Lions Bay is the Real Deal

Home giveaway a "lifechanger" for Ontario transplants

Photo credit: Wealthsimple.

The draw has been made, and Lions Bay's first home giveaway now has an owner. But whether the Ontario ex-pats who won the place can stick out life here in the temperate rainforest remains to be seen.

Billed as the (Un)Real Deal, the home giveaway was a promotional effort by Canadian investment management company Wealthsimple. Aimed at potential clients. signing up for the contest gave them a shot at winning the home.

The winner, an Ontario resident identified only as 'William', can be seen HERE in this promotional video taking a brief first look at his new home. Wealthsimple's Chief Growth Officer Simon Lejeune says that the company is keeping most details private "out of respect for the winner".

Lejeune says the home belongs to its new owner free and clear, and there is no clause limiting the resale of home. "Ultimately our goal was to share this beautiful home and community with a deserving winner, and we wanted to make sure the win was genuinely good and not a burden," Lejeune told The Watershed. "That's why the grand prize also includes $100,000 in cash for first-year costs like property taxes and utilities. Wealthsimple covers all closing costs, legal fees, and transfer fees, and the home comes fully furnished."

Lejeune says the promotion was a successful one for Wealthsimple. "We measure success by how many Canadians it encourages to start saving and investing for their future, and on that front, the response well exceeded our expectations."

As for the new owner, he says he considers his new home more than just a house. "It represents safety and stability, and this will change our lives forever."

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