Living in Oak Bluff West

Oak Bluff West is located minutes away from Winnipeg and is a community with large lot sizes, stunning prairie views and naturalized wetlands.

Tony Tryhuk and his wife Zen have been living in Oak Bluff West since December 2015 with their three sons who are 25, 19 and 16 years old, as well as with their dog Stan.

“At the time, my partner was selling her place and her real estate agent was showing a home in Oak Bluff West, so we came out to visit with her agent and looked around the property,” says Tony Tryhuk. “We began finding ourselves repeatedly coming back to Oak Bluff West to drive around because we really liked the style of homes in the community with their spacious lots and the generous amount of green space in the area.”

Tryhuk adds, “We thought that this would be a nice place to live, particularly as we grow a little older because it’s a bit of a quieter community, yet it is still within 10 minutes of any kind of amenity so it’s the best of both worlds.”

Tony was born and raised in Winnipeg while Zen is from Arborg Manitoba. This blend of both the city and country lifestyles is what attracted them to Oak Bluff West. While Tony and Zen were scouting out the community, they came upon their dream lot at 30 Big Sky Drive.

“We really liked this lot in particular, says Tryhuk. “It gave us a wonderful view of the retention pond and it was a corner lot so we knew that we would never be fully surrounded by neighbours.”

“It was the lot selection more than anything that drove us to custom build our home versus buying something that was already constructed,” adds Tryhuk.

With their lot choice in mind, the Tryhuks met with Paradigm Custom Homes Inc. to have a walk-through of a partially constructed home in La Salle, Manitoba.

“They showed us everything that goes into their construction and how they differentiate themselves from other builders, says Tryhuk. “We were really impressed with the quality and were quite sold on the bones of their construction techniques.”

During the development process Paradigm Custom Homes Inc. worked closely with the Tryhuk family to bring their vision to life.

Tryhuk says, “The team at Paradigm were really open with us in terms of allowing our family to come on site to see the progress which gave us the ability to make changes along the way. We were able to experience the space as it was being developed and to get a feel for what was on the plans and how they translated into an actual build; it was really a pleasurable experience.”

After 10 months of construction, 30 Big Sky Drive was a complete custom home. Built with oversized windows in an L-shaped layout, the home takes full advantage of the spectacular view of the naturalized wetland.
Looking back, Tryhuk has a few tips for those who are considering working with a custom builder.

“We had some very strong opinions on exactly what we wanted to see and I think that having a clear vision is really helpful to the builder who is looking for that feedback - especially in the custom home business” says Tryhuk. “Plus, it’s very easy to well exceed your budget so having a plan ahead of time allows the builder to really come up with an accurate price.”

Building a custom home is a big investment that involves large decisions and intensive planning over several months. This is why finding a builder who you connect with is critical when designing a home to fit perfectly with your lifestyle.

“There is a strong sense of community in Oak Bluff West with a good mix of families and those who are retired,” says Tryhuk. “I’ve met a lot of our neighbours when walking our dog Stan and have developed many friendships with the people in our area.”

Tryhuk continues, “There’s also a real pride of ownership in Oak Bluff West and you can see it through the homes and their landscaping. Our neighbours hold block parties throughout the year and I’m always seeing people walking or jogging along the paths; it really builds that sense of safety and community.”

Tony and his wife Zen both work full-time in downtown Winnipeg where it’s mainly glass and concrete.

“It’s quite peaceful to come home from work and be able to overlook the naturalized wetland and see the geese flying overhead and landing in the pond,” says Tryhuk. “It’s as though you’re out in nature and yet you’ve got all of the conveniences of the city nearby. This adds a sense of harmony where you have a little bit of country and a little bit of urban all in one.”

With their large lot, the Tryhuks not only have friends and family from Winnipeg visiting but also people coming to visit from overseas. With room to accommodate, the extra company is welcomed.

“We’re really quite home bodies and you can tell by what we’ve done out here,” explains Tryhuk. “We have a large deck, hot tub, pergola and a soon-to-be three season sunroom.

“It’s great because our guests really love sitting in the backyard to admire how quiet it is and how beautiful the landscape is,” says Tryhuk. “There’s a lot going for Oak Bluff West; it’s much more than just streets and sidewalks.”

On Big Sky Drive, that’s exactly what you see: wide-open prairie views and homes with spacious lots in an inviting neighbourhood that’s close to nature.