Northwest Living | Bellingham Real Estate Market

Building an urban village from scratch is fraught with difficulties, but Stowe Talbot believes his company is on the right track with the Barkley District.  The area is in the midst of a crucial step, as residents start moving into the first condominium units while the rest of the area is undergoing a construction boom. The flurry of activity includes three buildings under construction with work expected to begin on at least four other projects in coming months.

For Talbot, it has become a tricky situation of balancing market forces with the creation of an area that has the right mix of office, residential and retail.

“We weren’t experts in community planning when this was started, but we’ve learned quite a bit over the years,” said Talbot, vice president of the Barkley Co. “We’ve seen that it’s difficult for urban villages to succeed, and we want to buck that trend.”

The challenge in adding condos to the mix of office and retail businesses is not letting the residential be overwhelmed by other interests in the area.

“It’s easy to sell the property off to retail on a busy street, so we want to be careful,” Talbot said.

INFILLING

The current plan is to fill in the property between Barkley Village and the offices on Rimland Drive on the north side of the property.

The Drake Building, offering condos and retail, is almost completed. Peoples Bank is building a 20,000-square-foot branch and administrative offices. Nearby, the Laurel Building, a mixed-use office and retail building, is under construction. Across the street on the corner of Newmarket Street and Barkley Boulevard will be the Cornerstone Building, offering retail space and 70 condominium units.

Once the infilling around Newmarket Street is complete, the Barkley Co. will focus on nearby lots, possibly adding another office building just north of the Cornerstone site but also adding residential to the east. There are no plans for development on the trails and pond east of the Haggen store.

“Our overall goal is to make an area where people get out of their cars and walk around,” Talbot said. “That’s why we’re being patient with the residential. If we turn the entire area over to retail, it becomes a place that people only drive to and shop.”

RESIDENTIAL MARKET

While introducing residential at this point fits within the overall area plan, it comes at a time when the overall real estate market is slowing down.

Talbot said he’s been pleased with the results, given the current housing climate. According to the company Web site, six of the 36 units at The Drake are taken. The building just had its grand opening celebration for the public earlier this month.

“I think it’s gone well under the circumstances,” Talbot said. “We are building to our schedule. This is an area that is going through a 30 to 40 year build out, so we can’t worry about the ups and downs each year brings in residential real estate.”

One lesson Talbot said they’ve learned with their first foray into residential is adding variety. The Drake building offers just studio or one-bedroom units. Their next residential project, the Cornerstone, will offer more rooms. As they ponder other residential projects, they’ll also be considering options such as apartments and maybe even a few single-family homes.

VARIETY

Sticking to a planned layout is attracting different businesses to the area. Linda Rudy, office manager at the dental office of Ron Moreno, said the staff and the clients are excited about the plan to move into a new two story building near Heath Tecna next summer.

“We feel lucky to be able to move to the Barkley area and have a new building,” Rudy said. “It’s a great central location, and the Talbot company has been great. They seem to give more than they take when it comes to working with a business that’s moving to the area.”

Andy Schmidt, an orthodontist who is new to the area, agreed with Rudy. He’s working in a temporary space now until he can occupy the second floor of the new building that the Moreno dental practice is moving into.

“It’s exciting to be a new practice that is moving into a growing area that already has a wellestablished professional core,” Schmidt said.

THE EXTRAS

Along with the introduction of residential units and the addition of office and retail businesses, the Barkley area is also adding public amenities.

The Barkley Co. is working out the final kinks for a branch library to go into The Drake Building. If all goes as planned, the library would be open at the beginning of the year with a selection of books as well as a drop-off location. The space could also be used as a community meeting area after hours, said Jeff Kochman, president of Barkley Co.

“A library was at the top of a list of desired public uses for that space,” said Kochman. “We also hope to have a cafe or bakery take over an adjacent space to create some walking traffic for that area.”

Also in the works for public amenities are trails and more parks, possibly a dog park.

“We’re concentrating on filling in the pieces we think are still missing,” Talbot said.

