Pivotal Time for the Islands Trust

Thirty years ago, when I was a Local Trustee for Gabriola, it was clear to me and to most of the other 25 Trustees, that the oath they took upon being elected meant something special – that their job as Local Trustees and as members of Trust Council was to uphold the mandate of the Islands Trust: to preserve and protect the unique environment of the Trust Area for the benefit of the residents and for all of British Columbia.

This past 4 year term, as I watched Trust Council attempt to update the Policy Statement that guides Trust planning and land use decisions for all 13 of the major Trust Islands and the smaller islands in their Trust Areas, I began to wonder whether some of the Trustees knew the difference between their responsibilities as Trustees for an agency with a unique mandate, and their concerns for the many other civic and societal pressures that threaten to overwhelm us with their urgency. They were unquestionably true to their constituents, but a comprehensive Governance Review made it very clear that their inability to agree on the mandate of the Trust was detrimental to their work.

This next 4-year term will, I believe, determine the fate of the Islands Trust – whether it survives the intense pressures of development and climate change, or whether it becomes just another municipal body that perhaps slows development but does not commit to effective limits on human activity in the Trust Area. Islands by their very nature have absolute limits to their carrying capacities, that is why the Islands Trust was created 48 years ago. The Islands Trust Conservancy states this clearly: as the conversion of land for human use goes above 30% the number of species in a habitat declines more rapidly. So does the ability of the environment to provide necessary resources for human use (water, soil, waste absorption, clean air).

Trustees have 2 jobs: to represent their constituency and to uphold the mandate of the Islands Trust. If I am elected, I will do everything I can to work with my community, on Gabriola, Mudge, and Decourcy Islands, but I will not for one minute forget that as an Island Trustee, my job is like no other in the province or the country; it carries a responsibility for the natural environment that cannot be ignored.

I have enduring respect for my human community; I depend on them for my life here. Every day I see extraordinary creativity and generosity in this community – these are the strengths that will help find better ways to live on our land and waters. Now is when we must come together to focus on ‘deep community resilience’, as editor Delores Broten says in the current issue of Watershed Sentinel. That means focussing on local everything, from food to furniture, from home-building to home-sharing. As a founding member of GIRO, I still firmly believe in all of the ‘R’s: reduce, reuse, recycle, reform, and occasionally repent – find a better way, and do it together.

If I am elected as your Local Trustee, I will bring a strong Gabriola voice to Trust Council: I will remind Council that they have ways and means to uphold their own mandate that have not been used – for example, the floor area ratio study given to Council in 2021- it must be prioritized so that LTCs can use it. And carrying capacity – that’s on the list for more Regional Planning work, and it is essential information for LTC planning. The most important task in front of the new Trust Council may be the simplest: write to the Minister of Municipal Affairs – does the Islands Trust still matter to the province? If so, financial and legislative support is crucial. Without the province’s stated commitment, the Trust may not survive past the next 4-year term. If elected on Gabriola, I will do everything I can to ensure that it does.