Big families raise concerns over provincial plan to limit size of ALR houses

Farming families in B.C. say legislation in the works to limit the size of homes on agricultural land will impact their quality of life.

Hundreds of people crowded into a town hall meeting in Surrey on Sunday to voice their concerns about Bill 52, which if passed would cap the size of houses on Agricultural Land Reserve or ALRlands to 5,400 square feet.

"We live in a multi-generation family. My dad lives there, my mom, my brother. We're both married and 5,400 square feet is not going to cut it," said Abbotsford residentDave Sidhuwhose family owns a newspaper and has been farming on ALRland since the 1980s

The ALR was established in 1973 to protect land with prime agricultural conditions for farming and ranching. It currently protects approximately 4.6 million hectares of arable land in B.C.

The province announced house size legislation in early November to prevent land speculators from pushing the price of farmland out of reach for youngfarmers. It also sayshaving mega-mansions on ALRland detracts from it being used for agriculture.

"We're ... seeing extraordinarily huge homes being built on these agricultural lands, and people not even farming the land," said Ravi Kahlonthe MLA for North Delta. He along with other members of government participated in the town hall.

He says if families can show that they aremulti-generational farmers, they would still be allowed to build larger homes under the legislation.

Abbotsford resident and multi-generational farmerJaskirat Mann, 39,says she hopes that the legislation will reflect her family's needs.

"We live with our parents and then with our kids, so three generations basically live together and everyone needs their privacy," she said.

The B.C. Liberal's critic for agriculture, Ian Paton, says the government needs to be mindful over the changes to how homes will be built on ALRland.

"As long as they're actively farming that land, and as long we place those homes in the right position of the farm so they're not impeding with the use of good agricultural land, then we need to listen to them and they need to be heard," said the MLA for Delta South.

The bill is currently at first reading.

With files from Jon Hernandez.