VICTORIA – The province is preparing a new regulation to allow property owners in the Agricultural Land Reserve to have a secondary dwelling without Agricultural Land Commission approval. “For almost 50 years, BC’s agricultural land reserve (ALR) has existed to encourage farming and protect farmland,” said BC agriculture minister Lana Popham said in Facebook post …
ALR
No surprises in Throne speech
The second throne speech since the BC NDP held few surprises for agriculture. Opening a new sitting of the legislature on April 12, Lieutenant Governor Janet Austin laid forth an agenda that reaffirmed the province’s support for the Buy BC program and greater investment in the agritech sector. But the reminder that the government had …
CPR on ALR track
PITT MEADOWS – Pitt Meadows could lose more than 100 acres of protected farmland if CP Rail wins approval to expand its operations in the community. Plans for the CP Logistics Park [cplogisticspark.ca] were unveiled in December following consultations with the municipality, Katzie First Nation and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority last summer. An initial public …
CP Rail’s plans for extension cause concern
Pitt Meadows could lose more than 100 acres of farmland if CP Rail gets the greenlight to expand its operations in the community. Plans for the CP Logistics Park [cplogisticspark.ca] were unveiled in December following consultations with the municipality, Katzie First Nation and Vancouver Fraser Port Authority last summer. A public consultation on the project …
ALC appointments made
A ministerial order signed September 1 has reappointed nine members of the Agricultural Land Commission whose terms expired the week of the October 24 election. Honey Forbes of Duncan was reappointed for a one-year term ending October 23, 2021. Commissioners Andrew Adams, Ian Knudsen, Richard Mumford, Ione Smith and Gerry Zimmerman were appointed for two-year …
Apple growers protest in Kelowna
To raise awareness of the challenges faced by the apple growers in Okanagan, the BC Fruit Growers Association sold apples at 12 cents a pound in Kelowna on Thanksgiving weekend. BCFGA billed the sale at the Kelowna Farmers and Crafters Market on October 10 the “BC Apples Farewell Tour” to highlight how low returns are forcing …