Canada Day and Independence Day Decorating

Did you decorate for Canada Day?

Newmarket's Main Street always looks great for Canada Day, with lots of flags and gorgeous flowers, and the street fills with hundreds of people wearing red and white. Our Canada Day celebration is awesome!

Driving around town, I saw lots of flags flying, on flag posts, in flower beds and flower pots, on balconies, on cars, all over. Some homes were really beautifully decorated! I saw lots of red and white flower beds looking especially pretty with rows of flags framing them, and a red chair or a red door really pops when there's a Canada Day flower arrangement placed beside it.

I suspect that the homes with the most decorations were having parties for Canada Day. We don't tend to go all-out patriotic, we Canadians.

When you cross the border, it's different. Americans really fly their colours on Independence Day, and many more homes fly flags year-round. The "Stars and Stripes" appears not only on flagpoles but also on exterior and interior walls, floors, furniture, clothing, dishes, everywhere.

I think that Canadians do not love their country less than Americans love the USA. Indeed, we politely and humbly prefer Canada over every other place in the world.

Proudly Canadian, on July 1st and every day!

Coffee in Newmarket

Where do you get yours?
You might want to try something different.

Do you do the drive-through thing at Tim Hortons or under the golden arches? Are you a loyal Starbuck’s customer? Do you have to have a donut with your coffee? You can do that in Newmarket. There are plenty of big-name places to get your caffeine fix. We have all the well-known coffee shops, donut franchises, and restaurant chains here.

But, we also have lots of independent coffee shops and restaurants. Get to know your neighbourhood by becoming a regular at one of the local spots. Go inside. Say hello and maybe sit down and drink your coffee there. It tastes better in a real cup, doesn’t it? They’ll give it to you to take out too if you’re really in a hurry.
Something else you might consider if you’re living in Newmarket is getting some art or culture with your coffee at some of the more interesting coffee shops in town. There’s Covernotes on Main Street which features displays of local art, live music, book signings and other cultural events. Also on Main Street, you’ll find Books/Cafe & Things which is a used book store and much more. Live entertainment is also a feature there.

Next time you’re meeting for some coffee with friends or for business, consider meeting at one of these interesting spots on Main Street. (If you prefer beer, there’s the amazing ‘gastropub’, HBH. And, then there’s the martini bar, Cachet.) While you’re there, say hello to us folks at Main Street Realty.

Look around and you’ll find all kinds of great alternatives to lining up behind a bunch of idling cars to get your morning coffee.

Buyer Tip: You Like it, Stalk it

When you’re interested in a house, act like a stalker. Drive past it at several different times of day. Park up the street to watch it with binoculars, and see what goes on in the neighbourhood. Research the town. Google the school, the recreation centre, the parks. Look them up on Facebook and Twitter.

Maybe you didn’t notice that the house is on a busy bus route or close to railway tracks. Maybe you thought that kids would be playing in the streets, but it’s all seniors living there. The dog walkers might bother you, or you might want to join them. You didn’t see all the basement apartments until you started looking for them. Would you be happy to have the income potential or are you nervous about the extra traffic?


If you’re looking at something in Newmarket, I can tell you that Newmarket is an excellent place to live! I can tell you about the different neighbourhoods, their advantages and disadvantages. When Harry Naghavi is your Realtor, you will get a thorough understanding of what you’re buying. I’ll even lend you my binoculars.

First-Time Home Owner/ First-Time Garden Owner (Handy tips and links)

Your First Home! Wow! Congratulations! Awesome feeling, home ownership.

Are you excited about having a yard? Are you planning your flower beds, maybe some decorative pots on the porch? Did you remember to buy a lawn mower (a push one if you have a small lawn)?

It's exciting to get your hands dirty in the garden for the first time. It's also a big responsibility. I've got some information you need, things to think about, some tips and links for you to get you started, including a list of essential garden tools. 

There's the property standards thing: There are bylaws about fences and hedges, and garbage, and more.  "Private Property and Boulevard Enforcement involves by-laws primarily associated with land use (zoning), lot maintenance, property standards, boulevards, signs and noise. The enforcement of these by-laws supports orderly development, community standards and community image." (Town of Newmarket) 

And the environmental thing: Newmarket has a bylaw limiting pesticides, and water restrictions. There is a green bin compost program and the town encourages you to purchase a garden composter (Town of Newmarket) and York Region has tips for yard care and gardening that save water and we got our rain barrel cheap through the region (Water For Tomorrow).   "The average suburban lawn uses six times the hazardous chemicals per acre as conventional farming. Per hour of operation, a gas mower emits 10 times as much hydrocarbon as a car. Then, of course, there are the sprinkler systems that go off like clockwork, even when it’s raining." (Canadian Living) 

Remember, you're taking care of living things. You'll love watching your baby plants grow into flowers and vegetables. If you don't have children, having a garden gives you a great outlet for your nurturing instincts. If you have children, there are a million lessons that gardens teach.

