The Land Conservancy of B.C.’s issues with the Canadian Revenue Agency will have no effect on two areas the group monitors in the Whistler area.
Media reports last week indicated the conservation group had its bank accounts seized by the CRA, which could result in some of its properties being sold.
The Land Conservancy’s regional manager for the lower mainland Tamsin Baker said it does not own those lands and as a result there is no risk of them being sold at all.
The group holds conservation covenants on eight acres at Barnfield Farms and the Emerald Forest, which is 139 acres. However, the Resort Municipality of Whistler still owns the lands.
Even if they didn’t, explained Baker, the covenants on them are permanently attached to the title of the property regardless of who owns it.
“Just because something might happen to the conservancy, those don’t go away, they stay with the land,” she said.
The CRA froze the non-profit’s bank accounts as a result of unpaid taxes. According to the conservancy’s website, the money owed is from GST related to a property transaction and the remainder is employee tax arrears.
It also stated that a $23,000 cheque to the CRA was caught in the accounts being frozen and with that situation lifted it could be processed along with the group’s payroll.
“We are working to find a solution that will allow us to pay off CRA as quickly as possible. We believe that this is achievable by the end of September at the latest,” states the website. “With the help of our creditors, lenders, staff and members we are restructuring so that we will be on a more sustainable footing in the future.”
The Land Conservancy indicated in a worst case scenario, it would transfer the covenants of its conservation properties to other charitable organizations that have a similar mandate.
n a worst case scenario, TLC would transfer its conservation properties to other charitable organizations who have a similar mandate.
