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NEWS GAZETTE
NEWS: Coast Collective move in the works /A3 SPORTS: Mann Cup battle continues tonight /A18 HOMEFINDER: Building starts continue to rise /A24
Neighbourhood Nights proves popular on the West Shore Page A7 Friday, September 11, 2015
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ALR exclusion public hearing inspires debate Roughly half of Langford’s Agricultural Land Reserve property could be removed Katherine Engqvist News Gazette staff
Langford council this week listened to comments supporting and rejecting the City’s proposed request to remove 43 parcels of land – totalling more than 100 acres and mostly in south Langford – from the Agricultural Land Reserve. Some of the 40 or so people who attended Tuesday’s public hearing on the block exclusion of the parcels spoke against the idea of allowing landowners to pay cash for the removal of their property from the ALR, or the way the City was going about the process. Others voiced approval based on the fact much of the lands was not suitable for agriculture. This summer the City sent a letter asking landowners whether they would like their properties included in the collective exclusion and rezoning. Of the responses contained in this week’s council agenda, only one did not support having their property included in the joint application. Echoed by the tone at Tuesday’s meeting, there were a large number of letters and emails from Langford residents and others from all over the Island voicing their opposition to the application. Langford resident Cheryl McLaughlin was among more than a dozen people who spoke to the issue Tuesday night. While she com-
mended the goal of increasing agricultural production within city limits, she questioned “the rationale of removing land, which is the basis of agriculture, for money.” McLaughlin noted the money would be a one-time benefit. “Once the money is gone, there is absolutely no recompense for the land that has been taken out. You cannot do agriculture without land. That’s the very basic idea behind the Agricultural Land Reserve.” While she admitted a lot of ALR land in Langford is not currently in production, she said the protection of that land was vital for future generations and food security. “You can always fix soil, you can fix drainage. You can’t fix the land once you don’t have it anymore.” The municipality does not have the authority to remove land from the ALR; that decision rests solely with the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC). Municipal councils have the right to veto a request for removal and refuse to forward it to the ALC, but Langford council has chosen not to use that right. As part of the exclusion hearing process, the ALC requires the City to hold a public hearing on the matter and forward a record of that hearing with council’s recommendation. PLEASE SEE: ALR hearing, Page A6
Katherine Engqvist/ News Gazette staff
Levels of learning Grade 9 and 10 students at the new Belmont secondary traverse the hallways on various levels Tuesday on opening day. They were joined by those in Grade 11 and 12 on Wednesday. While the full complement of learners have arrived, some areas of the school are still awaiting finishing touches. See story page A3.
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