One area that has been drawing a fair amount of interest is southwest of the Barkley District, just west of the Haggen store. This undeveloped property will be one of the last to be developed and so far is the least planned out. Talbot thinks at this point it will eventually become residential. It’s a little tricky, however, because of stormwater issues.

“It’s a great piece of property that will allow us to consider a variety of options, but we’re in no hurry to develop it,” Talbot said.

Size: About 250 acres mostly owned by the Talbot family, roughly stretching from the Woburn Street Haggen store north to the Heath Tecna building, west to St. Paul Street and east going up Brandywine Way.  via Herald

Buildings under construction:

Building soon to be under construction:

• The Cornerstone: Retail on the ground floor and about 70 condominium units, on the northeast corner of Newmarket Street and Barkley Boulevard. Construction is expected to begin next year.
• Dental office: A two-story building with Ron Moreno DDS on the first floor and Schmidt Orthodontist on the second floor, south of the Heath Tecna building and north of Barkley Boulevard. Construction by Faber Brothers is expected to begin in January and be completed by next summer.
• DEA office building: The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency will put up a two-story building at 1855 Barkley Boulevard, near Heath Tecna. The first floor will have parking and some office space; the second will have offices. The DEA is moving to Bellingham from its Blaine facility, which is being torn down as part of the new port of entry project, said Rhett Fonseca, public affairs officer for the agency. The DEA expects to be in the new building by April.
• Chiropractic office: Adich Clinic has plans to build a facility south of Heath Tecna within a year.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Bellingham Real Estate

 Today I went out to the Everson area of Whatcom County and visited Stoney Ridge Farm and was amazed at the depth and quality of what this farm has to offer.  I’ve heard from friends and neighbors about Stoney Ridge before, but until I actually went out their today, I didn’t realize they had so much to offer to the public.

Stoney Ridge Farm is open every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in October from 10am to 5pm. Their address is located at 2092 Van Dyk Rd; Everson, WA 98247.  You can call them as well at 360-966-3919.  They will also be open from November 24 to December 15 for some Christmas celebrations as well.  I was totally amazed to find out these guys didn’t have a web site, but the ladies said someone is designing one for them.  They really need one, because this place is awesome! 

My family and I have been to many harvest time festivals here in the Northwest over the years, but there’s very few that have as much as this farm has to offer.  They have the largest pumpkin patch fields in all of Whatcom County. To get to this huge field you take a hay ride on the back of a long covered wagon with bales of hay on both sides.  All the kids that took the ride really enjoyed it and so did all the adults as well.  Once the farmer drops you off…you have an entire field of pumpkins to scout around to find that perfect one. 

They also have a couple apple orchards in the same area of the pumpkins where one can pick a variety of apples for around 60 cents a pound.  After you load up on your apples, just take them and your pumpkin back onto the wagon and the farmer will give you a ride back to the pay station.

 But if that’s all you did, you would have missed about 75% of what one could still do at this beautiful farm. Stoney Ridge is a very entertaining place to visit and the kids will just love the atmosphere here. From the little choo choo train ride, to the goats in the sky, to the endless animal exhibits, it’s just great. The place is covered in pumpkins, there’s this huge field of corn made into a maze and the forests of apples.

With the two events that they have here’s what they offer first for “Its Harvest Time At” Stoney Ridge Farm during October:

• Largest pumpkin patch in Whatcom County!
• Craft and gift shop
• Fresh pressed pasteurized cider
• A hot dog stand
• Awesome pumpkin and carmel apple pie (wow…that apple pie with ice cream was good).
• Fresh cider donuts
• U-pick and we pick apples
• Hay and train rides
• Farm animals and Goat walk
• Corn and bin maze
• School and private tours by appointment
• Decorations and more

The second event is called “Its Christmas Time At” Stoney Ridge Farm and here’s whats going on November 24 to December 15th:

• Fresh Noble, Grand, Doug Fir, Frasier, and Nordman Christmas trees to purchase.
• U-cut, pre-cut, and live trees as well.
• Awesome caramel apple, pumpkin, and berry pie!
• Homemade cider donuts and other goodies
• Free coffee and hot chocolate
• Christmas crafts and garland
• Fresh handcrafted wreaths
• Bonfire and hot dogs
• Tree bailing Available.

