Everyone fantasizes about escaping to an island after retirement, but what if that dream didn’t have to wait for one day? Bois Blanc, Canada’s Island Resort, brings us a little closer to living on island time, without having to compromise modern city life and all its conveniences.
Having a getaway or permanent home on BobLo Island wraps you in the same excitement as being on vacation, without the looming feeling of having to pack up and leave. When you switch to island life, the adventure, wonder, and relaxation don’t have to end – they simply become part of your reality.
It’s an exciting time to announce the re-launch and expansion of the development on BobLo Island. Giving a nostalgic nod to its incredible and historic past in the beautiful community of Amherstburg, Ontario, Bois Blanc Canada is moving full steam ahead with the construction of their South End phase with plenty of land opportunities for those looking for a slowed lifestyle that encompasses nature, water, and comfort while still being close to the attraction of everyday necessities.
“Bois Blanc has the vacation vibe of the Muskokas and surrounding regions but with the convenience of being only a quick four-minute ferry ride into town,” Gena Boschin says. Though she’s now a part of the sales and marketing team with Bois Blanc Canada, Gena was first (and still is) a full-time resident of the community.
She dispels a lot of the myths surrounding life on the island, one of them being that Bois Blanc is exclusively a retirement community. Yes, many have moved to the island post-retirement, but there is a recent influx of young families, like Gena’s, who have gravitated towards the island and commute into town as needed.
“Like many other residents on the island, my husband works in the city, and we are both busy with having two younger kids – one in travel soccer and the other in competitive tennis, different schools, and life in general. We’re constantly back and forth! Some assume the ferry as an inconvenience, however – for the most part – traffic is always light, and you can’t beat that view and ride. It sets the tone for my day as I enjoy the morning waves from the deck crew and watching the sunrise or set. Because truly, at the end of a busy day, that ferry ride home allows me to decompress. I can check and read through the mail all while feeling the draw of going somewhere special,” Gena describes that the ride helps her to appreciate daily the reasons to live life on Bois Blanc.
That’s another myth of the island: that it’s so far from everything. “If buying a house is about location, location, location, well hello!” she laughs. The ferry runs every 20 minutes, 24 hours a day and drops residents off right into the heart of Amherstburg with all its booming restaurants, boutique shops, and grocery stores. “Just like everyone else, you can run to the store and stock up the pantry for a few weeks and you wouldn’t actually have to go out again, unless you really wanted to leave your vacation-like setting,” Gena says.
This prime location goes beyond the access to the city and extends to the beauty of the island itself. With its easy walkability, Bois Blanc is a perfect place to explore after the workday is done or on weekends with friends. There is a marina, a new restaurant coming, and an ice cream shop to enjoy, along with White Sands Beach and all of the island’s natural flora and fauna to admire. Gena doesn’t consider herself a “nature person”, yet she loves the access to a real-life Discovery Channel outside her window with the baby Bald Eagle populations learning to fly in early summer, families of deer strutting through the paths, and the reflection of the seasons changing in the trees.
Without being a true gated community, Bois Blanc homes are nestled in a private nook thanks to the ferry system, which acts as security to know who is coming to the island and for what purpose. This gives residents a real sense of safety, especially for those with children. With the lack of busy road traffic (aside from families of ducks crossing the road) the kids on the island get to grow up the way we once did: running from house to house, being raised by a collective of neighbours, and riding their bikes together until the streetlamps nudge them to come home.
The adults get a slice of this nostalgic comradery too; with the entire island spanning a comfortable 5km loop, everyone feels like a neighbour. “They may not be a next-door neighbour, and no matter if they’re in a condo or townhouse, they’re a neighbour from the island,” Gena explains. “Because everyone who buys on the island does so for similar reasons, it’s reflected in the community mindset.”
These close-knit relationships with neighbours are few and far in between in subdivisions nowadays, and Gena says it’s refreshing to be able to borrow an egg from a neighbour, enjoy community events like a recent summer pig roast and Canada Day fireworks, or just to be able to sit one-on-one for a wine night together. At the same time, island living allows for some elbow room and privacy for residents as new and existing lots are more spacious to live in and explore.
The island is following Amherstburg’s lead in its innovation and expansion with Bois Blanc’s addition of 180 new lots in the coming year. They have a great selection of new model home plans and villas or custom home builder opportunities for both single family and town homes, as well as extraordinary waterfront lot opportunities. Buying a home on Bois Blanc is surprisingly comparable to buying on the mainland in terms of price point, with the bonus of being enveloped in extraordinary circumstance.
If the island lifestyle is tugging at your heartstrings and you’re itching to make a change to a carefree vibe with the convenience of a metropolitan city, you can make an appointment with the Bois Blanc team at www.boisblanccanada.com, contact them directly at the emails below, or visit their waterfront office in Amherstburg to view floor plans and a full aerial 3D island model.
Bois Blanc shows you how you can truly live; don’t wait to start the life you’ve been dreaming of.
Waterfront Office: 519-736-1111 | 340 Dalhousie St.
Sandra Couloufis, General Manager – [email protected]
Gena Boschin, Sales & Marketing – [email protected]
Tyler Heraldson, Sales Rep. – [email protected]
