Defending the Trust Mandate

The special purpose of the Islands Trust, which directs all of its bylaws and policies (called its Mandate) is stated in the Islands Trust Act as:

“The object of the trust is to preserve and protect the trust area and its unique amenities and environment for the benefit of the residents of the trust area and of British Columbia generally, in cooperation with municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, First Nations, other persons and organizations and the government of British Columbia.”

In September of 2023, following an in camera (closed to the public) meeting, the Islands Trust released a document, reinterpreting the Mandate to “include issues such as, but not limited to, housing, livelihoods, infrastructure and tourism”.

Friends of the Gulf Islands strongly disagrees with this interpretation. We believe that the Mandate should be interpreted as it was in the 1986 report by the Ministry of Municipal Affairs that states in part, “The special amenities and environment of the Trust area derive from the combination of:

• a mild climate
• diverse and unusual natural features, vegetation and wildlife
• almost continuous tree cover and large undeveloped areas
• numerous areas of heritage or archeological significance, solitude, scenic beauty and a clean environment
• tranquil rural areas
• a range of lifestyles”