July 31, 2006
Every summer there are a number of popular events that take place in downtown Victoria: the Folkfest, the Jazzfest, the Pride Parade and festival - to name just a few. These events are part of what makes the city buzz with excitement and activity during the summer. I have to admit, it can be fun to be a part of that, but it's a different kind of festival that I really look forward to every year... a ritual end-of-summer activity that takes place at various locations around the region - the Fall Fair. Be it the renowned Saanich Fall Fair out on the peninsula or the much smaller Luxton Fall Fair across the road from my house, these events mark the passing of summer in very genuine and long cherished ways. They aren't hip, like the downtown festivals, but they remain so integral to our communities because they embrace our rural and agricultural reality in the very midst of our modern existence.
For many of us, our day-to-day reality involves things like getting our groceries from the supermarket. Fall Fairs subtly remind us that this wasn't always the case - and it needn't be the case today, in all and every instance. Knowing "where" our food comes from is increasingly important as we face a future that could include scarcity and high cost imported food. Ensuring the means for the continuation of local food production is an extremely important issue, linked to our health and well-being. It's an issue worth standing up for, which is why in the Legislature this past year my colleagues and I took the government to task over the way they've been managing the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR). The ALR was created in 1974 to protect quality farmland from rapacious development, but under the Campbell government more agricultural land has been removed from the ALR for private development and private interests than ever before. Removing land from the reserve is of such great concern because once agricultural capacity is gone it simply cannot be regained. We need to aggressively protect our farmland.
I will continue to fight that fight in the House, because I believe in the value of the ALR and the importance of supporting local farmers. The only kind of fight you'll see at any given Fall Fair, however, is the friendly competition between the many and various exhibitors all vying for the judges favour. Who has the biggest zucchinis this year; the best tasting baked goods or preserves; the cutest bunny; the grandest quilt; the sleekest, fastest horse in the barrel racing competition? The Pet Parade at the Sooke Fall Fair, for example, has got to be one of the best of its kind. There may be prizes for the best decorated pet, and such, but everyone in the parade is a winner in my books.
People of all ages have been taking part in local Fall Fairs for generations now. By being part of this time-honoured event they are doing the very important work of promoting the value of agriculture in an increasingly urban environment - while those of us enjoying the show are doing our part by celebrating it! Sure, the kids love the buzz of the midway and the cotton candy, but take a moment to remind yourself and talk with your family about how special this annual event really is. Let them know that our past is rooted in the Fall Fair and our future is dependant on the values expressed here.
