By JOHN MONEY
Here we go again! Is this the third or fourth round of the draft Islands Trust Policy Statement?
Looking over the latest draft, in my opinion, it remains preoccupied with environmental organizations and First Nations and forgets that the vast majority of taxpayers believe they have a deed to a piece of property and a home and maybe a business such as a farm or a forest management company or a public service company and pay a large bundle of taxes, that, by the way, finance this ongoing saga.
It also neglects the fact that these are 13 diverse, different islands and their communities, each of which has its own official community plan (OCP) and land use bylaws (LUB).
This Policy Statement is yet another attempt at top down management, not bottom up. People need to realize that this policy statement could have the effect of demanding all of the local OCPs and LUBs to conform to it. A Policy Statement that covers 13 different communities and their bylaws should be full of “You should consider,” not “You shall do.”
I do not blame Victoria planners trying to create a document that will force 13 different communities into cookie cutter plans to greatly simplify their jobs, but they should remember who pays their wages.
I do not blame First Nations for wanting recognition and a place at the table as they have lands and history in the Trust area. But so do the residents and taxpayers that call the Gulf Islands home.
I do blame those local trustees that seem to have forgotten the taxpayers that voted them in and the local bylaws that they are elected to represent on behalf of their communities.
In my opinion this process should start with each local Trust committee (LTC) appointing a local planning committee, not from their pickleball club but from a mix of residents; young people trying to make a living, older people on pensions, business people and local First Nations that live in the community; in other words a good representational balance.
This committee should look at and understand their local bylaws and look at the draft Policy Statement and see if the draft conflicts with the desires of their community.
This process should be completed with community town hall meetings and consensus building, not electronically from Victoria.
After this, LTCs should go back to Victoria armed with this community consensus and fight for it.
I have spent a long lifetime in the Gulf Islands and 21 years as a trustee, six of which I spent on the Executive Committee. I have made my living self-employed in the Gulf Islands.
I sincerely believe through experience that this is the only truly successful way to create land use documents in the Gulf Islands.
The most truly unique amenity on each island is the community and it must remain healthy and respected.
The writer is a former Islands Trust trustee for Saturna Island and Trust Executive Committee member.