BARRY GERDING
Black Press
For the resort community of Predator Ridge, golf has been its long-time linchpin marketing identification.
But the sales success of a new subdivision launched last year shows that Vernon’s Predator Ridge continues to gain traction beyond the links, but also for the quality of life options beyond golf it can offer its residents.
“We now have 600 housing units already built. We have building contracts for 56 new units and 20 of those homes are already under construction. We are a community that is maturing now,” said Brad Pelletier, vice-president of the Predator Ridge Wesbuild development.
“We have the amenities in place now, so we’re no longer about telling people what we are going to do. They can see it now first-hand. And we have developed the combination of a strong national brand and marketing leadership program.”
Pelletier says the strength of Predator Ridge’s identity is evident by the deal struck with Hockey Canada to host its conferences and more recently attracting the NHL Players Association to move its annual meetings to Predator Ridge from Pebble Peach.
“Being in Canada, being able to be the host resort for those two groups sends a pretty strong message and draws recognition to what we are all about,” said Pelletier.
Predator Ridge Resort launched the Whitetail subdivision last year, a project that offered potential buyers two unique characteristics:
To reduce density, a ring of new homes around the golf course creates home unit clusters that fit the natural environmental landscape.
They also move in a different architecture direction — from the traditional Craftsman look currently prevalent at Predator Ridge to more contemporary design option offerings.
“It’s has really had a strong response and I think it speaks to the community we are evolving into and the quality of life options we present that go beyond just the golf courses,” said Pelletier.
“A large percentage of our home buyers don’t even play golf.
“They opt to move here because of the quality of the development, the trail system, being close to the Sparkling Hill Resort and all that it offers, our fitness facility, quality of our dining options and that we are a gated community where everything is looked after for you when you drive through those gates. We like to say that our garages are filled with toys, not tools.”
Claire Radford, a Predator Ridge home design specialist and resident there for the past 14 years, says the lake and mountain views and abundance of wildlife make it easy to forget Predator Ridge is only minutes from the convenience of urban living in nearby Kelowna or Vernon.
Radford notes the new community fire hall, municipal water, ambulance and postal services are important considerations for people who want to live a slower-paced lifestyle without putting up with the isolation or inconvenience of urban-expected services.
With the continued growth, Pelletier believes the challenge is for Wesbuild to continue meeting that housing demand going forward.
“We have other subdivision projects in the works to satisfy that inventory demand that are now going through the planning and detailed engineering process,” Pelletier said.
“These things don’t get done overnight so we have to start those processes now to meet our future needs.”
