…”misrepresentations in the minutes as prepared by Ms. Gale Baker who informs me that the changes in the recordings were made as some aspects were deemed undesirable.” – Dan and Ryan O’donnell letter to Trustee Peter Grove and Transition Salt Spring Gayle Baker, Read more…
The Trust New Policy Statement Bylaw 183 is proposing the Islands Trust assume management of the Islands Marine Shoreline that is in the jurisdiction and within the responsibility of Federal and Provincial governments.submitted by Manfred Burandt, Pender Island
Salt Spring Islander, Bob Moffatt, writes a letter on the status of the New Policy Statement and the very ambitious and complicated event schedule Consultants ISL have set out.
“, here we go again! This is almost a mirror image on how BC Parks conduct themselves. My hope is this issue ignites Our Community into Action and we become engaged before others absent from our Community and other Islands, dictate the future of the Islands Trust.” David Courtney, Burgoyne Bay Farm, Salt Spring Island
“To proceed with a Policy amendment that radically alters governance on First Nations Islands while editing the statements of those very same First Nations, and then ‘interpreting them for “others is nothing short of colonial paternalism and a step backwards from your claim of ‘meaningful and collaborative relationships with First Nations’.” Dennis Perch, Indigenous person and resident of the Gulf Islands.
“…created a document with some very dramatic statements and largely sprung it on the communities with negligible input and indeed even knowledge, on the part of the public. Salt Spring, where I live….people love their island and do not appreciate having bylaw bomb proposals dropped on them by what appears to be a committee with unclear motives and rationale and certainly extremely poor community communication skills to those they theoretically represent.” Jim Allan, Resident of Salt Spring Island
“Dear Prime Minister Trudeau, ….Here in the Southern Gulf Islands (the Islands Trust area), a region-wide central guiding Policy Statement revision, undemocratically drafted, threatens the aim of environmental protection and reconciliation, and is already undermining local sustainable economic resilience, property rights, safety and security.” Mielle Chandler, Rural resident landowner, and small business owner, Salt Spring Island
“There is no policy (that we could find) being considered for the Trust to adopt the provincially approved Fire-Smart program. And no real mention of the pollution created from activities on lands where the Trust has control over land use….It is easy for us to vote no to private docks if we do not own waterfront property – until the day comes when we need to evacuate the island because of a fire threat and realize that we eliminated docks which were essential to our safety and survival.” Peter and Karen Dorazio
“It is my observation that the Trust is a largely unmanageable beast, whether from a staff or trustee perspective. The organization has tied its processes up in knots so as to take control of both the direction and nature of any change. Perhaps the governance review will identify the problems.” George Leroux, Pender Island
“Change ‘selling’ to ‘foisting’ for it is more accurate action word for what the Trust has been doing. Because of the behaviour of the IT management and many Trustees many of us wish, it would just go away. And for many good reasons, current and historic. South Pender Island Taxpayer
“The challenge for the Trust is to protect nature in a way that integrates the rights and needs of residents. With creativity and good communication, they can make both the environment and the residents happy- not just the environment. John Cowhig, Salt Spring Island Resident
“Three Important Flaws in the Proposed Islands Trust Policy Statement in its Responsibilities to First Nations.” Dennis Perch, Gulf Islands Resident 31 years
“many of your policy recommendations are poorly worded, leading to unintended consequences….egregious errors can be found in the housing, agriculture, and other sections. Nicolas Kojey-Strauss, Mayne Island resident, homeowner and taxpayer
“you choose to be elected representatives because of a belief in doing good and in the democratic process. Sorry – some have lost that vision.The “New Islands Trust Policy” that you are trying to ram down our throats is so outrageous it should never have seen the light of day – never mind such a dramatic and legal process as adoption of first reading!
“Islands Trust’s costs climb at a rate of six times inflation is clearly not cost effective nor fiscally well managed. The Islands Trust displays a profound lack of accountability toward the taxpayer. Georgia Taylor, Salt Spring Island Resident & Taxpayer
“I have read the proposed policy bylaws for the islands trust, and I am appalled. The
Islands Trust is funded by taxes from the resident property owners, and their interests
and concerns are given very short shrift in this document.” – Bob McKinnon, Mayne Island Resident and Taxpayer
“I too have been perturbed by some of the negative and misleading reactions to your initiative.
The Trust’s mandate, as I understand it, is to preserve and protect a sensitive habitat inhabited
by humans.” – David Bouvier, Resident
“To have one’s affairs put under control of a trust (trusteeship) usually implies that the wards of
the trusteeship are not competent or able to manage themselves. That rationale is not the case
today. Gulf Islands communities have Official Community Plans and Land Use Bylaws. The
threat of rampant development has been brought under control and zoning is stabilized.” – David Linquist, Resident
“We are fighting for the right to live and work.… here is the latest set of restrictions promoted by the Islands Trust.” – Author: Jamie Harris, works in Salt Spring Island’s forestry industry – Read More
….”The islands already has many protected areas when you consider parks, ecological reserves, crown land, and conservancy land in addition to all the existing development permit areas on the island.” – Dan Fraser, Salt Spring Island
“Some warnings about the issue with tree cutting & forestry “Development Permit Areas”. – Expert Dick Varney, Registered Professional Forester (RPF), Lasquiti Island
“The Islands Trust area is known to be seasonally short of freshwater. Where did the directive to ban desalination originate?” – Manfred Burant, Pender Island
“Where’s the transparency regarding the incremental increases for Trust planning costs, and upgrades to Trustee salaries which appear to have escalated, in some cases as high as $132% in present day.” – Georgia Taylor, Salt Spring Island Resident
“As a resident of Salt Spring Island who caretakes SSI and small water-access-only islands around SSI I am disturbed by Islands Trust agenda to ban docks and desalination in the trust area. Should there not be some public input into these potentially far reaching changes. The haste to ram these changes through without any meaningful public consultation smacks of dictatorship. The decision to prohibit docks in the TA is really outside the purview of the Trust. The protection of shore habitat is already well provided for in existing Federal and Provincial legislation. The specious argument that desalination uses too much energy is ridiculous. If I need to put a small desalination device on a small island to supplement collected rainwater I need to provide the energy for the process with solar panels. I have just upgraded the solar system on one island and have doubled the output so will have plenty of energy for desalination if I need to go that route. At present, rainwater collection is ample but who knows about the future. I do not want to be handcuffed by ill considered, jackboot tactics at the Trust level. I hope that this letter will contribute to requiring a meaningful, public, discussion about these sweeping changes at the Trust level. -Paul Sinclair, Salt Spring Island Resident
People are part of the environment | Dave Paton
Bowen Island Municipality – November 24, 2021 letter to the Islands Trust re the New Draft Policy Statement. Each point so well considered and tightly articulated!
‘My observation is that when the public is not listened-to or shuttered, it has the affect of amplifying the response, making the input more emotional and more divisive. Transparency is the way out of that. Trust your constituents. As a staff person, I was always aware that those citizens paid my salary and that I “served” them.‘ If Goverance is YOUR concern, please read this….
Censoring Salt Spring Islands voices! Bylaw 529 is a NEW bylaw that allows for someone WE have NOT elected (Chair or Staff) to subjectively decide on, control, and subvert delegations containing unwanted critiques. ….Letter submitted by Mielle Chandler
June 23rd Delegation to Islands Trust Council Executive: