Welcome to the Alberta Food System Policy Database

Portable Food Service

Portable food service from a vending cart is a permitted use in any commercial, public or industrial zone provided that the vending cart is: (a) capable of being moved on its own wheels without alteration or preparation; and (b) fully self-contained with no service connection except electrical connections.

Uses Permitted - General

...(c) Commercial fruit, vegetable and plant production are permitted uses in the following zones: RE-1, R-1, R-1A, R-1B, R-1C, R-2, R-2A, R-3, RM-1, RM-2, RM-3 and RM-4.

urban agriculture;

food production;

livetock;

urban chickens;

Keeping of Livestock

(a) Keeping of livestock is permitted only in the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones, except for the keeping of horses in conjunction with a riding academy in the RR – 1 zone.

(b) Livestock may only be kept on a lot of at least 0.4 hectares.

(c) Only 1 large animal (over 25kg) may be kept for each 0.4 hectares of land.

(d) Only 10 small animals (under 25kg) may be kept for each 0.4 hectares of land.

(e) The keeping of swine and mink are not permitted.

(f) All buildings housing livestock must be kept a minimum of 15 metres from property boundaries. A 30 metre minimum setback is required if the adjacent property is zoned for residential use.

(g) This section does not apply to keeping household pets.

(h) This section does not apply to properties within the Agricultural Land Reserve.

(i) Notwithstanding 4.18(a) through (f) within the Quinsam area, as defined by the attached Appendix 3: Quinsam Livestock Boundary to bylaw 3250, 2006, keeping of animals within ancillary buildings and fully fenced areas is permitted on properties with a minimum lot size of 0.4 hectares (1 acre) as follows: one horse, one goat, one sheep and 10 chickens (restricted to hens) per acre of land is permitted.

(j) On each property within the Quinsam area the maximum building foot print for ancillary buildings housing livestock shall be 175 square metres (1884 square feet) measured to the outer limits of the building wall with a maximum building height of 6 metres (20 ft). All such buildings must be setback a minimum of 15m from property lines.

(k) Notwithstanding 4.18 (a) through (j), the keeping of Hens within ancillary buildings and fully fenced areas is permitted on properties in all Residential Zones and the Public Areas-1 Zones provided that they comply with urban hen regulations in the Animal Control Bylaw.

(l) Notwithstanding 4.18 (b), the keeping of Hens within ancillary buildings and fully fenced areas is permitted on rural properties less than 0.4 hectares (1 acre) provided that they comply with urban hen regulations in the Animal Control Bylaw.

urban agriculture;

food production;

urban chickens;

livestock;

Urban Hens

5.1 Urban Hen Licensing:

a. A Hen Owner must obtain a licence from the City to keep Hens. This process includes: (i) Completing and submitting a licence form prescribed by the City; and (ii) Paying a one-time fee for obtaining a Hen Owner’s licence as prescribed in Schedule “A”.

b. The licence is not transferable to another person or property.

c. There shall be no more than one Hen Owner per property.

5.2 Urban Hen Exemptions

a. Properties located within the RU-1, RU-2 and RU-3 zones are not subject to sections 5.1 (a), (b), (c), 5.3(a), (b), (c), (d), (e), (f), (k), (n), (q), (t), (v), (w), and (x) of this bylaw.

b. Properties located within the Quinsam Livestock Boundary that are 0.4 hectares (1 acre) or larger are not subject to sections 5.1 (a), (b), (c), 5.3 (c), (e), (f), (k), (n), and (t) of this bylaw.

c. RU-1, RU-2, RU-3 zone properties and properties in the Quinsam Livestock Boundary that are 0.4 hectares or larger may have up to ten (10) Hens per 0.4 hectares.

5.3 Uran Hen Regulations A Hen Owner shall:

a. only keep Hens on property zoned for residential use or as Public Areas 1 (PA-1) in the Zoning Bylaw;

b. be a resident of the property where the Hens are kept;

c. keep no more than six (6) Hens on any property;

d. not keep a Rooster

 e. ensure that all Hens are kept within a secure Coop from sunset to 7:00 a.m.;

f. ensure that each Hen remains at all times in a Coop or Pen

 g. not permit a Hen within a residential dwelling unit or on a balcony or deck;

h. provide a Coop and a Pen each with a minimum of 0.37m2 in floor area and 0.92m in height per Hen;

i. provide each Hen with its own nesting box and perch;

j. not keep a Hen in a cage unless for the purposes of transport of the Hen;

k. ensure Coops and Pens do not exceed 10m2 floor area or 3m in height;

l. ensure Coops and Pens are situated within the appropriate areas on the property in accordance with the ancillary buildings requirements in the City’s Zoning Bylaw;...

See document for additional regulations related to keeping urban hens.

part 5;

Home‐Based Businesses

...xi. In the case of home‐based businesses in the Agricultural Land Reserve, be limited to a floor area of 100 sq m...

