Budget 2018

March 22, 2018 Uncategorized

If you would like to submit your letter – here is the email address: [email protected]

Here is a letter from Gay Helmsing, written directly to the finance minister:

The Honourable Carole James,
Minister of Finance,
Government of BC.

Dear Minister,

I am writing to you to share the impact this proposed Speculation Tax will have in Victoria and the Saanich Peninsula in particular.

I have been selling Real Estate in Victoria and the Peninsula for well over twenty years. A good part of my business has  been people from Ontario and Alberta, many of them with business and professional ties to the other provinces.  They come here in good faith and buy a little piece of paradise.  They contribute to our local economy, support our communities by giving of their expertise by volunteering, actually have become an important part of the fabric of our communities. These are not “out of country” speculators looking for a good place to park their money, they are Canadians who live here and contribute to our Provincial economy.

The response I have received from these people is, quite frankly overwhelming.  I predict that this policy, if adopted, will have a negative impact in our local markets and communities.

I urge you and your officials to look at the impact this policy will have on the many communities in our Province.

Respectfully submitted,
Gay Helmsing, Sidney 

And from a client speaking for many of our clients:

 Dear Gay and Anthea,  I have been a seasonal resident of Sidney for over 20 years now.  I love it so much that I applied to immigrate to Canada soon after my husband died.  I was turned down, so now I spend as long in Sidney as I’m allowed, just under 6 months.

In no way am I a speculator, but if this tax proposal passes as is, I will be forced to leave BC.  I will no longer bring money to pay for Canadian goods and services year after year.  To tax long standing homeowners seems horribly unfair.  In the U.S. we don’t charge Canadian homeowners of U.S. property anything above their regular real estate taxes.

I’m doing everything I know to prevent this legislation from passing.  But if it does, I will leave and never return.  And I will leave loudly and in anger.

Thank you,
Carol Foster