Article content

The clock is ticking for Persephone Brewing Co. after a panel of the Agricultural Land Commission gave the Sunshine Coast’s farm-based brewery two years to comply with provincial regulations, or halt operations.

Persephone had hoped to get around a requirement that it grow at least 50 per cent of the raw material for its beer on its 11-acre site outside Gibsons by growing hops and other crops, but the South Coast panel of the Agricultural Land Commission decided otherwise.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Gibsons brewery faces eviction because of ALR regulations Back to video

Despite the support of the Sunshine Coast Regional District and a recent award for sustainable land use from the Real Estate Foundation of B.C., the award-winning craft brewery faces eviction from its own farm.

The irony is that Persephone is the only landowner in the immediate area that is farming — in their case vegetables, honey, apples and about five acres of hops which they use on site — according to CEO Brian Smith. Nearby Agricultural Land Reserve parcels are being used for estate-style residences.