Provincial Agriculture Minister Lana Popham has strong words for Surrey council for dissolving the cityB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渓ongstanding and well-respectedB次元官网网址� Agriculture and Food Policy Advisory Committee.

B次元官网网址淚 am disappointed that the city leadership did not seek dialogue nor public input prior to the planned committee re-assignment,B次元官网网址� Popham wrote in a letter to Surrey council on Feb. 23. B次元官网网址淚t was brought to my attention than not even the members of the AFPAC were aware of the imminent dissolution of the committee.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淧lease be reminded that municipalities with the intention to restrict or prohibit agriculture within a farming area may need to become B次元官网网址榬egulatedB次元官网网址� under Section 553 of the Local Government Act,B次元官网网址� she warned.

Popham said committees such as the AFPAC provide B次元官网网址渋nvaluableB次元官网网址� input to civic governments to make sure planning and decisions are consistent with a local governmentB次元官网网址檚 obligation to support agriculture in accordance with the Agricultural Land Commission Act and the Local Government Act.

Lana Popham, B.C.B次元官网网址檚 agriculture minister. (Photo submitted)

Popham noted that as Surrey is the largest city geographically in Metro Vancouver, with more than 9,000 hectares in the Agricultural Land Reserve, it is B次元官网网址減oised to play a role in supporting the primary production of safe local produce and bolstering food security for the region.B次元官网网址� That said, she told council itB次元官网网址檚 been her experience that B次元官网网址渁ctive involvement of local producers in the fabric of local government is the foundation of a vibrant and economically sustainable agricultural sector.B次元官网网址�

On Dec. 7, the Safe Surrey Coalition majority on council voted to dissolve the AFPAC and fold it, along with the Environment Advisory Committee, into a new Agricultural, Environment and Investment Committee with Council Allison Patton as its chairwoman, Councillor Mandeep Nagra as its vice-chairman, and also Councillor Jack Hundial plus three community members.

The agriculture minister called the new joint committee B次元官网网址渃oncerningB次元官网网址� and noted that ministry staff advise her that having only three experts between the two disciplines B次元官网网址渨ill not likely provide adequate representation for SurreyB次元官网网址檚 diverse agricultural community.B次元官网网址�

Patton in reply said itB次元官网网址檚 hard for her to comment B次元官网网址渁t the momentB次元官网网址� because she hasnB次元官网网址檛 spoken to city staff yet about PophamB次元官网网址檚 concerns. B次元官网网址淚 may have skimmed the letter but IB次元官网网址檓 not sure it was brought to my attention, no, not yet.B次元官网网址�

The new committee has met twice, Patton said. B次元官网网址淭he good news is this committee doesnB次元官网网址檛 want to do anything to restrict agriculture, so I think that in time perhaps she can observe the committee and perhaps adjust her viewpoint over time if she feels thatB次元官网网址檚 warranted for her,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淎 lot of the farmers want improved productivity, and local farm-to-table and produce and other products, so weB次元官网网址檙e looking at how can we help these farmers to do that.B次元官网网址�

Popham was alerted to the situation by Surrey Councillors Hundial and Brenda Locke, of the rival Surrey Connect slate.

B次元官网网址淚f the province decides to regulate SurreyB次元官网网址檚 farmland, itB次元官网网址檚 huge,B次元官网网址� Locke said.

B次元官网网址淚 can tell you Langley, Abbotsford, Delta and Kelowna I think have all been regulated and I know theyB次元官网网址檙e not happy. I know for sure LangleyB次元官网网址檚 trying to get out of it but itB次元官网网址檚 a forever deal, like it was 20 years ago that they regulated them.B次元官网网址�

Hundial told the Now-Leader that people in the agriculture sector need to be aware of these recent developments in Surrey.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 a pretty hard stand for her to take on it,B次元官网网址� Hundial said of Popham, B次元官网网址渂ut I think thatB次元官网网址檚 partly because she sees the risk of not having the public engaged in developing policy that involves farmland. I mean the city is a product of the province and I think people sometimes tend to forget that.

B次元官网网址淪o for the minister to come out and issue really such a stern letter should be a clear indication that I donB次元官网网址檛 think sheB次元官网网址檚 too happy with the decision made by the mayor, and secondly, there will be oversight provided,B次元官网网址� Hundial said. B次元官网网址淥nce she invokes those powers, under the Act, it makes things a lot more complicated and laborious for applications coming out of the city absolutely to deal with agriculture and also the decision-making process around when you start looking at land and the uses, or ALR land.B次元官网网址�

Hundial added that PophamB次元官网网址檚 concern about having only three experts on a committee dealing with both agriculture and the environment is B次元官网网址渁bsolutely spot-on.B次元官网网址�

B次元官网网址淓ven the three councillors, myself included, that are on that committee, none of us are experts in the ALR,B次元官网网址� the retired Surrey Mountie noted. Patton is a naturopath and Nagra is a businessman.

B次元官网网址淎nd you can only have three individuals from the farming community, you know, Surrey is so much larger than that,B次元官网网址� Hundial said. B次元官网网址淲hen you look at one third of our land mass is ALR, it makes it very difficult to bring that level of expertise here.B次元官网网址�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
Like us on Follow us on   and follow Tom on