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Photograph of a large explosion next to a huge pile of debris. Buildings are visible on either side and railroad track can be seen in the foreground. Printed annotation on recto reads: "The Last Big Blast, Prince Rupert BC 21 Jan 1914 McRae Bros. Photo"

Photograph of a large explosion next to a huge pile of debris. Buildings are visible on either side and railroad track can be seen in the foreground. Annotation on recto reads: "The Last Big Blast, Prince Rupert BC 21 Jan 1914 McRae Bros. Photo"

This "The Land is Yours" film is a promotional film produced by the British Columbia Department of Agriculture in Kelowna, ca. 1968 or 1969. The film was produced by Gary Runka and hosted by Russ Richardson. Runka and Richardson provide commentary throughout the film. The film was directed by Nobert Hartig.

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the BC Federation of Agriculture in Prince George entitled "The Land Commission and the Role of the B.C.F.A. Advisory Committee".

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"GGR uses this speech to particularly emphasize the work of the BCFA Regional Advisory Committees appointed to assist the Commission by providing advice.

Several specific examples are given of where the assistance of the Advisory Committees will be helpful.

GGR briefly outlines the work and challenges of the Commission to date. The speech ends with a list of six "general areas of concern". The list is very perceptive, revealing several of the challenges the Commission was facing at this early stage in the program including:

1. Breakdown of viable production units through the sale of existing legal parcels;
2. Rangeland tenure and management;
3. Integrated use complications;
4. Impact of major development proposals within or adjacent to the ALR;
5. Small holdings owned by non-rural people in the ALR; and
6. Urban re-direction away from the ALR and rural / urban interface conflicts.
   The last line of p. 5 is partially hidden and reads: "...more than willing to meet with any of you individually as time permits."

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "The Importance of Agriculture to BC and the Creston Valley" Creston Valley Agricultural Society.

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"The speech begins with a number of recent urban newspaper headlines illustrating the level of awareness and the stress on agriculture.

The paper is broken into several major topics:
(I) The Options - in which two perspectives are outlined - one positive that agriculture has social value and is vitally important to the province and second, that agriculture is ultimately doomed.
(II) The Agricultural Land (Water) Base - 11 different land use planning issues are reviewed from an agricultural perspective. It is stressed that agriculture must become a more integrated part of the overall planning process.
(III) The Economic and Social Well Being of the Farming Community. It is noted that there are strong feelings in rural communities that government bureaucrats impose planning and resource management decisions on them rather than plan with or for them. Thus, if agriculture is to thrive it must, once again, become a more integrated part of the overall planning process and the agricultural land base must be assured.
(IV) The Ecological and Economic Sustainability of Agriculture - A key agricultural land conservation measure will be the redirection of regional and local urban growth to available and suitable lands outside the ALR. Provincial and local zoning is seen as a first step framework for managing competition for agricultural land.

Betterment Recapture - this (possibly Henry George inspired) comment reflects the need to recapture a portion of the appreciated value when agricultural land is converted to urban uses as a hedge against speculative forces.

The paper ends by encouraging farm areas like the Creston Valley to take pride in their agricultural community because the opportunity exists for a vibrant, healthy sustainable future."

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the Kelowna Chamber of Commerce Environment Committee entitled "The Canada Land Inventory, Land Capability Analysis and the Chamber of Commerce".

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"GGR makes the point in opening that the Chamber of Commerce may not be a group the public normally associates with concern for the environment but he feels it is time to correct this fallacy.

This speech is of value, if for nothing else, for the outline provided of the origin of the Canada Land Inventory (page 2).

Interestingly in the light of a future Land Commission publication, GGR uses the phrase "...with proper inventory information perhaps we would have left some of our options open". The 15 page B.C. Land Commission booklet published in March 1975 [was titled 'The B.C. Land Commission: Keeping the Options Open']."

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka to the BC Federation of Naturalists in Vernon entitled "The Canada Land Inventory, Land Capability Analysis and the Planning Process".

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech largely avoids technical detail and an outlining of the mechanics of land capability analysis but does provide several practical examples that allow for a better understanding of the application of the analytical work.

The summary on page 11 is particularly important (in part):
"Planning must anticipate desirable land use patterns, not merely react to the pressure of short run expedients. Above all else let's not forget that land use planning should be people-oriented as well as resources-oriented. Hopefully, facts rather than short term
economics, politics, or emotions will play an increasing role in decision-making."

The speech was accompanied by slides.

(Note: Via a handwritten amendment the title was changed from "Land Capability Analysis and the Planning Process" to 'The Canada Land Inventory, Land Capability Analysis and the Planning Process"

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "The British Columbia Experience" for the Planning for Rural Growth event in Whatcom County, Bellingham, Washington.

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This is an important overview document of the farmland preservation program, summarizing the situation after about 6 years since the program's introduction.

There are several interesting points made in the paper - which was given to a non-BC / Canadian audience. A sample of these points included:

• The ALR is based on ecological characteristics of the land and this was very important to the ALR's
  success;
• The ALR is a long term zone;
• The legislation is not enough - the ALR will not be secure until agriculture and the farming community become an integral part of planning at every level;
• The Langley Properties and work of the Property Management Branch which re-surveying the properties into viable commercial farm units;
• Conflicting priorities of provincial agencies create difficulties;

GGR observes that the Commission has the opportunity "... to have provincial input into planning for agriculture." This is an action, that in due course, the Commission would play a leadership role."

