A1: Agriculture 1

What the zone allows

Homes allowed

One house with one secondary suite, or one manufactured or mobile home. On land classed as a farm for assessment, also one mobile home up to 9 m wide for family or farm help, more farm homes where Council approves them under the Agricultural Land Commission Act, and seasonal housing for farm help (s. 12.1.5)

Main uses

Farming (intensive farming included), agro-forestry, aquaculture, greenhouses and nurseries, horse riding, training and boarding (up to 40 stalls), cannabis production (in the ALR only, s. 10.14), alcohol production, biological pest control products, public parks, a house or mobile home. On a farm-classed lot also: farm buildings, festivals and events such as weddings, food and drink service on 2 ha or more (up to 250 m², from the farm's own products), farm retail (up to 300 m², at most half bought in), compost, packing, an unpaved airstrip and helipad. On any lot: a secondary suite, a bed and breakfast, home occupations, kennels and stables (2.0 ha or more), animal clinics, a small care centre or group home. Short term vacation rental isn't listed here

Smallest lot for a subdivision

3.8 ha; a homesite severance lot 2,500 m² with community water, 700 m² with water and sewer

Lot coverage

10% for homes and accessory buildings; 35% for farm buildings and homes together, 75% for greenhouses and nurseries with closed water systems

Height limit

Homes and farm-help housing 9.5 m or 2½ storeys; accessory buildings 6.0 m; farm buildings 16.0 m (silos 34.0 m, silo and grain storage 41.0 m, grain bins 46.0 m)

Setbacks

Front 6.0 m, sides 3.0 m (4.0 m on a street), rear 10.0 m (3.0 m for accessory buildings); livestock areas and buildings with more than 4 animals or for processing animal products 15.0 m from every lot line, 30.0 m where the line borders a residential zone; kennels and stables 15.0 m

Lands in the Agricultural Land Reserve also fall under the Agricultural Land Commission's rules (s. 12.1.8). Whether this lot is in the ALR is in the report's ALR section.

On a lot under 0.5 ha, and on a homesite severance lot the Commission approved, the house follows the RU1 zone's rules for a single home instead (ss. 7.5, 12.1.8).

Accessory buildings: no size limit on a farm-classed lot; otherwise up to 100 m² in all (ss. 12.1.3, 12.1.4).

Seasonal farm-help housing: at most 15 m² of private space per bed unit, shared kitchen and washrooms, no permanent foundation, up to 10 units per hectare of farmland (s. 12.1.5).

A secondary suite: one per main home, inside it, at most 90 m² or 40% of the building's floor area, whichever is less; one property with the home, and not alongside lodgers, a bed and breakfast or a group home (s. 10.7).

A bed and breakfast: in the main home only, at most 4 guest rooms of 11 m² or more with 2 guests each, run by someone who lives there, guest parking screened from the neighbours (s. 10.9).

Short term vacation rental isn't a listed use in A1 (the rural residential and RU1 zones list it, s. 10.15); ask the District before renting a home here by the night. Agri-tourism accommodation is only allowed in the A1ta zone, not A1 (s. 12.1.3).

Sections 7 (general development rules), 8 (landscaping and fencing), 9 (parking), 10 (specific uses) and 11 (signs) also apply.

Site-specific exceptions listed in the bylaw by legal description can add or change uses for one property, and development permit areas, the ALR and building rules apply on top. Confirm with the District of Lake Country's community services department before you buy or build.

Source: Section 12.1 of District of Lake Country Zoning Bylaw 561, 2007 (summarised in our words, checked 2026-10-04); zone map: Open Government Licence – District of Lake Country.