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But she also signalled that the project is not dead.

“There is more work to be done before moving forward on such a project, including hearing from people with concerns,” she said.

The targets of surveillance must be kept secret and farmers unaware for the project to provide valid data, according to the notice of intent. “Due to the limited nature of the area being imaged, it is possible that the landowners may behave differently if they are aware they are being monitored,” it reads.

B.C. farmers on a 3,200-member Facebook group were outraged by the surveillance plan and bombarded the provincial government and the commission with letters.

“It appears that our letter-writing campaign had an impact,” said Raquel Kolof, president of the Sunshine Coast Farmers’ Institute, who co-wrote the formal objection with the Alberni Farmers’ Institute.

“We were assured at engagement sessions with the ministry and the ALC that enforcement was complaint-driven and that no one was using surveillance, then we find out about this surveillance contract,” she said. “It’s quite frightening and there is no indication that safeguards were in place to protect people’s privacy.”

Farmers have been locked in conflict with the ministry since the passage of two bills meant to strengthen protections for farmland against speculation and residential uses.

“All of us agree that we don’t want to see mega-mansions on farmland, and that could have been resolved with local bylaws,” she said.