Well that about does it for the tour of Stoney Ridge Farm, they got me hooked that’s for sure.  Have fun, you’ll enjoy this place for sure.  Oh…plan on at least an hour or two to see everything…it’s time well spent.

Search real estate in Lynden, Everson, Nooksack, and Deming with Lynden Real Estate. 

 Coming this November in Ferndale Washington, the brand new Centennial Riverwalk Plaza project is expected to be completed next to the Nooksack River.  If you haven’t noticed it yet, go check it out.  It starts on the west side of the Main St bridge that crosses over the Nooksack River and then the Riverwalk heads south along the Nooksack River. The area once known as Front Street is being transformed into the Centennial Riverwalk.

 The official name for the city’s project will be the Centennial Riverwalk Plaza to commemorate Ferndale’s 100 year anniversary of officially incorporating as a city, celebrated back on March 19, 2007. The plaza will be an impressive addition to the city and should be something Ferndale will be able to utilize for years to come.

Locals and visitors alike will be able to stroll along the pedestrian walkway and promenade along the river, and enjoy the beautifully landscaped public spaces with views of the Nooksack River and Mount Baker. The City of Ferndale envisions people being able to enjoy street and craft fairs, public markets, small concerts, festivals, and a farmers’ market.  When no events are occurring, just pausing by the fountain, studying the hand-carved native totems, enjoying a nice lunch or a picnic will be fun things to do.

The park is themed towards recognition of local Native American history and the logjam that was significant to Ferndale’s early history. The park has a focus on native plant species, using “rain garden” infiltration for storm water management, and stands under the watchful eye of a magnificent Native American totem pole. The pole will honor the Salish Tribes of our area. The park provides a casual gathering place with benches, open lawn, and scattered picnic tables.

Opening day should be just around the corner and as we get into the spring I’m sure the Ferndale Riverwalk will be an area used quiet often for years to come. The work to build the Riverwalk is being done by Friberg Construction and the original contract for the project cost an estimated $1.2 million.

For all your Ferndale WA Real Estate needs call Jerry Campbell, Muljat Group Realtors

 An economist for the National Association of Realtors predicts home sales will turn around in early 2008, thanks to more favorable conditions in the mortgage market.  Lawrence Yun, senior economist for NAR also believes that some of our local markets in the Puget Sound region like Seattle and Portland are weathering this down trough in the housing market much better than other regions elsewhere in the country.  The Emerald City welcomes your enthusiasm Lawrence…

I’ve watched the markets in the Puget Sound area for the last 30 years, with the last fifteen as a full time Realtor in Bellingham, and I think we will see a turn around in 2008, but more towards the end of next year. The markets will need time to work the negative chatter out of all the news reports were seeing so much of today before  we realize anything approaching normal. 

The real estate market in general goes through it’s own cycles, especially looking back over the last fifty years. These same type of trends will continue in the future as well. That crazy market we saw from early 2002 to Sept. 2005 was fed by a low supply of homes on the market, coupled with high demand and home prices that were considered historically low.  Expectations in the market were that prices would keep going up, but those thoughts are unfortunately “Illusions of Grandeur”.  Once the market was flooded with homeowners selling and builders rushing to add new homes, the pendulum switched as to much supply was added, prices were rising too fast and consumer demand went down once the negative talk took over.  Welcome to the cycles of real estate.

The one thing I really think that’s playing the most havoc on the housing markets today is all this negative chatter about the sub prime loans of the past and other negative forces that tends to make home buyers nervous.  That’s why I believe that once the negative news starts to dissipate and the economy can get on a more positive heel, things have a better chance of getting back to normal.  I want to under score “Normal”, not those crazy upswings in prices.  Will the housing market ever see double digit price increases again, yes, that’s part of the real estate cycle.  Sharp up swings in housing prices are usually short lived though, followed usually by a buyers market and then a much longer normal market.

