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Save UBC Farm from house development
UBC Board of Governors requests new academic plan for sustainable South Campus
The University of British Columbia Board of Governors has directed UBC administration to develop academic plans for a 24 ha parcel of South Campus land for teaching and
research purposes that are ¡§academically rigourous and globally significant¡¨ around issues of sustainability.
The Board directed that the new plans enhance UBC¡¦s position as Canada¡¦s
most sustainable university and a recognized world leader in campus sustainability.
At the same time, the Board stipulated that no market housing will be pursued on the 24 ha parcel, which contains
the UBC Farm, as long as the university¡¦s housing, community development and endowment goals can be met through transferring density to other parts of campus. The 24 ha parcel is designated as ¡§Future Housing Reserve¡¨
in the current UBC Official Community Plan, a bylaw of the Greater Vancouver Regional District created in 1997.
The Board also committed to the continuation of current land uses until academic plans are completed and a decision has been reached on density transfer.
Last Friday, Metro Vancouver directors unanimously supported protecting the UBC Farm in its current location and
size. This is great news, although it doesn't mean the farm is saved yet. UBC, the other decision maker, hasn't agreed to protect the current farm location and size.
UBC Campus & Community Planning is collecting public comments on their 3 options so far, none of which include preserving the UBC Farm in its present location and size of 24 hectares. They have not presented a 4th option that
protects the current location and size of the farm. This public comment period ends Friday, November 7th.
Please take a few minutes to send an email to the President of UBC Stephen Toope and make sure to CC the UBC Board of Governors and other decision makers. All contact info is below.
Tell the UBC President that the public consultation process for the current campus plan is flawed and not effective,
since none of their 3 plan options include protecting the UBC Farm in its current location and 24 hectare size. Ask
him that they need to present a 4th option with the current farm size and location to be retained and then to launch a new public consultation process that includes this 4th option.
For more info and a great backgrounder visit:
http://friendsoftheubcfarm.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/fotf-consultations-brochure.pdf
To see the 3 flawed options presented by UBC Campus & Community Planning:
http://campusplan.ubc.ca/docs/pdf/Ph4_Discussion_Guide_Oct08.pdf
Please send an email to:
Stephen Toope, President of UBC: stephen.toope@ubc.ca
Make sure to CC:
UBC Board of Governors, c/o Reny Kahlon, Acting Secretary: reny.kahlon@ubc.ca ;
Nancy Knight, AVP Campus & Community Planning: nancy.knight@ubc.ca
;
Stephen Owen, VP, External, Legal and Community Relations, UBC:
stephen.owen@ubc.ca ;
UBC/GVRD Joint Committee, c/o Paulette Vetleson, Corporate Secretary: paulette.vetleson@gvrd.bc.ca ;
Honourable Gordon Campbell, Premier: Gordon.Campbell.MLA@leg.bc.ca ;
Geoff Senichenko, Wilderness Committee: geoff@wildernesscommittee.org
Vote Ben West for Director of Electoral Area A (<--more)
Save UBC Farm for regional sustainability
All of Green Club members want to preserve the whole UBC Farm in its current location and size.
UBC Farm is a very precious fertile organic farmland. With its natural environment, urban farmers and their family
members not only enjoyed the efforts of farming, but also shared their experience with many community members. Many Green Club members living in UBC and nearby communities still pay much interest in farming at UBC Farm
in the near future.
From June 2000 to October 2001, more than 25 Green Club families with thier children worked very hard at UBC
Farm. They planted seedlings or seeds, tended our crops and spent a lot of time in the farm in the first couple of
months of the season. On average, each person invested approximately 10 hours per week in the field to take care of our crops.
As early as late July and early August, some of us began to harvest the vegetables they grew. People came to the field to witness the harvesting and, more importantly, to taste the vegetables hand-grown by friends. Our
excitement mounted as more and more crops of vegetables ripened between August and September. We were all busy in harvesting and tasting the organic produce that we grew ourselves. People shared with one another the
vegetables they grew and commented on the tastes of different variety of vegetables. It had been great fun and a joy.
We have a group of environment concerned Taiwanese and Chinese Canadian dedicated to promote cross-cultural understanding of the unique eco-systems and cultures among Taiwan, Asia and Canada, and to educate the public
about the importance of conservation and bio-diversity.
We are one of the most active Canadian educational organizations on environment and healthy life in the Greater
Vancouver area and Canada since 1999. We were accredited to World Summit on Ecotourism in Montrel (2002), World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg (2002), United Nations Framework Convention on
Climate Change (2005~2008), and UN World Urban Forum in Vancouver (2006).
In 2007, We organized 17 eco-tours, 86 nature guided walks, 95 cultural appreciation programs and 259 community
healthy walks with 6,670 participants. We have over 350 active family members including 51 life members living all over the Greater Vancouver area.
