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Video: Views on the UBC Farm

The future for the UBC Farm is in the balance as the university decides on how to develop this valuable…

By Aaron Tam , in Elections , on November 13, 2008

The future for the UBC Farm is in the balance as the university decides on how to develop this valuable land. The potential loss of the farm has aspiring politicians into action.

The candidates who would represent the UBC campus on the Metro Vancouver Board outlined their position during an all-candidates debate earlier this month:

Maria Harris
Maria and her family have lived in the University Endowment Lands since 1999. She is an economist and has served in the Community Advisory Council in the UEL. She said she would listen to and support groups who are active and organized in preserving the farm: Friends of the Farm & AMS and certain members of the Metro Vancouver Board and work behind the scenes in lobbying members of UBC Board of Governors.

Charles Menzies
Charles is an associate professor of anthropology and the chair of the Schools Action Committee of the University Neighbourhoods Association. He and his family have been residing in Electoral District A since 1996. He said he would provide effective local government where residents would have input within the decision-making process and make sure Electoral A is not a one-issue region.

Matthew Naylor
Matthew has served as the VP External Affairs for the AMS, UBC’s Student Society. He is currently a fourth-year political science student and is a resident at UBC. He said he would lobby the Provincial Government to help change the acts that define how exactly the area is regulated and use rezoning options to offer protective status for the UBC Farm.

Fred Pritchard
Fred is a former associate vice-president of Campus and Community Planning at UBC. He and his family reside in UBC Campus. He said he would increase productivity of the UBC Farm and make sure that land isn’t taken away from agriculture.

Ben West
Ben is a former deputy leader of the Green Party of BC. He is currently a Healthy Communities campaigner for the Western Canada Wilderness Committee and is a Vancouver resident. He has helped on every step along the way in trying to save the farm: printing petitions, training spokespeople, writing press releases, etc. He said he would continue to be directly involved in the campaign on a “day to day” basis.

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