Steve Tyler, a columnist with the heraldNet in Everett, WA wrote a great article this month about the Puget Sound real estate cycles and went on to explain in detail what he has observed over the last 30-40 years.  I highly recommend our local readers to check out that article to have a better understanding of what were going through in Bellingham, Whatcom County and the Puget Sound region currently.

Lawerenc Yun had a few more interesting comments that I thought Id add here in closing this post:

“Markets like Austin, Salt Lake City and Raleigh have been outperforming recently and will continue to do well next year.  Other areas like Denver and Wichita will likely move up in the price growth rankings due to very positive local economic developments.”

Yun says loan availability has continued to improve since August. He also notes that 2007, despite all the trouble in the sub prime market and the resulting credit crunch, still will be fifth highest year on record in sales of existing homes.

In his forecast, Yun projects existing home sales to reach 5.78 million this year and 6.12 million in 2008. New home sales are expected to drop next year, but Yun says pullbacks in construction will help reduce home inventory, helping home prices.

Yun also says median home values are expected to drop nationally this year but begin rebounding in 2008.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Bellingham Real Estate

 The days of marketing your home for sale in newspapers, magazines, radio and TV are slowly going by the way side. Sure you can still open up the Local Bellingham Sunday paper and one of the real estate magazines and find homes for sale, but that’s not where most buyers today spend their time looking for a home.  The old ways of advertising your home with the media giants are slowly losing its appeal and advertising dollars instead to the speed, ease and comfort of the Internet.

When the market takes a down turn like were experiencing now in the local Bellingham WA housing market the natural tendencies are for sellers to expect more advertising dollars spent selling their home.  So what usually happens, even today, is for sellers to look for their homes to be marketed in the Sunday newspaper, real estate magazines and do lots of open houses.

This might suffice the seller by seeing their home in a magazine, but to be honest, marketing dollars would be better spent if instead they went to marketing online.  One month’s worth of advertising in a real estate magazine can easily cost from about $200 to $500 plus for one page.  The sellers home is usually mixed in with 4-8 other homes on a single page where the real estate agent is showcasing the sellers property and of course that page competes for attention with 100 other pages easily. 

As a seller, your far better off having your home on line where according to the National Association of Realtors, 78% of all buyers search for their next home.  With the likes of of so many quality Realtor search engines on line, for searching real estate, it makes total sense to market your home on the medium of choice for most buyers today. 

Think about the home search in the mind of today’s buyer.  If you took two buyers and told one they could only use the Sunday paper, local real estate magazines and drive the neighborhoods where they wanted to live.  The second buyer had total use of the Internet to surf anytime of the day, and had to forget about the print media.  If I was a betting man, id say buyer two would have a clear advantage just because they would be right there when a brand new fresh listing hit the market.  In many cases a listing will be marketed in print media and by the time it hits the news stands it’s already pending.  

According to Mike Simonton, Senior Director at Fitch ratings he says, “it seems newspapers aren’t the vehicle of choice anymore. Instead, just as more buyers are doing their homework and researching for their next home online, sellers also are turning to the World Wide Web to get their home noticed.”  

“There are some obvious benefits to some of the online search tools that are unavailable in a print product,” explains Simonton.

He says things such as being able to target geographic locations, target price range and the features they want make searching online for a home easier and faster. Ultimately, consumers can filter out homes they don’t want and search specifically for what they do want “in a much more sophisticated way than you’re able to do in a print product,” says Simonton.

Today your Realtor can put your home on their websites and feature the property with unlimited photos, detailed information, virtual tours, PDF files, and so much more.  What an experienced Realtor can to today by utilizing the tools on line is really the way our market is moving. 

When I first got into the real estate business back in the early 90’s, before the Internet, I remember all of our listings were in a thick MLS book and we always looked forward to that new copy once a week.  I don’t think you can even find those big thick clunky books anymore at any of the state wide MLS boards.

