Includes: farming and ranching; agribusiness; horticulture and gardening; agricultural academic research; agricultural professional groups; agricultural cooperatives and organizations; irrigation; agricultural fairs and markets.
MemoryBC Subject Groups
File consists of a 1953 North Peace High School yearbook.
File consists of a 1955 North Peace High School yearbook.
File consists of a 1957 North Peace High School yearbook.
Photograph depicts part of a brown and white building similar to the "Director's Lodge" at Cassiar, B.C. (see items 2000.1.1.3.19.88 and 2000.1.1.3.19.89). Unidentified individuals visible inside greenhouse in fenced back yard. Forest in background. Handwritten annotation on verso of photograph: "Cassiar June 15 71".
Item is an original copy of "1994 Statements of Policy on Tourism: A Briefing Paper" prepared by the Council of Tourism Associations of British Columbia.
Floppy label name: "360"
Floppy file listing:
SM-GOLD.DOC
SM-PURCL.DOC
SM-ROCK.DOC
SM-TREN.DOC
README1.DOC
SM-ELK.DOC
Floppy label reads:
G. Runka
From Dugald Smith Nov 16, 00
RE: Range Tenure Linework
1) xax-ran.dgn
2) xax-ran.fil
Floppy file listing:
xax-ran.dgn
xax-ran.fil
Floppy label reads:
576
Land Reserve Commission
Working Farms, Working Forests
Floppy data failed migration.
Item is a photocopied version of "A Comparative Cost Analysis of the Nisga'a Treaty: An update of a study on the Nisga'a Agreement-In-Principle prepared for the BC Fisheries Survival Coalition" by Robin M. Richardson prepared for John M. Cummins, MP Delta-South Richmond, February 10, 1999. Includes accompanying rough draft comments by A.R. Dobell refuting Richardson's work and a copy of email correspondence to the Nisga'a Analysis Work Group.
Image depicts a cow at an uncertain location.
Photograph depicts a cow with a bell around its neck standing in the front yard of a house.
Item is an original copy of the 1982 "A Guide to the Relationship between Agricultural Land Reserves and Local Government Plans and Bylaws", jointly published by the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs and the Provincial Agricultural Land Commission.
File includes copies of "A Land Use Planning Framework" from July 1977 by the BC Ministry of Environment, Environment and Land Use Committee Secretariat, Resource Planning Unit. Also includes related printed transparencies.
Item is a photocopied version of "A Modest and Far From Perfect Discussion Paper for the Creation of an Affiliation or Federation of All Outdoor and Adventure Tourism Associations and Operators in British Columbia" prepared by the BCFROA with assistance from D. Russell, ARA Consulting.
Item is a 1961 Land Economics journal reprint of an article by D.S. Lacate entitled "Review of Landtype Classification and Mapping" (Vol. XXXVII, No. 3.).
Item is an original work compiled by S.G. Preston for Canada Dept. of Regional Economic Expansion and BC Dept. of Agriculture ARDA III Project 89053 entitled "A Study of the Agricultural Resources & Potentials of the British Columbia Gulf Islands".
Item is a typescript entitled "A Technical Approach to Land Use Planning Based on the Canada Land Inventory" by Gary Dickinson.
Item is a photocopied draft of a report by R.L. Davis of the Environment and Land Use Committee Secretariat entitled "A Topographic Classification to Map Spring Frost Risk for Six Deciduous Tree Fruit Varieties".
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Action Steps to Sustainable Agriculture" at the Forum on Sustainable Agriculture in Summerland.
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech opens with a relatively broad discussion of sustainability- how defined - and how this relates to agriculture. "We've got to develop the ability to view farming in a conceptual sense, to view food production sustainability over the full horizon, including the urban world, as well as farm field."
The speech is broken into 3 sections with sub-sections:
(1) From a Practical Management Point of View. What Does "Sustainability" Mean on the Farm, Orchard or Ranch? Several points are made including the protection of land through the ALR. The principles of sustainability in, "Towards a Strategy for Sustainability" are listed.
