The government of B.C. has responded to the Islands Trust Council’s latest request for a governance review — and in a word, the answer is no.
In many more words, the two-page letter from Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Ravi Kahlon laid out the province’s position that in the current uncertain climate, a focus on “services and choices that make an immediate and material difference, while managing within our means” was the order of the day.
Further — and despite Trust Council’s insistence that it needed updates or clarification on a range of matters surrounding the mandate, governance and structure of the Islands Trust — Kahlon said a review of such “sweeping issues” was not under consideration, notably taking pains to highlight the Trust’s environmental mission.
“Land use planning to preserve and protect the Trust area and its unique amenities and environment is the core responsibility of the Islands Trust,” wrote Kahlon. “This reflects the ecological mandate of the Trust, the toolkit deliberately supplied by government, and that island communities have a role to play in local environmental stewardship. It is my expectation that the Trust Council recognizes that this requires careful deliberation and consideration of perspectives to manage expectations of growth, development and local economies without exceeding the carrying capacity of local ecosystems and preserving unspoiled natural amenities.”
Trust Council in October had requested the review, citing among its concerns a lack of clarity on the Trust’s “preserve and protect” mandate, a “democracy deficit” regarding island representation and obstacles to meaningful reconciliation with First Nations it said were inherent in the structure of the Islands Trust Act. The request was similar to one made in the summer of 2022, which was also declined.
While acknowledging trustees’ current plans to update several islands’ official community plans and the broader Trust Policy Statement, absent from Kahlon’s letter was specific mention of housing, choosing to task Trust Council with taking “particular care” to ensure engagement with the public and First Nations on those amendments were done in a manner demonstrating “mutual respect and build[ing] towards consensus.”
“The established Trust Policy Statement is the current touchstone which aids in the interpretation of the organization’s mandate,” wrote Kahlon. “The development of the next iteration requires care to result in a Policy Statement in which all involved can all have confidence. Along similar lines, before returning with another request for provincial review I will expect the Trust Council to ensure that it has engaged in a meaningful way with the agencies and governments that would be expected to participate in or be impacted by such a review.”
Kahlon indicated those should include First Nations, local governments and the Islands Trust Conservancy board.
Receiving the letter at the Islands Trust’s Executive Committee meeting Wednesday, May 14, committee and Trust Council chair Laura Patrick noted that “due to some errors at the ministry,” the letter, while dated April 28, did not arrive in trustees’ hands until May 7. The committee voted to advance the letter to Trust Council for its consideration at that body’s June meeting and decided to respond back with a letter of its own, requesting to meet.
“Notwithstanding the fairly unequivocal turning-down of the request,” Lasqueti Island trustee Tim Peterson told committee members, “I still think it’s incumbent upon us to pursue meetings with the minister, if possible. We know the staff connections exist, but it’s always good for the elected officials to have a conversation, even if it’s brief.”
More on the Trust’s request for provincial review and its continuing communications on the mandate are available via the scrolling banner at islandstrust.bc.ca.