Surrey council votes to support moving crucial Campbell Heights farmland into ALR

Surrey city council has voted to move a tract of farmland crucial to the local food supply into the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).

The 89 hectares of active agricultural property — just under a square kilometre — produced roughly 70 per cent of the potatoes harvested in B.C. between May and August last year.

Council agreed Monday night to support a proposal by the Agricultural Land Commission to add 123 hectares of federally owned lands in the Campbell Heights area to the ALR. The other 34 hectares in the plan will remain in its forested state and won’t be considered for either farming or development.

“It is crucial that we protect this invaluable, high-yield farmland to help ensure future food security in the region and across British Columbia,” said Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke.

“That is why council voted in favour of protecting this irreplaceable farmland that yields an estimated 50 million servings of vegetables every year.”