Comments on: Stanhope Creates a Stink https://www.saanichvoiceonline.ca/2011/04/01/a-right-to-farm/ Your voice, your paper, online. Tue, 30 Aug 2011 22:50:52 -0700 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2 By: Robert Higgin https://www.saanichvoiceonline.ca/2011/04/01/a-right-to-farm/#comment-307 Robert Higgin Mon, 13 Jun 2011 15:33:52 +0000 https://www.saanichvoiceonline.ca/?p=440#comment-307 Farms are absolutely essential operations for long term sustainablity of our communities. Residents who maintain a "nostalgic" view of the pastoral life have decieved themselves. Major composting efforts to recover the nutrients otherwise lost is likewise an essential activity for the greater benefit of the community as a whole. Victoria has a long history of isolating itself from the smell of its money. Time to wake up. Farms are absolutely essential operations for long term sustainablity of our communities. Residents who maintain a “nostalgic” view of the pastoral life have decieved themselves. Major composting efforts to recover the nutrients otherwise lost is likewise an essential activity for the greater benefit of the community as a whole. Victoria has a long history of isolating itself from the smell of its money. Time to wake up.

]]> By: sally williams https://www.saanichvoiceonline.ca/2011/04/01/a-right-to-farm/#comment-198 sally williams Wed, 27 Apr 2011 01:16:05 +0000 https://www.saanichvoiceonline.ca/?p=440#comment-198 "Residents of Central Saanich recognized the urban/farm problem when they adopted the Official Community Plan, which makes it very clear that farming and urban areas should be well separated, and when they cannot be separated agriculture will come first" Agriculture still has to be within the law and take into account the neighbourhood - it is unreasonable to say the least to have one farm causing such concern and distress to so many individuals, neighbouring and otherwise. We have absolutely no problem with the smell of cattle, manure and other farm smells, animal sounds and neither did we have any problem with historic farm traffic associated with the historic dairy farm including having to remove layers of dust from the front of our house caused by the trucks going past during the dry months, also dodging said clouds of dust as we moved around our yard. This is what we do have a problem with: - absolutely no notification to neighbours of change of farm use - this IS a big change, we are talking about commercial waste (restaurant and institutional) on an enormous scale, not animal or plant waste produced from the farm. - damage to road and property wall and thousands of dollars of damage to house. - trucks screeching down the hill, making our house shake, taking multiple turns round the corner, having difficulty gaining traction and the ensuing clouds of exhaust fumes, gravel and churned up road - all this after the farm's lawyer has stated that it is dangerous for cars behind trucks turning off the highway on to Tanner. - now a bylaw has been passed to allow the farm to use Lochside Trail to access their farm. The amendment to that bylaw stated that deadline for construction of this new access road would be 15th April - still no road and still the trucks screech past our house. The amendment also stated that the farm would not continue construction of their facility until the new access road was finished, and there they are, constructing away. What is the point of this documentation if these items are clearly being disregarded. Where is the respect ... common human decency - surely farms have to consider these basic rights too? “Residents of Central Saanich recognized the urban/farm problem when they adopted the Official Community Plan, which makes it very clear that farming and urban areas should be well separated, and when they cannot be separated agriculture will come first”

Agriculture still has to be within the law and take into account the neighbourhood – it is unreasonable to say the least to have one farm causing such concern and distress to so many individuals, neighbouring and otherwise. We have absolutely no problem with the smell of cattle, manure and other farm smells, animal sounds and neither did we have any problem with historic farm traffic associated with the historic dairy farm including having to remove layers of dust from the front of our house caused by the trucks going past during the dry months, also dodging said clouds of dust as we moved around our yard.

This is what we do have a problem with:
- absolutely no notification to neighbours of change of farm use – this IS a big change, we are talking about commercial waste (restaurant and institutional) on an enormous scale, not animal or plant waste produced from the farm.
- damage to road and property wall and thousands of dollars of damage to house.
- trucks screeching down the hill, making our house shake, taking multiple turns round the corner, having difficulty gaining traction and the ensuing clouds of exhaust fumes, gravel and churned up road – all this after the farm’s lawyer has stated that it is dangerous for cars behind trucks turning off the highway on to Tanner.
- now a bylaw has been passed to allow the farm to use Lochside Trail to access their farm. The amendment to that bylaw stated that deadline for construction of this new access road would be 15th April – still no road and still the trucks screech past our house. The amendment also stated that the farm would not continue construction of their facility until the new access road was finished, and there they are, constructing away. What is the point of this documentation if these items are clearly being disregarded. Where is the respect … common human decency – surely farms have to consider these basic rights too?

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