Yummy! Here I am eating a Gummy Bear Apple.

I love chocolate.  I mean, I LOVE chocolate.  Doesn’t everyone?  If you are a bit of a connoisseur, you know that not all chocolates are equal. 

There’s the grocery store aisle chocolate that’s really just strange candy stuff wrapped in silly packages.  It’s exactly like the little mini bars you find at Halloween.  In my view, this stuff will do in a pinch when you are in a crisis of chocolate depravation or something like that.  Then there is the fancier stuff you find in the drug stores.  Not bad but it sometimes gets boring after the 4th piece or so.

Then there are things like imported chocolates, gourmet truffles or other such mouth-watering, handmade pieces of heaven.  Now we’re talking.  This is the level where I lose all sense of reality.  Yes, I have actually dreamt of drowning in a giant copper kettle filled with melted Belgian chocolate.

One of the best places for chocoholic connoisseurs to satisfy their needs is at the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory located in the Village at Blue.  This tiny shop was one of the first to locate in the Village back in 2002 and ten years later, it is still one of the most successful chocolate shops in the country!

Rocky Mountain is part of a national franchise with over 50 locations.  You’ve seen them in malls; you know, the places with the crazy huge caramel apples covered in marshmallows or other goodies?  (I do believe the nutritional value of the apple cancels out any caloric issues you may have so don’t worry.  They are surely almost calorie free, right?)

In 2005, the local operation was purchased by Claus Fleischmann who had relocated his family to this area looking for the active and healthy lifestyle found in our community.  I recently asked him why his chocolate is so darn good and he said, “ 80% of the products we sell are made fresh daily right on site.  They are unique and over-the-top creations you can’t find anywhere else and we use only the highest quality ingredients without cutting any corners.”  He’s right.  Clusters, bombs, truffles, chocolate covered blueberries, sponge toffee, fudge, candy apples …. just try to resist.  It can’t be done.

If you are looking for a special Valentines gift for that special someone or perhaps a unique house warming or hostess gift or, simply a treat for yourself, it’s well worth a visit to the store.  The shop is located in the centre of the Village beside the Firehall Pizza Company and is open Sunday to Thursday from 10 am to 7 pm; until 9 pm on Friday and Saturday evenings.

The term condominium applies to a form of property OWNERSHIP rather than to a physical STYLE of building. They can be townhomes, apartments, industrial/commercial units, detached houses or any other physical structure.  What makes them condominiums is that the owners of all the units agree to share in the ownership and maintenance of the common elements of the property.  Typically these may include roads, grounds, recreational facilities and sometimes common roofs, walls, etc depending on the project. There are also other types of condos such as Vacant Land, Leasehold, Common Element and Phased Condominiums.

A condominium corporation is created to manage the affairs of the community and these are regulated under the Condominium Act. Specifics of individual corporations and unit ownership are outlined in something called the Declaration, Description, Bylaws and Rules.  These documents set out boundaries of units, they describe common elements, they outline the conduct of the management of the corporation as well as the rules. These are managed by a board of directors of the condominium corporation to which all owners belong.

We have dozens and dozens of condominium projects in the Collingwood – Blue Mountain areas and each has different nuances, assets, challenges, resale values, policies and so on. Needless to say, it’s very important to know all of these variations, rights and obligations before you commit to a firm purchase agreement.  Yup, that’s where I come in!

• Check out the Ice Sculpture Festival from December 27 – 31 in Downtown Collingwood  PS.  There is free parking Downtown now until January 1st, 2012

• Go Bowling in Collingwood or Meaford

• Rewind and rejuvenate at the Scandinave Spa

• Try out the new Ridge Runner Mountain Coaster at Blue

• Go to an arcade in Creemore

• Go skating of course!

• Head on Over to Rounds Ranch Pardner!

• Play Paintball or Laser Tag in Wasaga Beach

If by some miracle the snow should decide to fall, here are a few more ideas:

• How about a snowshoe tour?  

• Cross-country, snowshoe or hike along the trails and across the suspension bridge at  Scenic Caves 

• Rent a snowmobile for an hour or a day

• Take the family Dog Sledding in Rob Roy!

Do you have some favourite ideas to share?  Please add your comments and let everyone else know too.

As every REALTOR® in the Blue Mountain area knows, the dream of owning a condo at Blue Mountain is alive and well.  We all get regular enquiries from people looking for information and options.  Here is one that people shouldn’t miss.

Recently, I listed a terrific condo for sale in the Mountain Walk enclave right across the street from the Village.  This is the best priced, 3 bedroom unit available at Blue as of this writing.

