ALC steps up compliance efforts

New hires at the Agricultural Land Commission are leading to stronger protections for farmland in BC.

The commission now employs seven compliance and enforcement staff, with the latest two being added this year. Staff are now stationed in regions across the province, a shift from three years ago when two staff based in Burnaby were charged with responding to complaints across the entire province.

Originally established in 2007, the compliance and enforcement team received a boost in the 2016 provincial budget that allowed three new hires, including a coordinator of operations. Additional funding last year allowed for the latest two hires. Staff are now stationed in Burnaby, Kamloops, Kelowna and Nanaimo.

The extra staff members are keeping busy thanks to a 25% increase in complaints this year to date.

According to the ALC’s latest annual report, last year saw 257 new complaints, a 33% increase from 193 complaints the previous year. While the number of closed files has risen steadily, the tally of active files as of March 31, 2019 increased 12% to 344.

The enforcement efforts also resulted in the commission levying its biggest fine ever for non-compliance, a penalty of $70,000 for the deposit of fill above and beyond what a 1997 application originally allowed. While the commission found that the current owner hadn’t intentionally fallen into non-compliance and ceased bringing in fill when requested, the addition of more than 1 million cubic metres beyond what was allowed justified the hefty fine.

A previous fine in 2017, the commission’s first, was for operating a non-farm business in the ALR. The amount was $7,500, and the commission ultimately had to petition BC Supreme Court to grant an order for payment.

Commercial activity in the ALR typically represents the single largest source of complaints to the ALC, at 42% last year. However, several landowners have demanded that a greater range of commercial activities be allowed within the ALR to support the viability of their farms.

A provincial consultation kicks off in Merville on September 19 regarding ways the province can support farmers while protecting the integrity of the ALR.

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4 hours ago

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10 hours ago

Forty-six regions in BC are eligible to participate in the federal livestock tax deferral program, announced yesterday, more than anywhere else in the country. The program allows producers who downsize their breeding herds by 15% to defer reporting the proceeds until the following year, when they buy replacement stock. But after multiple years of drought, the BC beef herd is cruising 25-year lows and some producers are calling for more support to maintain and rebuild their herds. For more, see: [www.countrylifeinbc.com/bc-leads-livestock-tax-deferrals/]

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4 days ago

After weeks and weeks of no moisture, there's rain in Kelowna today. While much more moisture is needed over the coming weeks and months to reduce drought conditions and the air smells of wet campfire, the slow, steady rain is very welcome for fruit grower#BCAg#BCAg ... See MoreSee Less

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5 days ago

The first Delta Farmland and Wildlife Trust Grassland Set-aside Variety Trial Field Day was held at Delta's family-owned Tecarte Farms, August 27. Co-owner Bill Bates and DFWT executive director Christine Schmalz welcomed more than 35 people to view seven acres planted to different grassland blends specifically chosen to rejuvenate the soil and support the farm's blueberries. For the Bates family, it was time to try something different following the decline of the field's blueberry bushes over the past several years. "We tried everything, and nothing worked," says Bates. The blueberries were removed in May and the grassland crops planted about a week later.

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Bessette Creek is the latest watershed hit with a temporary fish protection order this year as the province moves to protect returning Chinook salmon. A total of 131 surface and groundwater users must cease drawing water immediately, with forage producers, greenhouses and nurseries impacted. "Declining flows in Bessette Creek reached record lows in early July 2026 and have remained below the minimum level required to support fish population survival," says the province. Bessette producers have embraced voluntary cutbacks, scheduled irrigation and other measures to reduce water use, and are also waiting on funding to boost water storage infrastructure. They're the second group of producers hit with a provincial order this year. Salmon River irrigators were told to top watering earlier this month following a reprieve to address wildfire risk. Growers in both the Salmon River and Bessette watersheds are urging the province to support new water storage infrastructure in advance of next year.

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There is a problem... having lived in the salmon river ( silver creek ) area, I remember a fish biologist telling family members that salmon only "survive" in high iron content creeks, they do not "thrive".... salmon river ( silver creek ) is a very high iron content, would stain clothes brown when i would use bleach... So don't expect high salmon numbers off of that creek , even in ideal situations...

I just wish they would take an interest in CHASE CREEK....went bone dry...100% of trout abd other species died...smell was terrible from rotting fish. Understand this has happened many times in the past. Chase Irrigation District totally responsible for this disaster. Now fishermen are complaining about major drop in water levels at Pillar Lake.

They could not mismanage things worse than they have. It's impossible for them to. The fact that farmers that we need for our animals are now suffering the consequences our governments have not protected us from, is absolutely fucking wild.