Richmond - The Editor, It is astounding and reprehensible that the BC Liberals cut off debate on Bill 24 in the legislature this week, ignored recommendations of the ALC chair, and voted in massive, debilitating changes to the Agricultural Land Reser
Richmond - The Editor, It is astounding and reprehensible that the BC Liberals cut off debate on Bill 24 in the legislature this week, ignored recommendations of the ALC chair, and voted in massive, debilitating changes to the Agricultural Land Reserve.In a letter dated Dec. 23, 2013, ALC chair Richard Bullock wrote, "The ALR exists precisely because British Columbia has long recognized that if agricultural land were to succumb every time anyone proposed a development on particular land that proponents and politicians viewed on an ad hoc basis as being more economically favourable than the current use of that land, expedient and often short-sighted decisions would often follow, to the long-term detriment of the province's agricultural land base."This is incredibly anti-democratic, short-sighted, and a betrayal of the public interest.The new law means productive ALR farmland in B.C. will now get developed for interests more lucrative than growing food, degrading B.C.'s food security and local food economies.Once farmland is lost, it is lost forever. Don't be surprised if you start seeing fewer farms at your local farmer's market, and restaurant menus unable to source local food.Instead, you can order up condos, rodeos, exported hydro power, oil and gas... yum, sounds like a great future.Kimi HendessRichmond