While it is currently in the Blue Mountain rental program, new owners have the option of taking it out or renting it on their own or through any other source.  There is flexibility that one doesn’t get in the Intrawest units and, owners avoid the high fees found with units located in the Village.  It also offers a great deal more space than anything comparably priced in the Village or even nearby.

If you are dreaming of a condo at Blue, you really should talk to me about this one.  With 3 bedrooms and almost 1500 square feet of space, it’s a great value at just $254,900.

Related Posts:

Changes at Blue
4 part series on buying an investment condo in Blue Mountain

This fall, a family from east of here purchased a condo in Craigleith and spent their first week-end their over Thanksgiving.  Here is what they said in their latest email:

“We picked up the keys on Thursday evening, went home and the drove back Friday evening. We stayed for the entire long weekend. I think it was the best Thanksgiving weekend for weather I have ever seen.  The colour change on the mountain was beautiful . We had a great time (no buyers remorse). We love the location. We sat on the patio several times and had a meal while looking at Georgian Bay. We did lots of walks, went to the Village. Roasted marshmallows on the shore at night.  It was a nonstop weekend but great.  We were doing lots of shopping too, as all the wall coverings and other small items we were looking for new pictures, art, etc. to make it feel home like. Lots of fun.  Toured a lot of the apple festival studios like the rest of the tourists. Long story short we are very happy with the purchase. Looking forward to seeing you some time for a beverage on the patio.”

Thankfully, Nikki Hall, a rather brilliant woman and her family purchased the house and since then, did a full and complete heritage restoration essentially building a new home that maintained the heritage aspects of the building.  While they love and enjoy the home, circumstances have led them to now putting it up for sale.

After I completed a photo montage of the house, I decided to send it to one of the original family members together with an invitation to view their old family home.  A few weeks ago we did just that.  I wasn’t sure what to expect but as it turns out, they were overjoyed to see that dreams they had for the house themselves had come to fruition and, the house still felt very much like home to each of them.  They told me how their father had strung Christmas lights into the blue spruce tree planted decades ago and which now towers tall.  We pushed our way into the branches and sure enough, there were the old bulbs still wrapped onto branches deep inside.

To learn more about this fascinating and special thorn bury home, visit www.18wellington.com.

Georgian Gate

The Official Plan Amendment is being forwarded to the County of Grey for approval.

 According to the notice, “The purpose of Official Plan Amendment No. 27 is to provide a land use framework for a residential community containing 609 dwelling units comprised of single detached residential dwellings and semi-detached residential dwellings on the subject lands.”

The zoning amendment rezones “the subject lands from the Deferred Development DD and Hazard H Zones to the Residential R1-232-h, Hazard H, Public Open Space OS1, Private Open Space OS2-232-h and Development D Zones.”

To view the full Blue Mountains Notice, please click  here.

To view our previous blogpost about this development, click here.

This wonderful family of four bought a condominium in Heritage Corners in June and here is what they had to say in an email to me last week (re-printed with permission):

“ Since June, we have been to Blue Mountain almost every weekend.  We have only skipped two weekends- one for our son’s piano concert and one for my husband’s birthday. We never realized how much joy this vacation home was going to bring to our family.  All of us look forward to going there. 

Last weekend , it  was our son’s birthday, and the forecast was not great so we decided to stay home. He was not pleased with our decision, so on Friday we decided to go anyway. I made a plan for bad weather (movies, shopping), but it turned out to be one of the best weekends ever. We went biking in the morning, and in the afternoon we went to GNE fair which was the biggest fair we have ever been  to.  We ended our day at Alphorn where we ate the world’s biggest schnitzels and the staff sang Happy Birthday to our boy who said it was the best celebration he ever had.”

They have also become fast friends and it’s a delight to both see them and hear about their adventures in discovering all the delights of our region.

The Thornbury-Clarksburg Transit committee has partnered with Hewgill Bus Lines to provide transportation services for those in the community who would find it valuable.  As interest grows different routes and opportunities will be developed.  For a full listing of routes, times and fees, visit www.tctransit.org or call Jayne at 519-599-6217 or Linda at 519-599-3345.

Trips that have been planned are listed on the calendar and in order to participate please use the signup section or call 519-599-6217. If you would prefer a different pickup point please include that in the comment area.

Please feel free to forward us trips or events you would like to see on the calendar.  This is a new concept for our area and ideas and suggestions are welcome. Call Linda at 519-599-3345.