I know one of the families that were kicked out of seawatch, they were going to leave town completely until the community rallied around them. Sadly they are still paying the mortgage on the condemned home on top of paying for an over priced rental. I'm still amazed by the game of hot potato being played by the district, the engineering company, the developers, and everyone else involved. No one wants the blame or the financial liability, and the homeowners are the ones left holding the hot potato. Now the district is suing the homeowners trying to get them to pay for the road and sinkhole repairs. I stand by the opinion that someone took a mighty fine payday to sign off on this development and ignore all of the warning signs that this lot never should have even been cleared.
I know I’m a bit of course here, but how sad is it for the families of these once beautiful homes to see how these idiots are vandalizing their dream homes? The authorities not taking proper action is a big part of our societies problems. I’m betting if this were the police chief or mayor’s home it would be checked on frequently. To the families that own these homes I just want to say how sorry I am for what has happened to you. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.😢😢😢
That’s totally messed up to be paying on something you got kicked out of. Nah not this guy. I would file and get the hell on with my life. Lol sad as F though
Can't they sue whomever signed off on building here? How is this the homeowners fault? That said, I have seen similar things where someone buys a property discovers later that there was a laundromat years earlier and now the home owner is stuck paying the million dollars paying for the eco cleanup.
I am not sure it can even be called stealing when items, along with the house, have been sitting years, upon years, sometimes decades. Stealing from whom? From people who don't want anything from there, for how long?? Just to be demolished and thrown in the trash field, or landfill? Doesn't make much sense when you put your garbage can on the curb and from then on to the point it gets picked up,you no longer have any rights to any of it any longer.
Go smash a room full of stuff and tell me how you felt afterwards. The place is going to sit and deteriorate into the ground. What does it matter what anybody does to any of these places?
Incredible and sad, I feel so bad for the people who lost everything here. Also, I will never understand how people get their jollies from destroying other people's property. Thank you for sharing.
Class envy. People unhappy with their own lives resent others who have succeeded. Misery loves company, "if I can't have it, then you can't either." If you're doing this past the juvenile years then you're going to be a big problem for society.
@@UniversalStandard What you think couldn't be further from the truth. I'm quite the "under-achiever", having worked much of my life for minimum wage and less. Landscape maintenance, dishwasher, taxi-cab driver, and then becoming disabled at age 39 (in 1993), and living on SS disability since. Two years ago my income finally reached the stratospheric height of just over $1,000 a month due to the COLA increase. There is a lot of unfairness in the world, and a lot of people seem to have an unfair advantage, but I was raised to take responsibility for my place in life. Anyway, that's my rant for now. Don't be so quick to make assumptions.
My wife and I moved to Sechelt in 2005 after I retired from my position as the manager of building inspections for Whistler. I regularly rode my bike through The Shores. I couldn’t believe it when I was told a subdivision was being developed where Sea Watch is. The grades seemed to be unstable. I feel sorry for those who constructed homes there.
You can see some video stories from 3 years ago, and interviews with some of the owners by doing a youtube search of "Seawatch subdivision". Thanks for this interesting story....so scary and fascinating.
Jennie Hughes I’m sure you’re right otherwise the stuff wouldn’t be there. I guess North America and Canada are very rich countries. But I’m not used to spending money unless I have to because personally I haven’t got it. Never been in the position to leave valuable furniture, etc. to the elements. I don’t think the average person could so they must be crooks! Thanks for your perspective Jennie! 😀
Get a grip, jay!! One sentence can’t possibly cover all the human emotions that a person or people can possibly have. Just remember, it’s one sentence that was put out, one comment !!!!
I just read the Updated article about these properties. The homeowners are still fighting in the courts about their homes. The only settlement so far. Is 2 families were compensated 200,000 dollars for their expenses, since leaving their homes. Most are still fighting to retrieve their property.
One of the homes you didn't enter belonged to a coworker of mine. I stayed there a few times and it was absolutely spectacular, their dream home for sure. Before they moved in the lower access road had already collapsed due to a sinkhole, you had to drive an extra 20 mins to go around the back route. I think they lived there for just over a year, definitely told to leave before the house was 2 years old.
This is so sad. Beautiful homes forced to be abandoned; it’s such a terrible waste. Just the flooring, kitchens , cabinetry and bathroom fixtures would be worth reclaiming.
For everyone asking why so much was left behind, such as appliances etc. When the residents had to leave, they were not allowed to have moving trucks drive into the subdivision, they had to wheel their belongings out on carts.
It's absolutely devastating the homeowners, who put their lives into these AMAZING picturess homes...their families...their dreams, all uprooted by a major technicality that took it all away from them in an instant...WOW! Even more so disappointed in the squatters and people who vandalized these homes...NO respect or compassion...WOW! I pray the homeowners are compensated and are able to rebuild their lives in a safe and beautiful place...much LUV and PRAYERS to you all...Thank you for sharing.❤🩹❤🙏
It’s heartbreaking to watch you walk throughout these gorgeous homes. I can not imagine how these homeowners feel when given a notice to leave and just take what they can carry or load up in there cars.
whose property? the homes are condemned and no one is supposed to be there, bet you don't have the same issues with corporate looting and destruction of the working class
It's called revenge. Envy was the motivator. If I can't have it, no one can have it. I guess there's a satisfaction by very immature people that do the trashing.
So incredibly heartbreaking. Throughout the entire video, all I could think of was what these houses were like before and what they were built for. To be that place for lives, love, laughter, differences, etc. All the things that life throws at us. I kept imagining families walking thru the door with groceries or coming home from work and school. Kids doing homework, having friends over, families having dinner, cleaning up. Holidays, birthdays, any day, really. But these families and houses never got the chance and that is so sad to me. Thank you for this video.
If my daughter moves out before they gone im tempted to move there. Gut house by house removing items to sell for scrap. 100 pounds of copper is easy to carry out and worth almost 500 bucks. A small 4 wheeled waggon to remove large items of value. Make a killing pulling houses apart and selling all that has value. Even bricks have value and fast to clean up.
This has to be one of the saddest explores I’ve seen yet. Mainly because of the scale of the waste of such staggeringly beautiful properties in such an enviable location. So many questions come to mind but the main ones are did the developers get fined/prosecuted, did the homeowners get any recompense? And why was so much stuff left behind? It was quite eerie seeing the ceiling fans running and no-one there somehow. I cannot understand why that boat was left there, or the really nice fridge and other appliances. People had enough time to pack up and leave surely to goodness? What a great explore my friend
So much was left behind because they had 2 days notice to get their stuff out and no trucks were allowed into the subdivision, so they had to pack everything out by hand. Not only that- the mayor at the time of this debacle was just reelected in an election where less than 3000 turned out, from a town of more than 11000
Very sad indeed Thank you for being so very respectful in your explore and documenting. I can't even fathom the hardship for the property owners. So glad you were able to revisit this location. It has become so overgrown and really looks desolate now. This is definitely one that is memorable. Thank you again for ALL you do Brent truly appreciated!! 💥💥💥
Wow, I looked this place up on Google street view which dated back to 2011. Looks so different and my heart breaks for the ppl that got sucked into buying here. There is NO WAY the residents here should pay one cent, its not their fault. That is so incredibly wrong that they are being sued, what a joke. I hope and pray these ppl get compensated for what they have been thru.
Probably No Easy Way to get it Out of the Gated and Locked barriers I bet since this video has been shown more people that live around there Will go check it out for their self
Society is afraid of its own shadow today. Somebody will get the contract to empty the homes and demolish. There is always a way to do things, just need a will. It was stable enough to build all that, it could be emptied much faster. It's a sin to leave it all there, since it should be cleaned up and returned to nature.
Imagine all of the hard work the families did to find their happy place. As a life long working class vancouverite I actually feel bad. Housing is so difficult to obtain now a days. To see such a failed geological study etc it’s heartbreaking. These people are British Columbians too thanks for the footage and exploring commentary
@@lifequest7453 credit and sucking up the loss and working more years than you planned. That’s probably what they did like everyone does. I doubt they paid cash
@@PrincessZoey there are plenty of millionaires in the lower mainland, think every Canadian CEO that has gotten rich on the backs of working class Canadians, you don't need to look overseas for the boogeyman
Incredible explore, and a tragic story. Imagine being one of those owners, spending $2 million on a house, to have to abandon it. For that matter, if a house cost $2 million, I'd be pretty upset that the house next to me is only 10 feet away. These mansions were built on top of each other.
Right. If I am going to spend millions on a home I certainly don't want to see my neighbors right next door. I would have to buy a 5+ acre area and put the house in the middle of it, and keep the neighbors away. Awesome views. Such a waste of resources. Some of those chandlers in the entryways coast near $2,000.00 U.S. dollars. Surprised no one has taken them. Some of those views are awesome.
