- 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.
ItB次元官网网址檚 a place where the air is warm and moisture-laden due to the richness of lush, tropical greenery. ItB次元官网网址檚 a place where hummingbirds hum and flit from place to place, and green frogs are both seen and heard. ItB次元官网网址檚 his personal sanctuary and it is truly worlds away from his everyday: a fast-paced, business-oriented lifestyle as the new sales manager at VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Jim Pattison Volvo.
During a recent conversation with the 48-year-old Oak Bay resident, IB次元官网网址檓 shocked to discover that the magical destination heB次元官网网址檚 describing is not, in fact, accessible via lengthy plane ride, rather itB次元官网网址檚 located just a short jaunt up the Patricia Bay Highway.
B次元官网网址淚 have a nursery with over 1,000 palm trees,B次元官网网址� says JM (short for Jean-Michel) with a twinkle in his eye.
Pressed for more details as to the greenhouseB次元官网网址檚 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 weB次元官网网址檙e meeting in.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 just a mysterious place in Brentwood Bay where nobody can see it; nobody has access,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淏ut there is a phenomenal facility out there.B次元官网网址�
He adds, B次元官网网址淔or me, really good moments are to be in that very, very large greenhouse when itB次元官网网址檚 pouring out rain and IB次元官网网址檓 surrounded by tropical plants. EverybodyB次元官网网址檚 out there running around with their umbrellas and IB次元官网网址檓 in shorts and a T-shirt in a heated greenhouse. The sound on the roof, the smell of the palm treesB次元官网网址tB次元官网网址檚 great.B次元官网网址�
JMB次元官网网址檚 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 treeB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址� waggies and fortunei B次元官网网址� 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, heB次元官网网址檚 beginning to consider the inherent business opportunities.
JM says his B次元官网网址渃razy little hobbyB次元官网网址� offers a nice break from the automotive industry, for which he also maintains a strong passion B次元官网网址� both professionally and personally. HeB次元官网网址檚 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.
JMB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址� 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 B次元官网网址�70s. He currently has five that are all in various stages of the restoration process that he, for the most part, undertakes himself.
B次元官网网址淭he French car community is a small, tight, hilarious group of people,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淭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, IB次元官网网址檝e generated some phenomenal friends.B次元官网网址�
Driving around in his Citro毛ns, two of which are currently road-ready, JM tends to attract a lot of attention B次元官网网址� especially when he stops for gas.
B次元官网网址淭he French [cars] are known for suspensionsB次元官网网址次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淎s you turn the vehicle off, it sits down on the ground so itB次元官网网址檚 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. ItB次元官网网址檚 hilarious.B次元官网网址�
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.
B次元官网网址淣othing is better than sitting down on a Sunday night for supper with friends and family,B次元官网网址� 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.
B次元官网网址淣ot only did I know the kids, but we all knew the families. The families were intertwined,B次元官网网址� he says, adding, B次元官网网址淪till to this day, that is my preference: small, tight communities.B次元官网网址�
JMB次元官网网址檚 family moved to Victoria when he was 19, and after trying out life in Vancouver and Vernon, heB次元官网网址檚 happy to have recently returned to what he has determined will be his forever home.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e worked very hard to come back to the island,B次元官网网址� he says. B次元官网网址淚 donB次元官网网址檛 plan on leaving.B次元官网网址�
