By LAURA PATRICK
Salt Spring Local Trustee &
Chair, Islands Trust Council
The past year marked a significant transition for the Islands Trust. In March, following trustee Peter Luckham’s decision to step down as Trust Council chair, fellow trustees elected me to take on that role. It was both an honour and great responsibility for me, coming at a time when the organization faced growing challenges.
After the provincial government declined — twice — to undertake a review of the Islands Trust, and with the hiring of a new capable and experienced chief administrative officer in Rueben Bronee (the Trust’s first change in staff leadership in nine years), the mandate to address our challenges was clear. Public confidence had to be regained, staff were ready for new direction and the Trust took seriously its obligation to fulfill its mandate.
No one understands the pressing needs better than the trustees who stepped up for the job of representing their communities. We are not professional politicians. We all want an organization that our staff are proud to work for, and we want our efforts to make a meaningful difference for the well-being of our island communities and the environment we are entrusted to preserve and protect.
At the federation of island communities level, Trust Council took an important step forward in July by giving first reading to the draft Trust Policy Statement. This legislated document sets out the overarching policies that guide how the Trust carries out its mandate. Local Trust Committee bylaws must align with it.
The process to update the Policy Statement began in 2019. The current version dates back to 1993 and is no longer fit for purpose in the face of climate change, housing pressures, reconciliation with First Nations and growing social inequity. The draft is now open for comment, and a second community information meeting will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 13 at 6 p.m. at the Harbour House Hotel.
Looking back on the past year, another milestone was the completion of a comprehensive operational review report delivered by our CAO after his first year in the role. The amount of work behind this report is significant, and its recommendations begin to address longstanding operational issues. For those interested, the report is available on the Islands Trust website.
Here on Salt Spring Island, we continue to move forward with updating our official community plan (OCP) and land use bylaws. With the new office now open, staff and consultants can focus on a second round of public engagement beginning in February.
The need for this work could not be clearer. Policies embedded in our current OCP have failed to meaningfully address the housing crisis. More and more workers are being pushed into unsafe, non-conforming or makeshift housing.
The current OCP treats affordable housing as an exception to density limits rather than a central planning priority. It continues to leave substantial growth capacity within the density limits to satisfy ongoing demand for second and retirement homes.
Maintaining the status quo will all but guarantee worsening outcomes: deeper inequality, greater ecological degradation, reduced service availability, and increasing social and economic instability.
As we look forward, everyone is invited to help shape an updated framework — one that is more resilient, more equitable and more respectful of Indigenous rights and title, and ecological limits.
There were also important bright spots this past year. I am deeply grateful for the completion of two housing projects: the Lady Minto Hospital Foundation’s Heartwood House and the province’s supported housing project on Drake Road.
When a CBC reporter recently asked me how I stay motivated while working on housing challenges that can feel overwhelming, my answer was simple. There are so many people on Salt Spring Island doing hard, thoughtful work to advance real solutions. Supporting those dedicated islanders — and working alongside them — is what keeps me going.