@@joefranks4235 I was thinking the same. They could literally play catch with their neighbors from their balconies, & see in their windows. Way too close.
...It's not always cities, Welcome to VERY Small Town with limited space & "Exploding" population...I'm currently looking at a hillside with 5+ multi-million dollar homes under construction, again all very close together, But would be exponentially more expensive if they all sat on their own acreage's in this area...
Such a shame these homes had to be abandoned. That would have been one heck of a view to wake up to and look out over every morning, especially that one house that was situated perfectly to have a total view of the sea. Absolutely stunning! What a terrible waste. 😢
This makes me both angry and sad. All the vandalism is so disgusting & I can't imagine how the previous homeowners would feel seeing the damage done to their once beautiful homes. So hard to watch :o( Thanks Brent and stay safe
The saga behind those claims began in 2004 when developer Concordia Seawatch Ltd. bought land overlooking Snake Bay at the northwest end of the West Porpoise Bay neighbourhood. Sechelt’s bylaws required a professional geotechnical report to advance development plans for the site and to address soil and slope stability issues. Concordia obtained such a report in 2006. It documented that sinkholes had developed on the site and how future infrastructure and building foundations should be designed. Sechelt required Concordia register a restrictive covenant including that report on the titles to ensure that lot purchasers were made aware of those conditions. The subdivision was approved in 2006, trees were removed from the site and construction of high-end homes began.
Developers are notorious for building homes, running into problems, declaring bankruptcy, then starting again with a new company name.@@arribaficationwineho32
Great Explore Brent. I can’t imagine walking away from such great homes. I wonder how you recover financially from something like this…? A pleasure to watch. The views are Divine. Looking forward to your next explore. Great Job👍🏻
Oh my goodness. How horribly sad. The homes are beyond gorgeous and the views are spectacular. Did the developers know about the unstable ground when they were selling and building these homes? Have any of the homes actually sunk and/or disappeared? Your videos are still the absolute best!❤
What makes this even more haunting is that street level is still available from Google maps from 2011. You can see some of these same houses, even from the same angles as they were lived in at that time.
I'll never understand why people go in and destroy things this way. I'm so sad for these people, it must be devastating to go through this ordeal. The city/county should have to pay for this since they signed off to build. I saw a comment on this thread somewhere from a guy that said that ground never should have been built on because sink holes were already going on BEFORE the homes were built and it was kept secret.
Tent or a mansion, it is so devastating a blow to lose your home, and sometimes your dreams, and that idiots squat, pillage, and vandalize is plain sickening after tragic events like this and I'm sure the folks who had to leave still own their places and property and seeing the disrespect for them is un-nerving and just pisses me off, no fikkin' respect. That land should never have been built on and I hope heads are rolling about that. A sad story and well done for showing us this, thank you and well done Sir! Edit addition ~ My conclusion is that when the forest was taken down there was no place for the water to go but down and under, the trees no longer using it up to grow and/or shedding into down hill, and lower the water level has created deep streams which will continue to erode the earth beneath to no good affect. I hope the owners of these homes can salvage as much as they can before others do, to recoup some of their losses. I live on the southern BC coast too and see far too much of this stupidity for my liking, but I guess its everywhere (remembering back to when they built all the houses along the Cal. coast that are now fallen to the sea.) People want a view but don't think about the consequences of the process to get it done right imho. I go now...
@@VanillaMacaron551 Thank you for such a positive reply, not everyone wants to hear the truth eh, kinda shuffle off in another direction. Cheers to ya fellow person :)
@@Ogsonofgroo not sure how any damage could matter. No heat or maintanance and the homes will damage themselves. Let me in then you will see damage. Strip them of anything i can move out on wagons through a hole in the fence. Those fridges i would snip the coolant lines then remove all the copper. Remove walls for the copper. Then start on all other metals. Then doors and windows. Then cupboards. Then all the lumber i could salvage. Then the bricks. Anything left behind is cleaned up with a jug of gas and matches. Just one house i could remove all i could in 1 summer then build me a free house with nice ass cupboards and doors.
Wonderful explore, as always, and interesting & sad story. I cannot believe they didn't take their appliances--stainless steel gas ranges, refrigerators, washers & dryers, not to mention teak patio chairs, various furnishings, even a boat! The appliances alone are worth thousands. I imagine they were in a big hurry to get out, & maybe had trouble finding moving companies willing to go there. You're more courageous than me! I kept worrying a sinkhole was going to swallow you or a squatter was going to pop out at you! Glad you made it out safely....and the beard looks great on you!
I can't believe somebody hasn't come in & taken the appliances & countertops, cabinets etc. Given more time they may still yet. But I'm really blown away by the person who left the speedboat behind.
Wow Brent, I was shocked to see they left their boat behind . What a shame , all those nice homes just rotting there . Another nice video, thank you ! ❤️🙏🏻
Great explore Brent. Beautiful location and homes. It would have been sad to leave all that. And leaving that boat behind was baffling. Thanks for the walk. ☮️!
Thank you Brent for documenting this sad story - SO many questions. We're the builders aware of the seepage problem before construction? If so they are surely liable. Why did people leave so much behind? What a magnificent location with incredible views it could have been. Gill 🇬🇧
@@greywebs1944 Planners don't necessarily know what is or isn't karst topography and the municipality (at least the one I am one for isn't liable for such.)--that being said maybe theyd have different policies in place as im not in BC
What a shame, that had to be heartbreaking for the homeowners. The views and the area is spectacular. If anything - if nothing can be done to develop the area it would be good to see the land returned to wilderness.
Someone asked once why people in homes like this left all their furniture behind. They don't leave it all, but they probably have to move to a much smaller place, and there isn't room for the furniture. So sad. We had an abandoned place with sinkholes like this near me in Florida, and the people in several houses refused to move. They were on back lots, and they said they would take the chance, but they weren't moving out of their homes. They stayed for the entire 14 years I was there, and there were no more sinkholes. I did find out after I left that what we thought was a retention pond at the end of my street started out as a sinkhole. I always wondered why the one house on the edge of it would have built so close to it.
@FreeForLife @ FreeForLife. WRONG! First know what ur talking about before you answer someone’s question lol. They COULDNT move everything unless it was done on carts because they weren’t allowed to bring in any big trucks or moving equipment to move it. They had to wheel it back and forth and salvage what they could. Hence why you see appliances, a boat, big beds and furniture etc. so there is the real answer as to why. 🤦♀️
Why must people vandalize? That's what gets me more about these vids than anything. Pointless vandalism. Sorry for the families who paid up and lost their dream homes. I also like the way you call out and announce your presence and what you're doing. I do similar when exploring old places, leave my car parked out in the open with a note on the dash explaining who I am and what I am doing. OMG the 4 Winns boat...I know that name, I dated a guy who was a boat builder. That shipyard is just a 40min drive from me. That hole in the water is worth at least $300k probably even in its current condition.
BC usually has in place some of the toughest Engineering reports, build protocols, and oversight in North America. I find it hard to believe this got by the developer, lawyers, local govt. and didn't show up in the first builds: those houses are usual BC houses with basements. You'd have hydrology showing up fast. As a bankrupt sale and separate parcel, my guess is the reports included ALL the land and ignored this particular area. Those houses are nice; overlook the whole Sound with water and height views. BC also doesn't usually have this type of geology (unlike some states like Florida, Georgia, all swamp). BC DOES have geothermal and coastal issues.
Georgia? Lived here my whole life. The only swamp is in the SE corner of the state - the Okefenokee. Georgia has beaches, mountains and piedmont. There are no sinkhole issues here in Georgia. Where I live, in N. Georgia, our soil is rocky clay...very hard soil. Florida, being a peninsula, has a very high water table, and ' yes' they do have sinkholes in certain areas
@@ShalomUSA Exactly what I was going to comment. I've been here my whole 53 years and this is truly one of the MOST diverse and beautiful states in this country. From the mountains, to the beaches and everything in between it is gorgeous. The only time we have sinkholes is from infrastructure failures. City of Atlanta has had some of those 120+ year old pipes leak and erode the ground from below, but that is all man-made destruction. Everytime I have to get the shovel out, I KNOW how hard this red clay is!!! lol!😂🤣
That last home with the elevator was just stunningly beautiful. I could just see myself with my family and kids on a Saturday morning. So much life and noise and laughter happiness will be filled throughout the house and a hot tub and the views looking out across the lake and the sun rose what a beautiful summer Saturday morning.
These homes are so beautiful it's sad to know these people probably lost everything but nowadays they have things they run across the ground to check for sinkholes even before they build another great video thank you
What beautiful homes and land. I wish people would have more respect and NOT vandalize. It would be devastating to build your dream home and then be told you can't live in it anymore. What stunning views! What a shame. Jeez I can't believe they left their boat behind. Very good handling of the camera, I never get car sick watching your videos. Thank you!!
