A contentious application involving a long-running agricultural business drew hours of delegations as Township of Langley council reopened a public hearing on the future of West Creek Farms following a court-ordered reconsideration.<\/p>\n
The public hearing, held Monday, March 23, revisited a zoning amendment that would allow the Glen Valley-based operation to continue producing growing media \u2014 soil-like products used by farms, commercial greenhouses, and other agricultural businesses.<\/p>\n
The matter returned to council after a B.C. Supreme Court ruling found last year\u2019s decision to deny the application was \u201cunreasonable\u201d and required a new hearing.<\/p>\n
West Creek Farms is a family-run business operating in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) for more than 40 years. It is seeking a site-specific amendment to confirm its work as a permitted farm-related use. Without it, the company risks having to relocate or shut down.<\/p>\n
The proposal once again drew a mix of support and opposition Monday night, reflecting ongoing tensions over how agricultural land should be used.<\/p>\n
Among those speaking in favour was Milner dairy farmer David Davis, a former Township councillor.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am here this evening to show my support for West Creek Farms,\u201d Davis told council. \u201cBut I am also here tonight because I am fearful. Fearful because of urban-rural conflict.\u201d<\/p>\n
Davis said his family has farmed nearby land for more than 130 years and worries that as residential development expands, agricultural operations face increasing pressure.<\/p>\n
\u201cI see that I, along with West Creek Farms, are on ALR land and we should be protected by the rules and regulations set out by ALC under the right to farm,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut will I face conflict and have roadblocks continually put up because of my neighbours who don\u2019t understand farming practices and see our dairy as a nuisance to the community?\u201d<\/p>\n
He described West Creek as an \u201cintegral part of our agriculture food chain.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cFarmers and growers need ag-support businesses and we need them to stay in our community,\u201d Davis said.<\/p>\n
Other industry voices echoed that message. Michelle McKern, who works in soil production in Chilliwack, said the issue extends beyond one municipality.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are one of the major producers in the Fraser Valley,\u201d she said. \u201cThey serve our food production like more than anything in the valley.\u201d<\/p>\n
She warned that forcing the business onto industrial land could make it financially unviable and drive up food costs.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat money will be passed on to us as consumers of food,\u201d McKern said.<\/p>\n
Not all speakers supported the application.<\/p>\n
Barry Gilbert, who has lived about 400 metres directly across from West Creek Farms for over 30 years, urged council to reject the rezoning application, saying the operation has long impacted his family and neighbours.<\/p>\n
\u201cYears ago, they [West Creek Farms] decided they were going to operate an industrial operation on non-industrial lands. And then they reaffirmed that choice year after year.\u201d<\/p>\n
He described the business as industrial in nature and in the wrong location, arguing it has steadily expanded over the years while benefiting financially from agricultural land while imposing ongoing noise, traffic, and environmental impacts on the community.<\/p>\n
Gilbert claimed the company has repeatedly failed to explore alternative sites, and granting rezoning would increase the value of their property for a future sale under a non-farm use permit.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe are families who want nothing more than to simply be able to live in our homes without having the impacts of an industrial user being imposed on us,\u201d he told council.<\/p>\n
Sarah Swallow, who lives next door to West Creek Farms, spoke in strong opposition, calling it \u201cdangerously deficient.\u201d<\/p>\n
She argued the operation is \u201ca farm by name only,\u201d saying it \u201cdoes not grow, produce, or harvest anything from the soil,\u201d and instead trucks in raw materials and ships out finished product.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy every legal definition, this is an industrial manufacturing plant,\u201d Swallow said.<\/p>\n
She raised concerns about the site\u2019s proximity to West Creek, describing it as a \u201cclass A salmon stream.\u201d<\/p>\n
Swallow also warned that \u201cevery chemical, hydraulic fluid, and organic concentrate on that industrial pad will go straight into the salmon habitat or onto my family\u2019s property.\u201d<\/p>\n
While acknowledging the business provides jobs, she said it could operate on industrial land.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not trade the long-term health of the West Creek Watershed for a short-term rezoning,\u201d she told council.<\/p>\n
Some speakers suggested relocating the operation.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy couldn\u2019t it be moved to someplace like our airport where it\u2019s on a tarmac?\u201d one speaker proposed.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have to force them to actually look for some land that is compatible,\u201d another said. \u201cIf the business itself is so important to them, find another place. It\u2019s not going to be so difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n
Concerns raised throughout the hearing included proximity to a creek, potential environmental risks, and the precedent of allowing what some described as a non-farm use on agricultural land.<\/p>\n
Council members also pressed the applicant\u2019s experts on how the operation is classified.<\/p>\n
At the centre of the debate is a key contradiction brought up by Mayor Eric Woodward.<\/p>\n
West Creek requires approval for a \u201cnon-farm use\u201d under ALR rules, yet much of its environmental assessment relies on standards designed for farms.<\/p>\n
The mayor questioned that approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it requires a non-farm use, by definition it\u2019s not a farm. Yet, you\u2019re using the Environmental Farm Plan Reference Guide to determine protection of West Creek. How does that work?\u201d Woodward said to agrologist Dave Melnychuk.<\/p>\n
Melnychuk, who has worked with West Creek, defended the approach.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s the best lens that we have in British Columbia, it\u2019s so comprehensive,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Melnychuk said operations in the ALR are treated differently under provincial rules and that agricultural activities are exempt from certain riparian area regulations that apply in urban areas.<\/p>\n
Council also raised questions about how close the operation extends to West Creek. Melnychuk said boundaries are based on surveyed property lines and that mitigation measures, including buffers and barriers, are in place.<\/p>\n
In its presentation, West Creek Farms emphasized its role in supporting greenhouse agriculture and local food production.<\/p>\n
Co-owner Harry Bowman told council the company employs dozens of workers and supplies growing media to producers across the region.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur purpose is to provide our customers with a quality product, provide a positive work environment for our employees, and be good stewards to our environment,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Urban and regional planner Kurt Alberts (a former Township mayor and councillor) argued the application aligns with policies supporting agriculture.<\/p>\n
\u201cFood supply chains can be threatened by impacts, whether it\u2019s COVID or tariffs,\u201d he said. \u201cLocally produced agricultural products are in higher demand.\u201d<\/p>\n
He added, \u201cThe province deemed West Creek Farms as an essential service during the [2020] pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n
After more than four hours of presentations, council closed the public hearing.<\/p>\n
The application will return for council consideration on April 13.<\/p>\n
The hearing follows a previous 4-4 tie vote against the rezoning in June 2024. A B.C. Supreme Court judge later ruled that decision lacked clear reasoning, sending the matter back to council for reconsideration.<\/p>\n