About Manitoba - Canada's Best Kept Secret!
When considering potential Canadian investment or immigration, many people automatically look to British Columbia and Ontario. However, increasing numbers are realising that they can get far more for their money if they broaden their search slightly, and have discovered the delights that Manitoba has to offer.
Located in central Canada, between Ontario and Saskatchewan, Manitoba's growth has historically been based on agriculture. However, it is no longer reliant on farming, and its capital, Winnipeg, is the most diversified manufacturing centre in Western Canada, including a flourishing scientific and technological research and development sector. Manitoba can boast strong economic expansion, with its CAD$30 billion economy growing by 2.2% in 2004. Unemployment levels are below the national average at around 5%, and residents enjoy a lower level of living costs and taxation when compared to most other Canadian Provinces.
Manitoba offers stunning scenery in the form of forested rolling countryside, interspersed with thousands of beautiful lakes and rivers. Numerous outdoor activities can be enjoyed here including fishing and hunting, water sports, many world class golf courses, and hiking, biking and pony trekking in the many National and Provincial Parks. The Province is also growing in popularity as a winter destination, with several ski hills, including the award winning Asessippi Ski Resort, and thousands of miles of groomed snowmobile trails. Alternatively, Winnipeg is a very cosmopolitan city with many varied offerings, from the culture of the world renowned Royal Winnipeg Ballet Company and Winnipeg Art Gallery to the vibrant night life and shopping arcades.
Warm sunny Summers and bright frosty Winters characterise the climate of Manitoba, with the majority of the below average rainfall coming in the shortened seasons of Spring and Autumn. Average daytime temperatures in July and August are around 25 deg C, while in midwinter it will usually stay well below freezing.
Recently the Provincial Government have been making significant investments in Manitoba's infrastructure, not least with the expansion of Winnipeg International Airport. Airline companies have been quick to notice the increasing levels of interest from the UK and in 2005 direct services to Winnipeg were introduced for the first time. With the seven hour flight costing as little as £400 demand has been high, which means that these services are likely to expand in the future.
This investment and sustained economic growth has had a significant impact on property prices in the area. In 2004 Manitoba was Canada's hottest market for lakefront properties, with prices rising by 28.6% over the year to an average of over CAD$250,000. However, this still leaves property prices at levels significantly lower than those found in many other Provinces, and there is every indication that values will continue to grow strongly in the short to medium term.
The highest level of growth to date has been for property within a one hour drive of Winnipeg around Lake Winnipeg and Lake Manitoba. However, because of this increased level of demand for property, well informed buyers looking for a bargain have been broadening their search to other areas of Manitoba, and more specifically the Parklands District around the superb Riding Mountain National Park, approximately three hours drive from Winnipeg. The Park boasts over 3,000km2 of forests, grasslands, hills, crystal clear lakes and streams, and is home to one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in North America, with black bears, beavers, elk, moose, bison and varied species of water foul being among the many animals that roam the area. It is to this backdrop that many bargain lakefront properties can be found.
Jim McGregor of Northland Properties has been selling affordable recreational and investment land in Manitoba for over 30 years, and has an intimate knowledge of the local market. Historically sales have been to local Canadians and Americans, but now increasing numbers of British buyers are taking advantage of the superb land on offer at a fraction of U.K. prices. All current developments are located around the area of Riding Mountain National Park, and come with full planning permission for a home or cottage build. This planning permission is without time limit, so plots can be purchased in complete confidence for a future build or resale. A number of larger plots of up to 80 acres are also regularly available, with prices starting from below £400 per acre.
Nearly all homes in Manitoba are 'stick built' and building projects suffer from little of the red tape experienced in the U.K. However, for anyone daunted by the prospect of arranging their own home build, Northland Properties offers an optional range of turn-key cottage packages suitable for holiday and rental cottages, right up to large permanent family homes. Prices start from as little as £40,000 for a complete home build, including connection to all services.
Property in Manitoba is ideally suited to the investor, as the only ongoing cost would be an annual land tax of around CAD$400 on an empty plot, and around CAD$1,200-1,500 once a cottage is built. This could then be used to take advantage of the growing demand for rental cottages. All property purchases in the Province are subject to 7% goods and service tax (GST). However, all prices advertised by Northland Properties include GST and legal fees, so there are no hidden costs.