(2) From the Food Producers Perspective, What are the Gaps in Practical Requirements to move Toward Sustainability? The points identified in the July 1994 workshop "Future of Agriculture in the Okanagan" are listed and noted as key points.
(3) With Land and Water Resources under Stress, What are the Action Steps to Regional Multicommodity Agricultural Sustainability? Under this topic seven sub-topics are explored:
a) sustainability and security of the land base with a particular emphasis on parcel size and the need for consolidation, land tenure, cost and speculation;
b) sustainability and water resources;
c) land use competition, compatibility, and planning process access - with an emphasis placed on the need for the farm community to have access to the planning process and a nod to the importance of Agricultural Advisory Committees. It is recognized that this will take an integrated effort of the ALC and Municipal Affairs;
d) vertically consistent policies and regulations from local to federal;
e) Right to Farm (with a plea to revisit the then current 'Agricultural Protection Act');
f) public education;
g) food policy; and
h) Socio-economic strategy for agriculture"
Item is a journal reprint entitled "Aerial Photo Interpretation on British Columbia Rangelands" by Lord, T.M. and A. McLean from Journal of Range Management (Vol. 22, No. 1), 1969.
Item is a photograph of forests and farms from the air.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Agricultural Land and Its Management".
Commentary by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This paper has no indication of the audience or date but given that there are several references to 1990 reports, it probably dates to 1991.
Although the scope of this paper is national in several aspects, its primary focus is on the B.C. farmland preservation efforts.
Comment is made on the question of farmland being regarded as a 'commodity' vs 'scarce resource'. GGR draws upon a theme found in other speeches and papers when he notes that 'To some degree, the call for a new "foodland ethic" is based upon the belief that public policy should more adequately take into account the social value of foodlands, quite apart from the dollar value...."
The paper is broken into several sections:
(A) The Setting;
(B) Agricultural Land Loss, (which includes some excellent statistics - p. 2-3)
(C) Some Agricultural Management Issues,
(D) Action Response (this section briefly reviews farmland preservation efforts in each province with a particular emphasis on B.C. p. 5-6),
(E) The Future.
GGR lists the following action steps that BC should pursue:
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Agricultural Land and Land Use Decision Making in the 1980s" for the Western Land Directors' Conference, Victoria BC (June 7-11,1981).
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"The speech is a collection of familiar themes but GGR's assemblage and delivery is becoming ever-more refined. The speech was accompanied by overheads but they are not included.
The paper starts with two quotes from Hans Blumenfeld and O'Malley. In the case of Blumenfeld - North Americans want to live in efficient, convenient, healthy and pleasant environment but as individuals we want to be able to make an honest dollar out of every piece of property we own. The two concepts are basically incompatible. The O'Malley quote speaks of land as a mother because she gives life, is a provider, protector and comforter.
Some (but far from all) of the important observations include:
The paper ends with the following quote from Bill Moyers, "Government is the art of trying to solve problems. Politics is the art of trying to attain power. The two meet sometimes, but not often."
Item is an original copy of the 1986 report by Talisman Land Resource Consultants entitled "Agricultural Land Budget for British Columbia for Farmland Resources Branch, B.C. Ministry of Agriculture and Food".
File consists of Gary Runka's records during his roles as general manager of the BC Land Commission (appointed 1973) and as the chairman of the Agricultural Land Commission (1975-1978) during its formative years. Includes correspondence, reports, informational material, and maps. Highlights include:
Maps include:
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Agricultural Land Commission 1978 - What's Happening?" to a UBC Soil Science and Land Use Planning Seminar.
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This is simply a single page outline of a speech given at a UBC Soil Science and Land Use Seminar providing an overview of the farmland preservation program to date.
The outline is broken into 5 sections:
The actual speech based on this outline is not included."
