home buyers and sellers in a relaxed, friendly manner, applying every available tool available to achieve the best possible outcome. If you are curious as to what homes are selling for in your neighbourhood or complex, sign up for Neighbourhood Update – and get the facts.

The 'people's car', designed by Ferdinand Porche in 1938, a curvy, affordable, practical and reliable car built in Germany. The Type 1, as it was known had a rear, air cooled engine and borrowed design elements from an earlier Porche car - the type 12 and several models from the Czechoslavakia automaker Tatra.

In 1946, following the war, the factory was put under British control and by the end of that year more than 10,000 cars were manufactured. A decade later, one million had been sold.

In 1959, under the supervision of William Bernback of the New York advertising agency Doyle Dane Bernbach (DDB), copywriters Julian Koenig and Helmut Krone created the now legendary 'Think small' ad for Volkswagen with a tiny Beetle in a plane  of white space. "Maybe we  got so  big because we thought small," the ad touted. Forty years later, Ad Age named it the best advertising campaign of the 20th century.

The Type 1 was officially given the name 'Beetle' in 1968, (from 'der Kafer,' German for beetle, which was used in brochures). That year, Disney released the first of six movies featuring Herbie the Love Bug, an anthropomorphic 1963 Beetle with a racing style number 53 on the hood. In 2018, one of the cars used in the 1977 movie Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo and 1982's Herbie Goes Bananas set a record for a Beetle at auction, selling at Barret-Jackson for $128,700.

In 1971 Volkswagen introduced a premium model know as the Super Beetle. The car had a new front suspension and more trunk space - under the hood. The next year, on Febrary 17, 1972, Beetle No. 15,007,034 rolled off the assembly line, surpassing the record held by the Ford Model T for four decades as the best selling car in the world.

In 1998, after 60 years, VW gave the car its first major update with lines that recalled the Type 1 on what was basically a Volkswagon Golf platform. The car came with a 115-hp 2.0 litre, four cylinder engine, and in a nod to its flower power roots, the dashboard had a small vase. The following year, Mike Myers drove this version in Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me known as 'The Shag Mobile'.

With sales having declined since 2013, Volkwagen announced that the Beetle had reached the end of the line in 2018. The last two models, the Final Edition SE (starting at $25,995) and the Final Edition SEL (beginning at $29,995) - both available as convertibles.

So is it really the last ride for the beloved Bug? 'Never say never.'

At Keith Vines and Associates, we offer good old fashion service, working with our home buyers and sellers in a relaxed, friendly manner, applying every available tool available to achieve the best possible outcome. Please take a moment to sign up for Keith’s Grapevine – a periodic eletter full of interesting market news, advice and tidbits