Photo by Vince Fedoroff
LOTTERY SET FOR NOV. 1 – Doris Bill, the chief of the Kwanlin Dün First Nation, discusses the planned lots lottery during a news conference held Friday morning.
First Nation launches Porter Creek lots lottery
The Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) opened a land lottery Friday for five residential lots in Porter Creek.
The Kwanlin Dün First Nation (KDFN) opened a land lottery Friday for five residential lots in Porter Creek.
The lottery is open to all Kwanlin Dün beneficiaries and citizens, 19 years of age or older.
“Beneficiaries and citizens interested in the lottery need to complete a Kwanlin Dün Citizen Statutory Declaration Form, and submit a land lottery application and $500 deposit to the Heritage, Lands and Resources Department before Friday, Oct. 29, 2021 at 4 p.m.,” the First Nation said in a statement.
The lottery will be held Nov. 1. The lots, with their prices, are:
The five Porter Creek lots are zoned RS residential single-detached:
• Lot No: 1469 (1009 Pine St.) $47,065;
• Lot No: 1348 (93 Walnut Cres.) $42,325;
• Lot No: 1464 (540 Grove St.) $50,525;
• Lot No: 1433 (543 Grove St.) $52,835; and
• Lot No: 1454 (520 Grove St.) $57,250.
The prices do not include the five-per-cent GST.
“Lot pricing for beneficiaries and citizens is based on development costs rather than lease market value to help reduce homeownership barriers,” the KDFN said in a statement.
“Pricing for future developments open to the general public will be set based on lease market value.”
Similar to the Yukon government process, leaseholders will be required to build a house on the lot within three years of signing a lease and development agreement with the KDFN.
All lot development will have to comply with the requirements of the City of Whitehorse zoning bylaw.
“Creating these opportunities for homeownership allows us to continue to build a strong and stable future for Kwanlin Dün families,” said Chief Doris Bill.
“We are working to close the equity gap and build sustainable wealth for our youth and our future citizens not yet born.
“As we develop parcels of our land, we earn revenue to put back into the Nation,” Bill added.
“This revenue will fund our services and programs, including creating new grant programs to offset the costs of homeownership, and help more beneficiaries and citizens live on our land.”
The KDFN owns 264 parcels of settlement Land. Eighty-four parcels (24 square kilometres) are within Whitehorse.
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Comments (25)
Up 17 Down 9
drum on Sep 16, 2021 at 6:49 pm
I have worked very hard in this country called Canada - why would I lease a piece of land from First Nations and have to build but never own. You have to be joking. Is there a guarantee that the First Nation cannot change the contract at any time and want more money or change the conditions?
Up 25 Down 16
My Opinion on Sep 16, 2021 at 3:57 pm
Leased property on First Nations lands is such a bad idea.
1. Your property taxes will go to the FN, all your household income taxes will go to the Feds and then be redirected back to the FN because you are effectively living on the lands of another nation. Yet it is not them that provides anything for you.
2. If you own a business or Corporation, those taxes will also be redirected to the FN.
3. Do Not put a house on these properties unless your house is on wheels. It has been proven over and over that these lease agreements go before a Liberal judge at some point that says it was unfair and prices are increased. See some of BC lawsuits, Ski hills, West Vancouver, Tsawwassen. Northern Alberta Lake front properties.
Read the Umbrella Final agreement - this is unbelievable, and the Feds are planning on rolling all the land claims out Nation wide at some point. Once all the taxes are redirected how will the Federal Government survive, it is craziness.
You will pay all of your utilities to the City as always because the city will provide this - not the First Nation. Again it will be COW taxes payers that will pick up the tab not the First Nation.
Stand up people, our future depends on it, this has all been done behind closed doors over the last 40 years.
Up 18 Down 3
Salt on Sep 16, 2021 at 1:27 pm
@Justsayin
I did not suggest YG and CoW lease lots to their citizens. I was contrasting actual lot development costs with the gov's self created "market cost". The gov used to sell lots at development cost. This changed about 15 years ago and land prices have been accelerating ever since. They milk the tax cow at the front end with elevated prices, which then flow through to house values and the ongoing yearly tax income from all properties. It is an indirect, but massive tax grab.
Up 15 Down 8
Groucho d'North on Sep 16, 2021 at 11:42 am
Remember the failed Great River Journey project? There was a lodge and camp site built at upper Lebarge on settlement land. Who owns that property now?
Up 18 Down 4
Yukoner on Sep 16, 2021 at 8:33 am
@Vis that's my point, these leases are reducing the amount of Federal taxes paid by the territory which is already nowhere near what we get as a transfer payment. The rest of Canada is paying for us to exist and these leases won't help that fact.
Up 18 Down 7
Vis on Sep 15, 2021 at 4:31 pm
@Yukoner
Where do you think that Federal transfer payment comes from?
It comes from taxpayers, including Yukoners.
Up 15 Down 6
JustSayin' on Sep 15, 2021 at 1:18 pm
@salt
You want YG and COW to lease lots so people can build their dream homes, but they never own the land and makes it harder for people to borrow money from institution as well as use their house as an asset?
Does anyone know how inheritance works for these houses? Just curious.
Up 35 Down 7
Salt on Sep 15, 2021 at 9:28 am
Perfect example of why our real estate market is where it is. If YG was selling these lots they would be offered at "market prices", probably $150-200K when development costs are 30% of that. YG and CoW are entirely responsible for the housing crisis. Good on the KDFN for not fleecing their people through inflated land costs. YG and CoW should be ashamed at what they have wrought.
Up 18 Down 10
YukonMax on Sep 15, 2021 at 7:28 am
Like a trailer park with houses on the leased pads.
One must invest as much as one can lose.
