Bradian: buyers want to sell town for $1.2 million
By Wendy Fraser
Seven months after a group of Chinese investors purchased it, the for sale sign has gone up again on the Bridge River Valley ghost town of Bradian.
The realtor representing the investors says his clients are selling the town because of changes in B.C. immigration rules.
Bradian is located 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 spokesperson 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.
The plan was to have immigrants start various businesses, he said.
But the provincial government put a hold on new applications this spring because of an excess of applicants, 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 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 serious upgrades are needed.
Squamish-Lilloett Regional District Area A Director Debbie Demare said area residents were hopeful 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 told the Bridge River Lillooet News. “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.”
- Wendy Fraser is the editor of the Bridge River Lillooet News
