The province will allow landowners in the ALR to place a manufactured home for immediate family on their properties through July 31, 2021 pending the development of new policies.
The province announced the extension on September 4 with the release of a summary of feedback to an intentions paper issued at the end of January. This is the second extension of the provision, which was originally set to expire February 22. It was extended until December 31 with the release of the intentions paper.
The residence wouldn’t just be limited to immediate family or a manufactured home; garden suites, guest houses, carriage suites or units above an existing building were on the table. These could be for the use of farm workers or guests as part of an agri-tourism venture.
The new options won’t affect the maximum size of the principal residence, limiting the total residential floor space for family members to 5,382 square feet (500 square metres). The Agricultural Land Commission would remain the decision maker for additional residences for farm use in the ALR, however.
“Any new permitted secondary residences should be registered with the ALC for long-term land-use planning purposes,” the province states.
The summary report says respondents want whatever the province decides to be clear, straight-forward and respect farmland. Of 153 municipalities that have land in the ALR, 29 participated in the consultation. The single First Nations government invited did not participate. An additional 257 submissions were received from individuals and associations through June 22 (the formal consultation ended May 17).
While individuals who commented want flexibility in terms of housing and rental options, local governments want clear, simple rules that don’t increase their administrative burden.
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