Watershed moment for Kings County council

No seats will be hotter than those in the Kings County council chambers Tuesday night.

That’s when councillors will vote on whether or not to add approximately 200 acres of prime agricultural farmland to the Port Williams growth centre for residential development.

This has been a thorny issue for council pretty much from the get-go, with citizens weighing in on both sides. A lot has been said: some of it acrimonious, most of it constructive.

My guess is council would’ve preferred to dodge this particular bullet prior to the municipal election in October, but some issues just won’t go away and I’ll be honest; councillors have had plenty of time to frame up policy on the disposition of agricultural land prior to Tuesday’s vote.

The matter has been on the table time and again as the county experiences unprecedented growth and development, yet council has been reluctant to draw a line and delineate the extent to which farmland development will be allowed. Seems now they have no choice.

To compound the pressure, a local activist agency, Concerned Citizens of Kings County, has organized a rally for farmers and land Tuesday as well. They’ll meet in the parking lot behind the municipal building at around 5 p.m., walk from there around Kentville and then gather in front of council chambers prior to the 6 p.m. regular meeting.

The issue for them is the matter of food security locally and global competition for decreasing resources. They suggest that council should vote to protect Kings County farmers and farmland to ensure food for future generations.

A further complication for council is a report on “Land Capacity in Nova Scotia” authored by Jennifer Scott, released last week by GPI Atlantic, which asks the question: Does Nova Scotia have sufficient, fertile, good quality farmland to feed itself?

Doesn’t that just about sum things up? The food or fuel debate is lively and won’t go away anytime soon, and it’s clear that with the increase in gas prices and higher transportation costs, the price of food will go up.

And if it costs more to feed ourselves, it’s reasonable to reduce our dependence on imported foods and concentrate more intently on what’s available locally. In other words, take care of our own business, which I suppose is the clarion call of the ‘Buy Local’ campaign

Indeed, if we foster the ability to grow quality food right here in our own backyard, two things are likely. We will be able to feed ourselves, first of all, and enjoy also the economic windfall that comes from everyone else knocking on our door for the goods we have in abundance.

The discussion is complex and I’m sure the decision will be difficult. I don’t envy councillors their decision. It is in many ways a no-win because opinion is so polarized on the matter that whichever way they go, there will be criticism.

Ultimately, a precedent will be set that could shape the future of farmland and development in Kings County. Tuesday’s decision is a watershed moment for this council and we wait with great anticipation the outcome of the vote.