Here is my presentation to city council made at 11pm on the 3rd night of the marathon session. Do you trust flip-floppers on this issue or how about someone who wants to build another bridge into Richmond (maybe for the increased population on the developed GCL). You can trust Neil Smith to defend the GCL and advocate for more buses not bridges.
I oppose the application to remove the Garden City Lands from the Agricultural Land Reserve.
Much of the arguments to exclude depend on some key assumptions that are just plain wrong in these uncertain times.
Growth is inevitable. No. Change is inevitable, growth is intentional. It is disturbing to watch communities around BC struggle to survive through changes in our forest industry, while the lower mainland plans for alarming growth rates as if they are inevitable. Yes we are committed to some growth in Richmond by the construction on-going in our community. But there is no need to continue at this pace after this current wave of construction is over. Which leads into my next point.
The confusion between need and want. There is no pressing need to remove the GCL from the ALR although many people want it. The need for agricultural land of any quality may present itself much sooner than the end of the century. The warning signs are there for those who wish to see. Whether it is basic food prices increasing by 50% and more in many parts of the world, or net exporters of food, like California turning the corner and becoming net importers, or grain stocks dropping to 1970's levels. Take your pick, but they all add up to serious warnings that we should take care of our ALR even if it is not used for agriculture now, the day we need it, may not be long.
Lastly, it is often portrayed that the Memorandum Of Understanding approach is the only way forward. If we do nothing the GCL will not disappear off the face of the earth, although over the next 100 years there is a possibility that it will dissappear under the rising Salish sea. Considering the uncertainty over whether humanity will be able to tackle the problem of global warming it may be prudent to do nothing with the GCL until we know for sure the outcome of humanities greatest challenge.