Agri-Tourism Business Licence
To qualify to run an agri-tourism accommodation on your property, there are a few criteria that must be met. These criteria include:
-
Must be located on land zoned either A1 Small Acreage Agriculture, or A2 Large Acreage Agriculture and be over 2.0 hectares in size.
-
Must have an agri-tourism activity occurring on-site (ex. cherry picking, wine tasting, bee keeping) for visitor participation while staying on the property
- Must have proof of additional insurance
There are certain restrictions on agri-tourism accommodation facilities. These are as follows:
- A maximum of three (3) camping stalls can be on site. No water and sewer infrastructure is to be constructed on site for the campground stalls.
- A maximum of 4 bedrooms can be in an Agri-Tourism Accommodation Building.
- Agri-Tourism Accommodation can take up to a maximum of 5% of the total parcel area
- Agri-Tourism Buildings and/or Camping Stalls must be sited within the Farm Home Plate or be located on lands outside the Farm Home Plate that have been assessed by an agrologist as containing soil conditions not suitable for farming.
Please see Section 7.16 of the District of Summerland Zoning Bylaw and Section 19 of the District of Summerland Business Licencing Bylaw for a full list of the District’s agri-tourism regulations.
How do I apply for this program?
Complete the Agri-Tourism Business Licence Application and Operating Agreement Below and submit them to Development Services. Schedule "A" below is for your guests to sign. Please keep a copy of signed Schedule "A''s with your business records.
What are the steps for approval?
- Submit an application, which must include: site plan, proof of insurance, ownership, current zoning.
- Notify adjacent landowners of your application with the proposed location of the agri- tourism accommodation site(s).
- Once approval is granted, a business operating agreement must be signed between the District of Summerland and the business operator.
- Once the license is approved and paid for, you can begin your agri-tourism accommodation business.
Please call our office at 250-494-6451 ext.3 if you have any questions regarding Agri-tourism Business Licence requirements.