The line drawing above is one of the “roughs” of Shelagh Armstrong-Hodgson’s illustrations that accompany our annual package of real estate articles in this issue. Based on the current market, we felt that Monopoly was an appropriate concept to illustrate the articles about today’s real estate game. Shelagh’s final illustrations are perfect, and her unique style adds an artistic touch to the pages of On The Bay.
Another welcome contributor to our real estate package is Marg Scheben-Edey, who wrote the articles. Before her recent retirement, Marg had a long and illustrious career as a realtor in Southern Georgian Bay. I was an avid reader of her real estate blog and found her to be a clear and perceptive writer, so when I heard that she had retired, I contacted her to see if she’d be interested in writing about real estate for On The Bay. Her answer was an enthusiastic “yes,” and she had lots of great ideas.
As an editor, assigning stories to a non-journalist is always nerve-wracking because you never know what you’re going to get, but in Marg’s case I needn’t have worried. Her articles are insightful, well researched and well written, with very little editing needed. I’m thrilled to add Marg to our roster of On The Bay writers and I know readers will benefit from her analysis of the real estate market, one of the best we’ve ever published.
As in any game, there are winners and losers, and the losers unfortunately are the workers who keep our restaurants, stores and businesses going, providing the wide range of goods and services our growing population expects in this small corner of the world.
Buying and selling real estate has indeed become a crazy game and the pandemic has led to increased demand as those working from home or on the verge of retirement or semi-retirement are choosing to make our four-season area their permanent home. As in any game, there are winners and losers, and the losers unfortunately are the workers who keep our restaurants, stores and businesses going, providing the wide range of goods and services our growing population expects in this small corner of the world.
I don’t often sound an alarm in this editorial space, but I’m doing so now because I firmly believe we’re in the midst of a serious crisis regarding affordable, attainable housing. Increased demand means skyrocketing real estate prices, which presents a major barrier to entry for first-time home buyers. And the higher cost trickles down to the rental market, which has also become unaffordable for many.
The Town of The Blue Mountains is taking the situation in hand by building affordable housing units and essentially becoming a landlord. But that doesn’t address the issue of home ownership. Throughout our area, more needs to be done to ensure that Southern Georgian Bay doesn’t become a haven for the rich – unaffordable or ghettoized for those who work hard to make it such a great place to live.
When I was a kid growing up in Belleville, about every third house on our crescent was subsidized housing. These homes were of the same style and quality as all the others on our street, they were well cared for, and the hard-working families who lived in them were part of our community. The kids all played together, the parents all waved and chatted as they mowed their lawns and took care of their properties. There was no class structure or ghettoization. It was a great way to grow up, where diversity was a given and everyone had the same opportunity to live in a nice house, on a nice street, in a nice area. That experience informed who I became and what I believe in.
I’m no expert, but surely there must be a way to ensure that we have a mix of housing available in our towns and neighbourhoods similar to what worked so well 50 years ago. I’d love to hear your ideas and suggestions on how we can make our area attainable to all. It’s the only sustainable way forward. ❧
Janet Lees, Editor
