For Ontarians Doug and Teri Johnson, a well being scare was the catalyst for slower tempo of life in Prince Edward Island
Doug and Teri Johnson at the moment are residing a slower, calmer life in Cape Wolfe (images by Stephen Harris)
The patrons:
Doug Johnson, a 58-year-old retired operations supervisor, and his spouse, Teri, a 58-year-old retired medical lab technologist.
The finances:
$500,000
The backstory:
Doug and Teri spent their lives in St. Catharines, the southern Ontario metropolis the place they met in 1982 by pals. They raised their youngsters, Arlington and Olivia, in the identical three-bedroom bungalow that Teri grew up in. Previous to the pandemic, the couple had been planning for his or her retirement—which, they hoped, would come with a prettier property with extra land. “The bungalow wasn’t our dream house,” Doug says. “It was near a busy street and our neighbours have been proper there.” Initially, the Johnsons have been aiming to retire in 2024, however they reprioritized when Doug was identified with prostate most cancers in 2020. “That made me say, ‘It’s time to loosen up and luxuriate in life,’ ” Doug says.
A wall of home windows seems to be out onto the Northumberland Strait
They briefly thought-about relocating inside the province—north to Collingwood or southwest to Leamington—however they knew that the $500,000 they’d probably web from the sale of their bungalow wouldn’t stretch very far in Ontario’s dear market. As an alternative, they appeared east to Prince Edward Island, which they’d visited 3 times on trip. Doug fondly remembers seaside journeys, the requisite heaps of seafood and trying out the native music scene. “Folks actually didn’t appear to be in a rush—they’d strike up a dialog or cease in to let you recognize a ceilidh, or celebration, is occurring down the street,” he says. P.E.I. checked the Johnsons’ most essential field: much less stress.
The hunt:
In February of 2021, Doug and Teri reached out to a Charlottetown-based realtor with just a few extra wish-list objects: three bedrooms, a waterfront view and entry to medical look after Doug shut by. (Like the remainder of the nation, P.E.I. is dealing with a critical scarcity of medical doctors.) Quarantine was nonetheless necessary for out-of-province travellers, so the Johnsons had their realtor ahead native listings. Properties have been promoting a lot faster than they anticipated. First, they missed out on a three-bedroom ranch-style bungalow in northwestern Gordon Cove, and later, a three-bedroom raised bungalow in Cape Bear. They realized bidding wars aren’t as frequent in P.E.I. as they’re in Ontario. Sellers out east usually settle for the primary gives that are available in.
The eating room
By April, the Johnsons have been revisiting listings they’d as soon as ignored. One was for a three-bedroom, two-bathroom bungalow in Cape Wolfe, listed for $459,000. It was an hour northwest of Summerside, the closest metropolis, however only a 25-minute drive from a hospital. A video tour, posted on YouTube, revealed an enthralling V-shaped house clad in a mosaic of customized stonework, with a brand new addition constructed by the earlier homeowners. The sunny primary entrance gave strategy to a front room with a wood-burning fire, which led to a sunroom with clear views of the Northumberland Strait.
Doug and Teri submitted a suggestion of $450,000, conditional on a house inspection, which the sellers accepted. The Cape Wolfe property was theirs, they usually’d by no means stepped foot inside. “Everyone thought we have been loopy,” Doug says. The couple stayed within the St. Catharines home for just a few months till December, when it offered for $505,000. It was a superb factor that they had a spot to sleep, as a result of securing movers was almost unattainable. “Most of the corporations have been too busy transferring different folks to the East Coast,” Doug says. Final January, he and Teri lastly settled in for good.
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The Johnsons misplaced energy for 5 days throughout Hurricane Fiona, however except for some downed branches, the property stays mercifully intact. (Doug referred to as it a superb check for all times within the Maritimes.) Packages are solely delivered on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and Doug continues to be on the ready checklist for a brand new GP. However then they’re additionally a brief drive from a sea-glass-speckled seaside, biking on the Confederation Path and ceilidhs with new pals on the town. Teri even purchased a keyboard and is taking classes on-line. “I’ve at all times needed to play,” she says. “I simply by no means had the time.”
The compulsory lighthouse retains watch alongside the shoreline
