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Best place foroutdoor lovers: Canmore, Alta.
The draw
Nestled into the eastern Rockies, surrounded by Banff National Park and Kananaskis Provincial Park, this one-time coal-mining town, which boasts 330 days of sunshine a year, has evolved into an outdoors enthusiasts' playground. There's a Nordic ski centre with 60 kilometres of trails, developed for the 1988 Winter Olympics, four nearby alpine ski resorts, hundreds of kilometres of hiking and biking trails and, running through town, the Bow River, popular with flyfishers and kayakers alike. All of this, and it's only an hour's drive from Calgary.
Most-coveted real estate
Mountain-view homes in the partially completed Three Sisters Mountain Village development. Elaborate 6,000-square-foot dwellings in Three Sisters' Cairns on the Bow subdivision start at about $4 million; more modest condos start at $450,000. Other developments, such as Intrawest-managed Solara, are closer to downtown but are also beside heavily used train tracks.
Neighbours
Canmore's population has doubled over the past decade; there are about 11,500 permanent residents now, and another 4,000 who own vacation homes. Future expansion, however, is limited by the scarcity of available land. (Exit the town and you hit protected parkland very quickly.) In fact, the Three Sisters Mountain Village is being built directly on top of old mining shafts.
Person to know
Legendary football kicker Gary Anderson, who holds the record for most points scored in the history of the NFL, after playing for 24 years, moved to Canmore two years ago, along with his wife and two teenage boys. "We were going to wait until our boys went to college," says Anderson's wife, Kay. "But we just loved the spot so much we decided to move immediately." Now, Anderson is the spokesman for a fly-fishing company called Perfect Season.
Special attractions
Mozart on the Mountain, an annual outdoor concert featuring the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra on the driving range at the Stewart Creek Golf Course. For year-round arts and culture events, there is the nearby Banff Centre.
Bet you didn't know
On the outskirts of town there is a popular hike to a 2,407-metre summit. Originally called Chinaman's Peak, after a local Chinese cook who was the first to make it to the top and back in less than 10 hours, in 1997 the name was altered to Ha Ling Peak, at the request of the Chinese community.
Best place for weather refugees: Victoria
The draw
It's been said before, but it bears repeating: Victoria's climate can't be beat. Not in Canada, anyhow. For those seeking escape from winter's rigours but who are reluctant to leave the country, this urban oasis tucked onto the southeastern tip of Vancouver Island is ideal. Temperatures are mild year-round, and annual precipitation averages only 84.5 centimetres. (By comparison, Ottawa receives about 235 centimetres of snow every year.) Expect flowers in February.
Most-coveted real estate
In Victoria proper, the coastal neighbourhoods of James Bay, Fairfield and Gonzales have been gaining steam among the 45- to 59-year-old set. For the city's most prestigious addresses, however, look to the wealthy Uplands area in Oak Bay. Home to the Royal Victoria Yacht Club and the Uplands Golf Course, it's known for its sweeping views of the Harro Strait and the Olympic Mountains, its large manicured gardens and its disdain for large-scale commercial development. In this stately residential neighbourhood, a five-bedroom, three-bathroom home recently sold for $875,000; oceanfront properties go for much more.
Person to know
Befriend the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria's new director, Donna McAlear, aboard a 10-day "Art Cruise," from Montreal to New York, this October. Details: AGGV.bc.ca.
Special attractions
The Bear Mountain Victoria Golf Resort & Spa, located half an hour's drive from downtown. Opened in 2005, it features a Jack and Steve Nicklaus co-designed golf course, along with a Westin hotel, spa and luxury restaurant. Construction is still underway on single-family homes, condominiums and townhouses in the development (as well as a second golf course, expected to open in 2008). But with the influx of boomer retirees expected to crowd Victoria in years to come, buying early might be a good idea.
Bet you didn't know
Victoria has approximately 65% of the designated heritage sites in British Columbia. There are some 240 heritage buildings in the city's downtown core alone.
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