A roundup of news from British Columbia: a legal dispute between owners of a luxury mansion over a removed hedge, the Smashing Pumpkins touring Canada, and the home of a How I Met Your Mother star tucked into the wilderness.
Neighbourhood war on the "Golden Mile": owners of a $24M mansion sue over removed hedge
A serious dispute has erupted between neighbours in Vancouver’s prestigious Point Grey neighbourhood that could turn into a multimillion-dollar court case. Israel and Elaine Shafran, who bought an ocean-view luxury mansion for $24 million in 2023, have sued the owners of the neighbouring lot, claiming they removed part of the living hedge without permission. According to the lawsuit, when neighbours Irene Kam Sheun Lo and Albert Jinghan Chen hired a contractor to landscape their property in June 2025, the workers allegedly cut more than three metres of a living hedge made up of 150 mature cedars that reached 3.6 metres in height. For the Shafrans, these trees were not just decoration — they provided the primary shield from prying eyes in one of the city's most expensive neighbourhoods.
The purchase of the nearly 780-square-metre mansion on Point Grey Road, known as the "Golden Mile," was driven largely by that privacy factor. The plaintiffs say they considered several other options in the area before the purchase but rejected them all because they lacked privacy. As CBC News notes, a dense tree canopy was a key factor for the Shafrans in providing privacy, security and the aesthetic they were willing to pay $24 million for (B.C. Assessment currently lists the home at $20.46 million). Now, they allege in the suit, after part of the greenery was removed their property is easily visible from neighbouring lots, causing irreparable harm to both their peace and the property's value.
The Shafrans' lawyers emphasize that restoring the lost hedge is practically impossible: "Replacing the removed trees with new ones of the same height, maturity and appearance is not reasonable," the suit says. The plaintiffs seek compensation for loss of property value, trespass, and loss of quiet enjoyment — the very "quiet enjoyment" rights that are a cornerstone of property law in the Anglo‑Saxon legal system. None of the allegations have been proven in court, and the defendants have yet to file their responses.
John White, a lawyer at Lakes, Whyte LLP who is not involved in the case but specializes in similar disputes, says that "neighbourhood wars" over unauthorized tree trimming are surprisingly common. He represents a client who was recently awarded more than $61,000 after a neighbour cut down a tree without permission. White advises caution: a judge will have to determine whether any form of consent existed or whether a covenant on the Shafrans' title allowed the neighbours to trim branches to a certain level. "I think what drives these cases is a real sense of violated boundaries," the lawyer summarizes, urging neighbours to resolve such issues verbally rather than in court. Meanwhile, for residents of the "Golden Mile," this case is a stark example that the price of privacy can be measured not only in metres of removed hedge but also in millions of dollars in litigation.
Smashing Pumpkins head to Canada: shows in Vancouver and Calgary
Legendary alternative act Smashing Pumpkins have announced a new Canadian tour called the Rats In A Cage Tour, which will bring their music to Vancouver and Calgary this fall. Concerts are scheduled for November 3 at the Scotiabank Saddledome in Calgary and November 5 at Rogers Arena in Vancouver, Castanet reports. The North American tour celebrates the 30th anniversary of their seminal 1995 album Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, still regarded as one of rock's most significant records.
According to tour promoter Live Nation, each concert will be divided into two sets. The first will be devoted entirely to the mentioned album, with frontman Billy Corgan promising a "highly theatrical format" with elaborate sets and effects. The second set will cover the band’s nearly 40 years of work, including hits from different eras. The tour kicks off September 30 in Columbus, Ohio, and wraps November 12 in Los Angeles. Notably, before the tour begins the band will headline Lollapalooza for the first time since 1994, underscoring their return to the big stage.
Tickets for the Canadian shows go on sale the morning of May 21 on the band's official site and through Live Nation, with presales starting a day earlier on May 19. For fans, it's a chance to see a live performance of Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness, which critics call a "conceptual rock masterpiece." For those unfamiliar, the double album blends grunge, psychedelia, symphonic rock and even industrial, and was nominated for seven Grammys.
How I Met Your Mother star's home in British Columbia: a look at a wilderness retreat
Cobie Smulders, known for roles on How I Met Your Mother and in the Avengers films, built her dream home in the forests of British Columbia. Daily Hive reports, citing a Luxury Listings Instagram post, that while the exact location is undisclosed, the estate is believed to be in the Alta Lake area or somewhere near Whistler — the province’s well-known ski resort. In an Architectural Digest interview, the actress said she grew up in a Vancouver suburb and always dreamed of living in the wilderness. "Many of my friends had family cabins on islands or in Whistler, and I tried to join their family vacations as much as possible," Smulders recalls.
Making that dream real took patience — she and her husband, comedian Taran Killam, spent years searching for the perfect lot. Architectural Digest writes that Killam found a large, remote parcel on a broad lake surrounded by mountains on all sides. Smulders enlisted architect Elizabeth MacKenzie, PlaidFox Studio and Skladan Architecture to design the secluded retreat. Luxury Listings notes: "When she finally found the right piece of land — expansive, remote, framed by mountains on all sides and fronting a private lake — she called the architect she'd admired since childhood."
For those unfamiliar with the area: Alta Lake is a scenic lake near Whistler, one of Canada’s premier ski resorts. The region is known for pristine nature, mountain scenery and private lakes, making it ideal for secluded homes. Whistler is about 120 kilometres north of Vancouver and is famous for winter sports and as a host of the 2010 Winter Olympics.
The key takeaway from this story is the growing trend among Hollywood celebrities to trade noisy metropolises for secluded lives in nature. Smulders is not alone: Daily Hive notes that another Canadian musician, Sarah McLachlan, recently listed a luxury property for $21 million, and a star of The Hangover also lives on an island in British Columbia. These examples highlight the appeal of Canada’s wilderness to those who value privacy and a connection to nature. Smulders says that after living in a Vancouver suburb she always aspired to this lifestyle, and now her home is the realization of that dream — a place where mountains, forest and water provide the ideal backdrop for a peaceful life away from the city.
