Saanichton Farmland Saved by Development, Not Threatened

PEJ News - Ian Vantreight - I would like to both comment on and correct some of the statements made in an article under the heading ‘Saanich Farmland Threatened by Development’ written by Michael Horie and Bert Slater, posted by rycroft on http://PEJ.org on Saturday, October 06, 2007 - 04:04 PM. Thank you to the PEJ News for providing this forum and the opportunity to provide the correct information and the other side of this issue.

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www.daffodil.com

Firstly, I am not proposing to develop any part of my farm that is useable farmland. For our operations to prosper I need all the arable land we have, and more, for proper crop rotation and land husbandry practices.

The hill site proposed for development is not in the middle of farmland. In fact it is bordered on the north by numerous 1/4 to 1/2 acres lots with single-family homes on them. As to the usability of the hill for agriculture purposes, 88% of the hill was left out of the ALR because it is unfarmable and we feel for that same reason the remaining 12% of the hill should also be excluded. What was not pointed out earlier was that we are, at the same time, putting 7.4 acres into the ALR which is currently out of the ALR as it is good farmland that should have never been left out in the first place. All we want is to realign the ALR boundary to accurately reflect the land that should and shouldn’t be in the ALR to what is farmable and what is not.

By utilizing this unfarmable land I intend to preserve and expand the arable land we currently farm, upgrade our operations with more efficient machinery while still providing the open space in Central Saanich currently enjoyed by all. My family and I are very proud to be known for our Daffodils as well as the other crops we grow and we want to continue and expand on that tradition and legacy for generations to come.

As for the current usage, the land that I have applied to be excluded from the ALR is not being used for any agriculture uses and hasn't been for over 35 years. It has a rental house and an old shed with a rental cottage.

In response to the cost to tax payers of servicing the land, it also should be clarified that any road upgrades for the development will be at Vantreight Farms expense, and not paid for by the municipality. Currently hydro, water, sewer, schools and our local hospital are all being underutilized. This development will be utilizing what is already in place and currently being paid for by Central Saanich.

To the comment of 'many other developments will surely follow', I don't see this as reality in that there is no other land similar to this in Central Saanich that is currently serviced by sewer, water and hydro that is out of the ALR. Also council always has the last say on approving applications.

I see the closing comment of, “If residents don’t stop this development, they face the prospect of remorseless urban sprawl”, as very misleading to the general public who may not be familiar with our proposed development. "Saanich Farmland Threatened by Development" couldn't be further from what I'm trying to do. I want to preserve and expand on the farmland we farm and as our future food production will depend on local farmers and we will need all of our land, and more, to be ready to supply that demand.

I encourage all to go to our website, www.daffodil.com to learn more about our plans and to become better educated on this project. I also encourage anyone concerned or interested to call me directly (652-0777) with any questions you may have.


Ian Vantreight
Proud Central Saanich Farmer