For two years now, the Langley Advance Times has been offering this weekly feature called “At Your Service.”
It has been another forum in which the public and journalists could put questions to our local politicians about key issues facing our community and its residents.
Using a basic question-and-answer format, elected officials have been asked one question at a time and given the opportunity to respond (to a maximum of 250 words) on that said issue.
The answers provided have been published in their entirety online Sundays.
Alternating between elected groups, Langley City and Langley Township councils, Langley school board, Langley MLAs, and Langley MPs each have had a chance to participate.
This, however, will be the final installment in this feature.
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QUESTION
Langley Township council was asked: Should the Township provide incentives for more landowners in the Salmon River Uplands to add their properties to the ALR? And what are the pros and cons of increasing ALR land in that area of Langley?
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ANSWERS
Mayor Eric Woodward
A. This council member failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.
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Councillor Tim Baillie
A. This council member failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.
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Councillor Steve Ferguson
A. Actually I have never ever thought of that in the terms that I have spent on council.
1. The ALR is regulated by the province… usually as an independent body.
2. I suppose if a land owner really wanted to place something into the ALR, they could go through the application process. (It would probably mean a significant decrease in their assessment and consequently the value of the property). However, the decision would be made solely by the ALR, and the Agricultural Land Commission.
3. The incentives that the TOL could provide would be the reduction of taxes due to proposed farmgate sales. Could be significant.
4. After thinking about it, I see it could be an act of philanthropy… where some residents have donated their land for parks, schools, and other community uses. Why not put it back into the ALR and enact another farm so another young resident can begin a future in agriculture.
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Councillor Margaret Kunst
A. This council member failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.
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Councillor Barb Martens
A. This council member failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.
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Councillor Michael Pratt
A. This is an interesting question, and it really boils down to what we want to achieve.
If we want to encourage landowners who have farmable properties to utilize their land for productive farming, there are other ways to do so on properties that are already within the ALR.
As one of the council co-chairs on the agricultural advisory and economic enhancement committee, I get to be involved in the process of coming up with how we are going to do exactly that.
If our aim with an incentive scheme was to create a buffer between the urban and rural parts of our community, then I think it would be better to partner with other organizations, say Metro Vancouver, to slowly acquire properties over time – as they do in other municipalities when they want to create a park.
If property owners want to voluntarily add their properties to the ALR, I wouldn’t stop them, but we should be absolutely clear with what our intention was.
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Councillor Kim Richter
A. This is a great question, given recent strategic moves by the current council and Metro-Vancouver to allow ½ acre lot servicing in this area.
There is also the new premier’s push for more “affordable housing” in existing B.C. single-family neighbourhoods.
Salmon River Uplands has long been an unusual, but happy, blend of large suburban residential lots and ALR properties. It is a well-forested area with extensive Salmon River tributaries and natural wildlife corridors throughout.
It is a wonderful place to live due to its peaceful, beautiful, and rural/natural ecology.
However, with Brookswood development now well-underway, the last remaining areas of the Township that could be relentlessly developed going forward are the non-ALR parts of the Salmon River Uplands.
Of course, savvy speculators understand this and are already busy purchasing.
So the real question, I think, is: “Can the Salmon River Uplands be preserved as is for future generations to enjoy?”
Very sadly, I think the answer is “No.” The profit motive is just too strong. There will be mega real estate dollars to be made here.
As for Township incentives to get more Salmon River lands into the ALR, there are two problems I see:
1) the Township just can’t afford it given the massive four-year council public spending spree already underway; and
2) putting land in the ALR does not protect that land from clear-cutting. Right to Farm Legislation always takes precedence.
With increasing population, there will increasing need for more food.
We are in the proverbial “Catch-22.”
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Councillor Rob Rindt
A. This council member failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.
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Councillor Misty vanPopta
A. This council member failed to reply to this query, prior to deadline.
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UP NEXT
This will be the last edition of At Your Service. Thank you to local politicians for their participation, and thank you to readers for following and contributing questions. We hope you’ve enjoyed it.
