Kyle Hislop

    The Falls golf course and housing development is a beautiful feature in the Chilliwack area.  The golf course is a fantastic challenge and the Frank Lloyd Wright inspired homes are breathtaking.  However, on Feb. 27, 2011, Blackburn Developments Ltd., was granted creditor protection in BC Supreme Courts, for debt of over $75 Million dollars.  Blackburn was founded by Rick Wellsby, who back in 1989 had big dreams for the Chilliwack project and started buying up land.  Eventually the Falls Golf Course was opened in 1996 but the housing development took another 6 years to be realized.  A conflict between Blackburn and the City of Chilliwack over a private sewage system is what delayed the project.  
  As a resident of Chilliwack and REALTOR®, the Falls has always had big dreams and we often wondered if those dreams could ever come true.  We heard plans for the Cheam Ski Resort, which would have a base hotel in the Falls development.  We heard of luxury townhouses that would become vacation homes to the wealthy.  I have to admit, as a Frank Lloyd Wright admirer, I loved the homes that were being built but there were tons of problems with that as well.  First of all the homes were amazing, but could a market like Chilliwack sustain that many Million dollar homes (apparently not).  Second, many of the lots were sold without forcing the purchasers to build, which in turn they didn't, hoping to re-sell the lots for a profit during the hot real estate market.  This left many dead lots within the development.  Think about spending a million dollars on your home, but then every time you drive through the development there is nothing but vacant lots with a few houses scattered around.  The project always looked like a ghost town...a million dollar ghost town.
  I'm sad to hear that this company is struggling like they are, not surprised, but sad.  As I stated before the Falls Golf Course development is a beautiful area.  It's simply one of those projects where someone either bit off more than they could chew or their eyes where too big for their stomach.

Kyle Hislop
RE/MAX