Coombs/Errington RDN candidate Rick Ethier has what seems to be an ambitious idea.
Ethier said he wants to turn the region into a “single family farm community. I have a plan that uses education as the vehicle that will create jobs and produce energy efficient homes through a family farm initiative,” he told The NEWS Friday. He plans on doing this by introducing sustainable agriculture and aquaculture farming programs to the area.
He explains the “farm-to-the-fork school of organic nutrition is a non profit school that has a mandate to implement organic technologies that will generate sustainable growth for communities on Vancouver Island.”
Ethier’s election pamphlet describes his vision as “to inspire communities to develop food centers that offer hands on training and technical assistance in sustainable agriculture.”
According to Ethier’s election pamphlet, “the program produces food through a true organic growing process. The system utilizes greenhouse farming to optimize the natural organic reproduction of soil, red worms, plants and fish. The greenhouse heat is controlled through the temperature of the water in the aqua-ponic system.”
“The aqua-ponic program will teach how to grow tilapia and yellow perch. The fish need water temperatures of 78 to 86 degrees. These temperatures produce a moisturized growing environment that creates optimal plant and fish growth.”
According to Ethier, eight programs will be offered for a fee and graduates who complete all programs will have the opportunity to purchase a single family farm.
Ethier said “sustainability” is a big part of his election campaign — and promoting this program is the main reason for his candidacy. Ethier said he has no complaints about the area’s current director.
He said “reducing carbon consumption” is part of the reason he decided to run. Ethier alleges carbon dioxide emissions are responsible for “the rapid warming of the atmosphere” leading to hurricanes, twisters, flooding, droughts and mud slides.
While incumbent director Julian Fell said he “applauds his (Ethier’s) good intentions,” Fell questioned how realistic it would be to put into practice.
“The biggest impediment to Mr. Ethier’s vision is the ALR which prevents the formation of lots that are small enough to be affordable for persons wanting to grow their own food by intensive practices in small greenhouses,” Fell told The NEWS. “I have been harping about this for years.”
Fell criticized Ethier’s “blind acceptance of the greenhouse gas warmest hype and hyperbole blaming carbon dioxide for all the world’s problems and climate fluctuations.”
He said there is “solid evidence” to the contrary noting “I am not a denier, I am a refuter of the carbon dioxide hype sophistry.”
Fell said becoming RDN director would not enable Ethier to implement his vision.
“The legislation required would have to be made in Victoria and Ottawa,” he said. “There is no shortage of people that want to farm on small lots. The problem is a shortage of affordable small lots for this use.”
