{"id":393192,"date":"2026-01-07T04:59:06","date_gmt":"2026-01-07T04:59:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/393192\/"},"modified":"2026-01-07T04:59:06","modified_gmt":"2026-01-07T04:59:06","slug":"b-c-s-most-valuable-private-islands-revealed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/393192\/","title":{"rendered":"B.C.&#8217;s most valuable private islands revealed"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img class=\"featured-image__image type:primaryImage\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/a2-0726-james2-jpg_97093252.jpg\"  alt=\"file\" decoding=\"async\" fetchpriority=\"high\" height=\"750\" width=\"1000\"\/>An aerial view of James Island, off of Sidney. PNG<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The B.C. Assessment Authority has released its list of the province\u2019s most valuable properties for 2026.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vancouver Sun\" class=\"market-logo\" height=\"37\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.3.0\/websites\/images\/identity\/logo-identity-vs.svg\" width=\"280\"\/><\/p>\n<p>THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY<\/p>\n<p class=\"identity-intro__description\">Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n<p>Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n<p>SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n<p class=\"identity-intro__description\">Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.<\/p>\n<p>Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account.Get exclusive access to the Vancouver Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on.Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists.Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists.Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword.<\/p>\n<p>REGISTER \/ SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES<\/p>\n<p class=\"identity-intro__description\">Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n<p>Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.<\/p>\n<p>THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.<\/p>\n<p class=\"identity-intro__description\">Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.<\/p>\n<p>Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an Account<\/p>\n<p>or<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Among the list are four privately owned islands.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Here is some information on those pricey islands:<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"embedded-image__image lazyload\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/island13_23814795.jpg\"  alt=\"file\" height=\"750\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1000\"\/> The dining room inside a home on James Island owned by U.S. billionaire Craig McCaw. PST<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>James Island: $57,096,000<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>James Island, in Haro Strait between Saanich and Sidney Island, is owned by a company controlled by Seattle-based telecom billionaire Craig McCaw.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>McCaw bought the Stanley Park-sized island in 1994 for $26 million and has since added houses, an airstrip, yacht moorage and a golf course.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Sunrise presented by Vancouver Sun Banner\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/dcs-static.gprod.postmedia.digital\/20.3.0\/websites\/images\/newsletters\/icon-vs-sunrise.svg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Sunrise<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page\">Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__disclaimer__new-story-page text-size--tiny\">By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.<\/p>\n<p>Thanks for signing up!<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page\">A welcome email is on its way. If you don&#8217;t see it, please check your junk folder.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page newsletter__feedback--last\">The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox.<\/p>\n<p class=\"newsletter-widget__text__new-story-page js-submit-error\" hidden=\"\" id=\"submitErrorVS_Sunrise\" style=\"margin-top:8px\">We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try again<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Ranked as the third most valuable property in B.C. at $57,096,000, it has an estimated $10 million worth of buildings on the site.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The island was placed on the market in 2012 for $75 million but never sold.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Between 1910 and the 1970s, James Island was the site of a large explosives plant that supplied vast amounts of TNT during the First World War and the Second World War. At one point 800 people lived in a large village on the top of the island, with the plant in the south.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>In 2018, the 900-member Tsawout First Nation sued the federal and provincial governments for the island, arguing it should have been assigned to them under the terms of the Douglas Treaties of 1852.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Samuel Island: $19,209,000<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>This American-owned island is ranked the 94th most valuable property in B.C.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The heavily forested site is 190 hectares in size and sits east of Mayne Island, with a narrow but fast-flowing channel between it and Saturna Island.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The island was purchased by the Washington state-based company Saturna Island Associates Inc. in 2003 for $9.21 million.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Read More<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/vancouversun.com\/business\/real-estate\/how-much-home-worth-2026-bc-assessments-online\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vancouver home of Lululemon Athletica founder Chip Wilson.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/sun-0102n-chipwilsonhouse-015_35799882.jpg\"  class=\"lazyload\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"96\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>How much is your home worth? The new B.C. assessments are now online<\/p>\n<p> <\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/vancouversun.com\/business\/real-estate\/bc-assessments-lower-mainland-values-fall-northern-bc-rises\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"> <img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"According to the B.C. Assessment Authority, Vancouver condos fell on average three per cent to $772,000 last year.\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/png1015-skyline_299319380.jpg\"  class=\"lazyload\" height=\"96\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"96\"\/> <\/p>\n<p>B.C. Assessments: Lower Mainland real estate values fall as northern B.C. values rise<\/p>\n<p> <\/a><\/p>\n<p>Advertisement 1<\/p>\n<p>This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s now valued at $19,209,000.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p data-async=\"\">According to Realtor <a data-evt-val=\"{\" control_fields=\"\" link=\"\" read=\"\" data-evt=\"click\" data-evt-typ=\"click\" href=\"https:\/\/liread.com\/otherisl.htm\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Li Read<\/a>, in the 1960s there was a short-lived plan to join Mayne Island and Saturna Island with a bridge via Samuel Island.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Read says Samuel Island has had several owners including developer A.J.T. Taylor and grocery-store magnate George Weston.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Forrest Island: $13,700,000<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Ranked the 306th most valuable property in B.C., Forrest Island is located off the coast of Sidney and north of Sidney Island.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The property was purchased in 2002 for $7.1 million and is now valued at $13.7 million. The island is owned by Forrest Island Ranch Ltd., which has as its sole director James W. Sievers.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>A review on Google earth shows the 21-hectare property has one large home and a large man-made harbour.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Subtle Islands: $12,439,000<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Subtle Islands is owned by a company controlled by AbCellera CFO Andrew Booth. AbCellera is a medical technology company founded at the University of B.C. that rose to prominence during COVID-19 and became publicly listed in December 2020, after which stocks soared.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The 30-hectare islands were bought for $18.3 million in 2021 and boasts a 13,000-square-foot home that is valued at almost $9 million.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>The Subtle Islands are located in the northern part of the Georgia Strait, west of Cortez Island.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s valued at $12,439,000, making it the 419th most valuable property in the province.<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n<p>Article content<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An aerial view of James Island, off of Sidney. PNG Article content The B.C. Assessment Authority has released&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":393193,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[45,49,48,46],"class_list":{"0":"post-393192","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-economy","8":"tag-business","9":"tag-ca","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-economy"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393192","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=393192"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/393192\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/393193"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=393192"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=393192"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=393192"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}