The Agricultural Land Commission Act does not allow non-farm uses of land inside the Agricultural Land Reserve, unless permission is obtained from the commission to hold such events.
The commission has issued stop-work orders recently to farmers who have not obtained permission for commercial activities. The orders affect farms on Vancouver Island, in the Fraser Valley and in the Okanagan. That has thrown wedding plans into turmoil, forcing some couples to search for new venues. It has also raised concerns among farmers who depend on such activities to top off their farm income.
And it could become even more difficult to have a rural wedding, as the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture is proposing tougher restrictions on non-farm activities on land within the ALR.
VANCOUVER SUN DECEMBER 9, 2015
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