PlaceDossier / Questions

Is there a mineral or placer claim on my property?

In BC, owning the surface doesn't include the minerals. A report checks the Mineral Titles Branch's map for titles over the lot and within 1 km.

The report opens at this answer, with the lot drawn on the map and every other check alongside. A PID (on the tax notice or title) always finds the lot; an address works when it's an exact match.

What the answer means

Surface and minerals
A title holder over private land must give notice before work and pay for damage, but can work the claim.
What to ask
Ask the seller whether they've had any notice, and look up the title holder's work on Mineral Titles Online.
Titles change
Claims are registered and lapse all the time. A report shows the record when it was checked.

We never show title holders' names. The title map is the record when checked; Mineral Titles Online shows the current map. Confirm with the Mineral Titles Branch and a lawyer before you buy or build.

Source: Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia).

Across BC

Measured by us across BC's municipalities and electoral areas, 13% of the land (about 117,553 km²) is under a mineral, placer or coal title.

50°N52°N54°N56°N58°N60°N135°W130°W125°W120°W115°WVancouver: –Surrey: –Burnaby: –Richmond: –Abbotsford: 2.0%Coquitlam: 2.6%Kelowna: 0.4%Langley: –Saanich: –Delta: –Nanaimo: –Kamloops: 16%Chilliwack: 1.0%Victoria: –Maple Ridge: 1.8%North Vancouver: –New Westminster: –Prince George: 1.6%Port Coquitlam: –North Vancouver: –Langford: –Vernon: 9.9%West Vancouver: –Mission: 13%Penticton: 10.0%West Kelowna: –Campbell River: 0.3%Port Moody: –North Cowichan: 7.7%Langley: –Courtenay: –Squamish: 8.7%White Rock: –Fort St. John: –Cranbrook: –Salmon Arm: 13%Pitt Meadows: 2.8%Colwood: –Metro Vancouver, Electoral Area A: 0.2%Port Alberni: 0.9%Oak Bay: –Esquimalt: –Central Saanich: –Lake Country: –Sooke: 8.7%Comox: –Whistler: 4.2%Powell River: –Parksville: –Dawson Creek: –Sidney: –Prince Rupert: –North Saanich: –Summerland: 1.0%Terrace: –Saltspring Island: 2.0%View Royal: –Coldstream: –Nelson: 5.8%Williams Lake: 1.1%Sechelt: 5.7%Quesnel: 12%Qualicum Beach: –Comox Valley, Electoral Area C (Puntledge - Black Creek): 8.7%Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area B: 8.8%Ladysmith: –Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area C: 0.1%Castlegar: –Revelstoke: –Kitimat: 2.2%Nanaimo, Electoral Area F: 8.9%Kimberley: 5.9%Nanaimo, Electoral Area G: –Comox Valley, Electoral Area A: –Trail: 16%Nanaimo, Electoral Area A: –Comox Valley, Electoral Area B (Lazo North): 0.8%Merritt: 17%Nanaimo, Electoral Area E: 14%Hope: 9.2%East Kootenay, Electoral Area C: 30%Fernie: –Kent: 25%Cariboo, Electoral Area A: 19%Southern Gulf Islands: –Peace River, Electoral Area C: –Peachland: 1.2%Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area A: 16%Creston: 6.1%Osoyoos: 6.1%Peace River, Electoral Area B: 5.8%Smithers: 3.9%Armstrong: –Cariboo, Electoral Area G: 51%Spallumcheen: 3.8%Juan de Fuca (Part 1): 4.8%Oliver: –Metchosin: 0.3%Duncan: –Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area C: –Central Kootenay, Electoral Area H: 16%Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area A: 0.9%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area B: 26%Peace River, Electoral Area D: 14%Cariboo, Electoral Area F: 43%Cariboo, Electoral Area L: 30%Gibsons: –North Okanagan, Electoral Area C: 11%Nanaimo, Electoral Area B: –Cumberland: –Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area D: 7.8%Fraser-Fort George, Electoral Area D: 23%North Okanagan, Electoral Area F: 15%Vanderhoof: –Nanaimo, Electoral Area H: 11%Central Okanagan: 1.2%Bowen Island: 6.2%Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area E: 10%Strathcona, Electoral Area D (Oyster Bay - Buttle Lake): 2.3%Sparwood: 