For the birds
The impact of development on Delta green space is a long-standing concern. The current development of hundreds of acres with logistics facilities and commercial properties is just the latest wave, with past projects including the expansion of the greenhouse sector in the early 2000s and the construction and expansion of Deltaport in the 1960s and 1980s. The scale of the terminal’s future expansion is taking shape today as Tsawwassen First Nation, Musqueam Indian Band and other entities plan new developments. According to CBRE Ltd., half of all new industrial development in the region is happening in Delta and Surrey.
The loss of green space means the waterfowl that used to flock here are being displaced, congregating on smaller and smaller tracts of property or heading inland – like so many local residents – for space. The proverbial canary in the coal mine here is a swan of the suburbs, which has decamped for places like Abbotsford. Those still hanging about include the American wigeon, which, as indicated on a tour the Delta Farmers Institute recently organized, is costing local dairy farmers hundreds of dollars an acre in lost forage.
“We’ve been doing this for 25 years, but in the past three or four years it’s really taken off,” Clarence DeBoer of Eagle View Farms Ltd., a dairy and cranberry producer steps from Boundary Bay, said. “We’re trying to put more birds on less acres, and we’re at the breaking point.”
Vegetable growers such as Cropthorne Farm have also lost thousands of dollars in produce thanks to marauding mallards and their ilk.
The damage has institute members calling for projects that eliminate local green space to contribute toward mitigating their ancillary impacts. The province funded irrigation system improvements to counter the loss of more than 200 acres to the South Fraser Perimeter Road, for example.
Delta staff weren’t available for comment on the idea of such a mitigation scheme at press deadline.
Markets stalled
Development pressure on rural land is one thing; but the markets that provide urban venues where farmers can connect with consumers also face pressure.
A risk management seminar at the annual general meeting of the BC Association of Farmers’ Markets (BCAFM) in March highlighted the challenges markets around the province face from redevelopment activities. A case in point is the Ambleside market in West Vancouver.
The market moved from Ambleside Village to its current location in Ambleside Park near Grosvenor Americas’ site in the 1300-block of Marine Drive in 2016. Now, as Grosvenor begins construction, it’s seeking a new location.
West Vancouver council rejected a proposal on February 6 that would have moved the market to the West Vancouver Community Centre. Instead, council directed staff to assist the market to relocate within Ambleside.
The situation isn’t unique. Esquimalt’s market also faces uncertainty as Aragon Properties Ltd. moves forward with Esquimalt Village. A survey of BCAFM members indicates that a third of B.C.’s 160-plus farmers markets lack “a stable, permanent location.” These include the eight Vancouver markets operated by the Your Local Farmers Market Society, which saw $8.5 million in sales last year.
“Our markets have been subject to both temporary and permanent relocations due to this lack of permanency, which have without exception had a negative impact on the businesses of our farms and producers,” said Tara McDonald, the society’s executive director.
Out of reach
Avison Young reports that a finite land supply is pushing the Fraser Valley beyond the means of some industrial developers.
“This tightening land supply is also boosting land prices to a point where it is cost prohibitive for many industrial operators and smaller developers to acquire development sites,” the brokerage reports.
While the region saw a record 259 transactions in 2016, Avison Young cautions that this might not translate into new space.
“Relocation options will remain limited, and industrial business owners cannot rely on the availability of land in the Fraser Valley as much of the remaining supply is in the hands of speculators and non-developer owners,” the brokerage reports. “It is impossible to anticipate how quickly it may come to market, if at all.” •
