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Required and Recommended Documents for an Application

Additional documents may be required for your application. Most applications will require a Certificate of Title, a Proposal Sketch, and a Primary Contact authorization form. It is important to collect all of your supporting documentation prior to submitting an application. Information about each type of document can be found below.

Primary Contact

Primary Contact Authorization – The primary contact becomes the single point of contact and must ensure that all landowners are notified of all information exchanged between the primary contact, local or First Nation government, and the ALC. 

Primary Contact authorization letter must be provided if:  

  • more than one individual owner is associated with the parcel(s); or 
  • the parcel(s) are owned by a private organization/corporation; or 
  • the parcel(s) are owned by a government (Crown, local government, treaty First Nation government); or 
  • the application is being submitted by a third-party agent; or the application is being submitted by local government or First Nation government staff.

    For privately owned Fee Simple parcels, the letter must be signed by all individual landowners and the majority of directors within the organization. For Crown parcels or Fee Simple parcels owned by a government, the letter must be signed by senior level staff. 

The ALC provides an Authorization Letter template for your convenience. If you have any questions/concerns, please contact the ALC Portal at ALC.Portal@gov.bc.ca or 236-468-3342. 

Certificate of Title

You must upload a recent copy (not older than one year) of the certificate of title for each property under application that has a title. Note that many Crown land parcels do not have a certificate of title.

Visit BC Land Title & Survey to obtain a recent copy (not older than 1 year) of the Certificate of Title.

There are different types of applications that can be submitted to the ALC. Choose an application type below to learn more about the additional documents that may be required for each proposal type.

Required NARU Documents

Site Plan/Proposal Sketch – A visual representation of your proposal.

Your site plan/proposal sketch may be prepared by yourself or a qualified professional. The site plan should show the proposed location of the new residence, as well as any existing or proposed buildings or structures. It must show clear and accurate measurements of proposal area(s). A description of the current property, farm operations, proposed future use of the property, and any other relevant information.

Click the following link to see a Sample Proposal Sketch.

Recommended Documents

Detailed Building Plan(s)

Building plans must be the most up to date, current version and include:

  • the total floor area of all levels (including attic) and their intended use;
  • interior floor plan and exterior views with measurements.  

Required NFU Documents

Site Plan/Proposal Sketch – A visual representation of your proposal.

Your site plan/proposal sketch may be prepared by yourself or a qualified professional. The site plan should show the proposed location and access for the proposed non-farm use, as well as any existing or proposed buildings or structures. It must show clear and accurate measurements of proposal area(s). A description of the current property uses, farm operations, proposed future use of the property should also be included.

Click the following link to see a Sample Proposal Sketch.

Required Subdivision Documents

Site Plan/Proposal Sketch – A visual representation of your proposal.

Your site plan/proposal sketch may be prepared by yourself or a qualified professional. The site plan should show the proposed lots and their proposed road/driveway access, as well as any existing buildings or structures. It must show clear and accurate measurements of proposal area(s). A description of the proposed lot sizes, current property uses, and any farm operations should also be included.

Click the following link to see a Sample Proposal Sketch.

If the subdivision application is being submitted under the ALC Homesite Severance Policy, the following documents are also required: 

Proof of Homesite Severance Qualification 

  • Proof of property ownership prior to December 21, 1972; and 
  • Proof of continued occupancy since December 21, 1972 

Required Inclusion Documents

Site Plan/Proposal Sketch – A visual representation of your proposal.

Your site plan/proposal sketch may be prepared by yourself or a qualified professional. It must show clear and accurate measurements of proposal area(s). The site plan should show any existing or proposed buildings or structures. A description of the current property uses, farm operations, and proposed future use of the property should also be included.

Click the following link to see a Sample Proposal Sketch.

Local Government/First Nation Government Initiated Inclusion – Additional Requirements

In addition to the general documents required for an application, inclusion applications initiated by a local government or First Nation government under s.17(1) of the ALC Act have additional requirements as per s.14 of the Agricultural Land Reserve General Regulation.

