157-Acre Farmstead with Country Home, Hay Fields and Farming Infrastructure – Burns Lake, BC

Price : $629,000

Select Property type: Sold
DESCRIPTION: Home, home on the range. This 157-acre property offers rural solitude and urban convenience with the town of Burns Lake, BC a short drive away. Set in Brirish Columbia’s idyllic...
PROVINCE: BC
COUNTRY: Canada
Property Id: 31520

Description

Home, home on the range. This 157-acre property offers rural solitude and urban convenience with the town of Burns Lake, BC a short drive away. Set in Brirish Columbia’s idyllic north country, the property is in close proximity to lakes, snow-capped mountains and pristine forests.

The property itself consists of 157 acres of fertile farmland where there are currently 105 acres in hay production (yielding 1.5 tonnes per acre). The remainder of the property is pastured for livestock. The property is flat with fencing and cross-fencing to allow rotational grazing. Whether you wish to graze cattle, or horses the infrastructure is already in place to immediately start grazing livestock.

The main yard has a corral system for calving and sorting. There are several animal shelters throughout the yard and 3 electric stock waterers to keep animals hydrated. There is a 20’ x 60’ hay shed with dual attached 16’ x 60’ lean-tos for additional storage. The owners have constructed an additional 20’ x 60’ pole barn with wiring hook-ups for an RV. This structure can be used to house recreational vehicles, boats, or farm related equipment. It could also be utilized for additional hay storage. There are numerous older outbuildings throughout the farmyard. These could be used to house chickens and pigs, or simply be used for storage.

The country home offers 2,500 ft² with a large covered outdoor living space. The covered balcony sits on the second level and provides panoramic views of the farmyard and mountains beyond. The home was built in 1984 and has been well maintained. The home comes complete with 5 bedrooms and 3 bathrooms (including powder room en-suite). The basement is used for storage/recreational purposes and features a spacious cold room for canned goods. There is also a carport underneath the second floor deck to keep vehicles out of the snow.

Located a short 15-minute drive from Burns Lake, BC you have access to urban convenience while enjoying the peace and respite of the quiet countryside.

14187 Palling Road – Burns Lake, BC

From Burns Lake, head west on Highway 16 for 12 km until the intersection with Palling Road. Turn to head north on Palling Road and proceed for just under 3.5 km at which point the driveway will be on the west ride of the road.

Burns Lake is a rural village in the North-Central Interior of British Columbia, incorporated in 1923. The village has a population of 2,029 according to the 2011 Census.

The Village is renowned for its rich First Nations heritage and for its extensive network of mountain biking trails, which have received international acclaim by becoming Canada’s first IMBA Ride Centre. In winter, cross-country skiing trails and snowmobile wilderness trails are created. Burns Lake is located in the midst of a large networks of lakes called the Lakes District, with fishing and hunting year-round and water activities in the summer months.

There are two First Nations reserves that are part of the town, and another four nearby, making it one of the few communities in the province that have almost equal populations of persons of native or European descent. Local nations include Wet’suwet’en First Nation, Lake Babine Nation, Cheslatta Band, Ts’il Kaz Koh First Nation, Skin Tyee band and Nee Tahi Buhn band.

The town serves as a hub for the local logging, saw-milling, mining and tourist industries. It also serves as the main commercial centre for the surrounding area including Francois Lake, Colleymount, Grassy Plains, Rose Lake, Topley and Granisle. There are three pubs, many cafés and restaurants a selection of stores and services, numerous hotels and motels, a library and a hospital. It is also the location of the head offices of the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako.

Burns Lake has gained world-renowned recognition from the International Mountain Biking Association for its network of trails on Boer Mountain. The trails, maintained by a volunteer group called Burns Lake Mountain Biking Association, include 20 km of downhill and 40 km of cross-country trails. The trails continue to draw mountain bikers from all over the world and are expanding every season.

In the winter months cross-country skiing is very popular at the Omineca Ski Club. Its facilities have hosted several national championships and are considered to rank among western Canada’s best trail networks. The facilities include 25 km of groomed trails, four km of which are lit for nighttime skiing. There is also a facility for biathlon skiing.

In 2014 The Village of Burns Lake completed work on the Lakeside Multiplex and renovations to the Tom Forsyth Memorial Arena. This facility includes a hockey rink, curling rink, rock climbing gym, a squash/racquetball court, a fitness facility and multi-use rooms. The facility is located on Spirit Square, a large outdoor park with a playground, a beach, a walking path, outdoor fitness equipment, two tennis courts and a skateboard park.

The 1.9 kilometre Opal Bed Trail leads to an active rock hounding destination, where users can look for precious minerals.

Burns Lake is considered to be the gateway to Tweedsmuir North Provincial Park and Protected Area. The North Park is a wilderness area with no services or supplies; it cannot be accessed by road. Fly-in tours for sightseeing, hunting and fishing are offered by local outfitters.

Burns Lake’s first inhabitants were the Carrier First Nations communities that spanned much of the Lakes District and beyond.

Burns Lake itself began as a small rest stop for travelers on their way to the Yukon Gold Rush. Many of these travelers spotted opportunity in the rich forestry, fur and mining opportunities in Burns Lake and the surrounding area.

Burns Lake acquired its name after Michael Byrnes, who was an explorer for the Collins Overland Telegraph scheme. Byrnes passed Burns Lake in about 1866 while surveying a route from Fort Fraser to Hagwilget. Recent research indicates that Byrnes was also a miner during the Cariboo Gold Rush and had staked a claim on William’s Creek earlier, in 1861. On the 1866 trail map of the area, the name ‘Byrnes’ Lake appears; after 1876 however, the maps indicate it as Burns Lake.

Bob Gerow, one of the main founders of Burns Lake, entered into partnership with Jack Seely and Howard Laidlaw to create Burns Lake Trading Company. Together, they built a store/hotel and a saw mill on Gerow Island, which would become the hub of trade for the surrounding area. The Village was incorporated on December 6, 1923. The first Mayor was G. M Gerow.

The first newspaper in Burns Lake was called the Observer, published and edited by Sidney Godwin. In the late 1950s another newspaper, also called the Observer, was operated by Ralph Vipond. It closed in 1961.

The town continued to grow throughout the 20^th century. Its current industries have become forestry and tourism, though many workers commute to jobs in the mining industry.

Burns Lake received nationwide attention on January 20, 2012, when an explosion destroyed Babine Forest Products, a wood mill which was one of the town’s primary employers.

A number of historic buildings still stand including:

The Old Hospital

First built in 1933 by the Women’s Missionary Society of the United Church of Canada, the hospital was officially opened by Canada’s former Governor General Lord Tweedsmuir. Once the largest and finest public buildings between Prince George and Prince Rupert, it was famous for its fine gardens. It was later occupied by a senior citizens apartment complex, then declared a heritage building in 1982 and redeveloped as an office building by its owner, the Burns Lake Native Development Corporation.

The Bucket of Blood

Located adjacent to the Burns Lake Museum, this square-cut log building is a former fur trade post which later became a gambling den. Due to the nature of gambling, fights broke out in the building, earning its name. It now contains a display of historical artifacts from the life of Craig Wafflehouse, one of the founders of Burns Lake.

54°21’7.27″N and 125°52’18.36″W