Gerard and Cora Aucoin have been pretty distraught since receiving three orders by registered mail for the removal of fencing, signs, two sheds and all livestock and animals from their farm in Kippens.
The couple was ordered on March 14 to have all this done by April 20 and the Aucoins are at a loss to understand why, especially being ordered to get rid of their livestock.
“It’s a big mess and they’ve (Kippens council) got to clean it up. The two of us have been through hell and back since we got the orders,” Gerard said.
He said their seven-acre parcel of land has been in his family for more than 200 years, and he has been farming there for the past 20 years. He and Cora have lived there full time for the past 11 years, he added.
The couple doesn’t know why on their tax bill for many years they’ve been zoned recreational/agricultural control property and then on their 2017 tax bill it was changed to residential general.
Mayor Debbie Brake Patten said she is looking into the matter, that the property hasn’t been rezoned and council has known there was a farm there for some time.
She said an emergency meeting of Kippens town council will soon be held to rescind the motion regarding the orders that were put forward.
Brake Patten said the orders on the Aucoin property were never discussed by town council, and council relied on information provided by its legal counsel.
She said once the orders are rescinded the matter is out of the council’s hands and being looked at by the Farm Industry Review Board, which will see if the Aucoin property is deemed a farm.
Brake Patten said once that review is complete it will come back to council to be dealt with.
“We have to make sure to work together to ensure that all the parties are happy,” she said.
Brake Patten said with residential development down in their municipality, the town needs to diversify and that’s why a further strategic planning session is being planned for council members, landowners and potential developers.
At 55 years of age and his wife being 58, Aucoin said, all they want is to get on with their lives the way they were.
“We want our God-given right to keep livestock on agriculture land. We’re both animal lovers and want to live raising livestock,” he said.