Protecting Agricultural Land in/around the Little Campbell River Watershed - The Imperative to Safeguard Ecosystems and Food Security

The Case Against Transport Truck Parking/Depots

Agricultural land in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland—especially within the Township of Langley and the City of Surrey—is a finite and irreplaceable resource. These lands, including those designated within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) and other agriculturally viable zones, serve critical roles in supporting local food security, biodiversity, and climate resilience. British Columbia’s Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) is a provincial designation for pockets of land in which agriculture is recognized as the priority use and non-agricultural uses are restricted and, where specified, unlawful. The Provincial Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) is an independent administrative tribunal dedicated to preserving agricultural land and encouraging farming in British Columbia. The purposes of the ALC are:

to preserve the agricultural land reserve
to encourage farming of land within the agricultural land reserve in collaboration with other communities of interest
to encourage local governments, first nations, the government and its agents to enable and accommodate farm use of land within the agricultural land reserve and uses compatible with agriculture in their plans, bylaws and policies

The ALR interfaces with highly populated urban areas in the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley region. Both Provincial (Agricultural Land Commission) and Municipalities have laws in place to ensure that agricultural pursuits remain the primary focus for ALR designated areas. However, this proximity to population centres can lead to competing interests not compatible with the agricultural designation.

These agricultural areas attract recreational users, tourists and craft industries (e.g. “Circle Farm Tour”). These “green” spaces also play an invaluable role in the mental health for all in the entire region. Yet, despite these benefits and the historically strong regional planning frameworks in place that respected these areas, both municipalities are facing mounting pressure from illegal and/or ill-conceived “temporary” truck parking facilities encroaching upon, or even displacing, farmland and environmentally sensitive areas. This trend not only undermines long-standing land use regulations but also contradicts the very conservation and biodiversity strategies that the citizens have in majority asked for and what the municipalities have publicly committed to uphold.

We all recognize that the trucking industry plays a vital role in our economy—enabling the movement of goods and supporting commerce. However, many other sectors that provide essential societal values are not permitted to operate in a way that flagrantly violates local bylaws or degrades ecosystems, especially when alternatives do exist. The current tolerance of unlawful truck depot operations in South Langley represents a short-sighted and ultimately self-defeating response to a logistical challenge that could be solved through better planning and coordination. We acknowledge the concerned effort of the Mayor, Council and By-Law Enforcement staff of Langley Township but their resources and abilities are limited and without a regionally coordinated effort supported by the Province (e.g. the Agricultural Land Commission), the well-organized efforts to flaunt and ignore the laws in place continue to grow. Further, in both Provincial and Federal elections, candidates who have informed those who either now act against the bylaws or stand ready to pounce upon cracks in the system that they have full support of these elected individuals.

One of the most visible consequences of these illegal depots is the surge in heavy transport truck traffic along rural roads in the ALR, particularly 16th Avenue between 192nd Street in Surrey and 264th Street in Langley. This corridor, originally designed for light agricultural and local traffic, is now burdened with frequent and often high-speed transport truck movement. The result is not only dangerous driving conditions but also damage to road infrastructure, interference with farm operations, and environmental degradation from noise, air pollution, and runoff. While at one time before the construction of the Abbotsford Airport, 16th Avenue was seen as a key link to the east – those needs are past and there is far more societal value in maintaining the rural nature of this jewel of the Fraser Valley. Farming, wineries, parks/trails and similar are NOT compatible with transport truck traffic.

One of the more frustrating items is that this heavy truck traffic is not even currently necessary from any logistical perspective. Trucks entering from the United States heading toward key industrial areas like Campbell Heights, the Port of Vancouver, DeltaPort, or other western destinations have clear, efficient routes available via Highway 15 (176th Street) and then onto Highway 99 or Fraser Highway or to Highway 1. Those needing to travel eastward to North Langley, Abbotsford, or beyond can use the Aldergrove crossing at 264th Street, with quick access to both the soon-to-be four-laned Fraser Highway and the widened Trans-Canada Highway 1. There is no functional need for non-local commercial truck traffic along the rural stretch of 16th Avenue except in cases of local delivery. The only reason these trucks are appearing in such volume is because of the proliferation of illegal or non-compliant truck depots established along the 16th Avenue corridor in South Langley. At a minimum, action at the Municipal and/or Provincial level to restrict 16th Avenue to local deliveries only between 264th and 192nd is both logical and a large step towards addressing many of the key concerns.

Environmental Threats: The Impact of Tire Wear Particles on Salmon Populations

Beyond the immediate concerns of land use and traffic safety, recent scientific research has highlighted a pressing environmental issue associated with increased truck traffic: the release of toxic tire wear particles into nearby waterways. As vehicles travel, especially heavy trucks, their tires shed microscopic particles containing a chemical known as 6PPD. When 6PPD reacts with ozone in the atmosphere, it transforms into 6PPD-quinone, a compound identified as highly toxic to aquatic life.

Studies have demonstrated that 6PPD-quinone is acutely lethal to coho salmon, causing mortality at concentrations as low as 0.1 parts per billion. This compound has been linked to significant declines in salmon populations in urban streams, with coho salmon being particularly vulnerable. The chemical enters waterways primarily through stormwater runoff, especially from roads with heavy vehicular traffic.

