Provincial Agriculture Minister Lana Popham has strong words for Surrey council for dissolving the city害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所渓ongstanding and well-respected害羞草研究所� Agriculture and Food Policy Advisory Committee.

害羞草研究所淚 am disappointed that the city leadership did not seek dialogue nor public input prior to the planned committee re-assignment,害羞草研究所� Popham wrote in a letter to Surrey council on Feb. 23. 害羞草研究所淚t was brought to my attention than not even the members of the AFPAC were aware of the imminent dissolution of the committee.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淧lease be reminded that municipalities with the intention to restrict or prohibit agriculture within a farming area may need to become 害羞草研究所榬egulated害羞草研究所� under Section 553 of the Local Government Act,害羞草研究所� she warned.

Popham said committees such as the AFPAC provide 害羞草研究所渋nvaluable害羞草研究所� input to civic governments to make sure planning and decisions are consistent with a local government害羞草研究所檚 obligation to support agriculture in accordance with the Agricultural Land Commission Act and the Local Government Act.

Lana Popham, B.C.害羞草研究所檚 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 害羞草研究所減oised to play a role in supporting the primary production of safe local produce and bolstering food security for the region.害羞草研究所� That said, she told council it害羞草研究所檚 been her experience that 害羞草研究所渁ctive involvement of local producers in the fabric of local government is the foundation of a vibrant and economically sustainable agricultural sector.害羞草研究所�

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 害羞草研究所渃oncerning害羞草研究所� and noted that ministry staff advise her that having only three experts between the two disciplines 害羞草研究所渨ill not likely provide adequate representation for Surrey害羞草研究所檚 diverse agricultural community.害羞草研究所�

Patton in reply said it害羞草研究所檚 hard for her to comment 害羞草研究所渁t the moment害羞草研究所� because she hasn害羞草研究所檛 spoken to city staff yet about Popham害羞草研究所檚 concerns. 害羞草研究所淚 may have skimmed the letter but I害羞草研究所檓 not sure it was brought to my attention, no, not yet.害羞草研究所�

The new committee has met twice, Patton said. 害羞草研究所淭he good news is this committee doesn害羞草研究所檛 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 that害羞草研究所檚 warranted for her,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淎 lot of the farmers want improved productivity, and local farm-to-table and produce and other products, so we害羞草研究所檙e looking at how can we help these farmers to do that.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淚f the province decides to regulate Surrey害羞草研究所檚 farmland, it害羞草研究所檚 huge,害羞草研究所� Locke said.

害羞草研究所淚 can tell you Langley, Abbotsford, Delta and Kelowna I think have all been regulated and I know they害羞草研究所檙e not happy. I know for sure Langley害羞草研究所檚 trying to get out of it but it害羞草研究所檚 a forever deal, like it was 20 years ago that they regulated them.害羞草研究所�

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

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 a pretty hard stand for her to take on it,害羞草研究所� Hundial said of Popham, 害羞草研究所渂ut I think that害羞草研究所檚 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.

害羞草研究所淪o for the minister to come out and issue really such a stern letter should be a clear indication that I don害羞草研究所檛 think she害羞草研究所檚 too happy with the decision made by the mayor, and secondly, there will be oversight provided,害羞草研究所� Hundial said. 害羞草研究所淥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.害羞草研究所�

Hundial added that Popham害羞草研究所檚 concern about having only three experts on a committee dealing with both agriculture and the environment is 害羞草研究所渁bsolutely spot-on.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淓ven the three councillors, myself included, that are on that committee, none of us are experts in the ALR,害羞草研究所� the retired Surrey Mountie noted. Patton is a naturopath and Nagra is a businessman.

害羞草研究所淎nd you can only have three individuals from the farming community, you know, Surrey is so much larger than that,害羞草研究所� Hundial said. 害羞草研究所淲hen you look at one third of our land mass is ALR, it makes it very difficult to bring that level of expertise here.害羞草研究所�

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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