28%Rossland: 66%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area F: 10%Cariboo, Electoral Area E: 3.2%Grand Forks: –Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area P (Rivers and the Peaks): 9.8%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area D: 8.8%Golden: 3.0%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area C: 9.2%Northern Rockies: 0.4%Kitimat-Stikine, Electoral Area E: 1.7%Invermere: –Port Hardy: 3.9%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area E: 15%Sunshine Coast, Electoral Area E: –Cariboo, Electoral Area B: 9.5%Lantzville: 4.7%Fraser-Fort George, Electoral Area C: 4.3%Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area D: –Sunshine Coast, Electoral Area D: –East Kootenay, Electoral Area F: 5.5%Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area F: 3.9%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area J: 8.5%Fraser-Fort George, Electoral Area A: 5.7%Pemberton: –Nanaimo, Electoral Area C: 11%Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area A: 4.8%Lake Cowichan: –Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area L (Grasslands): 8.6%Mackenzie: under 0.1%North Okanagan, Electoral Area B: 24%Kootenay Boundary D / Rural Grand Forks: 20%Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area F: 6.5%Houston: 9.8%Sunshine Coast, Electoral Area A: 5.8%Enderby: –Kootenay Boundary E / West Boundary: 34%Kitimat-Stikine, Electoral Area C (Part 1): 19%Sunshine Coast, Electoral Area B: 11%Alberni-Clayoquot, Electoral Area E: –North Okanagan, Electoral Area D: 4.6%Central Okanagan West: 20%Princeton: 83%Cariboo, Electoral Area D: 19%Elkford: 16%Strathcona, Electoral Area C: 2.1%Peace River, Electoral Area E: 11%Sicamous: 3.9%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area I: –Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area H: 3.6%Tofino: –Highlands: –Fraser Valley, Electoral Area H: 1.1%Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area G: 5.4%Sunshine Coast, Electoral Area F: 0.2%Chase: –Tumbler Ridge: 56%Clearwater: 10%Anmore: –Port McNeill: –Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area I: 12%Chetwynd: 20%Lillooet: 13%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area G: 31%Logan Lake: 91%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area A: 9.2%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area H: 58%qathet, Electoral Area C: 6.0%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area A: 16%Fraser Valley, Electoral Area D: 4.5%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area F: 9.9%Ucluelet: –Lumby: 4.1%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area E: –East Kootenay, Electoral Area B: 10%Squamish-Lillooet, Electoral Area C: 3.8%Alberni-Clayoquot, Electoral Area F: 50%Fruitvale: –One Hundred Mile House: 2.1%Harrison Hot Springs: –Cariboo, Electoral Area H: 22%East Kootenay, Electoral Area A: 16%Alberni-Clayoquot, Electoral Area D: 7.9%Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area F: 13%Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area J (Copper Desert Country): 51%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area K: 5.5%Barriere: 0.8%Warfield: –Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area B: 3.8%Fraser Valley, Electoral Area G: 9.9%East Kootenay, Electoral Area E: 26%Ashcroft: 20%qathet, Electoral Area B: 5.1%Burns Lake: –East Kootenay, Electoral Area G: 7.1%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area G: 47%Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area M (Beautiful Nicola Valley - North): 36%Kootenay Boundary C / Christina Lake: 6.4%Kootenay Boundary, Electoral Area A: 7.0%Keremeos: –Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area D: 14%Fraser-Fort George, Electoral Area H: 0.9%Nakusp: –Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area