Southlands In The ALR

July 3, 2010

So Sean Hodgins is "never going to quit," as he recently told a Province reporter when asked for response on the overwhelmingly negative results of the recent Ipsos Reid poll on the Southlands. 

The poll indicates that Southlands development is not wanted in any form by the majority of Tsawwassen residents. 

Predictably, Hodgins feels the poll is "unscientific," despite having a response rate greater than voter turnout in the previous municipal election. 

While adverse to this current poll, Hodgins is no stranger to polling, as he commissioned the Mustel Group to conduct a similar study back in August of 2009.  This poll contacted a fraction of Tsawwassen residents but somehow the data gathered was "scientific" enough for Hodgins to trumpet the results on his website, in advertising materials and in our local papers. 

Then, in January of 2010, Hodgins took the unprecedented step of hiring a firm to call every household in Tsawwassen to identify support for his Southlands proposal.  Curiously, at the end of this exhaustive exercise, there were no ads published, no press releases, no comment whatsoever from Century Group or their agents.  What numbers did you see to cause this silence Mr. Hodgins? 

By now it should be clear to all involved that the Century Group will expend whatever amounts of time, effort and money are needed to push their unwanted development through. 

The majority of Tsawwassen residents opposed to this project will be fighting into the foreseeable future just as other residents have been working to preserve this farmland going all the way back to 1971. 

But there is a way out of this never-ending story. 

Concerned residents can petition municipal council to have the land placed back in the Agricultural Land Reserve where it belongs.  And if council seems reluctant to do so perhaps Mayor Jackson and Councillor MacDonald can persuade them. They both signed a Motion in Council back in 1991 requesting the Southlands be returned to the ALR.  As stated in their motion, they believed such an action represented "the will of the majority of the residents of South Delta." 

I guess they knew how to read a poll.

Motion passed by Delta Council asking for the re-inclusion of the Southlands in the Agricultural Land Reserve, December 9, 1991

"Southlands development plan receives resounding thumbs-down," Article in the Province, June 30, 2010

"Survey says the Southlands stay," Article in the South Delta Leader, June 30, 2010

"Keep land agricultural: survey," Article in the Delta Optimist, June 30, 2010 

March 24, 2010

The public forum was a great success, drawing a large crowd and garnering good media coverage.  Congatulations to everyone involved!

The next Southlands-related public forums will be:

Wed., March 31, 2010 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
South Delta Secondary School 750 - 53 Street Tsawwassen, BC

Tues., April 6, 2010 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
South Delta Secondary School 750 - 53 Street Tsawwassen, BC

"Opponents slam Southlands plan," Article in the Delta Optimist, March 17, 2010

"Opposition voices are finally given a forum to be heard," Column in the Delta Optimist, March 24, 2010

"Tsawwassen land development proposal rekindles decades-old debate," Article in the Province, March 22, 2010 

The March 22 meeting at SDSS is the first chance for people to have their voices heard in a forum not mediated either by the Century Group, the Municipality of Delta or some combination thereof. 

Let's make this one count!

Keep in mind that we who are opposing this mega-development do not have the deep pockets of the Century Group.  We are not able to hire people to call every home in town trying to identify and mobilize support.  We can't beat them in a battle of advertising dollars and focus groups so we're going to have to beat them using old-fashioned people-power. 

Fast on the heels of this meeting will be the two "public consultation" meetings put on by the municipality.

Tues., April 6, 2010 7:00 pm - 9:30 pm
South Delta Secondary School 750 - 53 Street Tsawwassen, BC

Wendy Holm is a professional agrologist who has dedicated her life to farming issues in BC, Canada and around the world. To have her report dismissed in such an arrogant manner by the Century Group goes to show the level of fear they have for experts not on their payroll.  I encourage everyone to read this report in its entirety.  And to Sean Hodgins, who says the report contains "nothing new," I would point out that spending millions trying to force through a mega-development on the Southlands is also nothing new, having been tried and failed multiple times since 1971.  Read the full report here.

