Tag Archives: Ministry of Agriculture

Weather

‘Here we are talking about drought in February’

Editor’s note: When the rains finally started in October 2022, Cortes Island had received very little precipitation for 97 days. That was the first year Basil Creek came close to drying up and only about 10 Chum were able to swim upstream to spawn. The creek almost disappeared during the 2023 drought and some of Cortes Island’s shallow wells stopped recharging. On Quadra Island, I-CAN’s water security team responded to the drought by launching a project to gather data on the island’s ‘water budget,’ wetlands and wells, so they can be better prepared for the future. With Vancouver Island’s snowpacks currently 70% below normal, we may need a wetter than normal spring and summer to avert another drought in 2024.

Canada’s National Observer, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Water security groups in B.C. are rallying to face another summer wracked by drought and wildfire after the province revealed the snowpack is 40 per cent lower than normal. And they are urging the provincial government to do the same. 

Extremely low snow levels across most of B.C., ongoing drought in certain areas of the province and unusually warm weather are increasing the risk of widespread drought and wildfire this spring and summer, according to the BC River Forecast Centre’s snow bulletin released Thursday. 

Continue reading ‘Here we are talking about drought in February’ →
Uncategorized

Nancy Beach vs the Property Assessment Review Panel

The opinions that follow are those of the person expressing them and not necessarily shared by Cortes Currents, or Cortes Radio.  

The following submission was made by Nancy Beach.

After dealing with BC assessment for 17 years or more, in regard to my small farm on Salt Spring Island, I have come to the conclusion that:

  1. Farm assessments should be administered by the Ministry of Agriculture, not the Ministry of Housing.
  2. The system for assessing farm status needs to be overhauled. It should not be lumped in with assessing the values of residential properties. 
  3. Farmers should be given adequate time to present and debate their cases. 
  4. More people who care about farms should sit on the board of the Property Assessment Appeal Board (PAAB), and the panel of the Property Assessment Review Panel (PARP).’
  5. PARP plan panel members making decisions concerning farms should be well educated about the farm regulations number. Pabst should not charge for their services. 
  6. BC Farmers need an organization to represent them, represent themselves and help defend their interests before the B. C. Assessment when necessary.
Continue reading Nancy Beach vs the Property Assessment Review Panel →
Cost of Climate Change, Food Security

‘Sell them for nothing or watch them starve’: farmers face difficult decisions amid B.C. drought

By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter

When Yoenne Ewald’s hay supply fell through this spring, she was devastated. Without hay, she can’t feed her cattle. Like most farmers, she’s tough and used to troubleshooting unexpected problems but the stress this year has been on another level.

“The options are to sell them for nothing or watch them starve,” she says on her farm just outside of New Hazelton, B.C. 

Continue reading ‘Sell them for nothing or watch them starve’: farmers face difficult decisions amid B.C. drought →
Rivers & Oceans

Under Investigation: Lois Lake Fish Farm

It has been five days since the Watershed Watch Salmon Society issued a press release stating Agrimarine’s semi-closed containment fish farm on Lois Lake, east of Powell River, may have been operating illegally since at least July 21, 2021. 

A provincial bullet point template of that date, from BC’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Fisheries, states, “DFO has determined that the new infrastructure is not located within the associated FLNR Crown land tenure and therefore (is) in non-compliance.” 

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Food Security

What Does The Surplus Food Rescue Program Mean to Cortes & Quadra?

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During a visit to the Nutri Group’s head office in Quebec, Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food announced a $50 million federal initiative “designed to address urgent, high volume, highly perishable surplus products falling under fruit, vegetables, meat and fish and seafood.” Prior to COVID, this food was sold to restaurants. Now, instead of letting it go to waste, the federal government will distribute it to food banks and local food organizations across Canada. So what does the Surplus Food Rescue Program mean for our area?

Continue reading What Does The Surplus Food Rescue Program Mean to Cortes & Quadra? →