  • Posting notice of application, on a sign, on the land to which the application relates
    • Clear images that show the posted sign – one photo close up so the text is clear, and one or two photos from the road to show to location of the sign in relation to the property and the road access.
  • Proof of notice of the Public Hearing
    • Use an image or scan of the notice as posted in the newspaper – include the date of publishing in the image
  • A Report of the the Public Hearing
  • Sending a copy of the application to an adjacent local government or treaty first nation government if the land to which the application relates is located adjacent to a different local or treaty first nation government.

Required Transportation and Utility Use Documents

Site Plan/Proposal Sketch – A visual representation of your proposal.

Your site plan/proposal sketch may be prepared by yourself or a qualified professional. It must show clear and accurate measurements of proposal area(s). The site plan should also show any existing or proposed buildings or structures. A description of the current property uses, farm operations, and the proposed future use of the property should also be included.

Click the following link to see a Sample Proposal Sketch.

Advisory for Landowners in the ALR Brochure

You must serve a copy of the brochure “Advisory for Landowners in the ALR” to all registered owners of land in the ALR that are affected. It is the registered owner of the property that must be served the notice and this may not necessarily be the occupant.
 

Advisory for Landowners in the ALR Brochure 

Transportation and Utility Use Proof of Serving Notice

Once you have served the Advisory for Landowners in the ALR brochure, you must record the landowners you served the brochure to on the Serving Notice template.

Upload the completed Serving Notice Template to your application in the online Application Portal.
 

Transportation and Utility Use Proof of Serving Notice Template  (fillable PDF)

Required Soil or Fill Documents

Site Plan/Proposal Sketch – A visual representation of your proposal.

Your site plan/proposal sketch may be prepared by yourself or a qualified professional. It must show clear and accurate measurements of proposed areas and volumes of proposed fill placement or soil removal. The site plan should also show any existing or proposed buildings or structures. A description of the current farm operations, proposed future use of the property, and the reasons for the fill placement or soil removal should also be included. Site plans prepared by applicants may need to be validated by a qualified professional to address certain issues including agrology and geotechnical issues prior to approval of a notice or application by the Commission.

Click the following link to see a Sample Proposal Sketch.

Detailed Building Plan(s) – must be submitted if the proposal requires placing fill or removing soil for building a structure. 

Building plans must be the most up to date, current version and include:

  • the total floor area of all levels (including attic) and their intended use;
  • interior floor plan and exterior views with measurements.  

Cross Sections – must be submitted if the proposal is for area-wide filling, aggregate extraction, or placer mining.

Cross sections should include North-South and East-West cross sections and show existing and proposed ground contours, including the exact depth and slope of the proposed fill placement or soil removal along the east-west transect and the north-south transect. Cross-sectional details may need to be validated by a qualified professional to ensure certain issues are addressed including agrology and geotechnical issues prior to approval of a notice or application by the Commission.

Click the following link to see a Sample Cross Section.

Reclamation Plan – must be submitted if the proposal is for area-wide filling, aggregate extraction, or placer mining.

The Reclamation Plan should be completed by a qualified Professional Agrologist and contain the area’s agricultural capability assessment.

For more detailed information about what is required in technical reports, please review the Criteria for Technical Reports.

Exclusion Documents and Process

Exclusion applications may only be submitted by the Province, local governments, First Nation governments, and other prescribed bodies who own the land under application pursuant to s. 29(1)(a) of the ALC Act. However local governments and First Nation governments may also make exclusion applications for land they do not own within their jurisdiction pursuant to s. 29(1)(b) and (c) of the ALC Act.

To learn more about the process of submitting a local or First Nation government-initiated application or a prescribed body initiated application, please refer to the ALC’s Exclusion Application Guide.

Required Restrictive Covenant Documents

Note: This section refers to requests to register a restrictive covenant in the ALR. To request to remove a restrictive covenant or to satisfy a covenant condition of a previous ALC approval, please contact an ALC Land Use Planner in your region: Contact Us

Site Plan/Proposal Sketch – A visual representation of your proposal.

Your site plan/proposal sketch may be prepared by yourself or a qualified professional. It must show clear and accurate measurements of proposal area(s). The site plan should also show any existing or proposed buildings or structures. A description of the current property uses, farm operations, proposed future use of the property should also be included.

Click the following link to see a Sample Proposal Sketch.