Thursday October 15, 2020 | LANGFORD, BC [Updated 9:25 am October 16, 2020]
by Mary P Brooke, editor | Island Social Trends
Two winners of the Go by Bike Week grand prize draw were announced today by Langford Mayor Stew Young at the #MyBelmont Sales Center.
Attended by representatives of the developer and sales team and a small group of media, the short event was about celebrating the continued success of condo sales at Belmont Residences. Everyone wore face masks as part of COVID-19 safety protocols, and hand sanitizer was available at the entry.
Retail sales during the pandemic:
The Belmont Residences West building was completely sold out and people moving in by March 2020, two years after the March 2018 ground-breaking.
With 50 percent of the Belmont Residences East units now sold, construction will begin for that second strata condo building soon. The building was first announced before Christmas 2019 with a building permit in hand. The sales launch was in March of this year — a week before the pandemic shutdown began. But building completion will be on schedule for opening in summer or fall 2022, said Scott Brown, President and CEO of Fifth Avenue Marketing today at the event.
And the winners are…
Mayor Young drew the names of the bike winners, selecting one winning stub from each of two rolling drums. In total there were 3,730 ballot entries.
Katherine Tousignant and Evgeni Shvarzman was the first pair of winners whose entry was drawn. The second winning draw prize entry saw the other bike go to Kristopher and Carole St-Jacques.
Each set of winners will receive a Norco Scene e-bike, sponsored by the #MyBelmont Masterplan community including Belmont Residences East and Crossing at Belmont owned by Killam REIT.
Go Bike Week concluded on October 4. In previous years the promotion of cycling as an alternative to vehicle use for commuting was called Bike to Work Week. Now with COVID-19 seeing a lot of people working from home, the shift is to promoting cycling for its recreational benefits as well as transportation for work and errands.
Each entrant in the prize draw logged at least one ride, said Adam Krupper, Executive Director, The Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society.
Marcela Corzo, Director of Development for Ledcor Property Investments explains: “Biking is a part of our values, so #MyBelmont was proud to sponsor the Go by Bike Week event. These two amazing e-bikes complement elements that we incorporate in our development that encourage healthy, active lifestyles,” she said today.
Langford and other municipalities are sought out for funds each year by The Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week Society, as part of supporting active transportation in the capital region.
COVID impacts on marketing:
Due to COVID protocols requiring physical distancing, there have been no live events for marketing Belmont Residences East this year. “Everything has been virtual,” said Brown. At first that restricted the number of sales, he admitted.
The sales centre at 915 Reunion Way fully opened again at the end of August, although appointments were taken in July. Then sales caught up.
Only two sets of buyers are given access to the sales centre at any one time. There is enhanced cleaning, and anyone who is not feeling well is expected to stay home. Names of everyone who enters the sales centre are recorded, in case contract tracing is necessary.
Today event was livestreamed:
Today’s event was broadcasted live on both the MyBelmont Facebook and Instagram and the Bike to Work Society’s Facebook. The prizes will continue on Friday October 23 at noon, when the Society will broadcast on Facebook livestream to announce the rest of the Go by Bike Week event prizes.
About Belmont Residences:
#MyBelmont is a new 24-acre community created on south Vancouver Island’s west shore. The development comprises six residential market and rental buildings targeting first-time home buyers, working professionals and downsizers.
The Masterplan is enhanced by the Belmont Market commercial amenities (being developed by Crombie REIT), including a landmark Thrifty Foods spanning 53,000 sq ft. Adjacent to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail and numerous parks, lakes and outdoor spaces, #MyBelmont is set to become a vibrant centre for the City of Langford.
The Victor Chen Memorial Park is located within the Belmont development, where the Go by Bike Week was celebrated in Langford on September 28.
The new heart of the West Shore, Belmont Residences will be a favoured place for those seeking a healthy, urban-meets-suburban living lifestyle.
