Arthur Choquette has some bad news for blueberry lovers in the area: the berries are late and he's expecting a bad crop this year.
“I've never seen it so bad as it is this year,” Choquette said Monday at the city's planning committee meeting.
Choquette was at planning committee seeking a temporary use blyaw to allow him to continue selling blueberries by the road on his property along Highway 69 N.
It's the second time he's had to get special permission since a complaint from the public led to a crackdown on roadside berry sellers in 2013. Most pulled up stakes when threatened by a $50,000 fine.
The concern was people pulling over on the highway to buy some blueberries could be dangerous when they went to merge back into traffic.
Choquette has been selling blueberries from this location for approximately 13 years. In 2013, he removed a tent, shed and shipping container has been added to the site because they weren't allowed in a rural zone.
In February 2014, he received permission to operate and sell blueberries from the land for three years, and was allowed to use a 3x3 metre tent stand on the property during the blueberry sales season. Staff recommended the application be approved, since there are no land conflicts in the area.
Ward 12 Coun. Joscelyne Landry-Altmann asked Choquette what sort of blueberry crop he was predicting.
“I'd say it's going to be delayed,” he said.
Moths and caterpillars have damaged the area, Choquette said, plus local re-greening efforts inadvertently damaged blueberry bushes. Lime was spread on soil to reduce acid levels so other types of plants could grow.
“But blueberries need very acidic soil,” he said, and the lime has harmed the crop.
Ward 8 Coun. Al Sizer said that's bad news for residents, since if there aren't enough berries in the wild, bears could be more likely to come to town looking for food.
“I hope you're wrong and it's a bumper crop this year,” Sizer said. “Without the berries to eat, it affects our bear population.”