Wooow when I found your channel the story about this place was the first video I watched and I couldn't to come back here again...Beautiful place,beautiful houses,amazing view,very sad story,big shame that all those people had to leave your houses...and you you're the best my favorite explorer No.1 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻 Big greetings and kiss for you from Serbia 🇷🇸❤🇨🇦❤ I like your styling 👌🏻😁😉
I am not quite sure what possessed the TH-cam algorithm to send me here, but I was absolutely captivated by this video and you now have a new subscriber. I don’t know why, but these abandoned places videos always make me a little sad, but your voice reminds me of Bob Ross, very calming and relaxing. Love your channel.
So many beautiful homes with gorgeous views, it's ironic that the owners bought and never got much time to enjoy them and squatters use them now?,This video reminds me of the Love Canal homes,built on known contaminated land and still sold until it's residents were getting very sick and dying! All the homes evacuated,dream homes doomed.Thanks Bret,great video
What a awesome neighborhood 😎. So sad that the owners had to leave 😢. This is just terrible 😢. The view from the houses is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing 👍 😊 😀
TOTALLY HEARTBREAKING !!! Imagine being one of these homeowners and seeing the devastating results here. So sad !!! But I most certainly would have removed everything !!!
Wow Brent! What a story and what a shame those big beautiful homes are left to the elements and the power of the earth to sink them away. Geological survey should have been done before all that work went to waste. Your thorough documentary approach shows how sad this all is, and your music is spot on in a pensive mood too. Stay safe Good Sir.
I have extra free time and just read through the geotechnical report for the project. It’s basically 77 pages saying that sinkholes are happening and I quote “the formation of other sinkholes within the development should be anticipated.” So basically a report saying don’t build here.
I have been following this story in the news for a few years. I visit Sechelt a few times a year, as I love it there. But this story is devastating and my heart breaks for these home owners! The "developer" and the District of Sechelt should be held accountable! These people have lost everything. To add insult to injury their homes are being looted and trashed. And now the City of Sechelt is suing these home owners! Disgusting! from Global news: "One claim seeks legal costs from failed lawsuits by the residents and legal actions by third parties, and to recoup smaller compensatory payouts made to several residents due to the evacuation That suit cites a clause in a covenant registered on the subdivision indemnifying the district from damage or costs from use of the land. The second suit seeks to hold the residents financially responsible to repair all the infrastructure in the subdivision.'
Hold up. These people were tricked into buying million dollar homes, then they were FORCED to abandon them by the city and never allowed to return to them, and now the city wants those people to pay to fix the sinkholes in near houses that they no longer own ?
When you invest money you take risks. Dumb people will invest without looking into possible issues. Any brain dead human could see thats a bad area to buy a house. I know i wouldnt and my iq is only 110. So ya only the dumbest of the dumbest would spend over 1 million without looking and doing research first.
I’m surprised more of their furniture and appliances weren’t removed! There’s nothing wrong with it or there wasn’t at the time they vacated. They must have enough money where they don’t need it. Hard to believe - so much wasted! Thanks for the tour Brent! 🥰
What a wonderful explore amidst such sadness. There's so much waste in the time of need right now and just wish there was some way to remove items - fridges, stoves, etc. - and donate them to those in need. Thanks so much for exploring and sharing with us!!!
I'm sure there are plenty of ppl that will take their chances and go in, wheeling that furniture and the material away, it's worth it. Especially if you homeless with a skill of craftsmanship. Find a nice couple acres somewhere and build up a house. To see the waste, of which, nature, will consume, and it will rot and mold away 😡💔
As an American, I've met many snowbirds from British Columbia while traveling in the southwest. They always came across as happy folks, telling me how great it was living in "beautiful BC". This is an eye opening reality check on how things can be deceiving, how reality can let you down. Just when you believe one thing, something opposite may be true. This is the stuff of nightmares, and this frightening nightmare is happening to the entire planet, not just the one small Canadian community. How can you even prepare? This looks like an episode of "Life After People".
Sadly, it’s now 2023 Nothing has been done about the loss of investment/property. I live about 20 min from this area. No one has taken responsibility for this catastrophe…….. From what I understand, the engineers had warned the developers about the possibility of underground waterways and the possibility of unstable ground. None of the following will accept responsibility for the life-changing mistake: the engineers, the developer, the contractor, the district, or the Realtors 😢 Truly heartbreaking for these homeowners, some of which are still paying mortgage payments on a home which is now deemed worthless and uninhabitable. As well as paying rent for somewhere to live while they all fight for what’s right……… Some one or some company needs to step up……….
True, I was also told by a local the home owners knew the risk and signed documents. Probably thought it would never happen. I cant confirm this though
The 2nd home you went into would be my dream home. The view from the deck was amazing. It is the sage green home you said someone had been living in. If a judge said continued states of emergency were unlawful, why couldn't the residents who did not have sinkholes stay in their homes?
Yet another awesome video. Thanks Brent! Man, I would be so so sad if I was one of those poor people who got suckered into this. I almost got caught up in a similar scam in Fairmont BC. I mean, we were literally 1 week away from buying into this "resort" and thankfully, my parents having been in real estate their whole life, cautioned me to revise our decision. Thankfully we did or we would have lost everything.
Stated watching the second video but decided to watch this pt1 first. Thank you for letting us know in the 2nd video. These poor Soul's omg did they get compensation? Million dollar homes now $2 how horrible. Kindest thoughts to you and your families and Furbabies from Australia. 😢
Hey Brent thanks for your bravery to give us the opportunity to see this place. My jaw dropped to see these amazing homes abandoned. I keep asking myself why the owners wasn't allowed, like one family at a time, to reenter their property to remove all appliances and cupboards or whatever is salvageable etc. I guess people with money who own this type of expensive homes. Stuff like that is not a big deal. It's very sad to see never the less, to see money go down the drain. But thanks for the work you do for us to become aware.
As much as I'd like to have those appliances, not worth the risk. Imagine an 80 ft sinkhole opens up on you inside the house, outside would be bad enough.
Any insurance payouts for this debacle could also include contents like appliances and furnishings. Who knows. In any event, not worth risking your life for a refrigerator.
@@MrMarumari insurance covers dwelling (house,garage, shed) plus property (appliances etc). It may not cover sinkholes however. If it does, they may be able to argue that it's not covered if the homeowners were aware of them before building the home. The best scenario would be for the insurance to cover the homeowners and then sue the developer.
The creepiest homes have to be the ones with some furniture and the power left on, I get the feeling that the owners would walk in at any moment. What surprises me is the ones where they've clearly moved out, but left really nice furniture and personal items. They were likely given enough time to pack up and leave, as most of their items are gone, so why leave the items they did? Those views from the windows and decks are amazing, the landscaping alone is probably worth more than any car I've ever owned LOL.
@@joywebster2678 okay so still doesn't explain why you would leave furniture behind when you took all the other furniture in the house. I think if I were being evicted from my million dollar house because of someone else's negligence I'd make sure I took every last thing I owned ( even the rolls of toilet paper) but hey that's just me.
@@joywebster2678 you make a lot of assumptions don't you. Sorry but the longer you talk the less sympathy I have for them. It reminds me that these weren't just some average 2 bedroom flats in the not so nice part of town. I think they got screwed over, but you're doing them a dis-service arguing with me about how much they valued or didn't value their furniture. I've seen this happen in a lot of homes, not just these ones and perhaps we could have talked about that but you seem adamant in defending these particular people. I simply don't have the time to waste anymore on this.
@@joywebster2678 Thank you for clarifying that you clearly have too much time on your hands and choose to just troll around the internet. How is it a "stupid notion" to ask why someone is able to remove ALL of the furniture in a house except a couple pieces (and really some aren't that large which are left behind). Second, if I moved I'd probably have friends who could help me to make sure I got everything. I guess that says a lot doesn't it. Get a hobby Karen, you're getting irritating now.
Here's what the news reported (but hey, what do they know vs some random person on the internet): "During the residents' hasty effort to clear out their million-dollar homes, concrete barriers were moved to the side of the road allowing pickup trucks and moving vans to get closer to the homes."
i’m from this town where this is going on and there is a person who has to just check on the state of the houses every once and a while just to monitor the situation
To make this story even more disgusting and heartbreaking, the city of Sechelt is now suing the homeowners for legal fees from failed lawsuits and a second lawsuit holding the homeowners financially responsible to repair all infrastructure in the subdivision, including landscaping, roads and buildings.
WTF??? Serious? After all these people have been through they would do that? I say it’s time for people to rise up and stage a tax revolt! This is absolutely disgusting, worse than the vandalism!
Homeowner here so my empathy is with them, but also got to thinking from when we built a home in the Colorado Rockies what a beautiful acreage it was until we blasted the land for the house foundation, leach field and septic tank. 😭 That land will always be scarred is my point. Very sad all the way around and the CONTRACTOR needs to foot the town bill, right⁉️
A guy could bring a uhaul in and furnish his whole house with what was left behind. The fridge alone in the first house looked brand new. Crazy they left everything.
