CBRM zoning change allows market gardens in Louisbourg neighbourhood

Cape Breton regional councillors have approved a zoning change that will allow limited agriculture in a residential neighbourhood in Louisbourg.

Coun. Amanda McDougall, who represents the area on CBRM council, said permitting market gardens to flourish makes sense, especially for rural communities concerned about the pandemic's possible effect on the retail food supply chain.

"This is the way of the future," she said. "We have to look at the bigger picture. We're looking at food security [and] financial independence. Not a lot of people around this council table know what it's like to live 40 kilometres away from a grocery store. It's not easy."

McDougall said the zoning amendment is also consistent with the message CBRM has been sending to others.

"We have hosted so many people in our council chambers and told them that we support initiatives to bring local produce and healthy food to our communities and this is it," she said. "This is right here in front of us."

Ivory and Dave Neal grow vegetables on a small portion of their 1.4-hectare residential lot and had been selling some of the excess produce to local residents and restaurants.

Someone complained and the Neals applied to the municipality to amend the land use bylaw to allow agriculture in their neighbourhood zone, because they now want to expand the size of their garden plots.

Their property is not considered urban because it is not connected to the municipal sewer service, but the immediate neighbours objected to an agricultural zoning change, while others in the community offered support.

McDougall said most of the neighbours' objections were over livestock, which are not allowed in the zone.

She said the lots are not large enough to support industrial agriculture.

After council approved the change, McDougall said she is aware of the neighbours' concerns.

"I'm working really hard to try and appease the people in the immediate street neighbourhood and remind them that this is not about expanding to a huge, large-scale animal production," she said.

"I would never support something like that on such a small piece of property."

No industrial agriculture

While the rezoning passed unanimously, some councillors expressed concern about the possibility that changing the zoning could open up the residential neighbourhood to larger, more intensive farming.

Coun. Earlene MacMullin said that will not happen.

"In order to justify buying heavy machinery, you need so much more property," she said.

"I know how much it costs for a lot of this machinery. Joe Blow with an acre of land is not going to invest that."

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