What may be the closest thing the Lower Mainland has to a private lake is up for sale in Abbotsford. You’ll need millions to buy it, though.
A home and property bordering Laxton Lake, a 50-acre lake squeezed between Abbotsford International Airport and the U.S./Canada border and hidden from the public’s view, have been listed for sale.
Dubbed Laxton Lake Estate, the asking price for the two properties is $7.5 million, with online ads saying the two lots won’t be sold individually. If the properties are sold at that price, the estate’s sale would be one of the most-valuable residential real estate transactions ever in Abbotsford.
The home is 4,700 square feet and includes a three-car garage and detached shop.
But what makes the estate unique in Abbotsford are the riparian water rights to land both north and south of Laxton Lake. The property includes a private dock, lake-side picnic table and view of Mount Baker.
Only a handful of other properties border the lake, and there is no public access. (A recent court case does suggest that, in some instances, private property owners can be compelled to permit access through their land to the province’s lakes.
“Relax on the dock or take out the boat, your options are endless,” an ad for the property declares. “Indulge in exclusivity and complete privacy with no other homes in sight offering truly magnificent views year round.”
The two properties were most recently valued at a combined $3.1 million by BC Assessment. The southern property is triangle-shaped, almost entirely forested, according to satellite imagery, and borders the U.S. It does not have road access, except through other properties.
A 1987 provincial report noted that the levels of Laxton, Judson and Mill lakes were all closely linked to that of the water table.
Laxton Lake was likely named after the Laxton family. The caption of a photo at The Reach notes that Ruth and Reginald Laxton filed a homestead on nearby Huntingdon Road in 1919 “after returning from WWI.”
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