Conflicts between cyclists and farmers on the Boundary Bay levee increase

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A Delta farmer wants the city to build a bike path next to the Boundary Bay levee to reduce conflict between farmers and cyclists after a man blocked his fields for nearly an hour.

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Brent Kelly said he was driving a crop sprayer from his farm to a potato field only accessible by a levee on Sunday when an approaching bicyclist refused to let him pass.

When the two confronted each other, Kelly said the bicyclist told him to get out of the way and he “parked his bike in the middle of the (dam).”

The standoff was resolved nearly an hour later when another bicyclist arrived on the scene and convinced the man to step aside.

Farmers driving tractors and other farm equipment have the primary right-of-way on the levee, with at least 10 signs reminding users of the levee at various junctions along the route, including access points.

Kelly said he tries to stay on the north side of the levee to avoid blowing dust on people he passes, but the route is narrow and large rocks on the edge prevent him from moving much.

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As he was standing still on Sunday, a team of five farmworkers was waiting for him to start laying irrigation pipes.

“They couldn’t do what they had to do until I got there,” he said. “So we were all waiting for this man.”

Kelly, whose grandfather helped build the original Boundary Bay levee, said he’s used to people making rude gestures or looking at him when a tractor passes, but the problem is getting worse. He feels that people don’t understand why he is driving on the levee or how it benefits them.

“It’s not for fun. We’re not there to ruin someone’s bike ride. We are trying to grow good local food for the people,” she said.

Delta South MLA Ian Paton said his family grazed cattle on the original grass levee before the federal government expropriated the land to raise and widen it in the 1970s, creating a gravel road for farm vehicles. It remains an important way for farmers to get between their fields, keeping them off busy roads like the 10 Freeway.

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When Metro Vancouver created Boundary Bay Regional Park, farmers raised concerns about potential conflict.

“Some people are happy to greet a tractor or truck carrying a load of potatoes, but others find it disturbing,” Paton said. “I really don’t know the answer, but people need to understand that these farmers are growing food to feed people.”

As he travels down the levee, he is surrounded by fields growing a rich variety of crops, including vegetables and blueberries, he said: “I think there is a lack of awareness of how difficult it is for farmers to do what they do.”

Kelly said farmers using some of Delta’s other levees, including Westham Island and Brunswick Point, are also reporting increased conflicts. Some of his neighbors try to avoid using the levee on the weekends when more people walk and bike, but farming has “restricted times” and that is not always possible. Sometimes he has to go back and forth between the farm and the field 30 times a day.

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The City of Delta has been helpful in trying to address concerns, but other levels of government need to “do their part,” he said. The creation of a designated bike lane along the beach could help reduce conflicts.

In an emailed statement, Metro spokeswoman Jen Saltman said the regional district installed six “Share the Trail” signs along the levee in locations where agricultural and recreational users are most likely to be.

Delta also installed four “Agricultural Vehicles Have Right of Way” signs near levee access points at the foot of 64th Avenue, 72nd Avenue, 104th Avenue and 112th Avenue.

The Boundary Bay Regional Park website also notes that trail users must allow agricultural vehicles to pass.

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