Islands Trust Elections

Opinion: The Islands Trust Election: A Pivotal Moment

With the next Islands Trust election for trustees approaching on October 17th, voters face an important choice about the future direction of one of British Columbia’s most remarkable public institutions. The trustees elected will have a significant influence on whether the Trust returns to a clear focus on its legislated mandate to preserve and protect the environment and unique amenities of the Trust Area, or continues to drift into areas beyond its core purpose.

The decision should not be based solely on individual issues or personalities. Islanders should consider which candidates understand the history of the Trust, the purpose for which it was created, and the responsibility entrusted to its elected trustees. The challenges facing the islands today make this election particularly important.

Over its 50-year history, the Trust has survived numerous political challenges. In the early 1980s, Premier Bill Vander Zalm proposed abolishing the Trust. Public opposition culminated in one of the largest demonstrations on the front lawn of the legislature, forcing the government to reverse course. Political pressure from residents, developers, and successive governments however, has never disappeared.

Throughout its history, Trust Council has sometimes felt compelled to compromise or make difficult concessions, gradually shifting its attention away from the mandate and toward internal administration and governance. An independent governance review completed last term by Great Northern Consultants identified significant weaknesses that affect its effectiveness and efficiency. These shortcomings have contributed to inconsistency in implementing the mandate, and several recommendations in the report have yet to be adopted by Council.

Fundamental studies that should inform long-term planning, including comprehensive assessments of the carrying capacity of the islands, have never been undertaken. Scientific reports have been presented to Council over the years, yet have sometimes received little attention when their conclusions were inconvenient or conflicted with development interests. In many cases, development applications have been approved without applying the precautionary principle or adequately assessing potential long-term environmental consequences.

This is not to diminish the dedication of the many trustees and staff who have served the Trust conscientiously and worked tirelessly to uphold its mandate over the decades. Nevertheless, there has often been disagreement about how that mandate should be interpreted and implemented. Those differing interpretations have contributed to recent debates over the Trust Policy Statement—the guiding document that all Official Community Plans must reflect—and have fostered uncertainty and division both within Council and among island communities.

Most residents, we believe, would welcome a return to more constructive and less divisive public dialogue, both at the Trust Council and at the Local Trust Committee levels – one based on cooperation, meaningful consultation and a willingness to listen AND to seriously consider different views. Instead, too often it has felt that as though decisions were pre-determined and it is just a matter of enduring a procedural process.

Today, the Trust faces challenges that are more urgent than ever. During the past half-century, we have witnessed increasing gentrification of rural island life, growing expectations for urban services, and the gradual decline of natural ecosystems. Populations of many bird, reptile, and native plant species have diminished, with some now endangered, while climate warming is accelerating environmental change, increasing wildfire risk and threatening freshwater resources. Active and effective reconciliation and consultation with First Nations is ongoing, important and challenging work.

These pressures make the Trust’s original purpose more relevant, not less. Protecting the islands requires long-term planning based on sound science, recognition of ecological limits, and a willingness to make difficult decisions before those limits are exceeded. It requires trustees who have a clear understanding of the mandate, provide consistent leadership, and are prepared to put the long-term interests of the Trust Area ahead of short-term political pressures.

The next Trust Council will also need to address the organization’s governance and financial challenges. It must improve effectiveness and efficiency, implement outstanding recommendations from the governance review, reduce unnecessary costs, and ensure that staff resources are directed toward the Trust’s core responsibilities. Most importantly, Council must work collaboratively rather than politically, build consensus where possible, and focus its energy on practical action rather than rhetoric.

This is why the coming election matters so much. Voters have an opportunity to choose trustees who understand both the history of the Islands Trust and the consequences of decisions being made today. The next Council will determine whether the Trust can regain its focus, strengthen public confidence, and meet the environmental challenges confronting the islands—or whether the gradual erosion of its original purpose will continue.

The Islands Trust remains one of British Columbia’s most remarkable public institutions. Its purpose is as relevant today as it was 50 years ago. But its lack of focus and efficiency is already resulting in significant costs for taxpayers, while a lack of foresight could impose far greater costs on future generations and the natural environment.

Whether the Trust succeeds, and ultimately whether it survives, will depend in part on the choices made in this election. Islanders should look carefully at the candidates, their understanding of the Trust’s mandate, their willingness to uphold it, and their ability to provide thoughtful, collaborative and courageous leadership.

There will always be differing opinions in our communities. But people must be able to disagree without making disagreement the problem. The Islands Trust will become more effective by by setting clear priorities, measuring results, listening to residents, controlling costs and making the difficult decisions necessary to fulfill its mandate.

This is a pivotal moment. We can do better. With capable trustees, active public support, and strategies grounded in science, the Islands Trust can regain its focus and meet the challenges ahead. Most importantly, it can continue to protect the natural environment and rural character that make these islands—and the Trust itself—unlike any other place in the world.

Learn about the issues. Ask the questions. Listen to the candidates. Look at their records and plans. Then make your choice and vote on October 17th.

For more election information, see the Islands Trust website.

– Jennifer Margison, Galiano resident and President of the Friends of the Gulf Islands Society
– Steve Wright, S. Pender resident and 5 term former trustee