After an exhaustive search of more well known retirement communities such as Niagara-on-the-Lake and Huntsville, they purchased a building lot at Dover Shores in the scenic southwestern Ontario hamlet of Mitchell’s Bay, mid-way between Sarnia and Windsor and about a 12-minute drive from Chatham.
They have joined about a dozen other couples who have either moved or will be moving to Dover Shores, an exclusive enclave of 20 exceptional, architecturally coordinated residences on spectacular lakefront lots ranging in price from $84,900 to $109,900.
All the lots are serviced with natural gas, municipal sewers and water and the purchase price also includes a private boat slip.
“We purchased a lot the same day we visited the site,” says Ron, a merchandising executive.
Their new custom-built home, scheduled for completion in November, will serve as a weekend and summer retreat until Ron retires, at which point they will move there permanently.
“This is simply paradise. There was a fuzzy, warm feeling about this community from the minute we arrived. And it’s so warm here,” says Mrs. Crane, in describing some of the factors that led to their purchase.
That’s a point local developer Paul Roy likes to emphasize.
“The weather is so much warmer here than other areas of Ontario. You can golf from March to November,” says Roy, citing just one of the joys of living in the Lake St. Clair region and particularly Mitchell’s Bay.
Probably few people outside of Southwestern Ontario, especially in the Greater Toronto Area, have considered or know that the Lake St. Clair area is an attractive destination for retirees or people searching for their ultimate dream home property, says Roy.
He’s confident that will change as more purchasers such as the Cranes discover what the area has to offer. An example is the great boating on Lake St. Clair which has numerous marinas. With their boat slips right at their homes the residents of Dover Shores have easy access to the lake.
World class fishing is also available and the lake area is excellent for birding, as it has the distinction of being one of North America’s most important and recognized flyways.
Located about an hour’s drive from Detroit, the area also offers kite surfing and other sports and proximity to Pelee National Park and two provincial parks and “the very best” salmon fishing in nearby Lake Erie. Plans are also underway to extend the Trans Canada through the community.
Theatre patrons will appreciate the wide range of performing arts facilities that are close at hand including the Capitol Theatre in nearby Chatham, the legendary 425-seat Victoria Playhouse in Petrolia and the numerous theatres in Detroit, says Roy.
A local resident and business person, Roy is the principal of Roy Investment Limited, the development firm that created Dover Shores. Obtaining the various provincial and municipal environmental and other regulatory approvals was a very long and complex process. But those efforts have paid off with 15 lots in the first phase already sold. Several homes have been built or under construction.
The developer’s custom builder can complete the construction of a home within six months. Purchasers have the option of selecting their own builder as long as the design conforms to the architectural guidelines and the house built within 30 months of the purchase, he says.
While there are only five lots reaming in the first phase, other phases are being planned, says Roy.
For more information call (519) 354-0460 or visit www.dovershores.com.