I really hope that your documentary gets people to buy these homes for the building materials. A savvy person could get a contractor to disassemble and move a lot of that material. You would pay for that, but building material is crazy expensive now.
The area is hazardous and no vehicles are permitted. The way I understand it, these folks had to roll things out on carts because moving companies refused to bring in trucks. It’s probably why appliances were left behind. Very sad.
From the age of 16, I've been working. In my retired years, I can say I have a nice home. Not as nice as these, but I'm happy. If this happened to me, I'd be crushed. I have insurance, but in a case like this I bet everything is unsettled. I really feel for these families.
Creepy, scary, and oh so sad. I couldn’t help but imagine the resident’s faces as they walked away from their beautiful homes for the last time. I’m wondering why the developer was even given a permit to build here. I’m surprised things like hardware and doors were left behind, especially the hardware, since it can be quite expensive. Thanks for this interesting video.
I agree with how creepy the whole development is & how scary it was to go inside the homes with him. The REFRIGERATORS is what I was shocked about most; that they were still there. Yes there were street barricades, but there has to be a way to get close enough to where people could go in with hand trucks & salvage those giant gorgeous appliance. Seems so sad to see the waste especially if they haven't been exposed to biochemical hazardous contaminants that would would be deemed unfit for usage. Truthfully with someone, not me lol, knowledgeable about materials, how to extricate them without damage & a carefully compiled list, those houses could be picked clean to the bones lol. The owners obviously don't want them & the looters are just dumb vandals. *this comment is strictly speculative with no intentions to carry out or to direct others to do so.*
@@golden50snomad52 Good points! Just curious…did you write that last disclaimer line that’s done in bold after your comment, or did TH-cam? If you wrote it, how did you get it in bold, and did TH-cam make you write it? I’m 73 and don’t quite get all the various “Do’s and Don’ts” where TH-cam comments are concerned. 🙋🏻♀️
I'd never heard this story before, what a truly tragic series of events. I agree that I'd be very interested in hearing from the owners and their experiences. I hope they were able to get something back from the builder, but knowing the shady ways most construction firms operate, I'm sure they went "bankrupt" to get out of any obligations. I'm surprised that despite all the vandalism, the high-end appliances are all still there and in good shape. I would have thought someone would have rolled up to take them all.
No one's gotten any compensation, and now the Town is suing the homeowners in hopes they will back off on the multiple lawsuits that have been launched against them. The whole subdivision is fenced off and not accessible by vehicle, so no one can move any big stuff out
@@stephanyblahey2476 So going in with a skid-steer and an appliance dolly for all of those appliances is a no go then? Heck, you should just be able to go in with some ground-penetrating radar (looks like a push lawnmower; costs all of $1,200.00 to $1,500.00 a week to rent) to map out all the current underground cavities in the area and mark them out, and then go in with more proper vehicles to finish retrieving the remaining household items and take them out of there, shouldn't you? It's not actually all that difficult to do, so this has to be more about bureaucracy & politics than about safety and security then, is that not the case? 🤔 🤨
@@steadholderharrington9035 Appliances and furniture aren't worth much these days, and labour and fuel are expensive. No reputable and insured moving firm would let their employees or truck go into an area that - for safety reasons - is officially locked off and condemned. Even people moving long-distance these days sometimes choose to sell most of their stuff and get new furniture and appliances at the other end. Thanks for the video - really interesting. What a waste, when there is a housing crisis! I wonder if some of the former residents are hoping that one day they will be able to go back, if sufficient ground scanning and surveying is done. Or no?
@@stephanyblahey2476 If it's not patrolled by the police it's a wonder criminals haven't moved the barricades and cleaned house in the middle of the night.
I hope the owners never see this video. Can you imagine the range of emotions if they do? It makes me so angry to see the destruction some people do for fun. Disgusting.
the views and sceneries of that subdivision are breath taking...imagine having bbq and few beers relaxing with your family on the balcony watching the sunset.
Surprised that it wasn’t worth salvaging parts of the houses when the houses were first ordered evacuated. Magnificent home sites, what a view. Not sure what Canadian laws apply, but in USA, land slippage is not covered by house insurance. Still in the Canadian courts per article below. PS - Coast Reporter article dated February2922 goes over current site and court status - Three years later, what's changed in the Seawatch evacuation saga? PS2 - seems similar to Portuguese Bend Landslide in the Rancho Palos Verdes area of Southern California.
Check out my updated video of this location here - th-cam.com/video/kFdsqpOutAk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=NX3W5DGGFvNsoVrV
I know one of the families that were kicked out of seawatch, they were going to leave town completely until the community rallied around them. Sadly they are still paying the mortgage on the condemned home on top of paying for an over priced rental. I'm still amazed by the game of hot potato being played by the district, the engineering company, the developers, and everyone else involved. No one wants the blame or the financial liability, and the homeowners are the ones left holding the hot potato. Now the district is suing the homeowners trying to get them to pay for the road and sinkhole repairs. I stand by the opinion that someone took a mighty fine payday to sign off on this development and ignore all of the warning signs that this lot never should have even been cleared.
I know I’m a bit of course here, but how sad is it for the families of these once beautiful homes to see how these idiots are vandalizing their dream homes? The authorities not taking proper action is a big part of our societies problems. I’m betting if this were the police chief or mayor’s home it would be checked on frequently. To the families that own these homes I just want to say how sorry I am for what has happened to you. My thoughts and prayers are with you all.😢😢😢
Shouldn't have to be paying s*** the city should have to pay it
That’s totally messed up to be paying on something you got kicked out of. Nah not this guy. I would file and get the hell on with my life. Lol sad as F though
Can't they sue whomever signed off on building here? How is this the homeowners fault? That said, I have seen similar things where someone buys a property discovers later that there was a laundromat years earlier and now the home owner is stuck paying the million dollars paying for the eco cleanup.
They should not have to pay for something they can't use or be in
I can understand stealing stuff from abandoned homes, but I can't get my head around why people feel the need to simply vandalise and destroy things.
My thoughts exactly! Absolutely no need for it and there is some wonderful stuff that could be reclaimed and used again 👍
Wonder how they would feel if some punk vandalized where they live. Straight idiots that do such a thing.
I am not sure it can even be called stealing when items, along with the house, have been sitting years, upon years, sometimes decades. Stealing from whom? From people who don't want anything from there, for how long?? Just to be demolished and thrown in the trash field, or landfill? Doesn't make much sense when you put your garbage can on the curb and from then on to the point it gets picked up,you no longer have any rights to any of it any longer.
I may of took that hole in one trophy 🥴
Go smash a room full of stuff and tell me how you felt afterwards. The place is going to sit and deteriorate into the ground. What does it matter what anybody does to any of these places?
Incredible and sad, I feel so bad for the people who lost everything here. Also, I will never understand how people get their jollies from destroying other people's property. Thank you for sharing.
👍
@@marcpaquette6687 👍
@@marcpaquette6687 It's a shame that there's people out there with that mentality.
Class envy. People unhappy with their own lives resent others who have succeeded. Misery loves company, "if I can't have it, then you can't either." If you're doing this past the juvenile years then you're going to be a big problem for society.
@@UniversalStandard What you think couldn't be further from the truth. I'm quite the "under-achiever", having worked much of my life for minimum wage and less. Landscape maintenance, dishwasher, taxi-cab driver, and then becoming disabled at age 39 (in 1993), and living on SS disability since. Two years ago my income finally reached the stratospheric height of just over $1,000 a month due to the COLA increase. There is a lot of unfairness in the world, and a lot of people seem to have an unfair advantage, but I was raised to take responsibility for my place in life. Anyway, that's my rant for now. Don't be so quick to make assumptions.
My wife and I moved to Sechelt in 2005 after I retired from my position as the manager of building inspections for Whistler. I regularly rode my bike through The Shores. I couldn’t believe it when I was told a subdivision was being developed where Sea Watch is. The grades seemed to be unstable. I feel sorry for those who constructed homes there.
Money back from building
Thanks. Good to know.
Perfect example of why there are so damn many rules today.
The free market forces cannot be trusted. It ruined these people
Heartbreaking. Developers and engineers need to be sued and whomever at the town allowed construction.
Brent: have you considered in doing a documentary on any of the owners and what their reactions to being 'evicted' of their dream home?
Great idea!😀
@@suzanneroche1243 This is somebody's write off for sure . Don't worry about them. They knew it was some shady business to begin with.
You can see some video stories from 3 years ago, and interviews with some of the owners by doing a youtube search of "Seawatch subdivision". Thanks for this interesting story....so scary and fascinating.
