A refugee resident from the Johnsons Landing landslide who was interviewed on CBC Radio Vancouver on May 24 expressed his frustration that the provincial government would not buy out his “high risk” property even at its much diminished value. An article in the Vancouver Sun on May 24 noted that “In 2009, the City of Chilliwack announced that it would spend $18 million to purchase as many as 42 homes sitting on a 4,000-year-old landslide slowly moving down a mountain.”
If the regional district that contains Johnsons Landing can’t afford to buy out the condemned properties, then the provincial government should do the right thing to return the slide area to Crown land.
When senior BC government staff were found guilty of crimes related to the sale of BC Rail, the provincial government reimbursed their $6 million legal costs.
In fairness, why can’t the provincial government assist the innocent victims of a natural disaster in Johnsons Landing?
Derek Wilson
Port Moody