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Most Canora Mews lots have sold

North Saanich housing project attracting variety of buyers
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Gary Lunn stands among the new homes of his development project in North Saanich

Gary Lunn always knew his development team had a good product for housing in North Saanich and he says the sales numbers appear to be bearing that out.

Lunn, a partner in SanPen Properties with Jim Hartshorne, stands at the front of the Canora Mews development project in North Saanich. It’s a higher density housing development than has been traditionally built in the community — 40 lots in a smaller site that provides only minimal yard space. As of this month, Lunn said 31 of the 40 lots have been sold.

“People seem to be impressed with how it looks,” he said. “We get 40 to 50 people a day on the weekend (open houses) at our show home.”

Of those, Lunn admitted only four or five are potentially serious buyers.

With prices starting at $399,000 and ending in the mid-$400,000 range, Lunn said they appear to appeal to a broad range of customers.

New owners, he continued, include people in their 20s — some of whom work on the Saanich Peninsula — to people who are downsizing out of the Dean Park subdivision.

“It’s a pretty good mix,” Lunn said. “It’ll make for a pretty interesting neighbourhood.”

Some North Saanich residents have been waiting to see what the development looks like once its built. Lunn and his partners faced an uphill battle in getting the project approved by the District.

Asked if Canora Mews might set an example for new homes in the community, Lunn said it’s possible.

“(The development application process) was what it was,” he continued. “It’s just one of those things.”

Concerned residents had stated such projects weren’t appropriate for North Saanich and had forced the process to last more than a year before council. A majority of District councillors eventually gave the project the green light, hoping to meet local workforce housing needs.

 

editor@peninsulanewsreview.com