Duress DVP application due Sept 30, 2026

First and foremost, we want to sincerely and wholeheartedly thank every person who has supported S&L Acres through this difficult time. Your messages, encouragement, signatures and continued support mean more to us than we can put into words. ❤️

It has certainly been a time.

We have spent months responding to complaints and submitting paperwork regarding our small farm, including concerns surrounding our goat house and chicken coop. These structures have been located where they are for years, intentionally positioned away from our neighbours to minimize any impact on them.

We take our responsibilities as farmers seriously. We practice responsible farming, keep our property maintained, do not maintain a manure pile, and do not feed our animals near the property line or anywhere close to our neighbouring property. We have worked very hard to be responsible stewards of our five acres, our animals and our community.

We are now under significant pressure to submit a revised site plan as part of the DVP process, relocating our animal structures to the only remaining area on our property where they could physically be placed — directly within the potential strike zone of a large, declining tree on the neighbouring property.

That is something we simply cannot ignore.

The tree has continued to deteriorate. Its canopy began showing significant signs of decline in June, there are now additional dead and dying branches, and the tree has shifted again. It is resting against and damaging the top rail of our fence. When there is even moderate wind, we avoid using that portion of our property because we are genuinely concerned about the possibility of the tree failing.

We have experienced the consequences of a similar situation before. A large leaning tree on our own property came down unexpectedly several years ago, destroying our front fence. Thankfully, nobody was hurt.

We cannot knowingly place our animals — or ourselves — underneath another foreseeable hazard.

The difficult part is that this is the only area we have been told the structures can be relocated without undertaking an estimated $15,000–$25,000 geotechnical investigation, followed by potentially thousands of dollars more in legal and other costs associated with changing the existing covenant for the possibility of the structures to remain where they are.

For two small animal shelters whose purpose is simply to protect our chickens and goats overnight from predators, these costs are simply beyond what our little farm can reasonably absorb.

Yet these structures matter. Our chickens lay their eggs in their coop, and our goats use their shelters when they have their babies. These are not unnecessary structures; they are part of the basic operation and care of our animals.

We have been explaining this throughout the process. We have also been advised that the DVP application requires us to submit a revised site plan showing the structures in this location, despite the foreseeable hazard presented by the neighbouring tree. We have been told that the Regional District will not assume liability should the tree fail, while we have not been able to resolve the underlying hazard with the neighbouring property.

At the same time, we have been facing the pressure of enforcement and potential daily fines while trying to find a safe and reasonable solution.

We are therefore preparing the required application under duress, while also bringing our circumstances forward to the Director and explaining why we believe this situation creates an undue hardship for our farm.

We have tried so hard to keep S&L Acres going.

This little farm is our livelihood, our retirement dream, and something we have poured years of work, care and love into. We have loyal customers, wonderful supporters and a community that has continued to stand behind us. It breaks our hearts that we have been placed in this position.

This is why your signatures mean so much to us.

We currently have 302 signatures, and we will be taking those forward for consideration by the Board along with the circumstances surrounding our application.

We are not asking for anything unreasonable. If the hazardous tree were removed, we could relocate and rebuild the structures safely and move forward.

We simply want the opportunity to protect our animals, operate our small farm responsibly, and find a safe and reasonable solution.

To every person who has signed, shared our story, purchased from us, sent a message, or simply stood behind S&L Acres — thank you.

We truly could not do this without you. ❤️

Shar & Lee

S&L Acres