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PAST COVERAGE
AT YOUR SERVICE: City council weighs in on supervised consumption sites
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley trustees applaud positives found amid pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Township council weighs in on lack of industrial land
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs see feds as partners in SkyTrain to Langley
AT YOUR SERVICE: Creating more housing, on all fronts, critical to stabilization: MPs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Heat wave another call to action – City council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Pools need to be part of Township-wide recreation planning
AT YOUR SERVICE: No current need for year-round schooling in Langley, trustees agree
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs suggest staying the course on battling of B.C. wildfire
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs call for borders to be safely re-opened
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley City council wants to keep higher density development north of Nicomekl
AT YOUR SERVICE: Passports key to keeping B.C. businesses open, people safe during pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees ponder what kids are missing out on during pandemic
AT YOUR SERVICE: Education should trump rules for vaccination of health-care workers, suggest MLAs
AT YOUR SERVICE: How to handle rising housing prices
AT YOUR SERVICE: City council divided on call for indoor pool
AT YOUR SERVICE: Council ponders vaccine requirements for workers
AT YOUR SERVICE: Skyrocketing enrolment prompts intensified lobby by trustees
AT YOUR SERVICE: Political stripes aside, MLAs agree heat dome was tragic and action required
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree much must be done to right wrongs for Indigenous
AT YOUR SERVICE: Is pay parking in the City a viable consideration?
AT YOUR SERVICE: Some suggest more needed to protect floodplains from development
AT YOUR SERVICE: Monitoring student transport not good use of school district resources – trustees
AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal caucus floats all-party committee in reaction to emergencies
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley MPs address issue of rising food costs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook
AT YOUR SERVICE: Future of Aldergrove core up for debate
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trees and more greenspace at root of climate change solutions
AT YOUR SERVICE: Inflation inevitably hits City taxpayers in the pocketbook
AT YOUR SERVICE: Councillors differ on future of SkyTrain beyond Langley City
AT YOUR SERVICE: Bigger schools not necessarily solution to rising land costs
AT YOUR SERVICE: High gas prices of concern for MLAs of both stripes
AT YOUR SERVICE: Empty homes can be safety concern, but not huge concern in City
AT YOUR SERVICE: Most of council content with current pothole repairs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Survey gives school district tools for staff recruitment, retention
AT YOUR SERVICE: Liberal MLAs call for overhaul to B.C.’s student funding model
AT YOUR SERVICE: Canada must continue its support of Ukraine, MPs
AT YOUR SERVICE: Best use of industrial land paramount to Langley City councillors
AT YOUR SERVICE: More ALR land needs to be used for farming: Most of council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MLAs agree more must be done to make life affordable in B.C.
AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal parties working on multiple fronts to end hate crimes
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley City ponders cannabis retail policy
AT YOUR SERVICE – Most on council say parks and rec plans address future growth
AT YOUR SERVICE: School district moves forward on reconciliation efforts with Indigenous partners
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree diking upgrades needed, divided on if enough is being done
AT YOUR SERVICE: Local MPs disagree on whether 2 billion trees can be planted by 2030
AT YOUR SERVICE: In light of SkyTrain coming, Langley City embarks on parking study
AT YOUR SERVICE: Langley Township should consider schools for future cooling centres
AT YOUR SERVICE: Opposition MLAs critical of NDP’s affordable housing record
AT YOUR SERVICE: Federal clean energy efforts lauded by MP
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs debate how feds chose to halt trucker convoy
AT YOUR SERVICE: New Langley City council look for solutions to rising costs
AT YOUR SERVICE – A few Langley Township council members speak to ongoing single-family home demands
AT YOUR SERVICE: Political views aside, MLAs wish residents health and safety this holiday
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree new year’s resolution must focus on inflation
AT YOUR SERVICE: New floodplain report coming to council this spring
AT YOUR SERVICE – Protected bike lanes on key Township roads is encouraged by council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Trustees divided on question of socializing kids
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree much to be done to safeguard against climate-related disasters
AT YOUR SERVICE: MPs agree new year’s resolution must focus on inflation
AT YOUR SERVICE: City’s residential garbage pickup remains status quo – at least for now
AT YOUR SERVICE – Protected bike lanes on key Township roads is encouraged by council
AT YOUR SERVICE: Pair of trustees agree parent engagement is critical and can grow
AT YOUR SERVICE: MLAs agree much to be done to safeguard against climate-related disasters
AT YOUR SERVICE – Township councillors have varying ideas for extra millions
AT YOUR SERVICE: School district introduces two new specialty academies
AT YOUR SERVICE: More needed to improve transportation in and around Langley – MLAs
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