Britannia Beach Development
the Early Edition, CBC Radio, November 8, 2004

Big changes are happening in the small community of Britannia Beach. The unincorporated town south of Squamish has been largely neglected since the Britannia Mines closed in 1974. The property changed hands several times, but none of the owners have done much to maintain the homes of the 100 families living there. Next to the town site, contamination from the mine has been seeping into Howe Sound.

Last week, Sustainable Resource Management Minister George Abbott announced a new water treatment plant will be built by next fall. And at the townsite, Macdonald Development has massive plans to change this old mining town into a new, Olympic-style development. Freelance journalist Sarah Efron went to Britannia Beach to talk to the residents about the changes.

Allan McNair's trailer is surrounded by a carefully tended flower garden overlooking Howe Sound. Just past the garden's edge, construction trucks are digging into the soil. McNair sits on the couch inside the trailer. He's hooked up to an oxygen machine and he doesn't get out as much as he used to.

"I started my first shift in 1956, on January Friday the 13th."

Allan McNair is eighty-five years old. He's been here longer than anyone else in Britannia Beach. He worked underground in the mine for decades and he raised his two daughters here.

Britannia Beach used to be a company town. After the mine shut down, people continued to rent their homes. The low rents attracted seniors and people on fixed incomes. Many people own their own trailers, but not the land they sit on. Now, the developer is selling the lots. Tenants have until to July to decide if they will buy their property or move out.

"A lot of the people are so upset they're just about ready for breakdowns. Some of them are happy. Obviously the ones that don't have anything, that know they can't make it, are pretty frustrated. Some of them came in, bought a trailer, said now I'm gonna retire. I'm good for the rest of my life, and here we are starting a new life all over. Most of us are getting pretty old to start into a new life."

The McNairs are trying to buy their land, but it won't be easy. Allan lives in one trailer with his daughter. His second daughter, who is blind, lives in a different trailer. The McNairs plan on selling her home in order to pay for the other property. He's not sure where his daughter will go.

Dwight Thornton's trailer is higher up on the mountainside. His home used to be surrounded by forest, but the area has been cleared to make way for the new lots. This summer, even the developers were astonished when they sold all ninety-one new properties in four days. Thornton says the attitude of the developers changed after the project was approved.

"When they first came, they said all our properties would be affordable, affordable to us. Then they slapped us with $200,000 mortgages on a piece of dirt. That's not affordable for the people who live here. Yes, it's affordable to outside investors, but that's not the community. We feel like we're forced out."

Right now the Thorntons own their mobile and they pay $250 a month rent for the land. A mortgage on the property would have cost them over $1000 per month. Thornton wasn't approved for a mortgage, so his family is moving to Boston Bar.

"I'll come back in five years and see if there's anyone to share a case of beer with. I doubt if there will be, but we'll see. Of the original community, I doubt if there will be two people here who are here today."

However, many residents, like Andrew Kuczynski, are planning on staying. Kuczynski runs a tourist art shop next Britannia's Mining Museum. For him, the development and the planned expansion of the museum are good for business.

"It's the best thing that could happen to Britannia Beach. For a very long time, nothing has been done to this place. Then all the sudden with Olympics and the new developer, it looks great. First he gave a chance for people to buy their properties. For years, they've been renting without having option of buying it. For the security reason, it's a really big thing."

(sound of elevator)

At the Macdonald Development Corporation offices on Vancouver's Howe Street, Jerry Bordian has been doing what he can to make it possible for residents to remain in the community. He's giving them a 25% discount on the price of their properties. He's worked out low interest rate mortgages. People who can't afford to buy can continue to rent for four more years. And they've gone further. He arranged for one resident to stay in his home, paying the same rent for the rest of his life.

Jerry Bordian believes the lot prices are affordable. He says most the people who are leaving could afford to buy, but they preferred to capitalize on their situation by selling their 25% discount.

"What we've always stated was that the properties would be provided to the community at fair market value. As you know, the market value has increased in recent years. People have to have realistic about their expectations and the market is the market. We're working on custom made solutions, and over time, we're confident we'll find solutions for the majority of people."

Allan McNair is still trying to work out a deal that will ensure his family has a future in Britannia Beach. He hopes his daughters will be able to stay in Britannia long after it makes the transition from neglected mining town to a modern, stylish housing development.

"I would like to see the price go down because my daughter will have to handle it on her own when I'm gone. I have no relatives, just two daughters and I want to see it where they can handle their own things on their own. Then I don't mind going to sleep."

For the Early Edition, I'm Sarah Efron in Britannia Beach.