Up 22 Down 7
Some help for 'clarifications' on Sep 14, 2021 at 2:29 pm
Reply to "Clarifications"
The lease is available on the KDFN website.
125 year lease for $1 per year.
No restrictions on sub-leasing - so yes you can 'flip' the lot to a non-FN person (the lease clearly says that you don't need KDFN consent to sub-lease).
An enterprising KDFN could buy the lot cheap and sell for market rates and pocket the difference.
Leases like this are common in England (100 years is pretty standard) and other places - just look at the prices those properties command.
Up 35 Down 12
Yukoner on Sep 14, 2021 at 12:10 pm
@Arthur Mitchell - no one else needs to be worried except for those of us who pay taxes. We are really living off a giant Federal transfer but that's not to say we shouldn't be at least be trying to chip in. As more and more of these come online and non First Nations take up the leases their income taxes go to the First Nation and not the Federal Government while all of those people will still be accessing services funded from Federal dollars. Better hope the Feds never wise up and decide to cut our transfer payments or we would be in big trouble!
Up 23 Down 9
Clarifications, please. on Sep 14, 2021 at 11:21 am
Ok, can someone please answer the following?
1. Is this leased land available to KDFN only?
2. Is the KDFN providing & guaranteeing water, sewer, power & tel services on these lots. If not, why not?
3. Who do you pay property taxes to, since you don't own the lot?
4. How long are the leases?
5. Why is there GST, that's a Canada thing right, not a KDFN Nation thing?
Thanks!
Up 37 Down 14
Yukoner on Sep 14, 2021 at 9:31 am
Hopefully KDFN is on the hook for providing all ongoing services for those living on the lots. Of course they won't be so KDFN will collect their income tax and the Territorial government and Federal government will be responsible for providing roads, health care, etc., etc .,for those people.
Up 38 Down 8
yukongirl on Sep 14, 2021 at 8:44 am
If you are KDFN member, what an awesome opportunity! I wish this example of encouraging home ownership through affordable land would spread to other levels of governments!
Up 20 Down 2
Bingo on Sep 14, 2021 at 5:41 am
First off KDFN cannot sell land nor any other FN. They can only lease. They get money from accumulated income tax and recoup 75% of that income tax per household. That said this offer by KDFN does not specify costs associated to water sewer etc. Also is this a one time payment of lease or yearly? If it’s yearly one would have to be medically assessed to sign up for that. Essentially there should be a very minimal one time lease payment and let them deal which income tax clawbacks from the feds.
Up 20 Down 22
Huh? on Sep 14, 2021 at 4:25 am
The Yukon is bigger than Germany, and Germany’s population is 83,000,000, meanwhile we got what, 45-50,000? And we got nowhere to buy land? Lmao this place is a joke. Only let 5 lots go up so they can keep the price and demand high. And you don’t even get to keep them, but lease so they can re sell in the future for even more.
Up 44 Down 9
Arthur Mitchell on Sep 13, 2021 at 8:10 pm
Hey everyone, please read up on the Umbrella Final Agreement and Yukon First Nations Self-Government agreements. Yukon self governing first nations cannot sell their settlement lands to non FN citizens. The land is owned collectively, but can be leased. The land could be leased to either First Nation or non FN citizens, depending on the individual First Nation’s constitution. In this case, the KDFN has chosen to restrict the leases to its own beneficiaries only. So yes, these are leases, not fee simple titles. This will allow KDFN citizens to have a more affordable home ownership option. No one else needs to be worried about this because it’s not available to anyone besides the first nation’s beneficiaries. Good for KDFN, this option has been a long time coming.
Up 31 Down 9
What? on Sep 13, 2021 at 6:34 pm
Look at the gong show leased land has been in the provinces. Why the hell would anyone build on leased land knowing it will just be taken back WITH all the buildings?
Why wouldn’t KDFN develop their ample land within the city and sell it to their members? They could also build their own low cost housing.
Up 8 Down 1
Lost In the Yukon on Sep 13, 2021 at 6:16 pm
https://www.rew.ca/news/thinking-of-buying-a-leasehold-property-read-this-first-1.22111234
Up 30 Down 7
marylaker on Sep 13, 2021 at 5:58 pm
I am happy to see this and I hope it goes well for the KDFN citizens. It's their land, and if they want to dispense it at the cost of development to their own people, more power to them. The cost seems to reflect what water and sewer hook ups, a driveway, and survey costs would be. The leases are 75 years probably, and renewable. They should be safe investments and should go up in value. I do wonder if there are rules about resale of the lease. Like could someone buy the lot for $47,000, put a house on it and flip it?
Up 65 Down 40
Josey Wales on Sep 13, 2021 at 4:30 pm
Ahhh...segregation in today’s Liberal regime.
Nothing quite unites like division...
Up is down, white is black, boys are girls...
Boy have things ever changed eh?
Up 44 Down 3
Clarification please on Sep 13, 2021 at 4:14 pm
This article does not specify whether these lots are leased or titled. There is reference to "lease market value" but no direct explanation as to whether the land is fee simple or a lease from KDFN. Given the cost of the lots, it would be helpful to know what's what.
Up 48 Down 13
TMYK on Sep 13, 2021 at 3:20 pm
$47,000 to $57,000 to rent land? Who pays for the water and sewer? Will you get garbage pickup? Only open to KDFN citizens.
Up 64 Down 10
Thomas Brewer on Sep 13, 2021 at 2:46 pm
Why anyone would sign up for a long term lease that doesn't reflect the capital investment of putting a home on someone else's property is beyond me.
Up 62 Down 3
JustSayin' on Sep 13, 2021 at 2:35 pm
Question -
" leaseholders".. does this mean who ever builds the house, owns the house, but not the land?