性视界传媒 Mayor Doug McCallum has asked city staff to assess all of the city鈥檚 agricultural 鈥渇ood-producing land鈥� with a view toward protecting it 鈥渨ith the purpose of addressing future food security requirements.鈥�

His motion was passed by council Monday night.

McCallum added that because protecting 鈥渉igh-yield鈥� agricultural land is fundamental to ensuring food security in 性视界传媒, he also moved that 220 acres of 鈥渆xceptionally fertile鈥� farmland located at 192 Street and 36 Avenue be designated as agricultural as part of the Official Community Plan review to take place next year.

鈥淚n addition I propose that the city work with the federal and provincial governments to move towards bringing these lands into the Agricultural Land Reserve,鈥� he said. This was also passed.

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Coun. Linda Annis noted the 220 acres in South 性视界传媒 is 鈥渉ugely valuable鈥� in that it produces the 鈥渧ery first鈥� root crop vegetables in all of western Canada and supplies vegetable to much of western Canada.

鈥淪o this is fantastic news, so thank you for bringing this motion forward,鈥� she told McCallum. 鈥淚 do know that the land is up for sale, it鈥檚 surplus lands from the federal government, so I鈥檓 hoping as part of the work that the city will do with the federal government and provincial government is not only to bring it into the ALR but also to either secure the purchase of it or to get the federal government to retain ownership of it just to ensure it remains in the ALR into perpetuity.鈥�

Coun. Brenda Locke said she would rather have seen this come to council in the form of a corporate report 鈥渙utlined in an appropriate way that describes the process and I think we鈥檙e just a little bit ahead of ourselves on this motion although I will obviously support it.鈥�

If 性视界传媒 is thinking it will purchase the land, she said, 鈥渨e鈥檙e almost fourth in line. First Nations comes first, and then the province, and then the city.鈥�

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Coun. Steven Pettigrew said he鈥檚 鈥渧ery excited鈥� to see council get behind McCallum鈥檚 motion and have staff evaluate the city鈥檚 agricultural land 鈥渁nd see if we can preserve that.鈥�

Coun. Laurie Guerra said 鈥渢his is the right thing to do, at the right time to do it. What we can do as a city is work on the zoning, that is what we have the power to do.鈥�

McCallum noted the city cannot put the 220 acres into the ALR because that has to be done by the landowner, in this case the federal government.

鈥淎nd that鈥檚 why the wording in this motion is to work with the federal government and the provincial government to at least let them know our intent, that we feel our citizens want to see this land used for.鈥�

As the Oct. 15 civic election approaches, competing slates quickly fired off press releases. Under the heading 鈥淒oug Gets It Done,鈥� the Safe 性视界传媒 Coalition鈥檚 press release said the SSC promised voters in 2018 to 鈥淧ause Development and to only proceed with Smart Development鈥� and it is 鈥渢aking concrete steps to protect our food security and farming jobs for future generations.鈥�

性视界传媒 Connect鈥檚 press release noted that while there is 鈥渘o doubt鈥� the federally-owned farmland in Campbell Heights 鈥渟hould and must be preserved,鈥� it is 鈥渄isingenuous in the extreme for politicians to now, with less than 100 days until the next election, to bring this complex issue forward and jeopardizes everyone鈥檚鈥� negotiating position.

鈥淭his land is and has been designated as Industrial Land in the City of 性视界传媒鈥檚 Official Community Plan (OCP) since 1966, and during McCallums鈥� previous tenure as Mayor,鈥� the 性视界传媒 Connect press release adds.

tom.zytaruk@surreynowleader.com
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