Just listed 2 Acres on Waterfront with home and barn. A rare find on Cluculz Lake. Click here for details
Best regards
Dean Birks Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Ness Lake Water Front!
New Listing - Executive home on 16.64 acres & one of the nicest waterfront developments on Ness Lake.
Click here to view details. Priced at $699,800.
Best regards
Dean Birks Thursday, August 12, 2010
Top 10 on the reasons she stayed in Prince George
This week’s Top 10 is an edition from my summer Constituency Assistant, Lindsay Gardner. Lindsay is originally from Ladysmith, BC (on Vancouver Island) but moved to Prince George in 2006 to attend UNBC for one semester. Nearly 5 years later, Lindsay still loves life in Northern British Columbia. She has written this week’s Top 10 on the reasons she stayed in Prince George.
Have a great week! Pat Bell http://www.patbellmla.bc.ca/
1. The University of Northern British Columbia! As McLean Magazine’s Best Small School in the West, I ventured to Prince George in January 2006 for my first semester of University in hopes of only staying one semester. Almost five years later I am proud to call Canada’s Green University my own! The growth of UNBC over the past 5 years, including the Northern Medical Program, the Northern Sports Center, and the Northern University Student Center has truly helped shape our wonderful city.
2. The array of hiking trails is enough to keep one busy all summer and winter long! I was never much of a hiker until I moved to Prince George, since than I have discovered beautiful trails including the Forest of the Worlds behind UNBC, Fort George Canyon west of Prince George and teapot mountain just to name a few that I have done recently but one hike that I am anxious to do still is Bijoux Falls closer to Mackenzie.
3. What would summer in Prince George be without River Floating? This is one of my favorite activities in the summer months. Each year there are a group of friends that bond together to river float day in and day out. The best place to launch is from Wilkinson Park off Miworth road and float all the way down to Wilson Park off Ospika but make sure that you are all being safe and have enough time to complete the float in the day light. This route usually takes around 5 hours.
4. British Columbia has over 1000 forestry camping sites, many of which are in Northern British Columbia. On Vancouver Island these sites are so difficult to find that this is another one of my favorite things about Prince George. By car I can make it to many different sites and lakes for a weekend of camping. Did I mention forestry sites are beautiful and free!
5. The first time I made a visit to Northern British Columbia, I went to Fort Nelson in March and it was quite dark and there wasn’t a lot of daylight. The first summer I spent in Prince George I just couldn’t get over how early the sun rose and how late it set! With long days, visiting with your friends around a campfire can last for so long and makes summer in the North truly remarkable.
6. Prince George is full of recreational sports for athletes of all different levels. This year I had the opportunity to join the PG Mix Slo-Pitch league which is just one of the many different sports available throughout the summer not to mention the winter sports you can play including curling, hockey, swimming just to name a few. For a list of contacts for the different clubs and teams around town visit: http://www.city.pg.bc.ca/rec_culture/communityrec/contact/
7. Saturdays rain or shine are Farmers Market days in Prince George. You can visit the farmers market every Saturday year round now for everything from fresh bread, jams, meats, vegetables and fruit. The Farmers Market is open from 8:30-2:00pm every Saturday and usually you can find live music and good friends!
8. Where else in British Columbia can you find some of the best powder in the country? Powder King! Northern BC’s mountain for champagne powder and pristine conditions. PK is not the largest mountain but when people ask me if there is any good skiing or snowboarding my answer is always a quick yes! The conditions are some of the best I have ever experienced and you don’t have to wait in line for an hour each time you ride the chair lift.
9. Living in Northern British Columbia is very different than living on the ocean, and some days I miss that. However, when its -20 outside and you wake up to start your day in the dark, watch the sun rise and the day turn into a beautiful sunny crisp afternoon you can’t help but smile. I love how the sun shines all winter long and you need your sunglasses every morning on your way to work or school.
10. Prince George is the Northern Capital of BC and offers endless entertainment. From the Park-Drive in Movie theatre to live music in Fort George Park or at UNBC for the Back Yard BBQ. Let’s not forget the world famous shows CN Center can bring including Sir Elton John and The Blue Man group. With entertainment like this there is never a dull evening in Prince George.