There is a new website addressing the Southlands issue called Save The Southlands.  It's a great site with a quick link to send e-mails to council.

And a new forum where issues about Southlands and development in general can be discussed: http://comeshowme.com/v-web/smf/index.php?board=28.0

There is also a Facebook group called Save Our Southlands.

As well there is an online petition asking that the Southlands be placed back in the ALR.

And there is our mailing list, over a hundred strong now, at saveoursouthlands@gmail.com

Things are heating up folks so write letters to council, letters to the editor and show up at the meetings.  

April 4, 2009

The Century Group has decided that the best way to advance their development is through an OCP (Official Community Plan) amendment.  

This is clever in a couple of ways.

Firstly, as can be seen in the application itself (click on image above to read), they do not need to be too specific.  Instead of submitting a concrete plan for a straight up or down vote, they are asking that their general concept be endorsed.  If they meet resistance, they will say that this or that aspect of the plan is open to change, and anyway, it's just an OCP amendment and therefore not binding for anyone.

Then, if they are successful at altering the OCP, they submit the rezoning proposal.  At that time, when people come out against their plan, they say that it has already been approved through the OCP and that the time to address concerns was when the community plan was being altered.

The second thing the OCP amendment does is buy them time. 

For whatever reason, even after all the preparation that has gone on, they are not ready to develop the land.  This may be related to the global financial crisis we are currently undergoing which has shut down many a project.  If they can get the guarantee of an OCP amendment they will be able to secure more favorable financing terms. 

And with the OCP amendment, they can drag the decision making process over many months, making opposition more difficult because there will never be a solid target to oppose.  Instead, we'll have months of committees and statements of principle, lulling us to sleep with the monotonous noise of bureaucracy.

So our job in the coming months will be to stay awake and aware, to say no to the needless destruction of farmland and no to the overpopulation of Tsawwassen.  

"Committee agrees to disagree," Article in the Delta Optimist, August 21, 2010

"Candidates talk Southlands," Article in the Delta Optimist, August 21, 2010

"Gentner understands need to protect vital farmland," Letter to the Delta Optimist, August 21, 2010

"Area plan committee divided on Southlands," Article in the South Delta Leader, August 20, 2010

"Civic survey is the one that should count," Letter to the Delta Optimist, August 11, 2010

"Everyone given the opportunity to have voice heard," Letter to the Delta Optimist, August 11, 2010

"Status quo Southlands warning should be heeded by residents," Letter to the Delta Optimist, August 11, 2010

"Poll tries to reach apathetic," Column in the Delta Optimist, August 11, 2010

"Status quo is not a viable option: Hodgins," Article in the Delta Optimist, August 4, 2010

"Majority 'could care less'," Letter to the Delta Optimist, August 4, 2010

"Recommendation revealed," Article in the Delta Optimist, July 31, 2010

"Co-opted University Lobbies for Farm Land Development," Article in the Pacific Free Press, July 25, 2010

"People have spoken so now it's time for democracy to work," Letter to the Delta Optimist, July 23, 2010

"Southlands development in Tsawwassen mired in more controversy," Article in the Vancouver Sun, July 23, 2010

"Kwantlen reviewing Century agreement," Article in the Delta Optimist, July 21, 2010

The Southlands are located in southeastern Tsawwassen and extend to the international boundary 

They cover 500-plus acres, including hundreds of acres of prime farm land and the last intact forest in Tsawwassen.

The Southlands used to be known as the Spetifore or Triple S Farm, and the history of the site has been eventful.

The Southlands are clearly designated agricultural in the 2007 Official Community Plan.

Many studies have been done on the soil and all confirm the good agricultural quality of the land.

The Southlands also have a rich archaeological history, with many middens and sites of signifigance.

Additionaly, the Southlands are included in the Metro Vancouver Green Zone.

To view the process and applicable forms that the municipality could use to include the Southlands in the ALR , click here.

Click here to sign an online petition requesting inclusion of the Southlands in the ALR.