Photo: Contributed
The operators of Pinaus Lake Resort don’t know where to turn.
After running the mountain lake fishing camp for 30 years, Arvid and Audrey Hoglund have been forced out by the threat of a landslide.
“We know there’s no hope of reopening the resort, we just want to get our belongings out of there,” they said in a statement released Monday afternoon.
The couple, now in their seventies, purchased the resort in 1986 and made it their home.
But, on March 14, the Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations informed all occupants of the resort they would have to leave permanently due to slope movement above the lake that could trigger a slow-moving earthflow.
“We were shocked that we were told we had just 30 days to get all our belongings and get out,” said Audrey.
The couple was told in November 2016 that there was some land activity, but was not under the impression it was an immediate threat. And shifting had been observed over the years in cabins at the resort, but not to the degree it caused alarm.
The resort sits on Crown land, so the Hoglunds have no choice but to leave, losing their home and only source of income. They are trying to get more time to remove their belongings, sell off assets and remediate the land.
“It’s all very upsetting, and we just want to be able to get our stuff out of there,” said Arvid. “It could take up to two years to clear everything out.”
He expects it could cost $500,000 to move all their belongings, and so far there has been no compensation.
They believe logging in the area could be contributing to the instability.
“The government won’t renew our lease because of the danger of the landslide. If it comes down, it would cover the whole resort,” the couple said.
They thanked resort visitors for their support through the years. Currently, they are in temporary housing in Armstrong, and a GoFundMe page has been set up to help them.
The Pinaus and Lady King Lake area is closed to the public.
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