The end of the practice of a British company purchasing agricultural land in the North Cariboo to plant trees for carbon credits is particularly satisfying for the Liberal MLA for Cariboo North.
Coralee Oakes says it was a file that hit close to home…
“We certainly worked really closely on this file and I want to thank all of the people that came and dropped off letters in my office and my own family members.”
“The thing that became really clear to me last fall is  I went out with my grandmother and grandfather and a  lot of the properties  that over the years different family members have and just starting to look at different areas and to bring that to the Minister.”
Oakes confirms that her government called this company which then voluntarily ended it.
She says it was not a loophole, however.
“The challenge was the company didn’t realize it had to go the ALR.”
“If it’s intention was to have a 100-year lease, which the company was inquiring in order to get carbon credits in Europe; they had to go the ALR.”
“Through this process, we’ve been able to articulate that better.”
Oakes says real estate companies have now also been informed of this.
(Files from George Henderson)