Timber Investment Property with Family Home, Outbuildings and 9,000 Cubic Metres of Merchantable Timber – Burns Lake, BC

Description

Description

Offering 485 acres on 3 contiguous titles.  This is a great timber investment property with 9,000 cubic metres of merchantable timber and 160 acres of pine leading plantation (14 m tall and 12 cm DBH on average).  Timber cruise is available.  90% of the existing merchantable timber is already road accessible.  The merchantable timber provides an immediate revenue source to help you purchase the property and the existing plantation ensures a future revenue source to help with the ongoing development of the property.

The property has several open pastures, which could be used to graze livestock, or to produce hay.  The property was perimeter fenced in the past, but will require some work and investment to confidently hold livestock.  There is ample water throughout the property with numerous ponds and creeks including a 6-acre pond in the center of the property, which creates excellent habitat for moose, deer, bears and waterfowl.  The presence of standing water throughout the different portions of the property can help with a rotational grazing program for cattle as required.

In the main yard is a 2,400 ft2 home (1,008 ft2 finished) built in 1955.  The house needs some TLC, but the bones are there, and all services are available.  There are two bedrooms on the main floor with an additional office/bedroom space as needed.  There is a 4-piece bathroom, open kitchen, mudroom and living room.  The living room has a partial view of Decker Lake and full views of the mountains beyond.

The below ground basement is unfinished but is the same size as the upstairs living quarters.  There is ample space for storage, or to convert the downstairs into a games room.  Off the basement is a convenient workshop with its own exterior entrance, shelving and numerous power hookups.

As an added bonus, there is also the possibility of hooking into a domestic natural gas near the property.

In the main yard there are numerous outbuildings including a 40′ x 30′ pole barn and a 77′ x 26′ hay shed.  These structures have sufficient height to stack numerous round bales, or to park tractors, excavators and any other type of equipment.

The property is located less than 10 minutes from the town of Burns Lake and is located immediately across the highway from Decker Lake.  This is an excellent investment opportunity with the existing merchantable timber providing an immediate revenue source.

LOCATION

10486 Highway 16 – Burns Lake, BC

DIRECTIONS

From Burns Lake town center, proceed westward along Highway 16 for approximately 10 km.  At this juncture, the driveway will be on the northside of the highway.  The driveway will follow the power line easement up the hill to the main yard.

AREA DATA
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.

RECREATION

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.

HISTORY

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 20th 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.

MAP REFERENCE
54°18’39.16″N and 125°49’47.60″W

INVESTMENT FEATURES

Pine leading plantation, approx. 25 years old, 1400 stems per ha, 12cm DBH, 14m tall on average.

Merchantable conifer stands, mixed pine and spruce. Approx. 150 m3/ha, approx. 0.4 m3/tree piece size, for an estimated 9,000 m3 of harvestable timber.  Some of this is somewhat difficult to harvest (in gullies, surrounded by wet ground) but 90% of it has roads built and easy to harvest.

SERVICES

• Electricity
• Sewer—septic
• Water—dug well
• Heat—wood stove (radiant)
• There is a domestic natural gas line nearby

IMPROVEMENTS

• 2,400 ft2 home with 1,008 finished ft2 and attached shop (built 1955)
• Pole barn 40’ x 30’
• Hay barn 77’ x 26
• Various outbuildings

TAXES

$1,011 (2021)

ZONING

AG – 1

LEGAL

THE FRACTIONAL NORTH 1/2 OF DISTRICT LOT 6601 RANGE 5 COAST DISTRICT (PID 015-296-504)

DISTRICT LOT 6447 RANGE 5 COAST DISTRICT (PID 015-298-566)

DISTRICT LOT 6425 RANGE 5 COAST DISTRICT EXCEPT ANY PORTION OF THE RIGHT OF WAY OF THE DOMINION TELEGRAPH LINE HAVING A WIDTH OF 100 FEET WHICH MAY LIE WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF THESE LANDS EXCEPT PLAN 3920 (PID 015-461-319)