The monthly Growing Organic Vegetable workshops held at UBC campus farm throughout the season had been enormously helpful. You can find more farming experience,
farming history and
farming records on our website.
Joseph Lin,
President of Taiwanese Canadian Green Club
Board Director of Greater Vancouver Regional Parks Forum
Liaison group member of Vancouver Community Planning
Recipients of the Federal Environment Volunteer Award, The Land Conservancy BC Conservation Award, Nature Vancouver Award for Nature Education & Conservation, Vancouver Parks Board Volunteer Award, and Richmond
Mayor's Environment Achievement Award.
Save Formosa Nursery in Pitt Meadows
Do not cut another road through Formosa Nursery
The Formosa Nursery is a certified organic farm started more than 30 years ago. Earlier this year, TransLink expropriated land to build a road across the farm. This was a painful experience for the farm operators Risa and
Ting Wu, and TransLink has yet to resolve compensation issues with Formosa. In August 2007, Formosa Nursery was informed that the City of Pitt Meadows is planning to cut another road through Formosa Nursery. This new road
will cause irreversible damage to the farm. Your petitioners respectfully request that the City of Pitt Meadows abandon the plan to build another road through Formosa Nursery. TO SIGN the PETITION, PLEASE LOG ON: http://www.formosanursery.com/roads.htm ; http://www.formosanursery.blogspot.com/ or www.ipetitions.com/petition/formosanursery
In Support of Formosa Organic Blueberry Farm on Mother's Day
On Sunday, May 13th, the owners Ting Wu and Risa Lin will be selling 1,000 cuttings from their organic blueberry plants in honour of Ting's mother. She started the farm thirty years ago from thousands of cuttings she collected
from other farmers.
If you have followed the Formosa Nursery story over the last few months, you may be glad to hear the current
status. Ting Wu and Risa Lin are persistent to rebuild their organic blueberry farm even though the express way
has bisected their farmland. Those people who have been to Formosanery would feel heartbroken if they come to see the current situation. Ting and Risa deeply appreciate all of you, including some environmental groups, food
activists, farmers, friends , the media, politicians from all parties and supporters from the communities because your supports truly morale them to carry on. It's like the Phoenix reborn from the fire.
Background information: http://www.ffcf.bc.ca/Formosa.html
The event at Formosa Nursery is not only a celebration of Mother's Day where families will have a chance to celebrate in fresh air with organic food, but also to celebrate farming and devotion to the land. So if you want to have
a memorable unique Mother's Day experience, and care about the preservation of farmland, if you want to support farmers, if you believe in buying, eating and growing locally, then bring your mother to Formosa on Sunday, May
13th. Buy her a cutting or a plant for her yard or balcony. Gift a friend with a pot of blue berries and spread more motherly love. And take home a piece of Ting and Risa¡¦s farm and their courageous spirit for yourself too.
Corky Evans, MLA for Nelson-Creston and NDP Agriculture Critic; Michael Sather, MLA for Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows; Joe Foy from the Western Canada Wilderness Committee; Donna Passmore from the Fraser Valley
Conservation Coalition and others will speak between 1 and 2 PM at Formosa Nursery on that day.
Two minute video of MLA Corky Evans' statement at BC Parliment:
http://bcleg-ds1.insinc.com/ibc/mp/md/open/f/8/1353/20070307?w=13:45:52&d=00:02:21&f=w&m=v&l=en
The Wilderness Committee will be providing a bus to Formosa Farms, leaving from Waterfront Station at 9AM, with a pick-up stop at Braid Skytrain station at 9.30 am. The bus will leave Formosa Farm 3:00 pm.
The cost is $5 per person, or $10 per family. For insurance reasons, we cannot take strollers or children under 2 years of age. Please RSVP Andrew if you are interested in riding the bus: (604) 683-8300 or
andrew@wildernesscommittee.org
PROJECT HOPE AND RENEWAL
Music, desert, drink, farm tour, planting workshop, organic farming...
Blueberry Plant & Cutting Sale
Cuttings and Plants starting from $10
Show your support to saving our precious local organic farm!!
Date and Time: Sunday, May 13, 10 AM to 3 PM
Place: Formosa Nursery Organic Blueberry Farm, 12617 203rd St., Maple Ridge
http://www.formosanursery.com/location.htm
For more information visit www.formosanursery.com;
www.formosanursery.com/hope.htm or www.wildernesscommitee.org
Formosa Nursery has been in business for over 20 years in the Vancouver area of British Columbia, Canada.
They grow many shrubs and trees, including a colorful selection of azaleas and rhododendrons. Japanese maple,
flowering cherry (Sakura), tree peony, pines and hedging cedars are among our most popular picks. For your taste buds choose from blueberries, raspberries, Asian pear, persimmon, and other fruit trees. Add color to your garden
with our assortment of perennials, bedding plants and hanging baskets.
Pass the information in Chinese to your friends!
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