The City of Kamloops will consider forming a committee to specifically talk about farming.
Council has directed staff to look into doing that, which mayor Ken Christian says came after a presentation from Carol Gillis, who owns a 30-acre hobby farm in Westsyde called Riverbend Orchard.
“Really urging council to look at an agricultural advisory committee. And I think that’s an excellent idea. We have a lot of agriculture in the Heffley Creek area, we have a lot of agriculture in the Knutsford area. We’ve got of course the Noble Creek area, and also the Campbell Creek area.”
Gillis says creating that group was recommended in 20-13, in the city’s Agricultural Area Plan, which she says has not happened.
“And I would suggest if that agricultural advisory committee had been established, we might not find ourselves at this place. Because I would argue, the farmers represented on the Noble Creek Irrigation System, collectively embody every single aspect of the strategies and goals of your local Agricultural Area Plan.”
Council voted last week to rethink plans for costly upgrades to the Noble Creek irrigation system, after most property owners affected indicated they were against it.
