Angry farmers protest at legislature
VICTORIA Angry farmers rallied at the B.C. legislature Monday, demanding the provincial government reverse changes to farm rules that they say have limited their ability to work and live on their land.
Meghan McPherson, a hobby farmer from Courtenay, organized a rally of almost 100 farmers to urge Agriculture Minister Lana Popham to reconsider many of her recent changes to Agricultural Land Reserve rules.
In particular, McPherson said, bills 15 and 52 have blindsided farmers, no longer allowing them to build secondary homes on their land without cumbersome applications, hindering their ability to have children live on the property and help work the land as the next generation of farmers.
The bills, which reversed a twozone ALR structure instituted by the previous Liberal government, have also failed to fix onerous restrictions on eateries, farm businesses and other land uses, she said.
Farmers that built second homes under the previous rules said they’re now considered to have legal nonconforming use status under the ALR changes made by Popham and the NDP government.
Several expressed worry on Monday that they would be unable to renegotiate mortgages, refinance their property in future, or get insurance after making changes to their land that were previously legal but now are not considered compliant with the rules.
Others said that changes to rules that removed farmers as recognized representatives mean they’re no longer allowed to approach the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) directly, but instead, must go to a local municipality that has no legal obligation to do anything with their request.
“What is happening is the ultimate exercise in disrespect,” said Liberal MLA Mike de Jong, whose family has owned a farm in Matsqui for more than 50 years.
“Farm families have had enough and they are standing up and are going to demand a little respect.”
The NDP’s Bill 15 had been described as a way to “strengthen the independence” of the ALC to protect farmland from development. Bill 52 was designed to prevent mega-mansions on farmland.
Popham said Monday she respected the protest, but disagreed on some points.
“From the protest, what I’ve heard is they don’t want to do an application process, they just want to build homes,” she said.
“What we’re saying is an application process is the best way for the Agricultural Land Commission to fulfil their mandate. Their mandate is to protect farmland, and also to encourage farmers, and I think we’ve found the balance.”
Jody Lucas, a Nanoose farmer, said she was forced to close her Rusted Rake farm-to-table eatery and lay off 15 staff after the ALC ruled it wasn’t an appropriate use of Vancouver Island farmland.
She said she’d even tried purchasing $100,000 in brewery equipment and planting barley crops to meet the requirement that a farm produce alcohol to serve food, but were unable to win approval from the ALC.
“I feel this is an injustice to rural communities like ours,” said Lucas.
Popham blamed the previous government for hindering eateries.
“We’re looking at that right now,” she said.
Liberal MLA Laurie Throness introduced a private member’s bill on Monday to increase penalties for those who trespass on farms, mainly environmental and animal rights groups who he said terrorize hard-working farmers.
Alberta recently introduced similar legislation.