Backyard hens are among the items the newly formed Urban Agriculture Committee is looking at for Kamloops.
(SHANNON QUESNEL / iNFOnews.ca)
May 06, 2014 - 10:19 AM
KAMLOOPS — Chickens, bees and community gardens are just a few of the topics already covered in the first six hours worth of meetings held by the newly formed urban agriculture committee.
A total of 17 people sit on the committee, which has had three meetings already, and much of the talk has centred around what the vision should be for the city when it comes to urban agriculture.
“It’s a very eclectic mix,” Coun. Nelly Dever says of the group. “They’re all very passionate about quality, food sovereignty, ecosystems….”
Dever says urban animals have been a hot topic around the table but the group is working to bring a balance forward, making sure any item brought forward is backed by evidence as to why it would work in Kamloops.
“We want to make sure it’s palatable to the community at large,” she jokes.
One of the action items already set to come forward is fruit stands, something offering fresh, local products.
“People look for that,” Dever notes, adding the committee needs to prioritize the economics with evidence for all action items.
While the committee was originally on an eight month deadline the timeline has since been removed, in part because it is high season for many of the committee members. A report with the terms and vision should come to council by fall and a proper draft plan should be ready within 18 months.
A public consultation will be done, much the same as other draft plans, and while that piece is very time consuming Dever calls the step ‘extremely important.’
To contact a reporter for this story, email Jennifer Stahn at jstahn@infotelnews.ca or call 250-819-3723. To contact an editor, email mjones@infotelnews.ca or call 250-718-2724.
-This story was edited 4:13 p.m., May 13, 2014.
News from © iNFOnews, 2014