A farm once owned by notorious Nanaimo cult leader Brother XII has been sold.
The De Courcy Island Farm, a 42-hectare property located on De Courcy Island, was sold earlier this year after being on the market for more than six months.
Mark Lester, vice-president of the Unique Properties Group at Colliers International, told the News Bulletin that the property, which was listed for $2.19 million in October, was sold in May for just under asking. He wouldn’t say specifically how much the property was sold for, but said the new owners, who did not want to be identified, have no plans to develop the farm.
“The party that purchased property already had a connection to De Courcy Island,” Lester said. “Their intention is to maintain it in its current state and not undertake any development.”
The De Courcy Island Farm was owned by Edward Arthur Wilson, a cult leader who was also called Brother XII. The farm served as one of the hubs for his cult following called the Aquarian Foundation, which had hundreds of followers by the late 1920s.
Brother XII and his Aquarian Foundation suddenly left the farm and Nanaimo in the 1930s. Their departure spurred wild stories and rumours about hidden gold on the property.
