Same character, different country

A mountain community in the West Kootenay has an ambience similar to that of a town in the Mojave Desert

Rebecca George owns and operates Blind Faith Window Coverings in Nelson, B.C. — Photo courtesy Rebecca George

We asked Rebecca George, owner of Blind Faith Window Coverings in Nelson, about her housing history.

Where did you live when you were first independent as a young adult?
I grew up in the Mojave Desert in southern California, in Ridgecrest, about two-and-one-half hours from Los Angeles. I moved to a girls’ dormitory in the big city of Bakersfield to go to college.

After college I lived in the Bay area of Sonoma County for 25 years, at the time when the wine country was growing and becoming popular. We had lots of fun with friends who were winemakers.

Can you describe where you live now, and why you chose it?
My husband’s family is Canadian, so when our older daughter graduated with a degree in viticulture and oenology six years ago, we thought we’d check out the Okanagan.

The winemaking lifestyle didn’t really suit my husband and me, so we looked farther afield, to Nelson, which reminds me of the area where I grew up. People here generally have a high education level, there are lots of creative people, and the lifestyle incorporates fun. There’s lots of access to theatre, outdoor sports, music and dance, and that’s part of what attracted us to Nelson. We love being close to the water—our younger daughter is in the rowing club and I’m on the Dragon Boat team.

Are you living in your dream house, or do you aspire to something different?
We live in Taghum, just outside Nelson. It’s sunny, and we just love our wonderful views and our great neighbours. I think we actually are in our dream house. It does need a bigger kitchen, and being on geothermal or solar power might be great, but otherwise I love my house exactly as it is and where it is.