By ROB BOTTERELL
MLA, Saanich North and the Islands
At an Islands Trust information meeting on Jan. 13, I joined over 100 Salt Spring Islanders to hear presentations on the draft Islands Trust Policy Statement (TPS). It was a good night for democracy. The wisdom, insights, expertise and experience of those who spoke out were inspiring.
Speakers identified numerous changes needed to bring the draft TPS into compliance with the Trust’s “preserve and protect” mandate, while at the same time addressing affordable housing needs on the islands. Many asked that terms like “preserving and protecting,” “unique amenities of the Trust Area” — and the word “environment” itself — be clearly defined. They objected to loose language in the proposed TPS like “consider,” “suitable” locations for housing, and enforcement “where possible,” and asked that the new term “attainable” housing be replaced with the legally binding term “affordable,” with guarantees it stays affordable.
Public engagement on the draft TPS is expected to wrap up shortly. Every indication is that the Islands Trust Council plans to fast track their approval with the firm goal of Housing and Municipal Affairs Minister Christine Boyle signing off on the new TPS before the October Trust elections. There is no justification to do so. Everyone throughout the Trust Area must have sufficient time to see, review and confirm whether or not the finalized TPS has their confidence. So far that is nowhere near the case.
My message to the Islands Trust Council is: proceed at your own peril. Why? Because the B.C. government has been very clear that the Islands Trust “preserve and protect” mandate is not up for negotiation, re-interpretation or watering down. Two examples:
First, in November 2023, Salt Spring’s Local Trust Committee, including now- Trust chair Laura Patrick, requested the province treat Salt Spring as a municipality for the purposes of Bill 44 (the Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2023). That would have unleashed development of the type currently challenging mainland municipalities without, in addition, considering the carrying capacity of island ecosystems. The minister who then oversaw the Islands Trust refused, stating that he did so “. . . because of the Trust’s special mandate to preserve and protect the Trust Area and its unique amenities and environment . . . .”
Secondly, in an April 2025 letter, then- Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon reiterated the Islands Trust special mandate, writing that “land use planning to preserve and protect the Trust area . . . is the core responsibility of Islands Trust.” He added, “The development of the next iteration [of the TPS] requires care to result in a Policy Statement in which all involved can all have confidence.”
There is no justification for rushing to put this new TPS in front of the minister to sign before this fall’s elections. Doing so would flout democracy, destroy confidence and could trigger litigation.
People moving to Salt Spring take up a trust to preserve and protect one of the most special natural environments on Earth. For those seeking urban amenities and growth, Salt Spring is the wrong place to live. Put simply, the preservation and protection of the Trust Area is non-negotiable.