Dear Editor,
Perhaps I am a contrarian, but I don’t think that the Agricultural Land Reserve is doing anybody any good.
We are in the process of building a $4-billion bridge so that people can build more homes on farmland in Surrey, Langley and White Rock.
In addition, thousands of acres of farmland are being used up by the Highways to take commuters out to these communities. It makes no sense.
I used to live in White Rock and commuted to Downtown Vancouver. That was in the 1970s, and it was not fun then. I can imagine how bad it is now.
Not to mention the cost of commuting, global warming, and other environmental damage. Millions of litres of fuel are used annually in this endeavour.
These expenses could be saved by proper planning, transit and the development of the rest of Richmond.
There is approximately 13,000 acres in Richmond that has restricted development because of the ALR, of which only about one-half is operating as farms. Our main crops, in order of size, are cranberries, and blueberries, which are grown on peaty soils.
Our largest crop grown on loamy soils is hay. Surely there is better use for our farmland than that. Hay can be grown anywhere in Surrey and Langley.
It is time to stop the madness, and consider an orderly development of the ALR lands in Richmond, B.C.
Bill Evans
Richmond