This is the same slow death that the print media is experiencing today.  Trust me, there are still some old timers out there, that would like to go back to the mls books, not this guy….smiling.  Simonton has made some very interesting comments to think about when selling one’s home in today’s market and here are a few more:

The ink isn’t running dry in just the newspaper advertising world, “We’ve definitely seen an acceleration of advertising dollars toward the Internet and that’s going on across different mediums. The mediums that have been hurt the most are newspapers for sure, and then radio, broadcast television, Yellow Pages. Anything that’s traditional advertising has been hurt,” says Simonton.

However, real estate advertising in newspapers in some smaller local markets has not yet been affected but Simonton says the clock is ticking there as well.

“I think that as more people in these local markets use broadband some of the trends that we’re seeing in the larger markets will show up in the smaller markets in the future and it’s not so much that the smaller local markets are immune to these changes but these changes haven’t reached them yet,”

There is actually some lead time for newspapers and other mediums in the small markets. If they address the declining advertising revenues and start to move their content online they can help offset the loss in revenue by replacing it with a more real-time approach to advertising.

“Overtime they will need to have a very established online position in order to deal with the fact that most of the consumers in the market are using the Internet to get their information about what’s available in the local market,” explains Simonton.

For the price that’s currently being paid for print media in one month, a better solution is to build an on line presence instead where a sellers home could be on the Internet and virtually marketed 24/7 at much more affordable prices.  It’s just my opinion and my two cents…

Market your home today with Bellingham Real Estate - Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group.

 Whatcom County’s unemployment rate dropped by a whopping half a percentage point from what it was in July to the just released August numbers.  These historic low numbers are very good news for the local Bellingham - Whatcom County economy.

The local unemployment rate was 4 percent in August, down from 4.6 percent in July, according to numbers released Tuesday from the Washington Employment Security Department. However, the total number of people in the labor force and those working declined in the past month. Whatcom County actually lost 400 non agricultural jobs compared to July. Year-over-year, however, Whatcom County has gained 1,900 non-agricultural jobs.

One possible factor for the labor force drop are that schools like WWU, Whatcom Community College and area high school students are finishing up their summer jobs and  getting ready for school. 

It’s still a tight labor market in Whatcom County, and I would expect it to remain around this level for the next couple of months. I would be surprised to see the numbers drop much below 4 percent locally. That is hard to sustain, especially without significant job growth.

Among the local industries, leisure and hospitality has seen significant growth. The number of people employed in that industry increased by 200 from July to August; in the past 12 months that industry has added 800 jobs.

For the past 12 months, retail jobs are up by 600, construction jobs are down by 200 while manufacturing is up by 300.

In agriculture, the total employment in Western Washington increased 2.5 percent compared to August 2006. Last month there were 13,126 people employed in agriculture in Western Washington.

The record low unemployment in recent decades for Whatcom County is 3.8 percent, which was matched in May 2007 and October 2006.

Washington State’s unemployment rate also dropped. Seasonably adjusted, Washington’s rate was 4.6 percent, down from 4.9 percent in July. The lower unemployment rate was accompanied by an increase of 10,400 non-agricultural jobs. Among major metro areas, King County had a 3.5 percent unemployment rate, followed by Snohomish County at 3.7 percent. Partially via Bellinghamherald

Low unemployment numbers like these should help the local Bellingham real estate and housing markets with more and more people gainfully employed.

Jerry Campbell - Muljat Group - Bellingham, WA 98225 - Bellingham Real Estate

 Whidbey Island could some day soon gain a new city with Freeland after some recent work by the Island County Planning Commission and residents of the Freeland area. 

After six hours of deliberation last Tuesday, the Island County Planning Commission recommended designating Freeland, WA a “non-municipal urban growth area,” effectively eliminating a formidable barrier in the local push for incorporation.

This is great news for the Freeland area of Whidbey Island becuase of all the housing growth in and around Holmes Harbor.  The formation of Freeland into an urban growth area will bring better comprehensive planning into how this area of Island County grows.  Freeland will have to start thinking forward with a 20 year plan on how and where they will want to grow into the future.