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "B.C. Agricultural Land Preservation Program". This speech was originally given on March 23, 1977 at the Sol Conservation Society of America National Symposium. Includes a version of the speech turned into a paper submitted for publication as "British Columbia's Agricultural Land Preservation Program" in the Assessors Journal. The speech and paper is accompanied by:

• supplementary transparencies for presentation
• Resume for G. Gary Runka
• Canada Land Inventory Ratings
• Summary of Applications Processed under the Land Commission Act
• Areas Included and Excluded from the ALR by Year
• Flow Chart for Applications under the Agricultural Land Commission Act

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech was given on March 23, 1977 and represents a major paper given to an international audience.

GGR provides a contextual overview of B.C. and breaks his speech into an overview of the legislation, how the ALR was established and the administration of the Reserve.

The speech, in part, draws upon themes in other speeches but this paper tends to pull all these subjects together in this single presentation.

GGR notes that up to this point 80% of the exclusion applications are from non-farmers and it is estimated that the program has saved 40,000 acres (16,187 ha.) of farmland from being converted to irreversible uses.

GGR outlines several key principles to having a successful program to preserve agricultural land including:

• Regulations must be based on solid technical data people can understand;
• Any control mechanism needs to be basically apolitical;
• Must include shared decision-making - local governments and the public were involved in creating the ALR plans and local governments continue to provide comments and recommendations on applications; and
• Ensure opportunity for integration and communication with the Ministry of Agriculture and other provincial government agencies and Advisory Committees of the B.C. Federation of Agriculture.

This speech was published as part of the symposium proceedings: "Land Use, Tough Choices in Today's World: The Proceedings of a
National Symposium, March 21-24,1977, in Omaha, Nebraska" by the Soil Conservation Society of America."

Hand coloured lofty view of the Prince Rupert waterfront. Printed annotation on recto reads: "The Beginning of Prince Rupert, B.C. : Grand Trunk Pacific Hotel in foreground." Artist's stamp in lower left corner reads: "104,036 J.V."

File consists of a speech given by Gary Runka entitled "The BC Agricultural Land Preservation Experience" to the Canadian Agricultural Extension Council Conference in Kelowna.

Commentary on this speech by Barry Smith of the Ministry of Agriculture and Lands:
"This speech represents a major paper that reiterates historical themes concerning the legislative initiative, B.C's very limited area available for agricultural production and the designation of the ALR plans.

GGR emphasizes that the main criteria when considering applications under the ALC Act is the soil/climate capability for agriculture. He mentions that the actual designation of the ALR and its subsequent refinement was fairly straight-forward but: "Much more difficult is the task that we are now facing, to make the right land-use decisions within the agricultural zone and encourage good land-use planning adjacent to it in order to accomplish the stated objectives."

GGR remarks that the ALC Act is based on the assumption that there are alternatives to farmland for urban uses and he personally agrees that alternatives do exist in almost all cases but he cautions: "But, the ability and willingness to go in these other directions necessitates a radical change in thinking on the part of governments, private industry, real estate interests, and the general public. It also demands an acceptance of the fact that agricultural land preservation is in British Columbia to stay and it assumes a commitment to preserve the agricultural industry as being in our own long term best interests. Some vibrations tell me we still have not quite made the grade in this area." These words were spoken by the Chair of the ALC 36 years ago and could be as appropriately be spoken by any of the subsequent ALC's Chairs to this day.

Competing land uses are listed and guidelines on expected policy content in Official Settlement Plans developed under the Municipal Act aimed at the protection of agricultural land and agriculture are noted.

Three examples are provided of studies to explore alternate areas of growth along with work on dealing with impact issues (edge/interface planning). GGR emphasizes the challenge of dealing with other governmental agencies and ends by outlining 3 general approaches to look at land needs, land uses and resource planning:

1. Make land use decision based on the inherent natural characteristics rather than protecting land values or simply accommodating growth;
2. The Fall 1977 amendments to the Act allowing greater Cabinet involvement will test the program but also emphasizes the importance of shared decision making; and
3. The ALC Act has defined a land use priority and a direction around which all others can plan and there is a need for a national land use policy that GGR supports."

Disc contains a single file, "GGR 2A.ppt", which is a PowerPoint presentation by Gary Runka entitled "The Agriculture Land Reserve: What it is and how it got here" created April 18, 2002.

Gathering of tents in Vickersville with the harbour and mountains in the distance. Annotation on recto reads: "Vickersville Prince Rupert o/n[?] 1908."

The group stands in front of an ornate stone wall and two Canadian flags.

Handwritten annotation on photograph enclosure reads: “8/6/99. Dear Lady, When I saw this photograph I knew there was a certain person who would truly appreciate and ‘feel’ its significance. Not many steps left to take now . . . . your unwavering support is never more appreciated. best personal regards, Peter”; handwritten annotation on verso reads: “Nisga’a”.