british columbia posts

The steady decline in mortgage rates combined with slow house price appreciation has made the past few months some of the most affordable in recent years to buy a home in Canada. In fact, a report by the Royal Bank of Canada shows that housing affordability improved for a second straight quarter at the end of 2010.

However, as the Canadian economy continues to improve, the experts say that these attractive buying conditions will not last.

Talize, a chain of large thrift stores in Ontario and British Columbia, is having a "50% off everything" sale today only.

(Mind you, that "everything" excludes white and red tag merchandise...so, um, yeah, maybe not the best choice of words there, guys.)

Clothing, housewares, shoes, books, electronics, linens, toys and furniture are included in the deal. Talize has locations in Hamilton, Kitchener, London, Mississauga, Brampton and Delta.

For specific locations, click here.

Finding and securing a summer campsite can require stealth and strategy. I know people who set their alarms to book their favourite campsite at Ontario's Kilbear Provincial Park as soon as the online reservation system opens five months in advance.

Not only are campsites crowded, but they also cost an arm and a leg. For example, a non-powered site at the beautiful Algonquin Provincial Park this summer costs $40.75 for one night. Now I love Algonquin, and for anyone who hasn't been there, I recommend a visit. But paying so much to sleep in a noisy campground is not my idea of fun.

What most people don't know is that you can actually camp for free in beautiful places across Canada. Now I should stress that the following information is only useful for tent campers and for those who are happy to forgo amenities. Those interested in RV camping can find tips on free places to stop for the night in my previous post.

It's a scary fact that if you live in Newfoundland, you're three times as likely to suffer a heart attack as someone living in Nunavut, or BC.

According to a report by the Canadian Institute for Health Information, heart attack rates vary considerably depending on which province you live in. Furthermore, the report has found that Canadians living in the country's least affluent neighbourhoods are almost 40% more likely to have a heart attack than those living in the most affluent areas.

So which areas are the riskiest places to live?

The Canadian housing market continues to buck the trend. When the economy was in the midst of recession, home sales astounded economists by soaring. But now as we leave winter behind and enter the usually active spring period, home sales have been slowing. Despite this, house prices continue to rise, although the signs point to slower growth in the coming months.

Home sales via the Multiple Listing Service fell almost 3% in April from the previous month and caused sales to be down by almost 7% since their peak in December, figures released Monday by the Canadian Real Estate Association show. Even so, compared to April last year when no one around the world really knew what was going on, home sales are up a healthy 20%.

Statistics like these give a good overview of the general direction of Canada's housing market, but conditions can vary dramatically in different neighbourhoods and regions. CREA says more than half of the decline in sales since the start of the year has been in British Columbia, while activity in Ontario and Québec remains at or near record levels. The activity in these markets has helped keep overall demand for new homes reasonably strong, meaning house prices are still going up.

Still basking in the adrenaline rush of hitting the slopes under warm sunny skies? Skiers who want to ensure they get time on their favourite mountain next spring should consider making plans now to benefit from the latest deal from Canadian Mountain Holidays (CMH).

For the 2011 skiing season, heli-skiers and heli-boarders who book a ski package will receive a $100 daily credit for each day booked. For a five day holiday, a recipient would receive a $500 guest lodge credit, which can be used for a myriad of options including additional heli-skiing metres, bar, massage, or shopping.

Vacationers can choose this promotion for any of the 11 CMH heli-ski areas in the Columbia Mountains region of British Columbia, including Cariboo Lodge, McBride, Kootenay, Revelstoke and Valemont, reserving their booking before May 1, 2010.

For those who want an added bonus, if you pay for your entire package before May 1, 2010, the soon to be introduced BC harmonized sales tax will not be applied to the package total.