The Old Victoria Rd. Hells Angels property in Nanaimo will be transferred away from the organization and sold. (File Photo/NanaimoNewsNOW)

By NanaimoNewsNOW Staff

end of an era

Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse and two others forfeited and will be sold

Feb 15, 2023 | 4:18 PM

NANAIMO — An appeal won by the B.C. Government allows the province to shut down three Hells Angels clubhouses.

A Wednesday, Feb. 15 B.C. Court of Appeal decision countered a ruling from Justice Barry Davies nearly three years ago who found the Civil Forfeiture Office didn’t fully prove its case the clubhouses were used for criminal activity.

The properties at issue are located in Nanaimo, Vancouver and Kelowna; which have been the source of years of litigation between the biker organization and province.

A panel of three Court of Appeal justices stated the evidence showed unlawful activities occurred at all three Hells Angels clubhouses.

“Indeed, the most logical and reasonable inference to be drawn from the evidence is that the Clubhouses were designed and outfitted at least in part for that very purpose. We are further satisfied that such use of the clubhouses was likely to continue.”

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The Court of Appeal ruled Justice Davies’ findings were tainted because of his refusal to admit evidence from previous criminal cases against individual Hells Angels.

“The clubhouses were likely to be used in a way that enhanced or facilitated the engagement by members of the relevant chapters in unlawful activity. The Clubhouses therefore constituted “instruments of unlawful activity” in accordance with the future use definition and were subject to forfeiture…”

The landmark decision by the highest court in the province followed a trial on the appeal last June in Vancouver.

All three affected clubhouses will be transferred to the province to then be sold, with proceeds going to the civil forfeiture account.

In the case of the Nanaimo chapter assets generated through the clubhouse dating back to 2007 will be forfeited.

The Nanaimo Hells Angels clubhouse was out of the organization’s control between 2007 and 2020 when the building was seized under the forfeiture act.

The Nanaimo chapter formed in 1983.

The Old Victoria Rd. property was recently assessed by BC Assessment at $282,500.

At trial last year the director of the BC Civil Forfeiture Office stated as of 2016 there were more than 460 Hells Angels chapters in 56 countries involving about 6,000 members, of which 34 chapters were operational across Canada.

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