Palm Springs, Canada

With Palermo Palm Springs being Little Canada, this article from the Palm Springs newspaper is of interest. It says: "The strong Canadian economy is good news for the Coachella Valley. With the Canadian loonie strong against the U.S. dollar, Canadians have been the bright spot in our real estate market. Solid numbers are not available but, anecdotally, valley Realtors estimate that snowbirds account for up to half of their sales. One major deal was the $3.5 million purchase of Desert Dunes Golf Club near Desert Hot Springs in 2009. The course, which was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. and opened in 1989, had gone into foreclosure.The buyer, Canadian businessman Glen Brayshaw, and his partners have pumped $2 million into the course to return it to its championship form. He is in escrow on 475 acres around the course, where he plans to build 900 condos and 1,500 houses. Last week, the Canadian California Business Council announced it is moving its Celebrity Golf Classic from Los Angeles to Desert Dunes. The Feb. 10-11 tournament will host a field of 144 golfers, including celebrities, business owners and dignitaries. The 2009 tournament was broadcast on the ET Canada channel to more than 800,000 viewers. That level of exposure should attract more Canadian visitors to our valley. The council estimates more than 3,000 Canadians pass through the Palm Springs International Airport each week starting in January. The Riverside County foreign trade office has been working with Lee Frasier, a Warner Bros. executive and president of the council. During the event, Riverside County Supervisors Marion Ashley and John Benoit will sign a bilateral trade agreement with the council to market the county as a “destination of choice.” The weekend also will include a meeting of the C100 group, which includes many of the wealthiest Canadians." Miss Penny Lane says: She always watches for the season's first sighting of a snowbird at the pool and celebrates accordingly.