- Story by Erin McPhee Photography by Lia Crowe
Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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JM Ledet has found his happy place.
It91裸聊视频檚 a place where the air is warm and moisture-laden due to the richness of lush, tropical greenery. It91裸聊视频檚 a place where hummingbirds hum and flit from place to place, and green frogs are both seen and heard. It91裸聊视频檚 his personal sanctuary and it is truly worlds away from his everyday: a fast-paced, business-oriented lifestyle as the new sales manager at Victoria91裸聊视频檚 Jim Pattison Volvo.
During a recent conversation with the 48-year-old Oak Bay resident, I91裸聊视频檓 shocked to discover that the magical destination he91裸聊视频檚 describing is not, in fact, accessible via lengthy plane ride, rather it91裸聊视频檚 located just a short jaunt up the Patricia Bay Highway.
91裸聊视频淚 have a nursery with over 1,000 palm trees,91裸聊视频� says JM (short for Jean-Michel) with a twinkle in his eye.
Pressed for more details as to the greenhouse91裸聊视频檚 whereabouts, he keeps mum. He does, however, offer up a sense of its sheer magnitude, comparing it to the high-ceilinged dealership showroom, gesturing outside the office we91裸聊视频檙e meeting in.
91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 just a mysterious place in Brentwood Bay where nobody can see it; nobody has access,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淏ut there is a phenomenal facility out there.91裸聊视频�
He adds, 91裸聊视频淔or me, really good moments are to be in that very, very large greenhouse when it91裸聊视频檚 pouring out rain and I91裸聊视频檓 surrounded by tropical plants. Everybody91裸聊视频檚 out there running around with their umbrellas and I91裸聊视频檓 in shorts and a T-shirt in a heated greenhouse. The sound on the roof, the smell of the palm trees91裸聊视频t91裸聊视频檚 great.91裸聊视频�
JM91裸聊视频檚 love affair with palm trees all started a couple of years ago when he went to a farm in Metchosin to buy a single palm for his yard. Through that interaction, he learned that his palm tree91裸聊视频檚 previous owner had recently passed away and his company was up for grabs. JM decided to buy the contents of the greenhouse, which contained two species 91裸聊视频� waggies and fortunei 91裸聊视频� and continues to lease a facility to house them. At last count, the greenhouse was home to 1,743 palm trees, as well as some other New Zealand exotic plants.
For the most part, JM says, the palm trees are for personal use; for example, he and his partner recently went to great lengths to transport a large number to their new waterfront property on the west side of Bamfield, accessible only by boat. However, due to an increasing number of people contacting him, interested in taking some off his hands, he91裸聊视频檚 beginning to consider the inherent business opportunities.
JM says his 91裸聊视频渃razy little hobby91裸聊视频� offers a nice break from the automotive industry, for which he also maintains a strong passion 91裸聊视频� both professionally and personally. He91裸聊视频檚 spent his entire career working in automotive dealership management and ownership, and in his non-work hours, has devoted countless hours to the restoration of classic vehicles.
JM91裸聊视频檚 interest in cars was forged in his early teens. While his two older brothers and friends were picking up sports and travel magazines, he would instead pore over the pages of Auto Trader, interested in determining the best deal 91裸聊视频� an early honed skill that continues to serve him well in his daily life.
JM has recently gathered a small collection of French Citro毛n DS 21s, dating back to the 1960s and 91裸聊视频�70s. He currently has five that are all in various stages of the restoration process that he, for the most part, undertakes himself.
91裸聊视频淭he French car community is a small, tight, hilarious group of people,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淭hey all have a little bit of a French background or obviously an appreciation for French vehicles, but through that online community and person-to-person interaction here in Victoria, I91裸聊视频檝e generated some phenomenal friends.91裸聊视频�
Driving around in his Citro毛ns, two of which are currently road-ready, JM tends to attract a lot of attention 91裸聊视频� especially when he stops for gas.
91裸聊视频淭he French [cars] are known for suspensions91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淎s you turn the vehicle off, it sits down on the ground so it91裸聊视频檚 easy access in and out. You have levers where you can crank the height of the vehicle up to be able to go over rough terrain. The objective back in France in the day was to build the vehicle to carry eggs from the farm to the market through the field without losing an egg. That was their advertising campaign. It91裸聊视频檚 hilarious.91裸聊视频�
Apart from cars, JM has a strong passion for friends and family, and is grateful to have his parents and siblings similarly based in the Victoria area.
91裸聊视频淣othing is better than sitting down on a Sunday night for supper with friends and family,91裸聊视频� he says.
JM credits his values with his upbringing on a hobby farm outside of Edmonton. His family was deeply embedded in its close-knit French-Canadian community there, which centred around the small, French Catholic school he attended.
91裸聊视频淣ot only did I know the kids, but we all knew the families. The families were intertwined,91裸聊视频� he says, adding, 91裸聊视频淪till to this day, that is my preference: small, tight communities.91裸聊视频�
JM91裸聊视频檚 family moved to Victoria when he was 19, and after trying out life in Vancouver and Vernon, he91裸聊视频檚 happy to have recently returned to what he has determined will be his forever home.
91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e worked very hard to come back to the island,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 plan on leaving.91裸聊视频�
