Город Миссион передаст 19 земельных участков в дочернюю компанию Bridgehead за символическую цену

City of Mission to transfer multiple properties to Bridgehead Published 9:07 am Wednesday, August 12, 2026 A collection of lands owned by the City of Mission worth over $6 million on BC Assessment will be transferred for $1 per property to Mission Bridgehead Investment Corporation, a fully-owned subsidiary of the city. Despite a list of 19 addresses and over 30 property IDs, Mayor Paul Horn said it is essentially five properties being transferred. The lands include a cluster of waterfront addresses, two neighbouring properties on Best Avenue, a parcel on First Avenue, and another on Dewdney Trunk Road in the Steelhead area. According to a public notice from the city released on Aug. 4, the transfer in ownership of the properties for less than market value is to allow Bridgehead to develop, sell, and/or manage leases. Interim Bridgehead CEO Bindi Watts said the lands were chosen from a list of over 300 city-owned properties as having potential for future development, long-term lease opportunities, strategic sale, land assembly, partnership, and preparation for development. “We really did a thorough look at the lands and decided these ones are all pretty much vacant land. They’re all non-revenue generating currently, so we have some opportunity to unlock the potential of these lands and generate some returns,” Watts said. Mayor Paul Horn said the number of properties transferred to Bridgehead allows council “to put a toe in the water” without handing over a substantial portion of city-owned land. “The city is aware of the fact that as city council and even within our team, we don’t have the sort of land development or land-leasing expertise that Bridgehead does – both through its staff and its board. So we wanted to be guided by that type of expertise,” Horn said. He added that council chose the lands because they have more than one option available. “Now the (MBIC) board and staff team will vet (the options) against each other and provide the best business decision that results in return for the city as well,” Horn added. The waterfront land includes a cluster of addresses on Timberlake Street, Harbour Avenue, and Horne Street. Watts said they are strategic land holdings part of the Waterfront Revitalization Master Plan. “Those are vacant lands, so we’re looking to see if there’s potential to unlock some value – maybe through some strategic leasing or whatnot, until we’re ready to develop those lands,” Watts said. Meanwhile, the property on First Avenue is designated under neighbourhood centre in the city’s official community plan. The Best Avenue properties are urban residential and Dewdney Trunk Road rural residential. Bridgehead board chair James Atebe said when the properties are transferred, the board must go through a planning process and strategic review of each to determine the best course of action – whether it’s future development, long-term leasing, or a strategic sale. “That will be resolved (by) the board, and obviously we will be updating the shareholder – the city – as to what the intent of the board is. And ultimately it is to maximize the best use and returns to the city and the taxpayer in general,” Atebe said Horn said asking Bridgehead to manage a fragment of the city’s lands to become self-sufficient and sustainable has been the vision for the corporation from the beginning. “This was the entire mechanism of how we thought we would generate the initial sources of revenue to keep Bridgehead going and to optimize the value of those lands,” Horn said. Atebe said development corporations have been established in municipalities and First Nations across the province. “This is not something that is only happening in Mission. If you look throughout British Columbia, there are a number of community corporations that have been established, which work with the cities to deliver some impact – development, real estate, commercial infrastructure projects, even working with the private sector to really harness the highest and the best use for real estate properties within the municipalities,” Atebe said. At the Oct. 20 council meeting last year, recommendations related to Bridgehead property management moved forward after a 3-2 vote. Councillors Jag Gill and Ken Herar were opposed, while Coun. Angel Elias and Coun. Mark Davies were absent from the meeting. The recommendations provided MBIC with more ability to manage city property, as well as authorizing staff to negotiate the transfer of select city properties to a bare trust with Bridgehead named as beneficiary. Horn said council expressed concerns about the bare trust and wanted a mechanism “that was going to fully empower Bridgehead”. “This gives the greatest opportunity to Bridgehead while not in any way negatively impacting the city’s ability to retain all of the benefits of owning that land themselves,” Horn said. All land transactions involving the city are handled in closed meetings. However, the public notice of intent to provide assistance and land disposition was required by the Community Charter before the new ownership of the properties can be finalized. After the public notice, the next step is for the city’s finance team to begin working on the transfer. The city did not have a date when that would be completed.