An Aug. 28 Island County planning commission meeting marked the first time the planning department and the public were given a chance to engage in a dialogue with the planning commission.

Extensive public comments were focused on how to improve the plan while none were received that outright opposed the designation of Freeland as an NMUGA.

Additional written input was submitted before the period closed Sept. 11. In the last one-and-a-half months, the all-volunteer planning commission has been inundated with written and oral testimony.

“The planning commission agreed to a marathon session,” said Planning Director Jeff Tate. “They looked at all the issues one by one. They really powered through them.”

Residents have focused primarily on amendments to Freeland’s subarea plan, which the planning commission also agreed Tuesday to incorporate into the county’s comprehensive plan. The proposed amendments generating the most debate revolved around density on pieces of property like Freeland Hill and semantic concerns.

“They voted to use ‘should’ and ‘may’ in the plan rather than ‘shall’ and ‘must,’” Tate said.

The Washington State Growth Management Act allows counties to designate areas of the county as non-municipal urban growth areas with urban services such as sewer and storm water infrastructure while requiring greater density and commercial development.

The study came about as a result of an order from the Growth Management Hearings Board, which required the county to look at both Clinton and Freeland as candidates for the NMUGA.

The planning commission’s recommendations will be forwarded to the Board of Island County Commissioners, who should ultimately render a decision in November.

“It’s a milestone to get to this point, but this is one event in a series of events,” Tate said of Tuesday’s approved motions. “It’s a very big part, but this hasn’t set up a situation where permits can be submitted. That’s still way down the road.” via whidbeynewstimes.

 The countdown to the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games has already begun. A digital clock in downtown Vancouver shows the remaining time to the opening ceremony by day, hour, minute and second.

A new highway entrance signs have been added to promote the Olympics.

The arena housing a new ice rink has gone up in Richmond near the Vancouver International Airport. Light-rail lines are being added. And the Vancouver Convention Center is being expanded to serve as the main media center for the games, which will take place February 12 to 28, 2010 and will be followed by the Paralympic Winter Games in March.

“This is a big year for construction in Vancouver,” Raymond Chan, spokesman for Tourism British Columbia, said this week.

Organizers expect about a million people to visit British Columbia during the Olympics in which about 5,000 athletes and officials from 80 countries are set to participate, Chan said. An estimated 10,000 accredited media members will report on the games and three billion television viewers are expected to watch them around the world.

“For us, it’s really a great opportunity to showcase our region to the world,” Chan said.

Business owners are working with Olympic organizers to reap economic benefits from the event, said Greg Holmes, director of sales at the popular Vancouver Aquarium. “We will create significant exposure,” Holmes said.

Area residents are gearing up for the big event as well. Organizers have already secured about 25,000 volunteers needed for the Olympics, Chan said. More and more people continue to show interest in volunteering.

Volunteers and businesses are receiving training to welcome athletes, officials and tourists to British Columbia, Chan said. “We are really looking at ensuring all the volunteers and businesses are well-trained to treat visitors,” he said.

The Olympics will also benefit and affect the Pacific Northwest on the US side.  With Whatcom County being right on the border with British Columbia, they should see a lot of tourism benefits.

Some visitors will fly in to Washington airports. Snohomish County has created its own group, SnoGold 2010, to help local businesses and organizations be ready for the opportunities created by the Olympics. It’s trying to bid for skating or skiing teams to establishing training camps in the county.

Organizers expect many residents of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho to take the drive upto Vancouver spending time and money with our Northwest neighbor during the winter games.

The U.S. government is set to start a new border crossing requirement in summer 2008. The new rule requires passports for all travelers, including drivers when they re-enter the United States after a few hours of shopping in Canada. A driver’s license now suffices.

Washington state Gov. Chris Gregoire and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell are trying to streamline the crossings in preparation for the Olympics. State officials plan to authorize new enhanced driver’s licenses, which will allow drivers to cross the border without presenting passports.

The new passport rule could hinder traffic during the Olympics and send a chill through tourism and trade on both sides of the border, critics say. There is some concern by the tourism industry.  Partially via HeraldNet

For all your Whatcom County real estate needs visit Bellingham WA Homes.