Additional Farm House  

An additional farm house shall be permitted in the A‐1 and A‐2 zones subject to the following conditions:

a) The farm operation within which the lot on which the additional farm house is located is no less than 8 ha in total area, and all of the lots comprising the farm operation are contiguous.

b) The lot upon which the additional farm house is located is within the Agricultural Land Reserve and classified as a “farm” under the Assessment Act.

c) The additional farm house contains only one dwelling unit provided the total number of dwelling units, excluding migrant farm‐worker housing, does not exceed two dwelling units per farm operation.

d) Despite subsection 5.9 c), where the farm operation is greater than 40 ha in area, two additional farm houses may be located on a lot, provided that the total number of dwelling units, excluding migrant farm‐worker housing, does not exceed three dwelling units per farm operation....See document for additional regulations for additional farm house.

Migrant Farm‐Worker Housing

a) The accommodation of migrant farm workers shall only be permitted on lots within the Agricultural Land Reserve if the following conditions are met:

i. The lot upon which the accommodation is located is classified as a “farm” under the Assessment Act and is primarily used for berry or horticultural operations.

ii. The farm operation on which the migrant farm workers are employed has an area of at least 8 ha and all of the lots comprising the farm operation are contiguous.

iii. The accommodation is located on a lot with an area of at least 4.05 ha.

iv. The accommodation is located on a lot that is serviced by a public road and has adequate services and utilities to support the accommodation....See document for additional regulation for migrant farm worker housing.

Farm Retail Sales and Winery / Brewery / Distillery / Meadery or Cider Lounges  

a) The total combined indoor and outdoor retail sales area for farm retail sales shall not exceed 300 sq m where all of the products offered for sale are not produced on the farm operation on which the retail sales are taking place and at least 50% of any retail sales area must be used for the sale of farm products produced on the farm operation on which the retail sales are taking place....See document for additional regulations for far mertail sales and winery/brewery/distillery/meadery/cidery lounges.

Keeping of Swine 

The keeping of swine

a) shall not be conducted on a lot with an area of less than 16.0 ha;

b) shall not be conducted unless a manure storage facility is provided with sufficient capacity to contain all manure generated from the swine operation over a period of at least four months;

c) shall not be conducted unless a mechanical ventilation system is provided for all buildings and structures housing swine;

d) and the storage of manure derived from the keeping of swine shall not be conducted in any building, structure, facility, or enclosure that is within 500 m of the Urban Area boundary as shown on Schedule F of this bylaw;

 e) shall be permitted on lots with areas of less than 16.0 ha for the owner’s or occupier’s consumption only, provided that no more than six swine, including weaners, shall be kept at any time.

Specifications for Landscaping Buffers

...b) A landscape buffer is required for all land abutting the Agricultural Land Reserve, regardless of zone, according to the Landscape Buffer Specifications of the Agricultural Land Commission.

c) All required landscape buffer areas shall be watered by a fully automatic irrigation system that is installed and operated so as to avoid run‐off onto sidewalks, roads, or parking areas.

See document for siting and coverage regulations for buildings and structures in General Agriculture Zone (A1).

8.1.5-8.1.8;

The area used for composting of livestock wastes shall not exceed 465 sq m per farm operation.

Accessory farm residential buildings shall

i. not contain a kitchen or any habitable space;

ii. be limited to one washroom with a maximum floor area of 10 sq m, which must not contain a bathtub and which must be located on the ground floor;  

iii. if designed and used for the storage or parking of vehicles on the ground floor, be designed and constructed with access to

 the ground floor being limited to one door, which must provide access to and through the vehicle storage or parking area;

 the upper storey being limited to the interior of the building.

agricultural industry services;

farm diversification;

Agricultural and Farm Industrial

The intent of the Agricultural and Farm Industrial (A‐3) Zone is to enhance the economic viability of farming and promote investment and diversification of the agricultural industry in Pitt Meadows with regulations consistent with the provisions of the Agricultural Land Commission Act and regulations. See document for regulations for Agricultural and Farm Industrial Zone (A3).

recreational use of agricultural land;

zoning;

Agricultural and Golf Course

This intent of the Agricultural and Golf Course (A‐4) Zone is to permit the use of lands within the Agricultural Land Reserve for existing golf course uses and compatible accessory uses and agriculture. See document for regulations for Agricultural and Golf Course Zone (A4).

Agricultural and Wildlife Management

The intent of the Agricultural and Wildlife Management (A‐5) Zone is to protect the farming areas of the municipality and support and acknowledge efforts to accommodate and foster wildlife with regulations consistent with the provisions of the Agricultural Land Commission Act and regulations. See document for regulations for Agricultural and Wildlife Management Zone (A5).

food production;

urban agriculture;

urban chickens;

livestock

USES IN ONE-UNIT RESIDENTIAL ZONES

...(h)Accessory Hen Keeping, with customarily incidental Accessory Structures subject to Section 412, and customarily incidental Accessory Buildings subject to Section 514 of this bylaw.