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Y O U R C O M M U N I T Y N E W S PA P E R • F O U N D E D I N 1 8 9 1 • W W W. T H E P R O G R E S S . C O M • F R I D AY, S E P T E M B E R 4 , 2 0 1 5
Medical pot production allowed on ag land Jennifer Feinberg The Progress It would have been city council’s preference to create a special zone for growing medical marijuana. But that’s not going to happen. The province changed the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) rules to specifically identify federally licensed medical marihuana production as an allowable farm use. Coun. Chris Kloot, chair of the agricultural advisory committee, called the move “disheartening” and “disappointing.” We’re W ’ It’s a big shift heading for cities and municipalities into an that will now be permitted to reguunknown late, but not to ban area medical pot growoperations in the Agricultural Land ~ Coun. Reserve. Chris Kloot Coun. Chuck Stam wondered during the meeting “if it wouldn’t make more sense to create a special zone,” like the one Chilliwack created for feed mills for example, so that community input could be sought. Peter Monteith, the city’s chief administrative officer, warned that a special zone would go “against the spirit” of the provincial directive on this matter. “This is a use that’s now permitted on ALR land,” said Monteith. “Council can do what they want, but it might get us into hot water with the province.” There’s now an expectation in place that local government bylaws will dovetail and be made consistent with provincial regulations and the bylaw standard by fall 2015. Kloot had asked during the council meeting Tuesday if there was anything that could be done about it being an allowed use on agriculture land. “I was looking for direction to see if there was an alternative,” he told The Progress Thursday. “I realize it’s a plant, but it’s illegal. I think we have to give credit to the prior council for trying to create a special zone. But the province smacked us down and said ‘Nope.’
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Corn production might not be the only thing Chilliwack agricultural land is soon known for. The provincial government has made medical marijuana production a permitted use on farm land. GREG KNILL/ PROGRESS
Curbside organics collection coming for Chilliwack timeline to switch to organic waste collection couldn’t be speeded up. “I’m wondering if there is any opportunity to move faster on this,” asked Coun. Lum. “Everyone I talk to is surprised to hear that we’re not already removing organics from the waste stream.” The issue for City of Chilliwack is its contractual obligations at this point, and the
The Progress Chilliwack is moving to curbside collection of organic waste by May 2017. Plans to shift gears on the waste program, and get feedback about the changes, were announced at Tuesday’s council meeting. City councillor Jason Lum wanted to know if that two-year
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existing waste contract the city has with Emterra expires in 2017, said Terra Friesen, manager of environmental services. “We could review that but it would be a challenge,” she said in response to the councillor’s question about moving forward faster than the proposed lead-up time. More than 43 per cent of the garbage contained in the bags making it to the curb is organic
materials, according to the pie chart presented Tuesday in the report. Another 12.5 per cent is recyclables, while 2.4 per cent was yard waste. Benefits for diversion of organics were cited like reducing landfill odours and greenhouse gases, making room in the landfill and putting the organics materials to good use through composting. Continued: CURBSIDE/ p7
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Jennifer Feinberg