Copy courtesy of:
Best regards
Dean Birks Royal LePage Prince George
Direct Phone: 250-612-1709
Monday, July 19, 2010
Forward of our MLA's Top 10
July 2010,
Hi All
In the ongoing spirit of “Guest” Top 10 writers I’ve asked Finance Minister Colin Hansen to remind us of the “Top 10” tax cuts of special interest to rural BC Residents over the past number of years. Tax cuts that help to build the economy on clearly this strategy has worked over the years.
Have a great week!
Pat Bell - http://www.patbellmla.bc.ca
1. Personal Income Tax Reductions
· Individuals earning up to $118,000 in British Columbia now pay the lowest provincial personal income taxes in Canada.
· For the majority of taxpayers, provincial income taxes have been reduced by at least 37 per cent since 2001 and an additional 325,000 people no longer pay any British Columbia income tax.
2. Northern and Rural Home Owner Benefit
· The northern and rural home owner benefit of up to $200 will be introduced in 2011. It will be provided as an increase to the home owner grant and the eligibility criteria for the home owner grant will also apply.
· The northern and rural benefit applies in those areas of the province outside the Capital Regional District, the Greater Vancouver Regional District and the Fraser Valley Regional District.
3. First Time Home Buyers Program Threshold Set at Province Wide Rate
· Eligible first time home buyers can claim an exemption from Property Transfer Tax if the fair market value of the home is less than the threshold amount. In Budget 2007 a single threshold was created for the First Time Home Buyers’ Program at $375,000. Prior to this the threshold was $325,000 in the Lower Mainland and Capital Region and $265,000 in the rest of the province.
· The single threshold at the increased amount means that more individuals buying homes outside the Lower Mainland and Capital Region may be eligible for the First Time Home Buyers’ Program. The current threshold for the First Time Home Buyers’ Program province-wide is $425,000.
4. Tax Reductions for Small Business
· In 2008, the small business tax rate was reduced from 4.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent — a reduction of 44 per cent. The government has committed to reducing the small business corporate income tax rate to zero by April 1, 2012.
· Since 2001, the small business corporate income tax threshold (i.e., the income level at which small businesses start paying tax) has increased to $500,000 from $200,000.
5. Provincial Farm Land Property Tax Credit
· Effective for the 2011 and subsequent taxation years, the Provincial Farm Land Property Tax Credit will reduce provincial school property tax on farm land (class 9) by 50 per cent.
6. Industrial Property Tax Credit
· The Industrial Property Tax Credit which reduces provincial school property tax on major industrial (class 4) and light industrial (class 5) properties was introduced for the 2009 and subsequent taxation years. For 2009 and 2010, the credit reduced school taxes by 50 percent. For the 2011 and subsequent taxation years, the rate is increased to 60 per cent.
· The Industrial Property Tax Credit applies to British Columbia manufacturing, mining, forestry and other major and light industries many of which are located in the province’s rural areas.
7. Harmonization
· Major industries such as forestry, mining, oil and gas, and transportation provide thousands of jobs for rural and remote communities. BC’s resource and manufacturing sectors will benefit significantly from the HST as their business inputs and exports are no longer taxed.
· Sales tax harmonization will account for an $11.5 billion increase in capital investment and a net increase of 113,000 jobs by the end of the decade, according to a report by economist and tax expert Jack Mintz.
8. BC Mining Exploration and Flow-Through Share Tax Credits
· The BC Mining Exploration Tax Credit provides a refundable tax credit equal to 20 per cent of eligible BC Grassroots mineral exploration expenditures. In mountain pine beetle affected areas there is an additional 10 per cent credit to a maximum of 30 per cent.
· The BC Mining Flow-Through Share Tax Credit allows individuals who invest in flow through shares to claim a non-refundable tax credit equal to 20 per cent of their BC eligible grassroots exploration expenditures. The 2010 BC Budget extended the BC Mining Flow-Through Share Tax Credit to December 31, 2013.
9. Distant Region Film Tax Credit
· BC film tax credits are designed to encourage film, television, digital animation and visual effects production in BC.
· For productions distant from the lower mainland and the capital regional district an additional credit is available to encourage production activity in those areas.
10. Corporate Income Tax Rate Reductions
· Reductions in the corporate income tax rate from 16.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent since 2001 and the planned reduction to 10 per cent in 2011, combined with federal tax rate cuts that will take effect in 2012, mean that British Columbia businesses will enjoy the lowest corporate income tax rate in the G7 by 2012.
Reprint courtesy of:
Best regards
Dean Birks
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