As published by Ottawa Citizen on October 2, 2015
A month ago, Joy Kardish would have violently shaken her head. “No way. I’m not moving, leaving our home on Ossington Avenue.”
It didn’t matter that her husband had been a vital spark plug in the purchase of 26 acres of land along the Rideau River in Old Ottawa East, assembling a crack design team and working with community groups and city hall to win loud approval in record time for a deeply green community called Greystone Village that puts people first.
“Joy is the boss,” says David Kardish, vice-president of land development for one of the city’s largest real estate companies, Regional Group. The 66-year-old would love to resettle in a new house on the southern edge of Greystone, so he quietly reserved a lot, but kept his expectations in check.
Fast forward to a balmy night in late September at an invite-only opening night for sales at Greystone Village and Joy, an artist and keen photographer, was smiling broadly.
“The more I think about it, it’s a good move,” says the grandmother of four, who raised two sons, Josh and Tobin, and daughter Sasha in a 100-year-old, four-storey home in Old Ottawa South. There have been countless Sunday dinners.
Both boys, who have their own homes, are involved with Regional. Josh works closely with his father as manager of land development and is closely linked to planning Greystone Village, while Tobin focuses on marketing for Greystone and projects for Regional’s home building arm, eQ Homes, across the city. Sasha is a teacher in Toronto.