Jennie Hughes I’m sure you’re right otherwise the stuff wouldn’t be there. I guess North America and Canada are very rich countries. But I’m not used to spending money unless I have to because personally I haven’t got it. Never been in the position to leave valuable furniture, etc. to the elements. I don’t think the average person could so they must be crooks! Thanks for your perspective Jennie! 😀
@@jenniehughes6927 agree a 100%,someone give them the build permit for $$$$
No matter the reason, it’s always sad to see such beautiful homes with million dollar views abandoned. Thank you for sharing, Brent!!
not the impact on people smh lets cry for houses with a view uuggh!
Get a grip, jay!! One sentence can’t possibly cover all the human emotions that a person or people can possibly have. Just remember, it’s one sentence that was put out, one comment !!!!
Can’t we just all get along, please? 😮
I just read the Updated article about these properties. The homeowners are still fighting in the courts about their homes. The only settlement so far. Is 2 families were compensated 200,000 dollars for their expenses, since leaving their homes. Most are still fighting to retrieve their property.
One of the homes you didn't enter belonged to a coworker of mine. I stayed there a few times and it was absolutely spectacular, their dream home for sure. Before they moved in the lower access road had already collapsed due to a sinkhole, you had to drive an extra 20 mins to go around the back route. I think they lived there for just over a year, definitely told to leave before the house was 2 years old.
This is so sad. Beautiful homes forced to be abandoned; it’s such a terrible waste. Just the flooring, kitchens , cabinetry and bathroom fixtures would be worth reclaiming.
Forgot the wood, it is expensive.
Is it worth losing you or helpers lives due to a sink hole appearing?
@@carolecampbell8813 yes
For everyone asking why so much was left behind, such as appliances etc. When the residents had to leave, they were not allowed to have moving trucks drive into the subdivision, they had to wheel their belongings out on carts.
That's what I figured. Thanks.
How heartbreaking 💔
I didn't think about it,I thought they didn't have any place to keep them.
Or I didn't know about it.
I'd gotten a dolly and moved them!
It's absolutely devastating the homeowners, who put their lives into these AMAZING picturess homes...their families...their dreams, all uprooted by a major technicality that took it all away from them in an instant...WOW! Even more so disappointed in the squatters and people who vandalized these homes...NO respect or compassion...WOW!
I pray the homeowners are compensated and are able to rebuild their lives in a safe and beautiful place...much LUV and PRAYERS to you all...Thank you for sharing.❤🩹❤🙏
It’s heartbreaking to watch you walk throughout these gorgeous homes. I can not imagine how these homeowners feel when given a notice to leave and just take what they can carry or load up in there cars.
I've never understood vandalism or intentional destruction of another's property.
especially in such beautiful homes with a nice view.. it would be so peaceful i cant imagine punching the walls lol
Probably ignorant teenagers would be my guess.
whose property? the homes are condemned and no one is supposed to be there, bet you don't have the same issues with corporate looting and destruction of the working class
It's called revenge. Envy was the motivator. If I can't have it, no one can have it. I guess there's a satisfaction by very immature people that do the trashing.
@@brushcreek42
I know its teenagers, bc they've never heard of, closing the goddamm door 🎸
So incredibly heartbreaking. Throughout the entire video, all I could think of was what these houses were like before and what they were built for. To be that place for lives, love, laughter, differences, etc. All the things that life throws at us. I kept imagining families walking thru the door with groceries or coming home from work and school. Kids doing homework, having friends over, families having dinner, cleaning up. Holidays, birthdays, any day, really. But these families and houses never got the chance and that is so sad to me. Thank you for this video.
A lawless squatter’s paradise with a sink hole problem…. Thank you Brent for putting yourself out there for us fans.
maybe he did and had to pay a toll, there was a bed in one of those houses!
If my daughter moves out before they gone im tempted to move there. Gut house by house removing items to sell for scrap. 100 pounds of copper is easy to carry out and worth almost 500 bucks. A small 4 wheeled waggon to remove large items of value. Make a killing pulling houses apart and selling all that has value. Even bricks have value and fast to clean up.
This has to be one of the saddest explores I’ve seen yet. Mainly because of the scale of the waste of such staggeringly beautiful properties in such an enviable location. So many questions come to mind but the main ones are did the developers get fined/prosecuted, did the homeowners get any recompense? And why was so much stuff left behind? It was quite eerie seeing the ceiling fans running and no-one there somehow. I cannot understand why that boat was left there, or the really nice fridge and other appliances. People had enough time to pack up and leave surely to goodness? What a great explore my friend
They had to move fast, no large trucks allowed. Most probably thought they would come back or insurance would just reimburse them.
I do believe I would have gotten me a dolly to get some of my stuff .
@@jackyblue67same10 Yeah, you can move a refrigerator with a pickup truck!
So much was left behind because they had 2 days notice to get their stuff out and no trucks were allowed into the subdivision, so they had to pack everything out by hand. Not only that- the mayor at the time of this debacle was just reelected in an election where less than 3000 turned out, from a town of more than 11000
Sad? This is karma
Very sad indeed Thank you for being so very respectful in your explore and documenting. I can't even fathom the hardship for the property owners. So glad you were able to revisit this location. It has become so overgrown and really looks desolate now.
This is definitely one that is memorable. Thank you again for ALL you do Brent truly appreciated!! 💥💥💥
Wow, I looked this place up on Google street view which dated back to 2011. Looks so different and my heart breaks for the ppl that got sucked into buying here. There is NO WAY the residents here should pay one cent, its not their fault. That is so incredibly wrong that they are being sued, what a joke. I hope and pray these ppl get compensated for what they have been thru.
I can’t get over how much is salvageable especially in this day and age
Probably No Easy Way to get it Out of the Gated and Locked barriers
I bet since this video has been shown more people that live around there Will go check it out for their self
Society is afraid of its own shadow today. Somebody will get the contract to empty the homes and demolish. There is always a way to do things, just need a will. It was stable enough to build all that, it could be emptied much faster. It's a sin to leave it all there, since it should be cleaned up and returned to nature.
Imagine all of the hard work the families did to find their happy place. As a life long working class vancouverite I actually feel bad. Housing is so difficult to obtain now a days. To see such a failed geological study etc it’s heartbreaking. These people are British Columbians too thanks for the footage and exploring commentary
@@lifequest7453 credit and sucking up the loss and working more years than you planned. That’s probably what they did like everyone does. I doubt they paid cash
@@lifequest7453 maybe if you are an overseas buyer trying to launder money in Canada yes l
@@PrincessZoey there are plenty of millionaires in the lower mainland, think every Canadian CEO that has gotten rich on the backs of working class Canadians, you don't need to look overseas for the boogeyman
They probably planned to be there 3 weeks a year
Incredible explore, and a tragic story. Imagine being one of those owners, spending $2 million on a house, to have to abandon it. For that matter, if a house cost $2 million, I'd be pretty upset that the house next to me is only 10 feet away. These mansions were built on top of each other.
Right. If I am going to spend millions on a home I certainly don't want to see my neighbors right next door. I would have to buy a 5+ acre area and put the house in the middle of it, and keep the neighbors away. Awesome views. Such a waste of resources. Some of those chandlers in the entryways coast near $2,000.00 U.S. dollars. Surprised no one has taken them. Some of those views are awesome.
@@joefranks4235 I was thinking the same. They could literally play catch with their neighbors from their balconies, & see in their windows. Way too close.
Land is very expensive in BC, you would have to pay a lot more then 2M for 5 acre oceanfront.
...It's not always cities, Welcome to VERY Small Town with limited space & "Exploding" population...I'm currently looking at a hillside with 5+ multi-million dollar homes under construction, again all very close together, But would be exponentially more expensive if they all sat on their own acreage's in this area...
How about… Don’t feel sorry for people who spend $2 million on a home 😬👎🏿💩
Such a shame these homes had to be abandoned. That would have been one heck of a view to wake up to and look out over every morning, especially that one house that was situated perfectly to have a total view of the sea. Absolutely stunning! What a terrible waste. 😢
exactly, i have to travel to get views like this, it's amazing, sad it had to be abandoned
Im amaze why many people here in canada are homeless ..
This makes me both angry and sad. All the vandalism is so disgusting & I can't imagine how the previous homeowners would feel seeing the damage done to their once beautiful homes. So hard to watch :o( Thanks Brent and stay safe
The saga behind those claims began in 2004 when developer Concordia Seawatch Ltd. bought land overlooking Snake Bay at the northwest end of the West Porpoise Bay neighbourhood. Sechelt’s bylaws required a professional geotechnical report to advance development plans for the site and to address soil and slope stability issues. Concordia obtained such a report in 2006. It documented that sinkholes had developed on the site and how future infrastructure and building foundations should be designed. Sechelt required Concordia register a restrictive covenant including that report on the titles to ensure that lot purchasers were made aware of those conditions. The subdivision was approved in 2006, trees were removed from the site and construction of high-end homes began.
did the developer follow through and warn the buyers about the likely problems? stoopid question, but thought i'd ask anyway...
