Wednesday, May 18, 2011
BCRail: it's later than we think
.
Delta MLAs raise alarm over free trade zones
Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington is raising alarm bells that valuable agricultural land could be turned into a tax-free industrial wasteland.
{Snip} ...
Noting South Delta and, in particular, land around the Deltaport container terminal would be prime candidates, Huntington asked Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom if the government is contemplating such a zone in Delta.
She said even though she had been told it could end up elsewhere, it's suspicious that B.C. Rail has stockpiled more land than it requires for rail expansion and that a land consolidation group is secretly optioning agricultural land in Delta.
"A Dubai model free trade zone has nothing to do with community. The whole point of a modern free trade zone is to protect business from community. This isn't about jobs. It's about greed. It's about flipping land in Delta, and it's about the destruction of the finest agricultural land in Canada," Huntington said during question period Tuesday.
"I'm asking this minister: if this feasibility study recommends free trade zones in B.C., will the minister tell us today that his government will not remove land from the ALR to create an industrial wasteland in Delta?"
Lekstrom responded by pointing out what's being explored are foreign trade zones and not free trade zones. He said he doesn't want to predetermine what the report will say.
Lekstrom, noting the zones are not a new concept and are in use around the world, said a location hasn't been determined.
The zones were created in the United States to provide special customs procedures, including duty-free treatment, to U.S. firms engaged in international trade-related activities. By having goods sitting in the zones, duty payment is deferred on those items until they are brought out for sale in the market. The zones are supposed to help to offset customs advantages available to overseas producers who compete with domestic industry.
GCT Global Container Terminals Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and one of the largest financial institutions in Canada, wants the federal government to explore establishing foreign trade zones in this country. The company operates four container terminals through several principal businesses, including TSI Terminal Systems Inc. at Deltaport.
Global Container Terminals is part of a steering committee that includes YVR, CN, CPR, Port Metro Vancouver, Halifax and Montreal Ports, and Centreport in Winnipeg. The committee wants a review of federal policies and processes regarding foreign trade zones and has made the B.C. government aware of its efforts. {Snip} ...
Waltz noted lands adjacent to Deltaport, which is eyed for a major container terminal expansion in the next few years, could be an ideal candidate to establish a foreign trade zone, particularly the new logistics centre that will open at the Tsawwassen First Nation.
Delta North NDP MLA Guy Gentner described it all as one of the biggest assaults yet on Delta.
Read this whole story HERE.
http://www.delta-optimist.com/Delta+MLAs+raise+alarm+over+free+trade+zones/4804669/story.html#ixzz1MjhxxUvH
And from 100 Mile House, B.C. ...
BC Rail land subdivision a step closer
By Ken Alexander
100 Mile House Free Press - May 18, 2011
After receiving no public comment or written submissions regarding an Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment to give former BC Rail "Remainder Lots" agricultural designation, the District of 100 Mile House gave third reading and adoption of the application at its May 3 meeting.
Bridge Creek Estates ranch manager Don Savjord wanted to get a small strip of BCR remainder land near Exeter Station designated agricultural so he could include it with ranch property.
It had been a long process because Savjord came before district in October 2010, and council authorized the subdivision application in the Agricultural Land Reserve to proceed to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).
By the end of the year, Savjord received permission from the ALC to subdivide the land.
Then Savjord brought back to council on April 12 for the OCP amendment and received first and second reading. Then, the application was taken to the public hearing process.
After the May 3 adoption, everything is in position so he can bring it back to the district to apply to subdivide the property from the BCR remainder land and consolidate it with the existing ranchland.
The reason council is involved is because the land in question lies within the municipal boundaries.
In 2008, BC Rail subdivided its railway corridor, which was basically the railway bed, from its remaining land holdings, with the intention of selling the remainder lots in the future.
The general area of the remainder lots is where Exeter Station Road crosses the BCR tracks and is about one kilometre in length and contains about 30 acres of land.
Source is HERE.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/122106489.html?c=y&curSection=/okanagan_similkameen/lakecountrycalendar&curTitle=BC+News&bc09=true
MLAs Guy Gentner and Vicki Huntingdon raised questions in the Legislature this week about the possibility of a foreign trade zone in South Delta.
Delta South MLA Vicki Huntington is raising alarm bells that valuable agricultural land could be turned into a tax-free industrial wasteland.
{Snip} ...
