Elected representatives from islands in the Trust Area don’t often find themselves on the same page.
That’s understandable, if only because they represent communities with such diverse characteristics and experiences, and independent thought seems to be a hallmark of those elected by islanders. We view that as a good thing, and often marvel at the multi-faceted discussions that take place at Islands Trust Council (ITC) meetings.
That was again the case last Wednesday as ITC met in Nanaimo when the topic of requesting a review of the Trust’s “mandate, governance and structure” hit the table. While nearly everyone agreed that the provincial government should be asked to conduct a review, some felt the request should be made after the Oct. 19 B.C. election.
Clearly it makes sense to engage in advocacy at both times. People could certainly ask candidates in their riding for their opinion about a review, which puts it on all parties’ radar, if nothing else. And after the election, the governing party should be pressed to take the ITC request seriously.
It was disappointing that the NDP government did not agree to the same request made two years ago.
At that time, Trust Council chair Peter Luckham said the Trust could not improve its governance on its own: “As an agency of the province, we require provincial leadership, direction and support to ensure that we are honouring the preserve and protect vision, while also addressing the new realities and challenges facing the Islands Trust Area today,” he said in a press release. Nothing has changed since 2022, and one urgent challenge is the need to engage in reconciliation with the area’s First Nations, as all government agencies are directed to do by the province through its Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. The Islands Trust is well suited to accommodate a structural change that would allow for First Nations representation at the council and/or local Trust committee level, which would be a meaningful and positive change.
When locally elected representatives are pleading for help from senior government to make their agency functional and relevant, they should be taken seriously and given a path to acquire the legislative tools they need.