A small farming group in British Columbia is elevating alarms about overseas possession of agricultural land, spurred by the acquisition of dozens of properties by an organization linked to American billionaires Bobby Patton Jr. and Mark Walter. The residents of Dunster, a group of about 240 individuals positioned north of Valemount, are calling for provincial restrictions on non-Canadian funding in agricultural land, arguing that such practices are hollowing out their group and impacting its future.
Billionaire Funding in Dunster
Since 2008, Fraser River Landholdings Ltd., an organization co-owned by Patton Jr. and Walter, has bought 25 properties in and round Dunster. These acquisitions, made by way of a Canadian-registered entity, embrace 16 properties, lots of which now stand vacant. Patton Jr. and Walter, co-owners of the Los Angeles Dodgers, reportedly held a mixed internet price exceeding $5 billion in 2020, a stark distinction to the typical family revenue of roughly $60,000 within the Dunster space. The corporate’s holdings now embody roughly 3,500 acres, with almost all of it located inside the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR).
The presence of safety cameras, locks, and gates on the newly acquired land has unsettled long-time residents who worth the world’s conventional sense of group and mutual belief. The corporate’s land accumulation started over a decade in the past, with important purchases famous by 2014, and continued with a latest acquisition final fall. This newest property, valued at $676,000, features a home and 139 acres.
Neighborhood Affect and Considerations
Lengthy-time residents Nancy Taylor and Loretta Simpson, who’ve lived within the Dunster space because the Nineteen Seventies, have witnessed the group’s inhabitants decline from an estimated 350 to 240. They attribute this demographic shift on to the quite a few vacant properties on properties acquired by Fraser River Landholdings. Taylor, a member of the Dunster Neighborhood Affiliation, expressed considerations in regards to the broader “ripple results” of those vacant properties.
“No individuals, no neighbours, no succession planning that is going to profit the group,” Taylor acknowledged. “When the one succession is Fraser River Landholdings shopping for locations, the group’s going to fully die.”
The dwindling inhabitants strains the capability of native organizations and group occasions, as many volunteers are getting older and fewer youthful residents can be found to step in. Simpson famous that roughly one-quarter of Dunster’s land is now owned by the corporate. The concern is that these purchases not solely outbid potential new residents but in addition result in land being held indefinitely, limiting alternatives for newcomers to determine themselves in the neighborhood.
Firm’s Perspective
Vince Lorenz, a Dunster resident concerned with Fraser River Companions, which arranges looking and wildlife viewing on the corporate’s properties, provided a unique perspective. He recommended that most of the acquired properties had been too costly for native consumers and had been in the marketplace for prolonged durations. Lorenz indicated that he wouldn’t oppose provincial restrictions on overseas farmland possession, as the corporate’s acquisition exercise within the space is minimal. He additionally countered claims that the land will not be being farmed, stating that some properties are used for hay manufacturing, supplying native residents or serving as bait for elk.
Broader Tendencies in Agricultural Land Possession
David Connell, a professor on the College of Northern British Columbia, hyperlinks the acceleration of speculative farmland purchases to the 2008 world monetary disaster. He explains that as conventional investments misplaced attraction, agricultural land emerged as a perceived safer, long-term funding. This course of, often known as financialization, has important penalties for farmers and society.
Connell highlighted that B.C. has a restricted quantity of farmable land, with solely a small fraction being extremely productive. Speculative possession, he argues, results in land consolidation and shifts possession to wealthier entities, driving up costs. Farmers face elevated debt burdens to accumulate land, making them extra weak to market fluctuations. These unable to buy might resort to short-term leases, hindering funding of their operations. Moreover, elevated competitors for farmland complicates the switch of land between multi-generational farming households.
Whereas overseas possession is usually cited, Connell emphasised that varied speculative consumers, together with Canadian people, personal firms, funding firms, and pension funds, are all contributing to the stress on B.C.’s agricultural land provide.