File consists of Gary Runka's records relating to the Agricultural Land Commission after departing his role as Chairman. During this period he consulted for the ALC and continued on as a part-time Commission member. Includes correspondence, papers, informational material, and newspaper clippings. Highlights include:
File consists of Gary Runka's records relating to the Agricultural Land Commission after ending his direct involvement with the Commission. Includes correspondence, papers, informational material, and newspaper clippings. Highlights include:
File consists of records relating to the Agricultural Land Commission and Gary Runka's consulting work for the ALC in 1993. Includes a G.G. Runka Land Sense Ltd. invoice to the ALC for his services for the 1993 ALC symposium and the "preparation of a framework approach to land suitability for agriculture mapping for a range of crops within the Okanagan Valley, as follow up to the land suitability for tree fruits initiative of the Okanagan Valley Tree Fruit Authority", as well as a copy of the government contract for the latter. Also includes correspondence, news clippings, data, and background information.
File consists of records relating to the Agricultural Land Commission. Includes correspondence, news releases, background information, papers, and memoranda. Highlights include:
File consists of records relating to the Agricultural Land Commission. Includes correspondence, news releases, background information, papers, drafts, newspaper clippings, and memoranda. Highlights include:
File consists of records relating to the Agricultural Land Commission. Includes correspondence, news releases, background information, papers, and memoranda. Highlights include:
File consists of original copies of Agricultural Land Commission Annual Reports. Includes reports for: 1977-1978, 1995-1996, 1996-1997, 1997-1998, 1998-1999, 1999-2000, 2000-2001.
File consists of personal correspondence to Gary Runka during (or related to) his time at the Agricultural Land Commission. Includes letters of appreciation and correspondence with Ministers.
File consists of original copies of Agricultural Land Commission statistical reports for the British Columbia Agricultural Land Reserve. Includes reports for: 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Agricultural Land Preservation - Some of the Problems" to an unknown audience, possibly a political caucus. A "Process Chart" of the B.C. Agricultural Land Commission Act is attached to the speech.
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech was given several months after GGR's resignation as Chair of the Commission in January, 1979. There is no specific indication of who the speech was given to but mention is made to "caucus members" (p. 4) and therefore may have been the NDP caucus.
Specific mention is made to the opportunity to undermine the program by the Section 9(8) changes to the Act. (This is a reference to allowing the Minister of Agriculture to forward appeals of Commission's decisions to the Environment and Land Use Committee of Cabinet if no two Commissioners give leave to appeal)..
Mention is also made to the need for the Commission to be aware of problems affecting agriculture if it is to be the true defender of agricultural interests. Reference (p. 3) is made to the Commission being: "... too busy attending to applications to take a seriously positive role to ensure that present and future land use conflicts ... are minimized."
GGR also raises his concern with attempts to narrow the definition of "agricultural land" by suggestions that CLI Class 4 - 7 lands be automatically excluded from the ALR. He also expresses the need to be concerned with land use planning outside the ALR.
GGR criticizes "a less than positive attitude by government" (to farmland preservation) and calls for the need for a provincial land use strategy."
Item is a photocopied booklet from the BC Cattlemen's Association with "Agricultural Land Reserve Survey Results & Recommendations" from June 2009.
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the B.C.I.A. entitled "Agricultural Land Reserves and the Land Commission Act".
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"With the original package associated with this speech are 5 pages of rough notes for another speech with the same title prepared for a B.C.I.A. meeting on March 22, 1976... Given that these rough notes were held with the material associated with the April 15, 1976 meeting it is possible the B.C.I.A. meeting planned for March was shifted to the April date. Additionally there are 6 pages numbered 6-11 that are of some detail concerning the work of the Commission but appear to be part of another speech but are included with the B.C.I.A. package and have, therefore, been [included with this speech].
The title of the speech "Agricultural Land Reserves and the Land Commission Act" sums up the thrust of the speech which notes the objectives of the legislation, the Commission's program of land acquisition and Commission research and support of innovative projects to assist rural planning to create a positive environment for agriculture and give direction to urban growth away from farmland.
