Delta: Fancy getting married on a farm? Well, you’ll now be able to do so.
The British Columbia government has brought clarity to permitted
agri-tourism activities and has established new opportunities around events,
such as weddings in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), to help farmers
grow their incomes and help British Columbians share the growing passion for
local foods and farming.
The Ministry of Agriculture has developed a regulation that establishes that
ALR land owners will not need a permit from the Agricultural Land Commission
(ALC) to host specific activities like commercial weddings, concerts or non-
agriculture related festivals, providing that:
* The farm is classified as having farm status under the Assessment Act;
* No new, permanent structures are being built;
* All parking must be on the farm (no road parking) but the parking area
must not be permanent nor interfere with the farm’s agricultural
productivity;
* The number of guests at any event is 150 or less; and
* The number of events is 10 or less in a calendar year.
An application to the ALC is required if any of the above conditions are not
met. For example, a farm that wishes to hold a wedding with 200 guests, or
hosts the 11th wedding on their farm in a calendar year will need to apply
to the ALC.
In addition, regardless of whether an application to the ALC is
required, farmers must also continue to meet all relevant local government
requirements, such as event hosting, liquor licenses, and fire code
requirements.
The restrictions in the regulation do not apply to wineries, meaderies and
cideries, as many are established providers of these services and already
have infrastructure, licensing and procedures in place. These facilities can
continue to operate as they have been without requiring an application to
the ALC.
In addition, irrespective of the above criteria, no application to the ALC
is required for a farmer hosting weddings for family members or friends at no
charge. If farmers are receiving a payment for hosting the wedding of a
family member or friend, an application to the ALC is required if any of the
above conditions are not met.
Local governments cannot prohibit weddings from taking place on land in the
ALR, but can require the farmers to apply for a permit which could specify
conditions related to amplified sound, parking, fireworks or other
disturbances.
The policy of not requiring permits for activities described in the ALC’s
Policy on Agri-tourism Activities has also been formalized into the
regulation. Activities that do not require an application to the ALC
include:
* Farm tours and farm demonstrations
* Hay, tractor and sleigh rides
* Corn mazes, pumpkin patch tours and related activities
* Seasonal promotional events (e.g., harvest and Christmas fairs and
activities)
* Special promotional events (e.g., private or public special occasion
events for the promotion of farm products)
The regulation is in effect immediately. The clarity regarding agri-tourism
and new opportunities related to events were established through discussions
with the Union of British Columbia Municipalities, the British Columbia
Agriculture Council, the Agriculture Land Commission, and the British
Columbia Young Farmers Association in February 2016.
