Seven months after a group of Chinese investors bought Bradian, the For Sale sign has gone up again on the Bridge River Valley ghost town.
The realtor representing the investors says his clients are selling it because of changes in B.C. immigration rules.
Bradian is between Lillooet and Whistler.
The China Zhong Ya Group Hebei Canada-China Co. bought the 50-acre townsite for just under $1 million last year. Bradian Project spokesman Mike Mills said it was planning on bringing more investors on board through the Provincial Nominee Program.
The program allowed people to immigrate to B.C. if they invested enough money in a business that could create jobs.
Mills said the plan was to have immigrants start various businesses.
But because of an excess of applicants, the provincial government put a hold on new applications this spring and has since modified the qualifications. Mills said he’s now looking for a new group interested in restoring the site and turning it into a destination for backcountry recreation.
The group is asking $1.2 million for Bradian.
The town was built in the 1930s during a gold boom, but it was abandoned in 1971 when the nearby mines shut down.
The ghost town has 22 buildings, including several houses, on a single 50-acre plot that still has basic infrastructure such as fire hydrants, hydro power and telephone lines, but the buildings are in disrepair and major upgrades are needed.
Debbie Demare, director of Squamish-Lilloett Regional District Area A, said area residents hoped the Bradian project would be a major investment in the Bridge River Valley that would trigger other economic development.
“I think as time went on and we didn’t hear too much, there was some speculation and concern about the project,” Demare said. “I think everybody would say we’re hopeful. We hope whoever buys it would work with our community, and we’re definitely open to development of a backcountry tourism operation.”
Bridge River Lillooet News
