Early this spring I was doing my volunteer gardening on Melcroft Street. The soil was muddy and sticking to my boots. There were three square bricks leading to a garden hose that for some reason was not to be turned on till late May.

I was looking at a few properties not too long ago and came across a building in East Vancouver, in what is now a very hot area. The unit was listed for significantly less than what others of equal square footage were going for.

The lady in 110 became alarmed when carpeting along one wall in her unit was suddenly saturated with water.  She immediately notified her strata council.

Two days later, and before the council had time to investigate, a second flooding occurred in the same area of the same apartment.  This time a huge water stain appeared on a bedroom ceiling, one wall of the bedroom was soft to the touch and some of the carpeting was wet.

Mark wanted his newly purchased condo to be classy, to have a high-end appearance, yet be easy to clean. He decided to start with hardwood flooring and had just begun looking around when he happened on some beautiful surplus Brazilian cherry. Super expensive, yes, but he could save a ton of money by doing the work himself. Partly because it was a cash deal he didn’t ask many questions (He didn’t know what questions to ask anyway). He bought it and took it home, very pleased with himself.

As of January 1, 2007, multi-residence properties with four or more units must apply pesticides under license.

The Ministry of Environment requires that all property owners and managers, who apply pesticides, pass an exam on pest management and the safe handling of pesticides as well as register with the Ministry.

Pesticide application includes chemicals used for cockroaches, bedbugs, rodents and even weed management. Owners or managers who use professional pesticide application companies will not need to be licensed.

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