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June 6, 2025
AT A GLANCE
- Urban growth is transforming cityscapes. As denser, taller buildings replace low-rise buildings, thousands of single-family homes are sent to the landfill.
- Renewal Development is interrupting the cycle.
- During Western Canada’s largest land assembly, Renewal stepped in and offered Wesgroup an alternative to demolition.
Few of us know the story of our home. Who lived it in before us? If we move, who writes the next chapter?
Darlene Hadden is one of few people who knows the answers.
A former resident of the Coronation Park neighbourhood in Port Moody, Darlene and her husband were among 10 families whose homes were saved from demolition. Their house was transported up Canada’s west coast to shíshálh Nation where it will start a new life, as an affordable home for a First Nation family.
Dream home in a quiet neighbourhood
“We moved to the house in Coronation Park almost 40 years ago with our son and daughter,” says Darlene. “It was a beautiful house and the yard looked like a park…”
Over the years they hosted Christmases, Thanksgivings and watched their children grow. They also got to know their neighbours and became part of the community.
Meanwhile, Port Moody was changing, and so was demand for housing.
QUICK FACTS
- In 2021 the population of Port Moody was just over 33,000
- Current estimates suggest the population could reach 60,000 by 2050.
When she first learned of the plans to redevelop her neighbourhood, Darlene did not want to uproot the life she and her family had built.
“We didn't want to sell at all,” she says. “We just wanted to stay where we were.”
Responding to the needs of a growing city
The redevelopment of Coronation Park is led by BC-based Wesgroup.
When complete, the re-named Inlet District community will comprise approximately 2,600 homes, a variety of businesses, services and several acres of park space.
To make way for the new homes, Wesgroup coordinated Western Canada’s largest land assembly: 59 single family homes over 814 acres.
WHAT IS A LAND ASSEMBLY?
- Land assemblies are common practice in areas experiencing rapid population growth.
- They enable developers to acquire multiple properties and land parcels in one transaction.
- Developers work with homeowners to demonstrate the benefits of the assembly.
An alternative to demolition
While Wesgroup’s senior vice president of development Dean Johnson was discussing development details with the municipality, he received an intriguing call.
“I think we went to them with a very novel solution,” says Glyn Lewis, founder and CEO, Renewal Development.
Renewal’s mission is to physically lift, relocate and repurpose homes for communities in need of good housing.
“We tear down 2,700 homes every year to make space for higher density development. We estimate about 700 of those homes are in perfectly good condition.
I support the densification of our urban areas, especially given that we're in a housing shortage crisis. The challenge is the process to achieve that density is unbelievably wasteful.”
In a Wesgroup boardroom, Glyn explained the benefits of home relocation and how his company would like to step in as their ‘removal service provider.’
The proposal was a good fit with Wesgroup’s values and sustainable development focus.
“It was really a conversation of, how do we work together?’” says Dean.
“I can't say enough good things about the people over at Wesgroup,” says Glyn. “For them to agree to go down this path was amazing.”
The next big question? Where would the homes go?
Through a mutual contact, Glyn reached out to shíshálh Nation on BC’s Sunshine Coast.
His timing was good—the coastal community was exploring ways to create more housing for their members.
