As the public engagement part of creating a new Islands Trust Policy Statement (TPS) is well underway, the tension between limiting growth and diversifying housing options on Trust Area islands remains a persistent theme.
At least that was the scenario at a community information meeting held at Fulford Hall on Saturday, Dec. 6, where Trust staff working on the TPS project gave presentations on the timeline and some of the draft document’s specifics, and opened the floor to comments and questions. Thirty members of the public attended.
Clare Frater, director of Trust Area Programs, outlined how the TPS amendment project has been underway since 2019.
“In that time, through a range of opportunities, we’ve heard really thoughtful ideas and constructive suggestions from island residents, and they’ve really been invaluable in helping us shape the document to where it is today,” she said.
The present TPS was created in 1993. Trust Council gave first reading to the new draft on July 29.
Jason Youmans, a senior Trust policy advisor and former Salt Spring Island planner who has been working on the TPS project for the past year, outlined how the document has seven “guiding principles” related to Indigenous rights, environmental and Indigenous cultural heritage protection, development limits, protecting communities, use of the precautionary principle, accounting for cumulative effects, and fostering informed and balanced decision making.
The Islands Trust Area is within the treaty lands and territories of some 31 different First Nations.
“Reconciliation is really front and centre of the document,” said Youmans.
He also explained how the TPS has both “directive” policies — which are things the local trust committees “shall” do when creating bylaws — and “advisory” policies — which they “should” do — for a number of different areas, ranging from managing growth and development, to transportation, housing, recreation, freshwater, forest lands, agriculture and marine shorelands.
Several members of the public said they felt the environmental protection provisions of the draft TPS were weaker than in the existing document.
“There’s a lot of vague, imprecise language,” commented Elissa Poole. “An example is that a directive tells you what to do, and your directives tell you what to ‘consider’ doing. That is not a directive, that is merely a way to avoid having a directive.”
Others praised perceived “balance” in the document.
“I’m happy to see the inclusion of not only housing, but diverse housing, affordable housing, special types of housing,” said Eric March. “This draft, I think, provides a good balance between protecting housing and protecting the environment, and that’s great. Let’s go forward with balance and not focus on one to the exclusion of the other.”
Feedback is being received until February and can be given directly to local trustees or through the Islands 2050 website at islandstrust.bc.ca/programs/islands-2050/, where the document and other information is posted. A survey can be completed through that site, and print copies are also available.
Maxine Leichter, who follows Trust matters closely, thanked Trust personnel for holding the meeting.
“It shows that we could gather together in a room, people could get up and speak; nothing horrible happened.”
Frater said another TPS meeting is scheduled for the Harbour House Hotel on Jan. 13.