Peninsula & Area Agricultural Commission c/o Saanich Municipal Hall 770 Vernon Avenue, Victoria, B.C. V8X 2W7 Telephone: (250) 475-1775 Fax: (250) 475-5440 Secretary: Isobel Hoffmann,
[email protected] Co-Chairs: Bob Maxwell & Jack Mar June 23, 2016 TO: Mayors and Councillors Municipalities of Victoria, Saanich, Oak Bay, Esquimalt, Central Saanich, North Saanich, Sidney, Metchosin, Colwood, Langford, View Royal, Highlands, Salt Spring & the Gulf Islands Re: Request for support to re-instate and ‘hire’ our South Island Regional Agrologist A few months ago our Regional Agrologist retired. As did many Regional Agrologists throughout the Province. The Ministry of Agriculture will fill only two positions - but not the Southern Vancouver Island and Gulf Islands position. The Regional Agrologist is very important to us in providing some of these vital services to the farm and food community, and to the Municipalities with their programs and decision making: - To provide information and a link between the Agricultural Land Commission and municipalities on critical issues of ALR changes, uses such as farm worker housing, waste earth dumping, subdivision applications and non-compatible land uses. - To provide information on the Right to Farm Act and help to handle farmland disputes and issues. - To provide information and sit on committees concerning problem wildlife such as the non- migratory resident Canada Geese problem, which continues to cost our farmers and others hundreds of thousands of dollars each year – now going into about the 20 th year. Deer also continue to be a costly problem. - To help with information and direction on diseases and pests, such as the Spotted Wing Drosphilia: a fruit fly which is now established on the Saanich Peninsula fruit and berry farms.