BCAC gala goes online

COVID-19 continues to cast a long shadow, with the BC Agriculture Council making yet another change to plans for its annual gala.

Originally scheduled for January 26 in advance of the Pacific Agriculture Show, the gala was rescheduled for April 1 in view of a surge in cases of COVID-19 attributable to the highly transmissible omicron variant.

But with hospitals remaining under pressure, BCAC is now moving to an entirely virtual event. Segments will be prerecorded and streamed live in advance of the Pacific Agriculture Show on March 30.

“With the omicron variant placing significant stress on the healthcare system and impacting our own office, we do not feel that hosting a 250-300-person event is in the best interest of our community or organization at this time,” says BCAC in a statement announcing the change.

This is the second year in a row the gala, which features award presentations to agricultural leaders, will take place online. However, it won’t be online business as usual.

“We are excited to do things a little differently this year than last year and look forward to sharing more details on the virtual event soon,” says BCAC.

The Islands Agriculture Show, originally planned for Cowichan Exhibition Park on February 11-12, recently announced details of changes to its own program.

The event will now take place July 6-7 at Cowichan Exhibition Park, featuring speakers on the theme of “Thriving in a Climate of Change.”

The show is half-sold, indicating demand for in-person gatherings even as restrictions continue. Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry is expected to announce next steps in the province’s response to COVID-19 next week.

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2 days ago

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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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6 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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1 week 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.