A (Wells Gray Country): 5.4%Fraser Valley, Electoral Area E: 5.0%Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area O (Lower North Thompson): 17%Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area E: 22%Cariboo, Electoral Area I: 11%Central Kootenay, Electoral Area C: 5.5%Telkwa: –Central Kootenay, Electoral Area D: 13%Kitimat-Stikine, Electoral Area B: 9.0%Cowichan Valley, Electoral Area I: 21%Kootenay Boundary B / Lower Columbia-Old-Glory: 19%Sun Peaks Mountain: –Lions Bay: 12%Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area E: 6.1%Fort St. James: –Fraser Valley, Electoral Area F: 0.5%Radium Hot Springs: –Taylor: –Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area C: 23%qathet, Electoral Area A: 1.3%Fraser-Fort George, Electoral Area F: 9.8%Gold River: 0.9%Cariboo, Electoral Area C: 45%Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area E (Bonaparte Plateau): 26%Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area B: 3.9%Salmo: 49%Fraser Valley, Electoral Area C: 10%qathet, Electoral Area D: 73%North Okanagan, Electoral Area E: 12%Strathcona, Electoral Area B: –Squamish-Lillooet, Electoral Area D: 5.4%Valemount: –Kaslo: –Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country): 30%Montrose: 0.2%Cache Creek: 13%Fraser Lake: 8.9%Queen Charlotte: 3.8%Alberni-Clayoquot, Electoral Area C: 3.9%Fraser Valley, Electoral Area B: 14%Strathcona, Electoral Area A: 4.8%Hudson's Hope: 2.0%Masset: –Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area G: 26%Canal Flats: –Mount Waddington, Electoral Area C: 42%Pouce Coupe: –Port Alice: 24%Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area N (Beautiful Nicola Valley - South): 51%Greenwood: 100%Mount Waddington, Electoral Area A: 1.0%Belcarra: –Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area B: 13%Central Coast, Electoral Area C: 0.2%Midway: 78%Cariboo, Electoral Area J: 6.6%New Hazelton: 2.5%McBride: –North Coast, Electoral Area D: 5.8%Clinton: –Fraser-Fort George, Electoral Area E: 38%Alberni-Clayoquot, Electoral Area B: under 0.1%Stewart: 89%qathet, Electoral Area E: 0.6%Fraser Valley, Electoral Area A: 8.0%New Denver: –Port Edward: 0.4%Alert Bay: –Cariboo, Electoral Area K: 7.4%Stikine Region: 12%Central Coast, Electoral Area D: 0.6%Juan de Fuca (Part 2): 19%Tahsis: 23%Slocan: –Squamish-Lillooet, Electoral Area B: 16%Mount Waddington, Electoral Area D: 7.8%Fraser-Fort George, Electoral Area G: 7.7%Port Clements: 43%Granisle: 38%Sayward: –Kitimat-Stikine, Electoral Area F: 13%North Coast, Electoral Area E: 1.7%Squamish-Lillooet, Electoral Area A: 32%Hazelton: –Alberni-Clayoquot, Electoral Area A: 13%Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area B (Thompson Headwaters): 11%Wells: 100%Lytton: 3.9%Central Coast, Electoral Area E: 11%Central Coast, Electoral Area A: under 0.1%Silverton: –Zeballos: –Kitimat-Stikine, Electoral Area D: 35%Kitimat-Stikine, Electoral Area A: 29%North Coast, Electoral Area A: –Mount Waddington, Electoral Area B: 41%North Coast, Electoral Area C: 0.2%

Colour: Share of the land under a mineral, placer or coal titleDot size: population

under 0.1%100%

Most land under mineral and placer titles

  1. 1Greenwood2.4 km² of 2.4 km²100%
  2. 2Wells159 km² of 160 km²100%
  3. 3Logan Lake302 km² of 330 km²91%
  4. 4Stewart500 km² of 562 km²89%
  5. 5Princeton51 km² of 61 km²83%
  6. 6Midway9.9 km² of 13 km²78%
  7. 7qathet, Electoral Area D222 km² of 302 km²73%
  8. 8Rossland39 km² of 60 km²66%

Next to each figure: land under title, of the place's land area.

All 219 places, ranked →

Source: Mineral, placer and coal tenures, Mineral Titles Branch (Open Government Licence – British Columbia); 2021 census subdivision boundaries, Statistics Canada (Statistics Canada Open Licence).

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