Sector events start growing

This summer could see a revival of agricultural fairs and trade shows, following last week’s announcement of BC’s reopening plans.

BC Fairs members met June 1 to discuss plans and protocols as BC prepares for a full reopening of the province by September. Many fairs that usually happen later in the summer are planning to go ahead, with modifications and flexibility in their plans. There will be ongoing sector engagement with the government into July to determine how reopening will unfold.

Playland, the amusement park at the Pacific National Exhibition fairgrounds in East Vancouver plans to reopen June 11, and organizers have signaled that the PNE itself may take place this fall. Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Country Fest plans to run over two weeks (rather than two days) at the end of July.

WorkSafeBC industry specialist Rose McDonald told BC Fairs that if the province lifts public health orders this summer, fair health and safety plans won’t need to be approved externally prior to events taking place.

Trade shows are also gearing up for a fresh start.

On May 20, the BC Landscape and Nursery Association announced the rebranding of the CanWest Horticulture Expo as Grow West Coast.

“This exciting new event will deliver an exceptional outdoor market-style trade show combined with educational seminars and sessions to the horticulture industry,” organizers state. “The redesigned experience will allow for in-person education sessions, a marketplace for exhibitors and much more.”

The first promotional e-mails were sent out this week, inviting exhibitors to register for the event scheduled for Surrey City Hall Civic Plaza on September 15-16.

Protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19 will be in force, in keeping with provincial health orders in force at the time.

With files from Barbara Johnstone Grimmer

1 month ago

It’s been four years since the last tulip festival was held in Abbotsford, but this year’s event promises to be an even bigger spectacle than ever. Spanning 27 acres along Marion Road, Lakeland Flowers will display more than 70 varieties of the spring blossom, including fringe tulips and double tulips, the first of six months of flower festivals hosted by the farm. Writer Sandra Tretick spoke with Lakeland Flowers owner Nick Warmerdam this spring to find out how the floods on Sumas Prairie in 2021 have had an impact on his business plan as he transitions from wholesale cut flower grower to agri-tourism. We've posted the story to our website this month. It's a good read.

#CLBC #countrylifeinbc #tulipfestival ... See MoreSee Less

Tulip grower makes the shift to agritourism

www.countrylifeinbc.com

ABBOTSFORD – On a bright sunny day in early April, Nick Warmerdam points out his office window at No. 4 and Marion roads to a spot about half a kilometre away across the Trans-Canada Highway.

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Omg 🥹 Jared Huston let’s go pls

Farming, like any other job.. only you punch in at age 5 and never punch out 🚜 ... See MoreSee Less

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Easton Roseboom Levi Roseboom🚜

The province is allocating $15 million to be administered by the Investment Agriculture Foundation of BC. for a perennial crop replant program benefitting tree fruit, hazelnut, berry and grape growers. The program aims to cover 100% of plant removal costs and 75% of replanting costs. Funds are also available for sector development. The new program replaces a suite of sector-specific replant programs and recognizes the importance of sector adaptation in the face of market, disease and weather challenges. ... See MoreSee Less

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Just a week after the Canadian Food Inspection Agency officials revoked the last primary control zones established in the Fraser Valley to control last fall’s outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza, a new detection on April 29 at a commercial premises in Chilliwack underscored the risk of a spring wave. This is the first new detection since January 22, also in Chilliwack, and brings to 104 the number of premises affected since the current outbreak began April 13, 2022. The disease has impacted 3.7 million birds in BC over the past year. ... See MoreSee Less

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Any other details for FVN and chillTV please? radiodon11@gmail.com

The province is contributing $3.2 million for upgrades to the Barrowtown pump station in Abbotsford that was overwhelmed during the November 2021 flooding on Sumas Prairie, part of a collaborative approach to flood mitigation in the region. During a press conference at the BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food offices in Abbotsford today, the province said a collaborative approach that includes First Nations is needed as Abbotsford pursues a comprehensive flood mitigation strategy due to the potential impacts on Indigenous lands. Agriculture's interests will be represented by technical teams within the agriculture ministry. ... See MoreSee Less

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I sure hope part of that money is to educate the people in charge of the pumps and drainage system! They just relayed on computers and weren’t even physically monitoring the water levels. I’ve lived in the Fraser Valley my whole life and the old guys managing that system know how to do it. The new generation just sit behind computer screens and don’t physically watch the water levels. That system works very well when you do it right. The Fraser river levels are very important. The system is designed to drain the Sumas Canal (the part that runs thru the valley) into the Fraser. When they let it get backed up it put pressure on the dyke and the weak part burst. Simple science. And yes, the dykes need to be worked on too. Abbotsford has not been maintaining properly for years.