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