Gunfire, helicopters and bright lights are the stuff of action movies
shot on location in South Langley.
But they are interfering not only with the peace and quiet
of farms and large homes, they are also impacting thousands of
chickens on one farmer’s property.
And now the Agricultural Land Commission has become
involved because the owners of the large property where filming
is taking place has allegedly contravened the Agricultural Land
Commission Act.
On Monday, neighbour Monica Fitzl appeared before Township
council asking for filming to cease at one of Langley’s biggest
houses. Known at Copperstone, the house at 21122 – 12 Ave. is
owned by Roslyn Ritchie-Derrien. Monica and Willy Fitzl run Second
Nature Farm, an organic chicken operation that is growing,
but which, Monica Fitzl said, “is deeply affected” by filming.
She said that bright lights shine directly on her two poultry
barns, and helicopters are flying at night when the chickens
go to bed. Fifty per cent of filming happens at night and
goes through to the early morning, she added.
The same filming vs. farming conflict came before council
in 2007, ending in a mediated agreement. “But that agreement
has not meant anything to anyone,” Fitzl told council.
The Township’s guidelines, she said, are not being met. “We’ve
always been opposed,” Fitzl told council.
“We try to work with our neighbours as best as we can . . .
it’s one of the neighbourly things to do and one of the Commandments.”
She said she was “absolutely not” opposed to filming in Langley.
“I’m opposed to it when it’s in the ALR.”
On Monday, the same day that Fitzl asked council to halt filming,
the land commission wrote to Ritchie-Derrien giving her
until June 30 to show how she will comply with the Act.
In his May 30 letter, ALC compliance and enforcement officer
Ron MacLeod told Ritchie-Derrien that allowing movie
people “to occupy and conduct non-farm activities” without
ALC authorization, and placing “a large volume of gravel” on
her property contravene the ALC Act.
Council left the issue to ALC and the property owner to
resolve.
In 2007, another neighbour told council that when filming
began several years ago, the residents thought it was “nice and
novel.”
But it didn’t take long before the thrill was gone, prompting
the resident to say that filming created a “a horrible, horrible
situation” that has increasingly deteriorated.
