Crown land is the property owned by the Province. The majority of land in British Columbia is Crown land. Provincial Crown land includes provincial parks and other protected areas, Crown forest lands and non-forested Crown land. The majority of provincial Crown land, about 59 million hectares, is public forest land.

While Crown land is not available for residential cabins in remote areas, they do from time to time put Crown land on the market. Crown lands are sold at appraised market value, and the majority of the properties are listed through MLS (Multiple Listing Services). Information on Crown Land for sale is also available from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resources Operations & Rural Development

You may also apply for tenure for a lease or a license to use Crown Land. A lease grants you exclusive rights for the purpose defined in the tenure, has a fixed term, and is a registerable interest which may be mortgaged. It requires a survey. A lease requires a survey. A license of occupation grants non-exclusive use for the purpose described, is not a registerable interest, and does not require a survey.

Applications for tenure may be made by Canadian citizen, permanent residents of Canada, companies, not-for-profit organizations, and governments. At this time, foreign residents may not apply for tenure.

Do you have any other questions related to Crown Land? Click here to contact a NIHO Land specialist for more answers.