City of Kelowna buys Hells Angels clubhouse after a decade of legal proceedings
After years of effort, the provincial government seized the Hells Angels clubhouse in Kelowna and has now sold it to the city.
In February 2023 the government managed to seize the biker gang’s clubhouses in Kelowna, Nanaimo, and Vancouver through civil forfeiture, according to a press release from the Ministry of Public Safety.
The City of Kelowna’s purchase of the clubhouse from the Civil Forfeiture Office was finalized today, Dec. 19.
“Included with this sale is a right of entry, a new tool that means the Civil Forfeiture Office will be able to take the property back if it is ever acquired and used by organized crime in the future,” public safety minister Garry Begg said in the release. “Everyone wants to build a good life in B.C. in a community you love, where everyone belongs and no one gets left behind. The sale of this property not only puts organized crime on notice, but offers communities an opportunity to turn a problematic property associated with crime into an asset for the community.”
The government started trying to seize the clubhouse at 837 Ellis Street in 2012. The Kelowna property’s value was assessed at roughly $1.3 million last year, but the ministry did not reveal the final sale price.
READ MORE: Hells Angels lose last effort to keep Kelowna clubhouse
So far, the city has not specified how much they paid for the property, nor given a specific reason for buying it.
"The city strategically acquires lands as they become available to meet the evolving needs and priorities of the community. The City of Kelowna has purchased the property at 837 Ellis Street using funds from the Land Sales Reserve. We're working to determine the best use for this land in the future," the city said in an email to iNFOnews.ca
After the government seized the clubhouse last year, its owners applied to the BC Court of Appeal to try to get it back, but the application was thrown out since the court believed the clubhouse would continue to be used for criminal activity.
“In a time of change and uncertainty, we're working hard to keep people safe and communities strong. Today’s actions, along with other tools such as unexplained wealth orders, allow us to pursue ill-gotten gains generated from criminal activity more efficiently and are perfect illustrations of why we have civil forfeiture in B.C.,” Begg said.
— With files from The Canadian Press.
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