Changes Will Have ‘Huge Impact’ on Farmers

Mar 8, 2019 | 6:00 AM

Spallumcheen council plans to voice its concerns to the province about changes to the Agricultural Land Commission Act.

Council received a presentation on changes due to Bill 52 from ALC CEO Kim Grout at their committee meeting this week.

Mayor Christine Fraser says there are a few changes that are a concern.

“If you are moving any soil — I believe it’s 1,000 metres cubed — you need to have a permit, so they will have a soil permitting department that they are trying to set up, that will deal specifically with those types of applications.”

The ALC is also no longer allowing second residences on farm land for family or anything other than farm help.

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“It has to be a demonstrated need that they need farm help, is the only way they will potentially allow a second residence,” Fraser tells Beach Radio News.

The mayor says the ALC is grand-fathering existing residences.

“For example, if you have an old mobile home on your property that right now has family in it, and you needed to replace that, or there was a fire and it burned down, you would not be able to replace that under the new regulations, so it’s going to have a huge impact.”

The new rules are aimed at protecting farming and farm land in the ALR.

“We had about 20 farmers at the meeting, asking questions. The theme from a lot of farmers is that they don’t feel there is a lot being down to help the farmer. It’s about protecting the farm land at any cost, but there is nothing really that’s helping farming to continue to happen.”

Fraser says the township will be letting the Agriculture Minister know about their concerns.

“Some of the comments made are they’re trying to fix everybody. A problem that’s happening in some areas, they’re using the whole province and painting the brush the same for everybody, where maybe they could have dealt with compliance in the area where there are problems.”

Agriculture Minister Lana Popham says the legislation introduced back in November, makes it clear that land in the Agricultural Land Reserve is for farming and ranching, not for dumping construction waste or building mega-mansions.

“The old government let wealthy speculators drive the price of farmland out of reach for young farmers and allowed some of our most valuable agricultural land to be damaged,” said Popham. “We are protecting farmland in B.C. to ensure land is available now and for future generations of farmers, so people in British Columbia have a safe, secure supply of locally grown food on their tables for years to come.”

by Corey Fischer