Requires Coverage Change in British Columbia
The Dunster Neighborhood Affiliation has discovered an ally in BC Inexperienced Occasion Chief Emily Lowan. Following discussions with the group and additional investigation, the Greens recognized comparable land acquisition patterns by rich overseas pursuits in different B.C. areas. In response, the get together launched a petition advocating for provincial restrictions on farmland possession by funding corporations and non-residents, and for municipal taxes on undeveloped, speculative farmland.
Lowan cited examples like Stan Kroenke, proprietor of the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche, who has acquired substantial ranchland in B.C. Whereas BC Evaluation reported just one % of B.C. farmland as foreign-owned, Lowan recommended the Inexperienced Occasion’s estimates point out the next determine, notably when contemplating giant holdings like these managed by Kroenke.
British Columbia is amongst 5 Canadian provinces with out express restrictions on overseas farmland possession, alongside Ontario, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. Dannielle Alan, a director for the Regional District of Fraser-Fort George representing Dunster, echoed the decision for stricter guidelines, stating that overseas pursuits are controlling important agricultural land with out benefiting native populations.
Earlier Suggestions and Present Stance
Requires limiting overseas farmland possession usually are not new. A 2018 panel appointed by the Ministry of Agriculture really helpful that the province contemplate insurance policies just like different Canadian jurisdictions, citing considerations about overseas consumers’ demand for restricted agricultural land and the long-term implications for B.C.’s agricultural trade. The panel famous resident worries about rising land costs and potential impacts on meals manufacturing safety and sustainability.
In 2024, the Union of BC Municipalities endorsed a decision supporting the 2018 suggestions and urging the province to limit overseas possession inside the ALR. The regional district has requested an replace on the province’s response to this decision.
A spokesperson for the provincial Ministry of Agriculture acknowledged considerations relating to land use and affordability inside the ALR, stating that land within the ALR needs to be utilized for farming to make sure meals safety. Nonetheless, the assertion didn’t element particular plans to limit overseas possession or shield farmland from company pursuits, as an alternative emphasizing adherence to present provincial legal guidelines and Agricultural Land Fee guidelines.
Potential Fashions and Complexities
Some provinces provide fashions for regulating overseas farmland possession. Alberta, as an example, limits overseas residents and firms to proudly owning as much as two parcels totaling 20 acres, with restrictions on firms with important overseas management. Quebec’s latest laws, enacted in March 2025, restricts overseas possession to 4 hectares and empowers its land fee to scrutinize purchases by non-farmers, requiring consumers to exhibit intent to work the land. Municipalities in Quebec may also tax agricultural land that’s not actively farmed.
Lenore Newman, director of the College of the Fraser Valley’s Meals and Agriculture Institute and a member of the 2018 B.C. panel, cautions that the problem is complicated. She factors to the worldwide acquisition of farmland by pension funds, which frequently have lengthy funding horizons and search modest, regular returns. Newman questions whether or not the main target ought to solely be on overseas possession, suggesting that the controversy additionally includes the capability of varied entities, together with Canadian funds, land trusts, and co-ops, to handle farms successfully. She stresses the necessity for provincial information to tell coverage selections.
The problem in accessing and verifying information on agricultural land possession complicates efforts to grasp the complete extent of the problem and the potential influence of coverage modifications. Regardless of these challenges, residents like these in Dunster proceed their advocacy, searching for to guard their group’s future and promote sustainable land use practices.
Advocacy Continues
Members of the Dunster Neighborhood Affiliation have reported progress of their advocacy efforts, noting that provincial officers have dedicated to reviewing land information to investigate possession developments and their group impacts. Rashmi Narayan, the group’s farm hub challenge co-ordinator, described this dedication as a major achievement.
Regardless of preliminary hesitations about being labeled as radical, residents like Simpson and Taylor stay dedicated to their trigger. “We’re making an attempt to guard our group and make modifications that everybody will profit from in the long run,” Taylor affirmed, underscoring their dedication to fostering optimistic change for the good thing about all.