@@Scriptorsilentum I was thinking the same thing, were the home owners told
Wowza! Have the developers left town?
Ur good copying and pasting
Developers are notorious for building homes, running into problems, declaring bankruptcy, then starting again with a new company name.@@arribaficationwineho32
I appreciate the risks that you took to show us these homes and was shocked when you found that beautiful boat. Thanks for the great explore!
Great Explore Brent. I can’t imagine walking away from such great homes. I wonder how you recover financially from something like this…? A pleasure to watch. The views are Divine. Looking forward to your next explore. Great Job👍🏻
Oh my goodness. How horribly sad. The homes are beyond gorgeous and the views are spectacular. Did the developers know about the unstable ground when they were selling and building these homes? Have any of the homes actually sunk and/or disappeared? Your videos are still the absolute best!❤
What makes this even more haunting is that street level is still available from Google maps from 2011. You can see some of these same houses, even from the same angles as they were lived in at that time.
I'll never understand why people go in and destroy things this way. I'm so sad for these people, it must be devastating to go through this ordeal. The city/county should have to pay for this since they signed off to build. I saw a comment on this thread somewhere from a guy that said that ground never should have been built on because sink holes were already going on BEFORE the homes were built and it was kept secret.
Tent or a mansion, it is so devastating a blow to lose your home, and sometimes your dreams, and that idiots squat, pillage, and vandalize is plain sickening after tragic events like this and I'm sure the folks who had to leave still own their places and property and seeing the disrespect for them is un-nerving and just pisses me off, no fikkin' respect. That land should never have been built on and I hope heads are rolling about that. A sad story and well done for showing us this, thank you and well done Sir!
Edit addition ~ My conclusion is that when the forest was taken down there was no place for the water to go but down and under, the trees no longer using it up to grow and/or shedding into down hill, and lower the water level has created deep streams which will continue to erode the earth beneath to no good affect.
I hope the owners of these homes can salvage as much as they can before others do, to recoup some of their losses.
I live on the southern BC coast too and see far too much of this stupidity for my liking, but I guess its everywhere (remembering back to when they built all the houses along the Cal. coast that are now fallen to the sea.) People want a view but don't think about the consequences of the process to get it done right imho.
I go now...
I think you are absolutely right about how this has happened, after the trees were removed. Please everyone, learn these lessons.
@@VanillaMacaron551 Thank you for such a positive reply, not everyone wants to hear the truth eh, kinda shuffle off in another direction. Cheers to ya fellow person :)
@@Ogsonofgroo not sure how any damage could matter. No heat or maintanance and the homes will damage themselves. Let me in then you will see damage. Strip them of anything i can move out on wagons through a hole in the fence. Those fridges i would snip the coolant lines then remove all the copper. Remove walls for the copper. Then start on all other metals. Then doors and windows. Then cupboards. Then all the lumber i could salvage. Then the bricks. Anything left behind is cleaned up with a jug of gas and matches. Just one house i could remove all i could in 1 summer then build me a free house with nice ass cupboards and doors.
Such a shame for the families that bought these homes. 😢 They are indeed beautiful homes and the area is just incredible. Thanks Brent for sharing.
Wonderful explore, as always, and interesting & sad story. I cannot believe they didn't take their appliances--stainless steel gas ranges, refrigerators, washers & dryers, not to mention teak patio chairs, various furnishings, even a boat! The appliances alone are worth thousands. I imagine they were in a big hurry to get out, & maybe had trouble finding moving companies willing to go there.
You're more courageous than me! I kept worrying a sinkhole was going to swallow you or a squatter was going to pop out at you!
Glad you made it out safely....and the beard looks great on you!
This is so sad. These are such lovely homes. I’ve never understood the smashing on windows for pure pleasure. Sick people out there!
I can't believe somebody hasn't come in & taken the appliances & countertops, cabinets etc. Given more time they may still yet. But I'm really blown away by the person who left the speedboat behind.
They're following the law
I'm sure that boat was insured
All that money, gone🥲😭 dream's
666
Addresses with 666. The irony.
Wow Brent, I was shocked to see they left their boat behind . What a shame , all those nice homes just rotting there . Another nice video, thank you ! ❤️🙏🏻
Clearly TOO MIUCH MONEY. oh just leave it all behind…. Poor mentality from these owners I think!
Probably couldn't get a vehicle in to pull the boat out
@Asteruh yeaaaaaa how TUPID of me to think you could pull a boat out of the ocean anywhere 😂
Great explore Brent. Beautiful location and homes. It would have been sad to leave all that. And leaving that boat behind was baffling. Thanks for the walk. ☮️!
Thank you Brent for documenting this sad story - SO many questions. We're the builders aware of the seepage problem before construction? If so they are surely liable. Why did people leave so much behind? What a magnificent location with incredible views it could have been. Gill 🇬🇧
It's not the builders at fault, it's the planner's. Most planners don't come from the area for development. They come from elsewhere and cock it up.
@@greywebs1944 Planners don't necessarily know what is or isn't karst topography and the municipality (at least the one I am one for isn't liable for such.)--that being said maybe theyd have different policies in place as im not in BC
Very sad to see all these beautiful homes going to waste. The views are breathtaking…makes me homesick for beautiful British Columbia ❤
You took a risk being there, so glad you made it out okay! ❤️
What a shame, that had to be heartbreaking for the homeowners. The views and the area is spectacular. If anything - if nothing can be done to develop the area it would be good to see the land returned to wilderness.
This is so sad....
Great job filming this. You kept my attention from beginning to end.
Someone asked once why people in homes like this left all their furniture behind. They don't leave it all, but they probably have to move to a much smaller place, and there isn't room for the furniture. So sad. We had an abandoned place with sinkholes like this near me in Florida, and the people in several houses refused to move. They were on back lots, and they said they would take the chance, but they weren't moving out of their homes. They stayed for the entire 14 years I was there, and there were no more sinkholes. I did find out after I left that what we thought was a retention pond at the end of my street started out as a sinkhole. I always wondered why the one house on the edge of it would have built so close to it.
@FreeForLife @ FreeForLife. WRONG! First know what ur talking about before you answer someone’s question lol. They COULDNT move everything unless it was done on carts because they weren’t allowed to bring in any big trucks or moving equipment to move it. They had to wheel it back and forth and salvage what they could. Hence why you see appliances, a boat, big beds and furniture etc. so there is the real answer as to why. 🤦♀️
Why must people vandalize? That's what gets me more about these vids than anything. Pointless vandalism. Sorry for the families who paid up and lost their dream homes. I also like the way you call out and announce your presence and what you're doing. I do similar when exploring old places, leave my car parked out in the open with a note on the dash explaining who I am and what I am doing. OMG the 4 Winns boat...I know that name, I dated a guy who was a boat builder. That shipyard is just a 40min drive from me. That hole in the water is worth at least $300k probably even in its current condition.
BC usually has in place some of the toughest Engineering reports, build protocols, and oversight in North America. I find it hard to believe this got by the developer, lawyers, local govt. and didn't show up in the first builds: those houses are usual BC houses with basements. You'd have hydrology showing up fast. As a bankrupt sale and separate parcel, my guess is the reports included ALL the land and ignored this particular area. Those houses are nice; overlook the whole Sound with water and height views. BC also doesn't usually have this type of geology (unlike some states like Florida, Georgia, all swamp). BC DOES have geothermal and coastal issues.
Georgia? Lived here my whole life. The only swamp is in the SE corner of the state - the Okefenokee. Georgia has beaches, mountains and piedmont. There are no sinkhole issues here in Georgia. Where I live, in N. Georgia, our soil is rocky clay...very hard soil.
Florida, being a peninsula, has a very high water table, and ' yes' they do have sinkholes in certain areas
@@ShalomUSA Exactly what I was going to comment. I've been here my whole 53 years and this is truly one of the MOST diverse and beautiful states in this country. From the mountains, to the beaches and everything in between it is gorgeous. The only time we have sinkholes is from infrastructure failures. City of Atlanta has had some of those 120+ year old pipes leak and erode the ground from below, but that is all man-made destruction. Everytime I have to get the shovel out, I KNOW how hard this red clay is!!! lol!😂🤣
It's like any high coastline built on sand. Cali has this issue. It's types of typography that seen to have some commonality.
I hope all those people had insurance, so maybe they could recoup their losses it’s just pitiful
@@malanabrumble5568 unless they had endorsed ground movement to the coverage it's not covered.
Unbelievable and heartbreaking it must have been for the owners to have to walk away. 💔😪
Still paying the mortgages too.
Olá Brent, lugar lindo demais, quanto luxo, que dó estar abandonada essa vila. Excelente exploração.