Additionally an overview is provided of the Commission's activities in its first two years of operation. GGR comments that establishing the ALRs "... was but a first step and we feel that it is our job to continue to protect the Reserve by whatever approaches and methods of rural planning that are available to us". This speaks to a Commission that saw its role, even at this early stage, as being much more than simply a rationing board reviewing ALR applications.
Several examples are outlined in which it is suggested that professional agrologists should be looking at carefully.
At the end of the speech (p.5) GGR includes (a note to himself) to "follow with example of an agrologist's public statement" that obviously was of concern. The actual public statement was not included with the speech given on April 15th but was included in the rough notes of the speech dated March 22 which read as follows:
"Yet a member of the B.C.I.A. - a P.Ag - is quoted in the press in response to a local politician who asked him a question something like this in regard to an ALR exclusion application:
Local politician: What about the international, national and local concerns regarding land for future food production?
BOA member P.Ag: We should firstly be concerned with places for people to live and secondly worry about land for food production.
This is our profession - the image is yours to make.
I don't mean that we should go overboard, but if we are not willing to defend preservation of agricultural land - who is?"
Item is an original BC Department of Agriculture publication, compiled by the Co-ordinating Committee on Agriculture for Central British Columbia, entitled "Agricultural Recommendations for Central British Columbia".
Image depicts an agricultural field, most likely near Prince George, B.C.
Subseries consists of material collected and created by Kent Sedgwick for research relating to agriculture in Prince George and the surrounding areas including Pineview, Mud River, and Blackburn. Includes material regarding the Prince George experimental farm, historical agriculture, dairying, and ranching.
Item is an original copy of "Agriculture & Sustainability in the Fraser Basin - Draft #2" by the Fraser Basin Management Program. Includes accompanying letter from Iona Campagnolo, Chair of the Fraser Basin Council, as well as a news release document.
File consists of material created or collected by Audrey L'Heureux regarding agriculture and weather in British Columbia. Highlights include:
Item is an original report prepared by Robertson Group entitled "Agriculture: British Columbia's Forgotten Industry".
Item is an original BC Department of Agriculture publication entitled "Agriculture in the North Cariboo and Central British Columbia".
Item is an original BC Ministry of Agriculture publication entitled "Agriculture in the Peace River".
File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "Agriculture in the Urban Shadow" at the Agricultural Land Commission Symposium - Urban Growth and the Agricultural Land Reserve: 'Up not Out' - March 9,1993.
Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This represents an important, highly pertinent speech concerning farmland preservation in B.C. The speech was given at the ALC Symposium marking the 20th anniversary of B.C.'s farmland preservation program. The speech rings as relevant today as it did when delivered 22 years ago.
It begins by identifying two perspectives - one, those committed to an agricultural future, contributing diversity and having a social value and two, those that feel agriculture is ultimately doomed and is only an interim use, especially in the urban shadow, until a "higher and better" use comes along. GGR states that we need to honestly state which perspective we are guided by.
There are a host of important themes woven through this paper including:
Several (13 starting on p. 7) urban shadow issues are outlined and GGR states that we must be serious about addressing urban shadow issues.
The paper ends with an outline of "where we need to be tomorrow" and GGR states: "I recall when the program began in 1973 we argued that all of the compromises with respect to agriculture had already been made, if we were to keep the options open for future
generations In British Columbia. If that statement was true then, how much more true is it today, 20 years later?"
From the Symposium concluding remarks, Gary Runka stated that based on his experience and discussions during the symposium, he believed that the following initiatives should be given priority:
The Symposium proceedings have been compiled in a 67 page ALC publication."
File consists of meeting minutes, correspondence, discussion papers, and conference materials. Includes:
Item is a copy of "Air Photo Interpretation Photo Interpretive elements" by T. Lewis and Joan Sawicki.