The Little Campbell River, which crosses 16th Avenue twice between approximately 204th and 192nd Streets, is a critical habitat for various salmon species, including coho, chinook, chum, and steelhead, as well as cutthroat trout. The increased truck traffic along this corridor raises concerns about the introduction of 6PPD-quinone into the river system, threatening the health and survival of these fish populations. The river's watershed, encompassing parts of both Langley and Surrey, is already under pressure from urban and industrial development, and the addition of toxic pollutants exacerbates the challenges faced by local ecosystems.

Environmental Threats: Random Fills

The majority of the depot/parks for transport trucks that have cropped up in the watershed and adjacent areas have imported many types of fills from unknown sources but more than likely the least expensive alternatives like demolition sites etc. which are often contaminated. As fill placement on agricultural land is a regulated activity, records of filling applications and approvals are available publicly and these records show that almost none of the fill being placed on the ground for these depots/parking lots are permitted. The legacy impact to the soil and likely sterilization from agricultural activity in the future is obvious. Less obvious is many of these locations drain into fish bearing streams and rivers, like the Little Campbell, so leaching and runoff from these fills including the truck wash and fuel/oil contaminated runoff is being introduced in companionship with the tire dust.

Safety Concerns: Rural and Transport Trucks Don’t Mix

Study after study finds the number of trucks unnecessarily using rural corridors (e.g. they are not local deliveries) is far in excess than acceptable. In particular, 16th Avenue which is the lifeblood of the South Langley rural community, has had in excess of 50 accidents along the corridor each year with a fatal accident roughly every other year with transport trucks playing an inordinately large role in these events. ICBC’s statistics show the route averages above 15% truck traffic whereas typical for the nature of road and location should be a number roughly ¼ or lower of that value. Most frustrating in this regard that proper routes with designed and constructed conditions for such trucks exist along belong Fraser Highway (Highway 10), Highway 15 (176th), Highway 13 (264th) and Highway No. 1. In compare 16th Avenue, officially a rural road, has many vehicles inclusive of livestock trailers, field equipment and the movement of soils/animal feeds that all occur at/below posted speed limits (which are appropriate for such rural routes). These essential agricultural uses of these roads are at odds with the extreme rates of transport truck, dump truck and tandem truck usage. While there is likely the rural routes are used by some as “shortcuts” for the trucks, though that seems make little sense when you compare distances, they are also part of their “route” when the end of their trip if they are parking on ALR/agricultural land is right along the corridor. Remove the illegal and illogical parking and the amount of fast, unsafe truck activity will commensurately decline.

Economic Chaos: Death of the Viable Farming and Farm-Based Businesses

Impacts on small family business development. For example, Eco and Agri-tourism businesses, and working farms in this area, are dependent on clean air, water and rural roadways for their success. The pollution, noise, safety concerns and overall dichotomy of having trucking depots alongside, for example. an organic farm, or winery, is obvious. Southwest Langley Township is a rural jewel of family farms uniquely located within 45 minutes of one of the world’s most visited cities in Vancouver. In particular, this area of the Township is where eco and agri-tourism are, or attempting to, establish alongside family farms many farmstands and similar that provide foods for the ‘100 mile’ meal trend. Local and international tourism is drawn to the open spaces, the boutique farm businesses, the quiet and the ability to enjoy a natural setting that includes a rich biodiversity and salmon-bearing rivers. This is incompatible with trucking businesses setting up shops on agricultural land, with large trucks dominating the rural roads where farmers are moving livestock, operating farm vehicles and equestrians regularly using rural roads for access to trails.

Dramatically altering the land value to the point where the economics of farming become unfeasible and threatens our local food security and destroys family run businesses. Land values are being altered by more than an order of magnitude – not simply doubling or tripling – due to speculative buying of agricultural land with the not-so-hidden agenda of pursuing truck parking/depot activities. The clear example of Campbell Heights in Surrey and areas nearby are more than sufficient evidence of what happens when this occurs.

Less obvious economic impacts include unfairness for those transport truck owners and businesses that follow the rules and pay commercial rates for parking their trucks. Those locations pay their business taxes to the municipal governments in the region. When these “illegal” depots are established, there is no taxation revenue for local government; as none of these agricultural parking depots are licenced for such, there are no such payments and most often no actual business within the Township/Municipality other than the illegal parking.

Conclusion: The Need for Sustainable Solutions

Addressing the conflict between the need for truck parking and the preservation of agricultural land requires a multifaceted approach:

Development of Designated Truck Parking Facilities: Both municipalities should invest in creating appropriate infrastructure to meet the needs of the trucking industry without compromising agricultural land. These depots should be directly adjacent to major transport routes like Highway 1, Highway 99 and Fraser Highway.
Policy Enforcement and Incentives: Strengthening enforcement of existing regulations while providing incentives for compliance can deter unauthorized land use. This has to include the Province and, commensurately, the ALC.
Regional Collaboration: Engaging with provincial authorities and neighboring municipalities can lead to comprehensive strategies that balance economic and environmental interests.

By prioritizing the protection of agricultural land and the health of local waterways, Langley and Surrey can uphold their environmental commitments and ensure long-term food security, and all the other tangible and economic benefits, for their communities and the entire region.