That last home with the elevator was just stunningly beautiful. I could just see myself with my family and kids on a Saturday morning. So much life and noise and laughter happiness will be filled throughout the house and a hot tub and the views looking out across the lake and the sun rose what a beautiful summer Saturday morning.
Bless the families who invested to live here. I'm so sorry this happened to you and hope you have all made it through to happier times. ♥️🇨🇦
@NelsonAnthony-sl6ri Weather is beautiful, Nelson.
These homes are so beautiful it's sad to know these people probably lost everything but nowadays they have things they run across the ground to check for sinkholes even before they build another great video thank you
The tech was available then.
Someone effed up!
What beautiful homes and land. I wish people would have more respect and NOT vandalize. It would be devastating to build your dream home and then be told you can't live in it anymore. What stunning views! What a shame. Jeez I can't believe they left their boat behind. Very good handling of the camera, I never get car sick watching your videos. Thank you!!
Wooow when I found your channel the story about this place was the first video I watched and I couldn't to come back here again...Beautiful place,beautiful houses,amazing view,very sad story,big shame that all those people had to leave your houses...and you you're the best my favorite explorer No.1 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏻 Big greetings and kiss for you from Serbia 🇷🇸❤🇨🇦❤ I like your styling 👌🏻😁😉
I am not quite sure what possessed the TH-cam algorithm to send me here, but I was absolutely captivated by this video and you now have a new subscriber. I don’t know why, but these abandoned places videos always make me a little sad, but your voice reminds me of Bob Ross, very calming and relaxing. Love your channel.
Such a serene atmosphere with the lake/waterfront views and the nice growth of forest trees around.
So many beautiful homes with gorgeous views, it's ironic that the owners bought and never got much time to enjoy them and squatters use them now?,This video reminds me of the Love Canal homes,built on known contaminated land and still sold until it's residents were getting very sick and dying! All the homes evacuated,dream homes doomed.Thanks Bret,great video
What a awesome neighborhood 😎. So sad that the owners had to leave 😢. This is just terrible 😢. The view from the houses is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing 👍 😊 😀
I would rather the natural land scape without rich pricks ruining it. Karmas a bitch.
TOTALLY HEARTBREAKING !!! Imagine being one of these homeowners and seeing the devastating results here. So sad !!! But I most certainly would have removed everything !!!
I'm so blowed away at all the nice appliances and cabinets and pieces of furniture
Wow so sad…apocalyptic and heartbreaking really! So much loss. Thanks for sharing this.
Wow Brent! What a story and what a shame those big beautiful homes are left to the elements and the power of the earth to sink them away. Geological survey should have been done before all that work went to waste. Your thorough documentary approach shows how sad this all is, and your music is spot on in a pensive mood too. Stay safe Good Sir.
I have extra free time and just read through the geotechnical report for the project. It’s basically 77 pages saying that sinkholes are happening and I quote “the formation of other sinkholes within the development should be anticipated.”
So basically a report saying don’t build here.
I have been following this story in the news for a few years. I visit Sechelt a few times a year, as I love it there. But this story is devastating and my heart breaks for these home owners! The "developer" and the District of Sechelt should be held accountable! These people have lost everything. To add insult to injury their homes are being looted and trashed. And now the City of Sechelt is suing these home owners! Disgusting!
from Global news: "One claim seeks legal costs from failed lawsuits by the residents and legal actions by third parties, and to recoup smaller compensatory payouts made to several residents due to the evacuation
That suit cites a clause in a covenant registered on the subdivision indemnifying the district from damage or costs from use of the land.
The second suit seeks to hold the residents financially responsible to repair all the infrastructure in the subdivision.'
Hold up. These people were tricked into buying million dollar homes, then they were FORCED to abandon them by the city and never allowed to return to them, and now the city wants those people to pay to fix the sinkholes in near houses that they no longer own ?
When you invest money you take risks. Dumb people will invest without looking into possible issues. Any brain dead human could see thats a bad area to buy a house. I know i wouldnt and my iq is only 110. So ya only the dumbest of the dumbest would spend over 1 million without looking and doing research first.
Unbelievable demands being made on “residents” who can’t live there!
I’m surprised more of their furniture and appliances weren’t removed! There’s nothing wrong with it or there wasn’t at the time they vacated. They must have enough money where they don’t need it. Hard to believe - so much wasted! Thanks for the tour Brent! 🥰
I read they were not allowed to drive trucks in there. They had to cart their items or roll them away. So sad.
@@triciac1019 That is sad! 😕
It’s a pity that the criminals that vandalized the homes were not sucked into a sink hole themselves. That I would love to read about.
How heartbreaking! Such beautiful homes in such a gorgeous area!
What a wonderful explore amidst such sadness. There's so much waste in the time of need right now and just wish there was some way to remove items - fridges, stoves, etc. - and donate them to those in need. Thanks so much for exploring and sharing with us!!!
Even build more homes w all that. Nuts ! I want a french fridge !
I don't give a rats behind...
I ain't go n and leaving my stuff behind
If you could carry them out on your back.
I'm sure there are plenty of ppl that will take their chances and go in, wheeling that furniture and the material away, it's worth it. Especially if you homeless with a skill of craftsmanship. Find a nice couple acres somewhere and build up a house. To see the waste, of which, nature, will consume, and it will rot and mold away 😡💔
Every thing they lelf behind worth more than a lot of people home.
As an American, I've met many snowbirds from British Columbia while traveling in the southwest. They always came across as happy folks, telling me how great it was living in "beautiful BC". This is an eye opening reality check on how things can be deceiving, how reality can let you down. Just when you believe one thing, something opposite may be true. This is the stuff of nightmares, and this frightening nightmare is happening to the entire planet, not just the one small Canadian community. How can you even prepare? This looks like an episode of "Life After People".
Why oh why did I ever leave this God made dream of beauty
I live in Sechelt and most of us, are appalled at our councils actions or should I say inactions
Sadly, it’s now 2023
Nothing has been done about the loss of investment/property.
I live about 20 min from this area.
No one has taken responsibility for this catastrophe……..
From what I understand, the engineers had warned the developers about the possibility of underground waterways and the possibility of unstable ground.
None of the following will accept responsibility for the life-changing mistake: the engineers, the developer, the contractor, the district, or the Realtors 😢
Truly heartbreaking for these homeowners, some of which are still paying mortgage payments on a home which is now deemed worthless and uninhabitable.
As well as paying rent for somewhere to live while they all fight for what’s right………
Some one or some company needs to step up……….
True, I was also told by a local the home owners knew the risk and signed documents. Probably thought it would never happen. I cant confirm this though
Thanks for sharing the new homes.
The 2nd home you went into would be my dream home. The view from the deck was amazing. It is the sage green home you said someone had been living in. If a judge said continued states of emergency were unlawful, why couldn't the residents who did not have sinkholes stay in their homes?
Sink holes could form anywhere on this site they have learned
After watching the tour I found I had a favorite as well.
Unthinkable....total devastation, how can this be. Why is the developer not held accountable?
Yet another awesome video. Thanks Brent! Man, I would be so so sad if I was one of those poor people who got suckered into this. I almost got caught up in a similar scam in Fairmont BC. I mean, we were literally 1 week away from buying into this "resort" and thankfully, my parents having been in real estate their whole life, cautioned me to revise our decision. Thankfully we did or we would have lost everything.
Stated watching the second video but decided to watch this pt1 first. Thank you for letting us know in the 2nd video. These poor Soul's omg did they get compensation? Million dollar homes now $2 how horrible. Kindest thoughts to you and your families and Furbabies from Australia. 😢
I love this area ❤ I know this subdivision 😢 such a sad outcome for these homeowners .
Great job Brent 👍 keep them going 💜
Thanks Alexa! Did you see the updated video? th-cam.com/video/kFdsqpOutAk/w-d-xo.htmlsi=Qt5KHv7tu4OAZnVU
Hey Brent thanks for your bravery to give us the opportunity to see this place. My jaw dropped to see these amazing homes abandoned. I keep asking myself why the owners wasn't allowed, like one family at a time, to reenter their property to remove all appliances and cupboards or whatever is salvageable etc. I guess people with money who own this type of expensive homes. Stuff like that is not a big deal. It's very sad to see never the less, to see money go down the drain. But thanks for the work you do for us to become aware.
As much as I'd like to have those appliances, not worth the risk. Imagine an 80 ft sinkhole opens up on you inside the house, outside would be bad enough.
Weight of trucks on sinkhole land? To save cupboards yeah right
Any insurance payouts for this debacle could also include contents like appliances and furnishings. Who knows. In any event, not worth risking your life for a refrigerator.
@@MrMarumari insurance covers dwelling (house,garage, shed) plus property (appliances etc). It may not cover sinkholes however. If it does, they may be able to argue that it's not covered if the homeowners were aware of them before building the home. The best scenario would be for the insurance to cover the homeowners and then sue the developer.
