By Steve Hubrecht
If, like many people, you’re thinking of buying a home in the Columbia Valley because of the unparalleled outdoor lifestyle here, the valley’s newest Realtor® Megan Arn speaks your language.
Arn was born in Banff and grew up in Jasper, but has been coming to the valley since she was an infant. She has family here and spent her summers at Lakeshore Campground.
Arn and her husband Dan moved here permanently four years ago. They enjoyed life in Jasper (where they met as ski instructors) but felt the Columbia Valley was the place to make their home and raise their daughters Sloan (age five) and Mya (age four).
“The valley has always been my happy place,” Arn told the Pioneer. “That’s part of the reason we got married in Windermere. It was my happy place, now it’s our happy place as a family.”
The family bought a house in Invermere, and have embarked on new careers, swapping out roles as raft guides, ski instructors, and in seniors housing for jobs in forestry and real estate.
Arn recently completed her Realtor® licence and joined the local Royal LePage Rockies West Realty team. She remembers the stress and worry the first time she purchased a house. “It’s a big thing,” she recalled.
Arn wants to help people with that process, whether they are buying their first home or their 10th. “I want to share the valley with them,” said Arn.
With her calm demeanour, her decades of insider knowledge about the valley’s different communities, and her ability to relate to what attracts homebuyers here, Arn makes buying a place smooth and straightforward.
“I love the place. I love the people. I love the vibe of the valley. You feel it as soon as you drive through the rock cut (Sinclair Creek Canyon) in Radium. It helps me slow down and appreciate life. It helps everyone do that,” she said.
When not busy with real estate, Arn and her family are outdoors, alpine skiing, nordic skiing, hiking, on the lake, or in their big backyard garden.
“I like having my hands in the earth and being able to grow my own food,” said Arn of her gardening passion.
Invermere’s unique climate — very warm and a long growing season for a mountain town — means a bountiful garden full of tomatoes, zucchini, and large pumpkins. Arn is delighted by the contrast to the cold climate and short growing season in Jasper, where she had to settle for growing kale and other hardy plants.
To connect with Arn, visit meganarn.com or call 250-688- 9658.