Noting South Delta and, in particular, land around the Deltaport container terminal would be prime candidates, Huntington asked Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Blair Lekstrom if the government is contemplating such a zone in Delta.
She said even though she had been told it could end up elsewhere, it's suspicious that B.C. Rail has stockpiled more land than it requires for rail expansion and that a land consolidation group is secretly optioning agricultural land in Delta.
"A Dubai model free trade zone has nothing to do with community. The whole point of a modern free trade zone is to protect business from community. This isn't about jobs. It's about greed. It's about flipping land in Delta, and it's about the destruction of the finest agricultural land in Canada," Huntington said during question period Tuesday.
"I'm asking this minister: if this feasibility study recommends free trade zones in B.C., will the minister tell us today that his government will not remove land from the ALR to create an industrial wasteland in Delta?"
Lekstrom responded by pointing out what's being explored are foreign trade zones and not free trade zones. He said he doesn't want to predetermine what the report will say.
Lekstrom, noting the zones are not a new concept and are in use around the world, said a location hasn't been determined.
The zones were created in the United States to provide special customs procedures, including duty-free treatment, to U.S. firms engaged in international trade-related activities. By having goods sitting in the zones, duty payment is deferred on those items until they are brought out for sale in the market. The zones are supposed to help to offset customs advantages available to overseas producers who compete with domestic industry.
GCT Global Container Terminals Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Ontario Teachers' Pension Plan and one of the largest financial institutions in Canada, wants the federal government to explore establishing foreign trade zones in this country. The company operates four container terminals through several principal businesses, including TSI Terminal Systems Inc. at Deltaport.
Global Container Terminals is part of a steering committee that includes YVR, CN, CPR, Port Metro Vancouver, Halifax and Montreal Ports, and Centreport in Winnipeg. The committee wants a review of federal policies and processes regarding foreign trade zones and has made the B.C. government aware of its efforts. {Snip} ...
Waltz noted lands adjacent to Deltaport, which is eyed for a major container terminal expansion in the next few years, could be an ideal candidate to establish a foreign trade zone, particularly the new logistics centre that will open at the Tsawwassen First Nation.
Delta North NDP MLA Guy Gentner described it all as one of the biggest assaults yet on Delta.
Read this whole story HERE.
http://www.delta-optimist.com/Delta+MLAs+raise+alarm+over+free+trade+zones/4804669/story.html#ixzz1MjhxxUvH
And from 100 Mile House, B.C. ...
BC Rail land subdivision a step closer
By Ken Alexander
100 Mile House Free Press - May 18, 2011
After receiving no public comment or written submissions regarding an Official Community Plan (OCP) amendment to give former BC Rail "Remainder Lots" agricultural designation, the District of 100 Mile House gave third reading and adoption of the application at its May 3 meeting.
Bridge Creek Estates ranch manager Don Savjord wanted to get a small strip of BCR remainder land near Exeter Station designated agricultural so he could include it with ranch property.
It had been a long process because Savjord came before district in October 2010, and council authorized the subdivision application in the Agricultural Land Reserve to proceed to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).
By the end of the year, Savjord received permission from the ALC to subdivide the land.
Then Savjord brought back to council on April 12 for the OCP amendment and received first and second reading. Then, the application was taken to the public hearing process.
After the May 3 adoption, everything is in position so he can bring it back to the district to apply to subdivide the property from the BCR remainder land and consolidate it with the existing ranchland.
The reason council is involved is because the land in question lies within the municipal boundaries.
In 2008, BC Rail subdivided its railway corridor, which was basically the railway bed, from its remaining land holdings, with the intention of selling the remainder lots in the future.
The general area of the remainder lots is where Exeter Station Road crosses the BCR tracks and is about one kilometre in length and contains about 30 acres of land.
Source is HERE.
http://www.bclocalnews.com/news/122106489.html?c=y&curSection=/okanagan_similkameen/lakecountrycalendar&curTitle=BC+News&bc09=true
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Comments:
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Actually, the Deltaport area is rather rocky. Local farms were used for feed-grass for cattle. In the 'sixties, as many as 4 trans-ocean freighters landed at New Westminster at any time. Now the NW harbour is full of condos and tourist amenities. There should be further studies before unrealistic agricultural reserves are created.
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# posted by 
: May 24, 2011 at 7:37 p.m.
: May 24, 2011 at 7:37 p.m. << Home