@@alwayslernin4400 Yeah. Sounds like a class action proceeding to me (if it hasn't already begun)
The creepiest homes have to be the ones with some furniture and the power left on, I get the feeling that the owners would walk in at any moment. What surprises me is the ones where they've clearly moved out, but left really nice furniture and personal items. They were likely given enough time to pack up and leave, as most of their items are gone, so why leave the items they did? Those views from the windows and decks are amazing, the landscaping alone is probably worth more than any car I've ever owned LOL.
@@joywebster2678 okay so still doesn't explain why you would leave furniture behind when you took all the other furniture in the house. I think if I were being evicted from my million dollar house because of someone else's negligence I'd make sure I took every last thing I owned ( even the rolls of toilet paper) but hey that's just me.
@@joywebster2678 you make a lot of assumptions don't you. Sorry but the longer you talk the less sympathy I have for them. It reminds me that these weren't just some average 2 bedroom flats in the not so nice part of town. I think they got screwed over, but you're doing them a dis-service arguing with me about how much they valued or didn't value their furniture. I've seen this happen in a lot of homes, not just these ones and perhaps we could have talked about that but you seem adamant in defending these particular people. I simply don't have the time to waste anymore on this.
@@joywebster2678 Thank you for clarifying that you clearly have too much time on your hands and choose to just troll around the internet. How is it a "stupid notion" to ask why someone is able to remove ALL of the furniture in a house except a couple pieces (and really some aren't that large which are left behind). Second, if I moved I'd probably have friends who could help me to make sure I got everything. I guess that says a lot doesn't it. Get a hobby Karen, you're getting irritating now.
Here's what the news reported (but hey, what do they know vs some random person on the internet): "During the residents' hasty effort to clear out their million-dollar homes, concrete barriers were moved to the side of the road allowing pickup trucks and moving vans to get closer to the homes."
@@joywebster2678 and your response was inaccurate and an assumption Karen.
i’m from this town where this is going on and there is a person who has to just check on the state of the houses every once and a while just to monitor the situation
You make the best urban explorer videos hands down!
Thank you very much. This means a lot
I agree - your videos just get better and better- you are a pro Brent .
Love your work😊
Janice 👵 🇬🇧 xxx
Beautiful houses so sad thanks for explore!👍
This is so sad, I hope the home owners are reimbursed / compensated. My heart goes out to them all.
@Janitor Queen I'm with you on that
To make this story even more disgusting and heartbreaking, the city of Sechelt is now suing the homeowners for legal fees from failed lawsuits and a second lawsuit holding the homeowners financially responsible to repair all infrastructure in the subdivision, including landscaping, roads and buildings.
F**k the City of Sechelt !!! Owners been through enough
WTF???
Serious? After all these people have been through they would do that?
I say it’s time for people to rise up and stage a tax revolt! This is absolutely disgusting, worse than the vandalism!
"You have to leave!" "Can I come mow my lawn?" "NO!"
3 years later...
"YOU DIDN'T MOW YOUR LAWN! YOU HAVE TO PAY US!"
Class act
Homeowner here so my empathy is with them, but also got to thinking from when we built a home in the Colorado Rockies what a beautiful acreage it was until we blasted the land for the house foundation, leach field and septic tank. 😭 That land will always be scarred is my point. Very sad all the way around and the CONTRACTOR needs to foot the town bill, right⁉️
I cant believe that will work for the city
A guy could bring a uhaul in and furnish his whole house with what was left behind. The fridge alone in the first house looked brand new. Crazy they left everything.
THE INTRO ALONE! You have some TH-cam GOLD HERE!! Glad I found the channel !
Developers and surveyors should be accountable along with who ever gave planning permission
I really hope that your documentary gets people to buy these homes for the building materials. A savvy person could get a contractor to disassemble and move a lot of that material. You would pay for that, but building material is crazy expensive now.
The area is hazardous and no vehicles are permitted. The way I understand it, these folks had to roll things out on carts because moving companies refused to bring in trucks. It’s probably why appliances were left behind. Very sad.
From the age of 16, I've been working. In my retired years, I can say I have a nice home. Not as nice as these, but I'm happy. If this happened to me, I'd be crushed. I have insurance, but in a case like this I bet everything is unsettled. I really feel for these families.
Hoping for your safety. A mental squatter could jump out at you with a kitchen knife. Fascinating, casual documentary! Thanks for taking us along. 💛🙏🏼
Very sad for the families to losing such beautiful homes in a nice cozy little town. Magnificent views of the ocean too.
Love watching
Creepy, scary, and oh so sad. I couldn’t help but imagine the resident’s faces as they walked away from their beautiful homes for the last time. I’m wondering why the developer was even given a permit to build here. I’m surprised things like hardware and doors were left behind, especially the hardware, since it can be quite expensive. Thanks for this interesting video.
I wonder, could the ones who issued the permits to build there, if they could be held accountable?
@@rosebrauen7120 I would think so, & hope aside from losing their job(s), that they received several civil suits from the owners.
I agree with how creepy the whole development is & how scary it was to go inside the homes with him. The REFRIGERATORS is what I was shocked about most; that they were still there. Yes there were street barricades, but there has to be a way to get close enough to where people could go in with hand trucks & salvage those giant gorgeous appliance. Seems so sad to see the waste especially if they haven't been exposed to biochemical hazardous contaminants that would would be deemed unfit for usage. Truthfully with someone, not me lol, knowledgeable about materials, how to extricate them without damage & a carefully compiled list, those houses could be picked clean to the bones lol. The owners obviously don't want them & the looters are just dumb vandals.
*this comment is strictly speculative with no intentions to carry out or to direct others to do so.*
@@golden50snomad52 Good points! Just curious…did you write that last disclaimer line that’s done in bold after your comment, or did TH-cam? If you wrote it, how did you get it in bold, and did TH-cam make you write it? I’m 73 and don’t quite get all the various “Do’s and Don’ts” where TH-cam comments are concerned. 🙋🏻♀️
I'd never heard this story before, what a truly tragic series of events. I agree that I'd be very interested in hearing from the owners and their experiences. I hope they were able to get something back from the builder, but knowing the shady ways most construction firms operate, I'm sure they went "bankrupt" to get out of any obligations.
I'm surprised that despite all the vandalism, the high-end appliances are all still there and in good shape. I would have thought someone would have rolled up to take them all.
No one's gotten any compensation, and now the Town is suing the homeowners in hopes they will back off on the multiple lawsuits that have been launched against them. The whole subdivision is fenced off and not accessible by vehicle, so no one can move any big stuff out
@@stephanyblahey2476 So going in with a skid-steer and an appliance dolly for all of those appliances is a no go then? Heck, you should just be able to go in with some ground-penetrating radar (looks like a push lawnmower; costs all of $1,200.00 to $1,500.00 a week to rent) to map out all the current underground cavities in the area and mark them out, and then go in with more proper vehicles to finish retrieving the remaining household items and take them out of there, shouldn't you? It's not actually all that difficult to do, so this has to be more about bureaucracy & politics than about safety and security then, is that not the case? 🤔 🤨
@@stephanyblahey2476 wow, this is all crazy!
@@steadholderharrington9035 Appliances and furniture aren't worth much these days, and labour and fuel are expensive. No reputable and insured moving firm would let their employees or truck go into an area that - for safety reasons - is officially locked off and condemned.
Even people moving long-distance these days sometimes choose to sell most of their stuff and get new furniture and appliances at the other end.
Thanks for the video - really interesting. What a waste, when there is a housing crisis! I wonder if some of the former residents are hoping that one day they will be able to go back, if sufficient ground scanning and surveying is done. Or no?
@@stephanyblahey2476 If it's not patrolled by the police it's a wonder criminals haven't moved the barricades and cleaned house in the middle of the night.
I hope the owners never see this video. Can you imagine the range of emotions if they do?
It makes me so angry to see the destruction some people do for fun. Disgusting.
Great video. Thank you.
Omg such beautiful homes! I really feel for the owners having to walk away, wow!
the views and sceneries of that subdivision are breath taking...imagine having bbq and few beers relaxing with your family on the balcony watching the sunset.
This is soooo sad...so much could be salvaged. But what i hate most is the destruction...WHY 🤷🤷🤷🤷🤷
Surprised that it wasn’t worth salvaging parts of the houses when the houses were first ordered evacuated. Magnificent home sites, what a view. Not sure what Canadian laws apply, but in USA, land slippage is not covered by house insurance. Still in the Canadian courts per article below.
PS - Coast Reporter article dated February2922 goes over current site and court status - Three years later, what's changed in the Seawatch evacuation saga?
PS2 - seems similar to Portuguese Bend Landslide in the Rancho Palos Verdes area of Southern California.
A few of those home owners won a court case in January 2022.
Beautiful area and view. Beautiful houses.