Langley Farmers Institute brings Township council candidates together

The Langley Farmers Institute recently brought members, rural residents and most candidates seeking Langley Township council and mayoral seats together at Coghlan Hall.

The Sept. 22 all-candidates event was not a conventional debate or question-and-answer session. After introductions, candidates joined smaller groups with Farmers Institute members and spectators to discuss questions at stations around the hall.

Topics included bylaw enforcement in agricultural areas, truck parking in relation to the Township’s Rural Plan, water use and zoning, and the Township’s Board of Variance and its connection to agricultural issues.

Amanda Smith of the Farmers Institute said the session was intended to get ideas and answers from candidates while informing them about matters important to farmers and rural residents. She said candidates would encounter these issues at the council table over the next four years.

The Township is looking to update its Rural Plan, while other rural and farming-related plans are aging. Several council candidates have discussed updating them at this and other forums. Although most Township residents live in suburban neighbourhoods including Willougby and Walnut Grove, about 75 per cent of the Township is within the Agricultural Land Reserve.