I am a Mother of four grown children and Grandma to four little ones. I love children, nature, the ocean gardening, creating, fixing things and my home. I traveled extensively aboard my 60’ sailboat with my young family through the South Pacific and the Coast of British Columbia. I have just retired from the Canadian Coast Guard where I worked for over 10 years as a Seaman aboard the Search and Rescue and scientific research vessels. I have traveled the Coast of British Columbia, Alaska and the Arctic. I love my country and our planet!

Currently I work part time as a Nature Nanny teaching young children about our incredible natural world. I still own my boat which I have certified for Chartering and plan to go cruising again.

Rebecca Gresham purchased this house in 2006

Location, location, location. Not only is this place a great place to visit it’s an even better place to live!

Be prepared to fall in love with Brentwood Bay!

Quiet, peaceful, great neighbours and close to the ocean. Brentwood Bay is a great place to moor a vessel and play in the very sheltered waters of Saanich Inlet. You can launch your canoe (or mine) or rent a paddle board or kayak from Pacific Paddle shop, 2 minutes from Shell Cottage. You can paddle across the bay and in less than 15 minutes you are in Todd Inlet which feels like the middle of nowhere. There are Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, seals, otters and occasionally Orcas and Humpbacks whales have come into Brentwood Bay to fed and play.

I can walk to the beach and go for a swim whenever I want (ok June thru September without a wet suit). The Saanich Peninsula is beautiful, rural farms, garden tours, wineries; West Saanich Rd connects from Swartz Bay to Victoria without ever going on the Highway! The ferry to Mill Bay makes for a great scenic short cut across the Inlet to Mill Bay and North to Cowichan valley and onward without a car either by bike or transit. Tod Gowland Park is great for mountain biking and hiking and you are only 20 minutes to down town Victoria, or Sidney by the Sea. There truly is so much to see and do for the whole family

You can decide last minute to go for breakfast, lunch or dinner at one of the four restaurants with in 5 min walking distance, Brentwood Bay Lodge either the Pub which is lovely or the dining room, amazing sushi. The Sea Horse Cafe right on the water, the blues Bayou with Cajun cuisine right on the water as well or Chinese food. Free fireworks display every Saturday night courtesy of Butchart gardens can be viewed from the Ferry dock or on board my sailboat.

Shell Cottage is a great space to share. The layout works. I have always shared my house. With the large Master bedroom suite being the only room on the second storey it provides you with a private space away from the rest of the house. The stair well opens to the cozy living room/front entry (the original 1940’s cabin); with a natural gas fire place is the center of the house, with the front door to the parking and laneway. The living room opens to a fairly large open country style kitchen and eating area, with arts and crafts style island (made it myself from upcycled cabinet) and gas range, washer and dryer tucked into a closet off the kitchen, side by side fridge and dishwasher. The house continues to sprawl across its corner lot with a great back deck off the large open kitchen and yet another family/dining room with additional accommodation (use to be a garage I think). The house is casual with wood floors throughout the downstairs main living area you can walk from the front door thru the kitchen to the back deck. The yard has lots of mature trees including a 40’ Palm tree and a mature first growth Douglas fir in the back yard, yet the sun tracks its way around the house so that it is bright light and airy with lots of sunny and shady areas throughout the day,

In addition to flower gardens throughout the yard there is an organic veggie garden, a small tranquil pond (netted for safety), fully fenced yard and small craft shop studio. The house is a unique blend of old charm and newer construction which is what appealed to me when I bought the house. It’s been great fun doing minor renovations, tiling, painting, flooring, as well as furnishing and equipping the house with quality unique second hand and refurbished treasures and Art work. There is no TV. Lots of books, games, craft and art supplies, sports gear and of course there is WIFI and a house computer. Everything you need clean, calm no fuss a place where it’s ok to make a bit of a muss!