In the early 2000s, 14 lucky families had the chance to buy the home of their dreams – one-million dollar properties with sweeping views in the Seawatch subdivision of Sechelt, on the Sunshine Coast in the westernmost province of Canada, British Columbia. However, the dream quickly turned into a nightmare.
The issues arose in 2012 when an 82-foot sinkhole appeared in the roadway, swallowing a car. Subsequent sinkholes occurred in 2015, followed by a significant one, measuring around 39 feet deep, on Christmas Day 2018. This heightened concerns about the area’s stability.
In February 2019, following engineering assessments indicating ongoing sinkhole risks, the District of Sechelt issued almost immediate evacuation alerts for 14 homes on North Gale Avenue and Seawatch Lane.
Residents said they were told on Thursday evening, with evacuation order coming as early as Friday afternoon.
“The [engineers] basically said that somebody’s going to die,” said district spokeswoman Julie Rogers to the Times Colonist at the time.
Residents who left their homes were told they would not be allowed to return until the order was lifted, now five years ago. The situation persisted, with the state of emergency being extended some 138 times by 2022, according to Campbell River Mirror.
A court ruling that year deemed these extensions unlawful, as the emergency status was prolonged without adequate action to address the underlying issues.
Homeowners faced significant financial losses, with properties once worth more than $1million devalued to just $1 each.
Today, the affected Seawatch neighbourhood remains largely abandoned, with residents displaced and properties rendered nearly worthless. Since the state of emergency was enacted, many residents, many with significant investments tied into their properties, have been forced to live in rental accommodation.
“We moved here to live in our dream home and now we can’t even go inside,” said Ross Storey to the Times Colonist in 2019. “We are still paying a $450,000 mortgage and property taxes.”
As if the situation were not bad enough, the residents are now contending with thieves and vandals targeting the properties: “It’s gotten worse, absolutely, because I believe they know they can walk into here with impunity at night time, nobody is going to stop them, so they have a free-for-all,” said resident Ed Pednaud in 2023.
He showed Global News examples of smashed pipes, destroyed ceilings and graffiti inside his former home. He hastily evacuated with his wife and two sons.
According to the news site, in 2023, the District of Sechelt will not comment on matters related to the Seawatch subdivision due to ongoing litigation. On their website, it reads: “As of February 15, 2019, 1:00pm the Seawatch subdivision area is closed to the public.
“A state of Local Emergency was declared and an Evacuation Order was issued for Seawatch Neighbourhood. This area is not expected to be serviced by emergency services such as police or ambulance.”
Today, the subdivision is more often frequented by dark tourists looking to explore a neighbourhood completely void of humans and now reclaimed by nature. Youtuber Abandoned Urbex Canada has visited the site on several occasions in the past few years, sharing a unique insight into the area and the homes as they stand today.
