Provincial Agriculture Minister Lana Popham has strong words for Surrey council for dissolving the city鈥檚 鈥渓ongstanding and well-respected鈥� Agriculture and Food Policy Advisory Committee.
鈥淚 am disappointed that the city leadership did not seek dialogue nor public input prior to the planned committee re-assignment,鈥� Popham wrote in a letter to Surrey council on Feb. 23. 鈥淚t was brought to my attention than not even the members of the AFPAC were aware of the imminent dissolution of the committee.鈥�
鈥淧lease be reminded that municipalities with the intention to restrict or prohibit agriculture within a farming area may need to become 鈥榬egulated鈥� under Section 553 of the Local Government Act,鈥� she warned.
Popham said committees such as the AFPAC provide 鈥渋nvaluable鈥� input to civic governments to make sure planning and decisions are consistent with a local government鈥檚 obligation to support agriculture in accordance with the Agricultural Land Commission Act and the Local Government Act.
Lana Popham, B.C.鈥檚 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 鈥減oised to play a role in supporting the primary production of safe local produce and bolstering food security for the region.鈥� That said, she told council it鈥檚 been her experience that 鈥渁ctive involvement of local producers in the fabric of local government is the foundation of a vibrant and economically sustainable agricultural sector.鈥�
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 鈥渃oncerning鈥� and noted that ministry staff advise her that having only three experts between the two disciplines 鈥渨ill not likely provide adequate representation for Surrey鈥檚 diverse agricultural community.鈥�
Patton in reply said it鈥檚 hard for her to comment 鈥渁t the moment鈥� because she hasn鈥檛 spoken to city staff yet about Popham鈥檚 concerns. 鈥淚 may have skimmed the letter but I鈥檓 not sure it was brought to my attention, no, not yet.鈥�
The new committee has met twice, Patton said. 鈥淭he good news is this committee doesn鈥檛 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鈥檚 warranted for her,鈥� she said. 鈥淎 lot of the farmers want improved productivity, and local farm-to-table and produce and other products, so we鈥檙e looking at how can we help these farmers to do that.鈥�
Popham was alerted to the situation by Surrey Councillors Hundial and Brenda Locke, of the rival Surrey Connect slate.
鈥淚f the province decides to regulate Surrey鈥檚 farmland, it鈥檚 huge,鈥� Locke said.
鈥淚 can tell you Langley, Abbotsford, Delta and Kelowna I think have all been regulated and I know they鈥檙e not happy. I know for sure Langley鈥檚 trying to get out of it but it鈥檚 a forever deal, like it was 20 years ago that they regulated them.鈥�
Hundial told the Now-Leader that people in the agriculture sector need to be aware of these recent developments in Surrey.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a pretty hard stand for her to take on it,鈥� Hundial said of Popham, 鈥渂ut I think that鈥檚 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.
鈥淪o for the minister to come out and issue really such a stern letter should be a clear indication that I don鈥檛 think she鈥檚 too happy with the decision made by the mayor, and secondly, there will be oversight provided,鈥� Hundial said. 鈥淥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.鈥�
Hundial added that Popham鈥檚 concern about having only three experts on a committee dealing with both agriculture and the environment is 鈥渁bsolutely spot-on.鈥�
鈥淓ven the three councillors, myself included, that are on that committee, none of us are experts in the ALR,鈥� the retired Surrey Mountie noted. Patton is a naturopath and Nagra is a businessman.
鈥淎nd you can only have three individuals from the farming community, you know, Surrey is so much larger than that,鈥� Hundial said. 鈥淲hen you look at one third of our land mass is ALR, it makes it very difficult to bring that level of expertise here.鈥�
tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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