 One year ago today we started the Northwest Living - Bellingham real estate blog to provide useful information about our corner of Washington state with helpful posts on topics relating to housing, real estate, travel, outdoors, relocation and much more. 

May the next year and years to come be just as exciting as this past year has been for us.  We look forward to bringing stories on Whatcom County and the surrounding counties of Skagit, Island, and San Juan.  We will also discuss interesting topics about the Puget Sound region, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest in general.

One thing that’s been very enjoyable about posting information and things to do in our Northwest corner is going out an experiencing the things we write about. The Northwest area of Washington State is truly one of the most beautiful areas in the country.  Before you travel to our area, check out our blog and information as your guide to the Northwest corner.  As always, what ever you do, be safe and have fun.

If anyone has a topic they would like us to look into and post about it, feel free to contact us and let us know.

 The second Monday in October may not mean much to most Americans, beside the fact that Halloween is less than three weeks away. However, Canadians will be wishing family and friends across Canada a happy Thanksgiving.

 Most Canadians view Thanksgiving as a celebration of a successful harvest, which happens a little earlier than in the U.S., hence the earlier date. The biggest difference between Thanksgiving in Canada and in the United States is the time of year it is celebrated. Thanksgiving in Canada is further away from Christmas than it is in the United States. 

In the U.S., it feels like one holiday season. In Canada, they are completely separate.  Canadians also don’t have worry about a big shopping rush the day after Thanksgiving for all the Christmas sales.

A similarity between Thanksgiving in the United States and Thanksgiving in Canada is the type of food that is served.  I really don’t think there is any differences in food since we really come from the same base culture. Canada enjoys turkey, ham, potatoes and the familiar fixings we do in the US.  However, I hear that sweet potatoes and yams are not a very common side dish like they are here in that states. Rather, Canadians eat a lot of brussel sprouts.

Not only is the food similar, but the décor used to add festivity to tables, homes and businesses is much the same as what’s used in the United States.  It’s typically with the beautiful fall colors and theme with the occasional turkey thrown in for good measure.

Post-feasting activities in America often include watching a football game on TV.  Most Americans relax after their thanksgiving meal while watching football games on television. Traditionally, two National Football League teams, the Detroit Lions and the Dallas Cowboys, host games on Thanksgiving Day. High viewership of these holiday games has made football an American Thanksgiving tradition.

Since the feast is on the second monday of October every year…there’s probably no football games on. Many Canadians, however, choose to watch hockey rather than football after having their big feast. 

Unlike the United States’ traditional fourth Thursday in November, Canada celebrates its Thanksgiving holiday on the second Monday in October. According to the Web site Canadian Thanksgiving, the first Canadian Thanksgiving, as a country, was celebrated on April 15, 1872 in thanks for the recovery of the future King Edward VII from a serious illness. The next Thanksgiving wasn’t held until 1879.

Over the next 70 plus years, Canada had a difficult time deciding on an exact date Thanksgiving should be held. On Jan. 31, 1957, Parliament issued a proclamation to permanently fix the second Monday in October as “a day of general Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed.”

If one were to go even farther back though the web site made this interesting reference:  The history of Thanksgiving in Canada is related to Martin Frobisher, who was an English navigator. He made a lot of efforts to find a northern passage to the Orient. Though he did not succeed in his efforts but he was able to establish a settlement in Northern America. In the year 1578, he held a formal ceremony, in what is now known as Newfoundland, to give thanks for surviving the long journey. This is considered the first Canadian Thanksgiving. Martin Frobisher was later knighted and an inlet of the Atlantic Ocean in northern Canada was named as ‘ Frobisher Bay‘ after him. When other settlers arrived here they continued this ceremony of giving thanks.

In finishing…I’m looking at my calender for this date and it just happens to be Columbus Day here in America.  Hmmmm…maybe our good friends to the north do have this thing right after all.  Happy Thanksgiving Canada.

For all of our Canadian friends contact Jerry for your Bellingham real estate needs.