By Nono Shen Former Richmond, B.C., city councillor Harold Steves’ family has been farming in the area since 1877, lending their name to the community of Steveston. The 88-year-old former politician only retired from council three years ago, and few can match his knowledge of the controversies surrounding Richmond’s farmland — the creation of the province’s agricultural land reserve, influxes of foreign-money investors, a spate of mega-mansion construction and now the Cowichan Nation’s Aboriginal title claim. “It’s just one battle after another for 50 years,” laughed Steves, who still runs the family farm in Steveston, raising belted Galloway beef cattle. He said he was surprised by the ruling last week that confirmed the Cowichan claim over a swath of land on the shores of the Fraser River, encompassing holdings by…
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