Re: Caught between a cow and a hard place (News, March 27)
My brother and I grew up on Glendenning Road in the 1950s and ’60s, and our backyard joined the side of the Alberg farm. This was before a piece of their property was splintered off to allow a house to be built for a new family.
We used to feed the cows through the wire fence. Florence Alberg used to babysit us. Besides the Albergs, other neighbours had various agricultural enterprises -- it was a rural, agricultural area.
There is nothing new about the Albergs having cows. If they have to have them again, because they aren’t being allowed to leave the ALR, they should not be criticized -- what else does one do with agricultural land except use it for that purpose?
As to the neighbours being upset because the Albergs are simply using the land as they must -- it reminds me of the folks who protested because they bought houses beside the SPCA and the barking dogs disturbed them.
If you purchase a property next to something like a farm or the SPCA or a shopping centre or whatever, you know what you are getting into -- no one forces you to buy there. Surely all the neighbours didn’t just assume that the Alberg land was a “done deal” for being turned into a subdivision.
Until the land is definitely rezoned they should have realized that there were no guarantees and that it could be used for any agricultural purpose.
The neighbours should just be glad that the Albergs didn't decide to use their land for pigs.
Michele Crover
Saanich