Don't worry. There's lots of help out there: websites and blogs online, books, and staff at gardening centres, even gardening centres in department stores and at Canadian Tire can help. And, talking about yard work is a great way to meet your neighbours! They'll know best about what works in your neighbourhood.

For information on plants and planting and everything gardening, follow local garden people, like Mark Cullen. on blogs and Facebook posts to get timely advice. You'll know when it's time to plant tulips and the best way to do it, for example.

Don't go crazy buying all the fancy gardening tools. You might not need them all, and you might be able to borrow some. Here's a list of essentials:

1. Gloves (can be old leather gloves)
2. Wheelbarrow (kids' wagon works in a pinch)
3. Rake (for leaves, and a straight rake if you have flower and vegetable beds)
4. Hand pruners (scissors, saws, and loppers and other cutting things are good too)
5. Watering Can (and a good hose attachment is nice)
6. Trowel (for planting smaller things)
7. Spade (for planting bigger things- watch where you're digging. Here's the number to call to locate underground stuff.)

Creepy Garden Gnomes Optional

Choose Newmarket for your Family and Business

If you’re considering moving to Newmarket, good thinking!

I moved up here from Toronto in 1996 and I love it. It’s been a perfect place to raise a family, to do business, and to enjoy life.

Take a look at the Wikipedia page for Newmarket. There is a ton of good information about our town, and lots of great reasons to make it your home. You can follow this link. 

Here are some simple facts from that page:

“According to the 2011 census, the town's population was 79,978. The York Region Planning Department projects a population of 98,000 by 2026. Newmarket's population density is just over 2000 inhabitants per square kilometer, ranking it third in Ontario and 33rd in Canada. 

English is the mother tongue of 77.4% of Newmarket residents, according to the 2011 Census. Italian is the mother tongue for 1.8% of the population, followed by French at 1.4%, and Russian and Spanish, each at 1.3%.

In 2005, the average household income in Newmarket was $96,680.00, far exceeding the provincial average for the same year of $77,967.00”

Check out that bottom line!

If you’re thinking of starting a business, start it here. Newmarket is not only a perfect place to raise a family, but also a great place to do business. People from all over the region come to Newmarket to shop at the Upper Canada Mall, along Yonge Street, on Historic Main Street and all around town. Highway 404 conveniently brings people up into town at Mulock, Davis Drive and Green Lane. 

Although many Newmarket residents commute to jobs in Toronto, something I did for a number of years as well, there are lots of jobs right here. And, the town is growing and improving constantly.  

Here’s what Wikipedia says about our economy:

“Newmarket features a diverse and growing economy based largely in the business services and knowledge industries, and the administrative, manufacturing and retail sectors.

The following are some of the Town's major public sector employers:

• Southlake Regional Health Centre

• Regional Municipality of York

• Town of Newmarket

• York Regional Police

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police Headquarters

• Ontario Court of Justice

• York Region District School Board

• York Catholic District School Board

• Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority

• The following are some of the town's major private sector employers:

• Allied International Credit

• Flextronics

• TS Tech Canada Inc.

• Effem Foods

• CeDe Candy

• Exco Technologies

• Magna International

• Snap-On Tools

• Cintas

Notwithstanding these major employers, a large percentage of Newmarket's population commutes to Toronto for employment.”

TGIF! Time to get away from it all -right here in Newmarket

Another Friday, and the 400 is a parking lot. Tons of people are all heading north from Toronto to get away from it all. Heading to a lake, to the woods, to a cottage, a cabin, a trailer, a tent, they just want to have some space and fresh air away from the city.

Another bunch of people are at home in Newmarket, enjoying a big backyard, maybe a pool, maybe a walk in the park. They're going to the lake tomorrow, fishing, or to the beach for a couple of hours after going to the Saturday Farmer's Market in the morning. Lake Simcoe is just up the street. And, maybe tomorrow night, they'll go to a game in Toronto, or meet with some friends. It's not that far.

A weekend at home can be as good as a holiday.

Thinking about getting away from it all in Newmarket?

Give me a call. I'll help you find a home that gives you a weekend getaway every weekend, without the traffic. 

Summertime and the beach is easy

It's still summer, and it's a beautiful hot day. If you lived in Newmarket, you could be at a beach in half an hour- how does a picnic supper at the beach on a work night sound? 

Newmarket has all the urban amenities you need and access to all the rural escapes you want. 

And, it's still affordable.

Give me a call and we'll find you the perfect home.

Closer to the Action

Have I mentioned how great it is to live in Newmarket? :-)


The best ice fishing I've had so far has been right here in my backyard (so to speak) on Lake  Simcoe at Virginia Beach. Non-stop action. 


I spent last weekend fishing in the Belleville area at the fishing derby on Big Gull Lake. It was a nice trip, good fun with friends at a cottage. But, not one fish was caught by our whole group. 


Living in Newmarket, we're also very close to great skiing. It's no big deal for some of the kids in my younger daughter's class to take a day off to go skiing. And, in the high school parking lot, I frequently see kids piling into vehicles with skis and gear in the back.


Every season has its perks. We're a bit closer to the action here.