The Backyard Your Kids Will Talk About 20 Years From Now
Fierce and epic all rolled into one, she’s an absolute rockstar. Jessica Hastings-Lesperance was raised with Real Estate™ for her entire life. She is co-owner, Marketing Visionary, Director of Operations, and realtor® at the Terri Hastings Real Estate Group/Keller Williams Realty Centres, one of the top-producing Keller Williams teams in all of Canada.
Some homes offer more than square footage. They create the setting for childhood memories, family connection, and a slower way of living. This article explores how one Georgian Bluffs property captures the timeless value of outdoor play, open space, and a backyard children will remember for years to come.
I think today’s children are experiencing something we have never really talked about before: a backyard deficit. It was not until I walked through 880 16th Street W, Georgian Bluffs, Ontario, that I realized what we have quietly been losing. As I rounded the corner of the home, I stopped in my tracks. The garden was breathtaking.
Not because it was extravagant, but because it felt alive. Winding paver paths, raised garden beds, a hand-built wooden bridge, mature trees, blooming flowers, and a level of privacy that made you forget there were neighbours nearby. It was not just a backyard. It was an invitation to slow down. It made me wonder: when did childhood move indoors?
As parents, we spend so much time talking about screen time, mental health, confidence, resilience, and helping our children thrive. Research continues to show that regular outdoor play supports children’s physical health, creativity, confidence, and emotional well-being. Yet many families today are intentionally searching for homes that make that lifestyle possible.
My family lives on 50 acres of cedar bush, and if I am honest, we probably take that for granted. Our kids disappear into the trees for hours. They build forts, ride bikes, climb trees, and create adventures that do not require batteries or wireless internet. Their friends come over, and before long, they are laughing, running, exploring, and making memories that simply happen because they are outside together.
One afternoon, they were playing hide and seek, and we genuinely thought one of their friends had disappeared. We searched everywhere, calling his name, only to realize he had been hiding quietly behind a tree almost right in front of us the entire time. We laughed until our stomachs hurt.
Those are the moments children remember. Not the newest gaming console. Not another afternoon in front of a screen. They remember chasing butterflies. Picking weeds, they later discover that they were actually wildflowers. Running alongside the family dog while dinner is being made inside. Watching the fireflies come out as the sun begins to set, or as my son calls them, the light-up flies. Parents smiling from the kitchen window, knowing exactly where their children are: safe, happy, and free.
Walking through this property reminded me of those moments. I could picture toddlers carefully making their way across the little wooden bridge, convinced they had discovered an enchanted forest. I imagined children spending entire afternoons following the garden paths, collecting treasures, and inventing games that only made sense to them. I could see teenagers escaping to the movable 10x10 sunroom with a book, homework, or simply a quiet place to think. I pictured grandparents tending the gardens while grandchildren learned that the best things in life often require patience, sunshine, and a little water.
This home is not designed for one stage of life. It grows with your family. There was a time when neighbourhoods echoed with the sound of kids riding bikes until the streetlights came on. Soccer games somehow lasted “just five more minutes” until darkness finally won. Parents knew every neighbour by name, and children discovered independence one scraped knee at a time.
I do not believe families have stopped wanting that life. I think they are actively searching for places where it is still possible.
As a REALTOR®, I have noticed something changing over the past few years. Families are asking different questions. They still care about kitchens and bathrooms, but they are also asking about quiet streets, backyard space, neighbourhoods, parks, gardens, and places where children can simply be children.
They are no longer just buying a house. They are choosing the environment where their family will grow. That is what made this property so memorable. It is not just beautifully maintained, with over 2,500 square feet of finished living space, a thoughtfully renovated kitchen, a private primary retreat, and gardens lovingly restored over the years. It offers something much harder to find: space to build a childhood.
Because one day, your children will not remember the countertops. They will not remember how many bathrooms the house had. They will remember the lilacs blooming every spring. The bridge they crossed a thousand times. The family dog is chasing them across the yard. In the evenings, they begged for “just one more game” before coming inside.
Those are the stories they will tell decades from now. If you are searching for more than a house, if you are searching for a place where your children can build forts, ride bikes until the streetlights come on, pick flowers from the garden, and create memories they will carry for the rest of their lives, this home deserves your attention.
880 16th Street W, Georgian Bluffs, Ontario, is not just ready to move into. It is ready for memories. I would love to show you what made me stop in my tracks. To learn more or schedule your private tour, contact The Terri Hastings Real Estate Group.
Because sometimes the right home does not just change your address. It changes the way your family lives.
Jessica Hastings-Lesperance, Realtor®, Director of Operations, Co-Owner
Fierce and epic all rolled into one, she’s an absolute rock star. Jessica Hastings-Lesperance was raised with Real Estate™ for her entire life. She is co-owner, Marketing Visionary, Director of Operations, and realtor® at the Terri Hastings Real Estate Group/Keller Williams Realty Centres, one of the top-producing Keller Williams teams in all of Canada. Jessica is an inspiring entrepreneur, real estate investor, coach, speaker, and published author. She has been featured on major media outlets, including podcasts and real estate TV talk shows, and has been published in various magazines. Recently, she was recognized as one of Canada’s Top Fitness Instructors for 2023 by Impact Magazine.
