A Port Coquitlam family hopes Tri-City residents will take a moment to enjoy a cool ice cream treat this Thursday, Aug. 13, and help support the BC Children's Hospital.

Thursday is Miracle Treat Day when proceeds from Blizzards sold at participating Dairy Queens will support critical research, education and life-saving equipment for the hospital that helps so many sick children, including Clara Howorth, who was five when she was diagnosed with leukemia.

Today, after more than two years of treatment, Clara's cancer is now in remission and the Grade 4 Blakeburn elementary student is winning prizes for her dancing.

Her mom, Andrea, says the family is extremely grateful for the care and support Clara received at BC Children's and hopes Tri-City residents will join them in a Blizzard treat so other families will get similar treatment.

In all, about 840 youngsters are in active treatment for cancer at BC Children's Hospital each year.

"What a great excuse for an ice cream," Howorth said, who said her daughter has bounced back and is an active, happy, healthy young girl.

"We credit children's hospital for saving Clara's life," Howarth noted.

She said other children in the Tri-City area have been stricken with cancer recently and all are getting treatment at BC Children's Hospital so visiting Dairy Queen Thursday will, in a way, help them, too.

"We're really trying to spread the word and support these charities," Howarth added.

BC Children’s Hospital is the province’s only full-service acute-care hospital and serves  close to one million children living in B.C. and the Yukon. All children who are seriously ill or injured are referred to Children’s Hospital and are either treated at the hospital facility in Vancouver or, with consultation from Children’s specialists, in their home community. Last year, more than 84,000 children were treated at Children’s Hospital. Funds raised by BC Children’s Hospital Foundation are used to support BC Children’s Hospital, its research institute and Sunny Hill Health Centre for Children.

This year marks the 13th annual Miracle Treat Day; Dairy Queen has been involved with Children’s Miracle Network since 1984 raising more than $100 million nationwide.

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Summer heat doesn’t slow home buyer activity

Metro Vancouver home sales were more than a third above the 10-year average in July, while the number of homes listed for sale continues to trend below recent years. 

The Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver (REBGV) reports that residential property sales in Metro Vancouver* reached 3,978 on the Multiple Listing Service® (MLS®) in July 2015. This represents a 30 per cent increase compared to the 3,061 sales recorded in July 2014, and a decrease of 9.1 per cent compared to the 4,375 sales in June 2015.

Last month’s sales were 33.5 per cent above the 10-year sales average for the month.

“Today’s activity continues to benefit sellers as home buyers compete for the homes available for sale,” Darcy McLeod, REBGV president said.

New listings for detached, attached and apartment properties in Metro Vancouver totalled 5,112 in July. This represents a 3.8 per cent increase compared to the 4,925 new listings reported in July 2014.

The total number of properties currently listed for sale on the region’s MLS® is 11,505, a 26.3 per cent decline compared to July 2014 and a 5.5 per cent decline compared to June 2015.

"Much of today’s activity can be traced to strong consumer confidence, low interest rates, and a reduced supply of homes for sale.” McLeod said. “We have about 5,000 to 6,000 fewer homes for sale today than we've seen at this time of year over the last five to six years," 

The MLS® Home Price Index composite benchmark price for all residential properties in Metro Vancouver is currently $700,500. This represents an 11.2 per cent increase compared to July 2014.

With the sales-to-active-listings ratio at 34.6 per cent, the region remains in seller's market territory.

“Although there aren’t as many homes for sale today compared to recent years, home buyers continue to have a range of housing options, at different price points, to choose from across Metro Vancouver,” McLeod said. “The diversity of housing options is part of what’s driving today’s demand.”

Sales of detached properties in July 2015 reached 1,559, an increase of 17.9 per cent from the 1,322 detached sales recorded in July 2014, and a 24.8 per cent increase from the 1,249 units sold in July 2013. The benchmark price for a detached property in Metro Vancouver increased 16.2 per cent from July 2014 to $1,141,800.

Sales of apartment properties reached 1,729 in July 2015, an increase of 42.7 per cent compared to the 1,212 sales in July 2014, and an increase of 42.9 per cent compared to the 1,210 sales in July 2013. The benchmark price of an apartment property increased 5.9 per cent from July 2014 to $400,900.

Attached property sales in July 2015 totalled 690, an increase of 30.9 per cent compared to the 527 sales in July 2014, and a 41.7 per cent increase from the 487 attached properties sold in July 2013. The benchmark price of an attached unit increased 7.8 per cent between July 2014 and 2015 to $511,500.