Prime Lower Mainland Farmland Could be Sold for Industrial Development and Lost to Farming Forever

Productive farmland continues to disappear at a rapid rate across Canada and the world. British Columbia has the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), which has protected farmland for almost 50 years and prevented the loss of thousands of hectares that once disappeared annually before the ALR existed.

However, when farmland is federally owned, the ALR does not automatically apply. That means even the most productive vegetable land in BC can be removed from agriculture and developed without the protections that safeguard private farmland.

That is the threat facing a 300-acre site in Surrey, which includes 220 acres of highly productive farmland and 80 acres of forest and waterways. This property, located at 192 Street and 36 Avenue, has produced potatoes, carrots, cabbage, and squash for over 50 years. It supplies a major portion of BC’s local vegetables during the critical May to early-July food window and no other farm in the province produces such volume that early in the season.

Because the land is federally owned, it is not currently protected by the ALR. The federal government has declared it “surplus to requirements” and may dispose of it, which opens the door to industrial development. If that happens, this food-producing land will be lost forever.

Take Action: Tell Government Leaders to Protect This Farmland

Please write to the following leaders and agencies and ask them to keep this land in agriculture forever:

Prime Minister
Rt. Hon. Mark Carney
Email: mark.carney@canada.ca

Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food - Heath MacDonald
Email: aafc.minister-ministre.aac@agr.gc.ca

BC Minister of Agriculture and Food — Lana Popham
Email: AF.Minister@gov.bc.ca

Minister of Government Transformation, Public Works and Procurement - Joël Lightbound

Email: joel.lightbound@parl.gc.ca

Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISED)
Contact information: julie.deschamps@ised-isde.gc.ca

Canada Lands Company
Contact information: mlapensee@clc-sic.ca

You might choose to write:

Suggested subject line:
Protect 300 Acres of Prime BC Farmland in Surrey - Critical to Food Security

Dear Government Representatives and Decision Makers,

I am writing to urge you to protect a vital piece of farmland located at 192 Street & 36 Avenue in Surrey, BC, approximately 300 acres in total, including 220 acres of highly productive farmland and 80 acres of forests and waterways. This land is one of the most productive vegetable farming sites in Western Canada. Its unique sandy soil, natural drainage, and early-season microclimate allow it to produce a significant portion of BC’s potatoes, carrots, and cabbage from May to early July, long before other regions can supply these foods.

In peak years, this land alone provides up to 75% of BC’s early local potatoes and cabbage and produces an estimated 30–50 million servings of vegetables annually, enough to put a vegetable serving on the plate of every metro Vancouver resident for multiple weeks. Losing this farmland would directly increase reliance on U.S. imports at a time when climate pressures and supply chain instability are already threatening food systems.

This site also plays a major role in community food security. It supports Ugly Potato Day, one of the largest fresh-food distribution events in Canada. In 2025 alone, over 460,000 pounds of produce were given to 20,000+ people in need in a single day, with 140,000 pounds coming directly from this farmland.

I recognize that Surrey and BC have real needs, industrial land, Indigenous partnerships, housing, and economic development. These priorities matter. However, I believe they can be pursued without paving over irreplaceable farmland that protects our food security and supports families across Western Canada.

I respectfully request the following actions:

Keep this land in agriculture permanently
Secure it through long-term agricultural designation or covenant
Work collaboratively across government levels to ensure it is never sold for industrial development

Canada has stated its commitment to food security, climate resilience, and sustainable domestic agriculture. Protecting this land directly supports those commitments.

Thank you for considering this urgent request and for taking steps to safeguard BC’s food future.

Sincerely,

Your Name
City / Province

(Optional: Share a brief note here about why food security and local farming matter to you.)

Petition

Sign and share the petition:
change.org/savethefarmland

Over 80,000 have signed so far!

We are tremendously grateful to everyone who has shown interest in this issue. Thank you so, so much!

A Call To Action

A coalition of farmers, residents, food security advocates, and community leaders is calling on:

The Government of Canada
Keep all 300 acres in agriculture, forests, and streams. Options include a long-term agricultural lease, protective covenant, or ALR inclusion through land exchange.
The Province of British Columbia
Support permanent agricultural designation for this land to secure BC’s food supply.
The City of Surrey
Amend the Official Community Plan to prevent any conversion away from farming.

Protecting this farmland directly supports Canada's food-security goals, climate objectives, and resilience against import dependency. Your support matters!

Why This Land Matters

This isn’t just any piece of farmland, it’s one of British Columbia’s most productive and irreplaceable food-growing areas, playing a vital role in our local food system and food security.

• 220 acres of prime vegetable farmland plus 80 acres of ecological corridor.
• Sandy, well-drained soil and unique microclimate ideal for early vegetable production.
• Produces 25 to 50 percent of BC’s local potatoes, carrots, and cabbage from May to early July. In some years up to 75 percent of early potatoes and cabbage.
• Estimated 30 to 50 million servings of vegetables grown annually.
• Enough to feed every Metro Vancouver resident for roughly three weeks.
• Food reaches retailers, restaurants, farmers markets, food banks, and families across Western Canada.
• Replaces imported product from the United States and Mexico, strengthening Canadian food independence and lowering emissions.

Losing this land means losing early-season domestic food production and increasing reliance on foreign supply chains.

👉 Now is the time to speak up and protect this vital farmland, once it’s gone, we can’t get it back.

Ugly Potato Day and Community Impact

This farmland also supports Ugly Potato Day, one of Canada’s largest fresh-food distribution events.

• More than 4 million meals donated to date
• In 2025, over 460,000 pounds of produce distributed to 20,000+ people in one day
• 140,000 pounds for that event came directly from this farmland

Many BC food banks rely on produce grown here. Preserving this land protects both BC’s food supply and the province’s ability to feed families in need.

Government Commitments That Support Protecting This Land

Provincial

Climate emergency action
Surrey Biodiversity Conservation Strategy
Metro Vancouver farmland protection
CleanBC climate plan
BC Ministry of Agriculture and Food 2025 priorities
Grow BC, Feed BC, Buy BC
BC Food-Security Task Force recommendations

Federal

Zero Hunger Goal under UN SDGs
Food Policy for Canada
Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership
Agricultural Climate Solutions
On-Farm Climate Action and Clean Technology programs
Net-Zero Emissions Accountability Act
2030 Emissions Reduction Plan

Protecting this land supports climate, food-security, and economic priorities at every level of government.