They Bought the Property for $250,000 in 2002; Now, They’re on the Hook for a $200,000 Dam Repair

An illegal dam, constructed 50 years ago by a B.C. government minister, sits on a Crown-owned creek 19 kilometres west of Kamloops, B.C. Photo Courtesy Larry Penner

When Larry Penner, 74, and Jayme Penner, 69, bought a 25-acre parcel in the interior of British Columbia for $250,000 in 2002, with rolling hills, creeks, a waterfall, and lake views, the couple thought they had bought a piece of paradise.

Then the Penners found out there was a nearby concrete dam built by a government cabinet minister for personal use in the 1960s, one that was illegal and improperly constructed and leaving them on the hook for up to $200,000 to meet regulatory demands.