Jordan River residents say they don’t want to sell to BC Hydro

On November 26, Josh Lambert finalized the purchase of his first home.

“This was the dream,” he says. “I’m just about to turn 30, and pretty excited about having my own place and living on the waterfront.”

Just seven days letter, Lambert received an email from BC Hydro. His new home in the hamlet of Jordan River home lies downstream of their dam, and the crown corporation wants to buy it and 10 other properties that they believe would be at risk in an earthquake.

READ MORE: Why BC Hydro wants to buy the homes

“I was pretty excited about living on waterfront, being a Jordan River hermit, taking up surfing, and now…I don’t know what’s going to happen now,” says Lambert.

“Coming in and saying there are some issues with our property, making it unsafe for you to be on your property, is what I got out of it.”

The small community is just over an hour’s drive from Victoria and has a population of around 100 people. Because of its waterfront location at the end of the Juan De Fuca trail, Jordan River has long been popular with surfers and other tourists.

Those who have been given letters by BC Hydro say they aren’t interesting in selling, and worry what the future will hold after the two-year negotiation window offered by Hydro ends.

“We don’t really know what’s going to happen two years down the line when everyone says they don’t want to sell,” says Lambert. “It’s a pretty strong community, people have been out here for a long time, and people don’t want to move.”

It seems to be the prevailing opinion in Jordan River.

“They’re offering to buy it, but it isn’t for sale otherwise I’d have it for sale,” says Doug Harvey, who has lived in his custom-built waterfront home for the last four years. “It’s not really replaceable for any price as far as I’m concerned.”

“Whether they plan on expropriating properties, who knows…but I don’t want to move.”

Chris O’Riley, executive vice-president for development at BC Hydro, says they won’t disclose how much they’ll offer for the properties.

But Lambert, who says he hasn’t received a formal offer yet, finds it unlikely a happy solution will be reached.

“I don’t see them handing me a huge stack of cash and making me stoked,” he says.

“If they can find me another waterfront house, on a surf break, on a surf break closest to the capital city, pretty much one of the only accessible surf breaks in Canada, then yeah, please buy it for me.”