Port Belmont, Surf Inlet, Princess Royal Island

This is a unique opportunity, offering four contiguous titles totaling 251.88 acres with both oceanfront on the shores of Port Belmont at the head of Surf Inlet and lakefront on Cougar Lake. Very few land options throughout BC offer substantial acreage with oceanfront, lakefront and a historic dam – a facility which could be reinstated and capable of developing significant hydro-electric power, possibly 1-1.5 megawatts. An opportunity unlikely to be duplicated.

Surf Inlet is located on Princess Royal Island, which is along the Inside Passage and east of Hecate Strait. The island is positioned about halfway between Prince Rupert to the north and the community of Bella Bella to the southeast on the central BC coast.

The possibilities are diverse and almost limitless in size and scope. It could be developed as a self-sufficient family estate or legacy property, an exclusive coastal resort or a stand-alone coastal community development. It is a great consideration for fresh or salt water aquaculture opportunities or even beyond to a perfectly isolated and protected high-tech hub to meet the highest security requirements for storage of information given the potential for year-round power generation.

The 251.88 acres is comprised of four individual titles, two on the inlet and two on Cougar Lake.

• DL 2488 is 28.5 acres. It is a highbank oceanfront property with views down Surf Inlet and a waterfall which runs through the property. It has 1577ft of frontage on Surf Inlet.
• Lot 40 is 60 acres. This property has a relatively flat topography, has frontage on both Surf Inlet and Cougar Lake and has the highest potential for onsite improvements and development. There is 5132ft total waterfront, with 2855ft on Surf inlet and 2277ft on Cougar Lake.
• DL 2487 is 22.38 acres and fronts Surf Inlet. There is a developed barge ramp which goes up to the dam to access the reservoir and Cougar Lake. A creek crosses the southwest portion of this property. There is 2618ft of both high and low bank frontage on Surf Inlet, including a shellfish beach, and also fronting Findlay River which flows down from Cougar Lake through the dam facilities into Surf Inlet.
• Lot 11 is 141 acres. This property straddles both sides of Cougar Lake and Findlay River, including the dam and the reservoir and incorporates both high and low bank frontage, a portion of which benefits from southern exposure. There is a total of 7730ft of shoreline.

The dam sits at the centre of this collection of acreages, approximately 330ft up from the oceanfront. This is a significant historic facility originally completed in 1916. It is a concrete and steel spillover dam and was built to provide power for a community and gold mine which operated until the second world war. The dam was last inspected in 1985, at which time it was determined to be sound. With everything in good standing other than required upgrades and mechanical requirements there is the possibility of generating significant power. All related licenses are in place and current.

There are two water licenses included in this offering. One is for the use of up to 156 cubic feet per second for power generation with a head of approximately 70ft and potential power production in excess of 1 megawatt. Included in the water license is the right to transmit power up to 10 miles from the dam site. The second is a massive storage water license of 100,000 acre feet for the reservoir above the dam.

There is a current foreshore lease fronting DL40 on the Surf Inlet (oceanfront) side. Surf inlet is a deep water inlet that can accommodate access by large vessels and deep water exists within approx. 50ft of the shoreline.

A complement of studies have been completed to assess the viability of some of the potential applications specific to this site and pertaining to the property’s potential.

This is a great area for wildlife experiences and fishing and gathering opportunities, both fresh and saltwater. There is a healthy kokanee population in the lake.

Access to this property is by boat and/or float plane to the oceanside and float plane to the properties fronting Cougar Lake.

Princess Royal Island is the largest island on British Columbia’s north coast and the fourth largest island in BC, at 869 square miles. It sits in the Inside Passage approximately 120 miles south of Prince Rupert. The Island is known for its wildlife, in particular as a home to Kermode (white spirit bears), black and grizzly bears and is part of what is called the Great Bear Rainforest.