SEPTEMBER 2018 • COUNTRY LIFE IN BC


Civic elections important for agriculture Supporting the right candidates can help around the farm


October 20 is coming


quickly. Have you made your election plan?


Viewpoint by Myrna Stark Leader


A journalism and communications career has enabled me to work in many sectors, the longest in agriculture and most recently as communications director with the City of Regina. In the latter role, my team


was responsible for municipal election communications to ensure voting was accessible and that the public knew where and how to vote. Although we promoted


participation, we couldn’t make people vote. Yet, having experienced the election process both as a voter and from inside municipal government, I know not to underestimate the importance of municipal and regional district elections. This is especially true for agriculture.


Municipalities are the level


of government closest to the people, and it’s important for producers to pay attention to what goes on. Civic officials have significant budgetary weight and decision-making authority yet they’re either taken for granted, overlooked or voters are happy with status quo. Generally, only a third of eligible voters cast ballots in


BC civic elections. The numbers rise if there’s a controversial issue or a strong mayoral race, but since voter occupation isn’t tracked there’s no way of knowing the percentage of voters connected to agriculture. In Kelowna, where I


now live, approximately 40% of the land base is in the ALR. That’s 14% less than when the Agricultural Land Reserve was established in 1973, and less than half of the 8,600 hectares is in active farm use. Nevertheless, when the city adopted a new agriculture plan in 2017, less than a quarter of the 600 responses received during public consultations came from local farmers. It was incredibly low participation considering that the document is part of the city’s Official Community Plan and guides the city's agricultural policies under four themes: • strengthening local policies and regulations to protect agriculture;


• stewarding natural resources and the environment for food production; • improving awareness of local agriculture and access to local food; and


• fostering and sustaining farm businesses and farmland. The themes clearly demonstrate numerous agriculture-related matters where elected officials have influence and decision- making powers, including water (development, disposal


and rates); land development; farm worker housing; agri- tourism; wildlife management; signage policies, bylaw compliance and regulation of non-farm uses of farm land. The issues remain even when politicians move on or get the boot. In the Lower Mainland,


more than half the region's current leaders aren't standing for re-election. These include the mayors of key farming communities, such as long-time Delta mayor Lois Jackson. Vancouver is set for change as councillor Andrea Reimer, who championed backyard chickens and frontyard wheat fields steps down. Trying to narrow down


who to vote for isn't simple in BC, where only Lake Country has a ward system that sees councillors elected to represent a specific area. Most are at-large councillors, meaning voters have to research who they're voting for in order to have their interests represented. All this means it’s not too early to start preparing to vote.


To make the most of your


vote, consider the following: 1. Determine which issues affecting agriculture matter most to you.


2. Research your candidates. Find out how much they know about agriculture, how they’ve influenced decisions in the past and how they see themselves doing so in the future.


3. Ask candidates how much time they have to devote to the job, how quickly they learn and who is endorsing them and supporting them financially.


4. Consider supporting at least one new person to refresh your council. Statistics show that incumbents are most likely to be re-elected. While the learning curve is steep for newbies, fresh perspectives are healthy


and enhance debate. 5. On election day, select only the candidates you feel good about supporting, even if it’s not a full slate. 6. Once they’re elected, hold accountable those you supported. In a world where many


don’t have the privilege to vote, I look forward to practicing my own suggestions as I vote in my first BC election. Food and water are the most basic human needs. Without them, we are nothing. May we choose effective leadership that recognizes and promotes the importance of agriculture, regardless of product or sector. Myrna Stark Leader is a


freelance journalist who is now proud to call Kelowna home.


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Funding is available through the Canada-BC Agri-Innovation Program to enhance the       Eligible projects include researching, piloting or commercializing new products, technologies      equipment or infrastructure will also be considered).


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Your Farm. Your Family. Your Future.


Please visit www.assante.com/legal.jsp or contact Assante at 1-800-268-3200 for information with respect to important legal and regulatory disclosures relating to this notice.


PROGRAM FUNDING PROVIDED BY


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