The B.C. Agricultural Land Commission has wrapped up an investigation with the conclusion that several parcels of land in Chilliwack were taken out of the Agricultural Land Reserve improperly.
The period of the review -- 1991 to 2009 -- includes the period covered by an investigation into the business activities of former B.C. cabinet minister John Les.
Les resigned as solicitor general two years ago, after it was revealed he was subject to a police investigation into land deals during his tenure as Chilliwack mayor in the 1990s.
The commission says in a recently released report that the boundaries of 66 subdivisions within the city of Chilliwack's boundaries were adjusted in a way "inconsistent with the regulations."
The commission's report says that in 1994 Chilliwack amended a policy that had been supportive of the land reserve so that the city could consider boundary adjustments if there was an open-space benefit.
It says the review of subsequent boundary adjustments shows more attention was paid to that policy than to provincial law governing the reserve.
But report concludes little can be done about it now.
"In essence, the (commission) cannot turn back the clock and is compelled to accept that some agricultural lands in Chilliwack have been negatively affected by a number of boundary adjustments subdivisions made by the city," the report says.
Les was re-elected as Chilliwack-Sumas MLA in the 2009 provincial election.
