Save Annapolis Valley farmland for future: protesters
Some people in Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley say precious farmland is being sacrificed in the name of development.
About eight noisy protesters waved signs in downtown Kentville on Tuesday, angry that Kings County Council is once again considering an application to rezone a half-hectare to allow a home to be built.
A man is asking for permission to build a retirement home on land in Lower Canard, about 13 kilometres from Wolfville, that is zoned for agricultural use.
Pauline Raven, one of the protesters, said rezoning the small piece of land sets a dangerous precedent and threatens thousands more hectares of precious valley agricultural land.
"I just believe that it is the right thing to do. We’ve got some of the best farmland in Canada here in the Annapolis Valley," she said. "And I think it’s essential that people speak out and save this land for future farmers and future generations."
Pete Elderkin, a farmer in nearby Greenwich, said the number of farmers willing to try to make a living off the valley’s fertile agricultural land is dwindling.
He said it’s one thing to protect the land, and quite another to make agriculture worth a farmer’s time and energy.
"The way to do it is not to go out, and rezone and say, 'This land stays this way forever.' You need to turn agriculture into a profitable enterprise," Elderkin said.
Hearings planned
Kings County council plans to hold more public hearings on the land-rezoning application before it makes a final decision.
But council will need provincial approval before the small piece of land can be developed, and the province has turned down the request once before.
This is the latest skirmish in the larger battle to preserve farmland in the valley.
In 2007, a farmer who wanted to turn his fields into housing tracts, got the thumbs-down from council. That proposal would have allowed development of about 16 hectares of prime agricultural land in Weston, near the town of Berwick.
The Weston housing project was the first of three proposals by farmers who wanted permission to sell their land for development because it can offer them more income security.