2 comments

• Thursday, 10 November 2011 11:06 posted by Damien Gillis

  All good points, Roger...One more thing to consider is that the ALR was in fact created for 2 reasons: 1. What had just happened to Richmond (loss of 1,000 small farms and huge portion of agricultural base due to municipal rezoning in late 50s); 2. What was about to happen to Delta - as a result of the plan to industrialize the banks of the Fraser River all the way up to Hope! This comes from Harold Steves, founding father along with Dave Barrett of the ALR...40 years later, the power that be haven't given up on their vision - the vision shared by folks like Mike Harcourt, as I alluded to in my talk. It's massively damaging public policy for the benefit of a few land speculators locally and the larger global trade system.

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• Thursday, 10 November 2011 04:07 posted by Roger Kemble

  The threat to Delta farmlands goes back a long way.
  
  Somewhere in the late ‘60’s Bob Williams resigned as Delta planner protesting the decision to extend sprawl just North of Highway 17, clearly visible to this day and a reminder that, economically BC is going nowhere.
  
  Indeed, that very bad decision inspired the eventual ALR in the early ‘70’s.
  
  Unfortunately we live with the delusion that shipping raw materials, sludge, coal, logs etc while importing lettuce and automobiles grows BC’s not so vibrant economy. It does, marginally!
  
  NAFTA was a big, big mistake!
  
  I read that China’s economy is quietly loosing its radiance. Yet no one on this side of the ocean is reading the early warning signs. Instead we badmouth Occupy Vancouver: the only group that seems to twig.
  
  Since the 1970’s BC has degenerated into a FIRE economy: Finance, Insurance Real Estate: international paper pushing world-class paradise with view: not much use as food prices spike exponentially.
  
  Delta Port provides very few jobs and makes a farce of official green, environmental pretensions.
  
  Oh, and BTW we pay a carbon tax for that!

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