ALR Block Exclusion (2025)

OVERVIEW

The Town of Osoyoos contains approximately 326.7 hectares of lands within the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). While 138.24 hectares of the ALR land base is designated as Agriculture under the Town of Osoyoos Official Community Plan (OCP) Bylaw No. 1375, 2021, a majority of the ALR land base has been designated for non-agricultural land uses.

In reviewing the ALR lands within the Town’s municipal boundaries, 176.45 hectares of land within 62 parcels were identified as:

• having non-agricultural land use designations under the Town of Osoyoos OCP Bylaw No. 1375, 2021; and/or
• being historically or currently not being used for agricultural purposes.

Agricultural Land Commission & Agricultural Land Reserve

Lands within the ALR are subject to the Agricultural Land Commission Act, Agricultural Land Reserve Use Regulation, and Agricultural Land Reserve General Regulation.

Subdivision and the undertaking of non-farm uses on ALR lands generally requires the approval of the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC).

The Agricultural Land Reserve Use Regulation specifies the land uses which are permitted within the ALR, and any non-farm use which is not explicitly permitted within the ALR would require the submission of an application to the ALC, and subsequent approval, in order to be carried out on a parcel of land. 

In this regard, although a property may be zoned for non-agricultural purposes, and a use may be permitted within a particular zone as specified under the Town of Osoyoos Zoning Bylaw No. 1395, 2024, if the use is not permitted within the ALR per the ALR Use Regulation, the property owner would require ALC approval to undertake that use. 

For more information on the ALC and ALR, please visit: https://www.alc.gov.bc.ca/

PROPOSAL

It is being proposed that the Town of Osoyoos submit an application to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) to exclude approximately 176.45 hectares of lands within 62 properties from the ALR.

The primary goal of the proposed exclusion of the subject lands from the ALR is to provide clearer direction to and remove unnecessary administrative burdens from property owners which may unknowingly own or acquire non-agricultural ALR parcels within the Town.

A list and map of the properties proposed for exclusion can be found below.

PROJECT STATUS