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Watermark Beach Resort Media Coverage Edmonton Journal, November 11, 2006. Please scroll down for full text of the article.
Images Credit: Edmonton Journal Edmonton Journal, November 11, 2006. Text. Osoyoos resort project aims to fit into the town and desert landscape
Lakefront development focuses on recreational amenities By Alison Appelbe Special to The Journal OSOYOOS, B.C. Just a few decades ago, Osoyoos was a dusty, plain-Jane town in B.C.’s southern Okanagan that only the most knowing vacationers routinely sought out. Though blessed with a toasty lake surrounded by sage and pine-covered hills and lush orchards — not to mention hot, dry summer days and balmy star-speckled nights — the Osoyoos Lake region remained a fringe destination. From the town of Oliver on Highway 97, south to the Canada-U.S. border, accommodation was mostly limited to cheap motels and campsites. Dining out meant a Formica-table café or roadside burger shack. How times change. The chief culprit was the Okanagan’s burgeoning wine industry and the discovery that this region’s sandy soil, coupled with intense heat, was ideal for growing grapes. Vines were planted and wineries—then more wineries — opened, followed by a handful of good restaurants. At the same time, the wider public woke up to the fragile beauty of this northern extremity of the Sonora Desert and its delicate antelope-brush ecosystem. (And Parks Canada took notice. A national desert reserve is being considered.) Today Osoyoos is a hot spot — in every respect — and construction of quality accommodation for vacationers and retirees is going strong. For example, just north of town the hugely successful Osoyoos Indian Band has built, on the site of its Nk’Mip Cellars winery and Desert and Heritage Centre, a major resort-residence project. And on a stretch of lakefront in the town itself, the Osoyoos Shoreline Development Ltd. will build the luxury recreational Watermark Beach Resort. Says Watermark development manager Glen Harris: “This is a significant project for the town of Osoyoos and we’ve got to get it right. It’s a big responsibility.” The four-storey, 153-unit resort, on a three-quarter acre site once occupied by a packinghouse, will shift the town centre—or at least shift attention—down to the lakefront. It’s designed by Vancouver-based Burrows Huggins Architects, whose work includes the Four Seasons Resort at Whistler. Its exterior, in earthy colours and with brick and iron detailing, will hint at both the surrounding landscape and the Southern California resort lifestyle. Interior spaces will relate to the outdoors. Owners will have the option to rent their fully owned apartment-style units in what will be a year round hotel complex. Boutique Hotels and Resorts of B.C., whose portfolio includes the new Cove Lakeside Resort near Kelowna and Nita Lake Lodge at Whistler, will manage the property to ensure owners have both a first-rate vacation experience and a strong revenue stream the remainder of the year. The main Watermark building will have studio, one- and two-bedroom suites, while 30 townhomes will be built in clusters of six. Most units face the lake, while the others look west to the mountain and the setting sun. All will be fully furnished. A good selection of one- and two-bedrooms and townhomes, ranging from 600 to 1,500 square feet, remain available. Prices, from $325,000 to $715,000, are modest relative to waterfront resort properties in the central Okanagan, Harris says. (The studios and penthouses are sold out.) Emphasizing resort-style amenities, the Watermark will be fronted by 300 metres of sandy beach and a pathway to nearby parks in both directions. A generous courtyard will include swimming pool, hot pools, waterslide and other facilities for children and youth. There will also be a poolside tapas and wine bar. A publicly accessible fitness club, spa and restaurant will be part of the complex, as will a conference centre for about 200. Some retail businesses will face onto Main Street. As part of its mandate to fit into the existing town, the Watermark will provide spaces where local organizations, currently with limited options, can hold events. Says Harris: “This will definitely be a meeting place and social spot. It’s a community resort.” While Watermark owners (and guests) can make do without a vehicle, regional attractions may beckon. The Osoyoos Golf and Country Club and Fairview Mountain Golf Course offer 36 and 18 holes respectively (and a longer golf season than more northerly courses). There’s hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding and water sports. Bird watching is popular: the Meadowlark Festival attracts birders to the South Okanagan every May. Indeed, creature watching is something of a passion here. Hayes Point, jutting into the lake just south of town, draws seekers of the croaking spade foot toad and white-headed woodpecker. Astronomers favour this region for its reliably clear skies. And in winter there’s reliably sunny skiing at redeveloped but still easy-going Mount Baldy, east of Oliver. Of course, there are all those wineries—and abundant agricultural produce from the region’s still strong orchard and mixed-farming industries. (March and April are particularly glorious as thousands of fruit trees blossom.) And happily, Osoyoos still feels a little bit like that laidback, overlooked town of the past. Completion of the Watermark Beach Resort is expected in autumn, 2008. For details, go to www.ownwatermark.com or call 1-866-453-9797. Reprinted from Edmonton Journal |
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