Hi All,
There are many issues here in Maple Ridge – Pitt Meadows with regards to agriculture.
Attached and below is the transcript of Michael bringing these concerns to the Minister of Agriculture and Lands.
2009 Legislative Session: First Session, 39th Parliament
COMMITTEE A BLUES
This is a DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY of debate in one sitting of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. This transcript is subject to corrections, and will be replaced by the final, official Hansard report. Use of this transcript, other than in the legislative precinct, is not protected by parliamentary privilege, and public attribution of any of the debate as transcribed here could entail legal liability.
DEBATES OF THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY
(HANSARD)
COMMITTEE A BLUES
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2009
Afternoon Sitting
PROCEEDINGS IN THE
DOUGLAS FIR ROOM
Committee of Supply
ESTIMATES: MINISTRY OF
AGRICULTURE AND LANDS
M. Sather: We have had a real significant issue in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows this summer about a cranberry farmer who had diverted water from the North Alouette River. There was no water licence to do that. I’m sure the minister is aware of the conflicts on waterways such as in the Nicola between fish and agriculture and, of course, in the Okanagan, where there are big issues with water allocation. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I’m wondering if, from an agricultural perspective…. I’m a big booster of agriculture as well as the environment, as the minister knows, but what is the thinking of the ministry and of the minister around this issue of sharing water, particularly in rivers that have high fisheries values like the North Alouette? We have local stewardship groups that have brought that river back from a very low area to be a good salmon spawning river. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I would like to hear some of the minister’s thoughts around how those issues can be resolved and what sorts of efforts are being made by his ministry to do so. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1645]
Hon. S. Thomson: I think the specific issues of water allocation are best canvassed under the Ministry of Environment, which also has responsibility for the Parliamentary Secretary for Water. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
In terms of the specific issue that the member mentioned, that is under investigation by the Ministry of the Environment — again, not appropriate for me to comment on. Our ministry, obviously, in terms of agriculture has a very significant interest in water for agriculture. It’s the critical need in terms of the health of animals and livestock and irrigation for crops. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
The industry has an agriculture environment partnership committee, a multi-stakeholder committee including all agencies, both at the provincial level and at the federal level, looking at agriculture and environmental issues. My ministry is a member and helps co-chair that committee, and that’s the area where the industry, in cooperation with all those agencies, works on a whole range of environmental policy issues, including water. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
M. Sather: I wanted to ask the minister about another issue around home plates. In Pitt Meadows we had an initiative to try to get.… We’ve got a lot of smaller holdings in the ALR there — some of them ten acres or less — and there’s been an initiative to try to get homes occupying the edges of properties rather than in the middle, because we’re getting a lot of folks coming out from the city and wanting to have an estate home, and they want to plunk the monster home in the middle of a ten-acre lot, which doesn’t go very well with agriculture. So I’m wondering if the minister has any thoughts on this — if he’s supportive of that kind of an initiative, the home plate initiative. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. S. Thomson: Thank you for the question. We certainly have an interest in that policy. Our ministry works with local governments and with the Agriculture Land Commission on those kinds of issues. I think our overall objective is to ensure productive use of agricultural land. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Again, this is one of the issues where I would be happy to have further discussions with the member. But as a general comment, this is a policy area that we’re certainly interested in, and we do work with local governments in this area. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
[1650]
M. Sather: My last question to the minister has to do with the regional growth strategy of Metro Vancouver, which is replacing the old livable region strategic plan. There is some concern of what’s happening in Maple Ridge, and probably in other communities, that local governments are, well, maybe taking advantage of the move to expand the urban boundary into rural areas. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
One individual involved in Maple Ridge has estimated that we’re looking at about 285 hectares if this were to go through — if the local government were to have their way in Maple Ridge — that we would no longer have as agricultural or rural lands. Some of them are in the ALR; some of them aren’t. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
I am just wanting to know if the minister is aware of this issue, if they’ve had any discussions with Metro Vancouver about the regional growth strategy and, more specifically, about this kind of creeping urban sprawl through that process, the regional growth strategy process. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Hon. S. Thomson: Madam Chair, just before I respond to it, I’d seek a little direction, because this is starting to move into areas of questioning that are kind of beyond the scope of the estimates, although I’m quite happy to respond. But I think we do need to make sure that the focus is on the estimates. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Certainly, the point that the member opposite raises is a shared concern. I’m certainly aware of the strategy. We haven’t initiated specific discussions, but we do work with our ministry. We have a strengthening farming program, a program that’s managed by our staff in Abbotsford who work with local governments addressing the rural-urban interface issues and those kinds of issues. So that’s certainly an area that I will take the member’s concerns, and I will talk to staff about them. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
Again, Madam Chair, I’m quite happy to discuss some of these policy issues, but I think that there are other forums to have those kinds of discussions, and the focus needs to be on the ministry estimates. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
There are some very interesting areas that we need to continue to work together with in the overall policy areas. [DRAFT TRANSCRIPT ONLY]
