The old swamp known as Panama Flats can grow food, and thereB次元官网网址檚 no reason to wait, according to a Saanich councillor and food security advocate.
First-term Saanich Coun. Nathalie Chambers says thereB次元官网网址檚 nothing holding Saanich back from leasing the fertile land of Panama Flats to farmers during the dry season, even if most of the 26.5-hectare parcel is covered in water during the winter season. ItB次元官网网址檚 an easy solution to start chipping away at the IslandB次元官网网址檚 ongoing food security issue, something sheB次元官网网址檚 been advocating for most of her adult life.
B次元官网网址淭here are all the indicators of a healthy ecosystem B次元官网网址� frogs, all kinds of birds, and bees, you can tell thereB次元官网网址檚 bees here because of the [dense] Himalayan blackberry,B次元官网网址� said Chambers, an agricultural advocate who lives and works at Madrona Farm in the Blenkinsop Valley. B次元官网网址淲hen we talk about B次元官网网址榝armingB次元官网网址� I am not talking about conventional methodsB次元官网网址� I am talking about agro-ecology and the fact farmland benefits many species. And in fact, birds, bees and frogs are signature wildlife indicators of sustainable agriculture.B次元官网网址�
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The Vantreight farming family owned Panama Flats initially. They leased it to the Galey brothers who farmed it for more than 25 years until last decade. Then Vantreight sold it to a group called Island Berry. By 2010, Island Berry began infilling the flats with dirt, building most of the existing berms that now cross the field and rise above the winter flood. Then Saanich council, led by former mayor Frank Leonard, were limited in what they could do, Leonard recalled.
B次元官网网址淥wners complained that the municipality was using private property as a flood plain, which it was,B次元官网网址� Leonard recalled.
Add to that the infill and Saanich council was B次元官网网址渕otivated to have a wetland for storm water storage,B次元官网网址� he said, adding, B次元官网网址淲e lawyered up, it was the only way we could slow them.B次元官网网址�
Early in the process of considering a purchase of the land, Saanich staff made a key discovery, that a Saanich sewer pipe runs through the park portion of the northwest corner of the flats.
B次元官网网址淪aanich had never acquired a right of way, so that was the tipping point in terms of us deciding to acquire it,B次元官网网址� Leonard said. B次元官网网址淲e didnB次元官网网址檛 give away the card that we were going to have to pay money one way or another.B次元官网网址�
Council approved a deal in February 2011 to give Island Berry $910,000 in cash and an exchange of surplus lands owned by Saanich that amounted to about $2.4 million total. One parcel of land was at Carey and Cherry roads (which was subsequently developed into a nine-lot subdivision with single-family homes in 2013) with another three-lot subdivision at Carey and Roy roads.
The plan was to protect Panama Flats B次元官网网址� the West Saanich parcel of land between Carey, Interurban and Roy roads B次元官网网址� as a flood plain, a nature refuge and parkland, and also to farm part of it. Originally a swamp drained for agricultural purposes, Panama FlatsB次元官网网址檚 water storage is important for B次元官网网址渄ownstream flood abatementB次元官网网址� in the Colquitz River, reads a CRD report.
In 2013 Saanich tried to add a 14.5 ha swath in the middle of Panama Flats to the agricultural reserve (eight of the 26.5 ha property is already in the ALR) however, it ran into barriers with the ALC.
Five years later SaanichB次元官网网址檚 current agricultural draft plan once again identifies the production of food on Panama Flats as a priority action.
B次元官网网址淩ay Galey was the farmer with the pizzazz to farm this place,B次元官网网址� Chambers said. B次元官网网址淭his is how we do sustainable farming. Panama dries up in the summer, itB次元官网网址檚 called B次元官网网址榮ummer starch land,B次元官网网址� where you plant and grow later in the season, July to September. ThereB次元官网网址檚 even a massive warehouse here to store equipment and sort food.B次元官网网址�
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Based on the minimal spring and summer rainfall the South Vancouver Island has received in recent years the growing season could start earlier, she said, adding onions, carrots, potatoes, squash, corn and pumpkins all grow well in that type of land.
However, an up-front investment of infrastructure would have to happen first, starting with the removal of the berms, which are made of fill that Leonard believes may have come from construction sites.
A farmer familiar with site speculated the berms would need to come out and drainage installed, as well as irrigation.
That said, the neighbourhood knows itB次元官网网址檚 a treasure, B次元官网网址渢hey support this place,B次元官网网址� Chambers said.
Chambers also suggested Saanich can consider purchasing similar lands such as the properties of 4140 and 4142 Gillie Rd. part of the Hastings flood plain below Strawberry Vale, which neighbours an active but seasonal farm at Hastings and Granville streets.
(Photos by Travis Paterson/B次元官网网址 Staff: Nathalie Chambers opens the barn-style door to the warehouse at Panama Flats. Afternoon skaters take to the frozen fields of Panama Flats in January of 2017. Fertile land sits (at front) unused along Gillie Road next to Hastings Street.)
Unlisted at the moment, Jeff Wonnenberg posted the Gillie Road properties on Craigslist last year, both about 6,800-square-feet, for $100,000 each or $175,000 for the pair. The properties are part of a block grid between Gillie Road and an un-built street, Wallingford Avenue (set out in plans but un-built likely due to flooding), that is zoned single family but are restricted from development as they fall in the flood plain.
B次元官网网址淚 believe youB次元官网网址檙e permitted to build a small fruit stand on the property but otherwise you canB次元官网网址檛 build on it,B次元官网网址� said Wonnenberg, a builder who now lives in Sidney. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been in the family for almost 50 years, weB次元官网网址檝e been paying taxes but have never able to do anything with it.B次元官网网址�
If he canB次元官网网址檛 sell the land heB次元官网网址檚 open to fencing it off to lease for an agricultural project, he said, adding he recalls skating over the frozen flooded farm fields along Hastings Street as a child, clipping carrot tops with his blades.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 not a farmer, IB次元官网网址檓 a builder, but I would love to see this farmed,B次元官网网址� Wonnenberg said. B次元官网网址淚f we sold it, and someone put a house on here, my grandfather [who bought the land] would roll over in his grave.B次元官网网址�
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