Friends of the Gulf islands has sent a questionnaire to all candidates for the Provincial Legislature who are running in the Trust area. See responses received below. Please keep checking our website here for more responses. If a response from the candidates in your area is not here, ask them these questions.
The Letter
Dear Provincial Election Candidate
Friends of the Gulf Islands (FOTGIS) is a BC Society focused on the Islands Trust, a unique form of a public “trust” created by the BC legislature in 1974 to stop unrestrained development and preserve the natural environment and rural character of 13 major islands in the Salish Sea.
The purpose of our group is to advocate for the Islands Trust to fulfill its Mandate under the Trust Act – “to preserve and protect the trust area and its unique amenities and environment” from over-development for all British Columbians. We have the following concerns and questions for you. We will post all candidate responses on our website and alert our members in the different provincial ridings. Please respond by email to info@friendsofthegulfislands.ca.
The Islands Trust Act empowers the Provincial government, (through the Ministry of Municipal Affairs), to oversee the Trust by approving island Official Community Plans and the Trust’s guiding document, the Trust Policy Statement (TPS).
We have contacted the Ministry numerous times asking them to ensure that the elected officials that make up the Trust Council, comply with the Mandate, as we believe they have largely failed to do so. For example: although the province and the Islands Trust issued its interpretation of “unique amenities and environment” in a document “The Object of the Islands Trust: Renewing the Consensus”, the Trust Council, in a recent in camera meeting, issued a “statement” which they interpret “unique amenities” to include infrastructure, housing, tourism and livelihoods. We object strongly to both the secret process, the statement and the fact that the Trust Council has admitted that it did not take the previous “Renewing the Consensus” document into consideration. So far, neither the Minister or staff would meet with us or take action to hold the Trust to its legislated mandate.
Question #1: Do you agree that the phrase “unique amenities and environment” as it appears in the Trust Act refers to protection of the natural environment or something else?
Question #2: If elected, will you ask the Minister of Municipal Affairs to enforce the protections in the Trust Act by directing the Trust Council to consider protection of the environment first before other considerations?
Question #3: If First Nations concur, would you support amending the Trust Act to include full voting representation for First Nations on the Islands Trust governing bodies, Trust Council and/or Trust Executive Committee?
Question #4: Do you have other suggestions for how the Islands Trust could better protect the unique amenities and environment of the Trust islands?
Question #5 What role might you play in resolving difficult community issues?
Responses Received
Electoral Districts in the Trust Area:
West Vancouver-Sea to Sky (Bowen Island)
No responses yet.
Nanaimo-Gabriola island (Thetis Island, Gabriola Island)
Dale Parker (Conservative Party of BC)
Thank you for your letter, Jennifer. I appreciate your efforts in reaching out to us. The party office completes questionnaires, please get in touch with them. I will ensure this issue is marked for follow-up by me. Unfortunately, I hear too often that the government and your MLA do not respond to important issues. That practice ends with me.
(Note: Several attempts to have Dale Parker complete the questionnaire were unsuccessful. He was informed that we are not contacting party offices, but individual candidates whose electoral districts encompass part of the Islands Trust area.)
Mid Island-Pacific Rim (Denman Island, Hornby Island)
No responses yet.
Powell River Sunshine Coast (Gambier Island, Keats Island)
No responses yet.
Ladysmith-Oceanside (Lasqueti Island)
No responses yet.
Saanich North and the Islands (Galiano Island, Mayne Island, North Pender Island, South Pender Island, Salt Spring Island, Saturna Island)
Robert Botterell (Green Party of BC)
Question #1: Do you agree that the phrase “unique amenities and environment” as it appears in the Trust Act refers to protection of the natural environment or something else?
Yes. It is my view that the preserve and protect mandate of the Islands Trust refers to regulating land use in order to preserve and protect the natural environment and rural character of the Trust Area, not just for the residents of the Islands Trust area, but for all residents of BC. For example, infrastructure, housing, tourism, and livelihoods are not unique to the Trust Area and decisions made in those areas must be made in line with the “trust” concept to preserve and protect the Islands Trust area.
Question #2: If elected, will you ask the Minister of Municipal Affairs to enforce the protections in the Trust Act by directing the Trust Council to consider protection of the environment first before other considerations?
My first step as MLA will be to facilitate the establishment of a Table of all key stakeholders to build a consensus, not further division, regarding any request for action by the BC Government concerning the Islands Trust. To be effective, the direction to the BC government must come from an agreed approach by the parties most affected, especially residents. For example, fundamental changes to the understanding of the term “amenity” in the Islands Trust Act, favour no one when they are made behind closed doors or without best efforts first made to respect the original intent of the Islands Trust and achieve consensus amongst Islanders and key stakeholders.
Question #3: If First Nations concur, would you support amending the Trust Act to include full voting representation for First Nations on the Islands Trust governing bodies, Trust Council and/or Trust Executive Committee?
In conjunction with the work under Question #2, I would facilitate discussions to build a consensus on the role of First Nations in Islands Trust Area land management. We need to make best efforts to build consensus, otherwise one or more parties will feel their only recourse is court action.
I negotiated key parts of the Maanulth Treaty on behalf of Huu-ay-aht First Nations and an important feature of that Treaty was agreement on providing Maanulth Nations seats at the Alberni Clayoquot Regional District Board table. By engaging in respectful inclusive discussions, I am hopeful we can develop a “made in the Trust Area” approach that has broad based support.
Question #4: Do you have other suggestions for how the Islands Trust could better protect the unique amenities and environment of the Trust islands?
Working with all levels of government to establish a UNESCO world marine protected area covering the waters of the Islands Trust area is an option that I would like all levels of government, stakeholders and residents to consider.
Also, residents of the Islands Trust area have a great deal of wisdom and can offer important ideas on ways to better protect the unique amenities and environment of the Trust islands. As MLA, I wish to work with residents, all levels of government and key stakeholders to gather such ideas and develop a plan of action for their implementation.
When I led the development of BC’s Freedom of Information Legislation, we engaged extensively with individuals and organizations outside government and this was a source of great advice and recommendations on how to improve this legislation.
Question #5 What role might you play in resolving difficult community issues?
No one has a monopoly on great ideas to solve complex issues. In my recent work regarding docks in the Southern Gulf Islands, I championed a collaborative approach for the multiple issues raised: environmental, legal rights, land use, indigenous rights, application processing delays, and safety concerns. I worked to bring 800 waterfront land owners, First Nations, the Province, the Islands Trust and other key stakeholders together to build consensus, not division, on long term effective solutions to this complex issue. My approach respects other levels of governments and viewpoints while advocating for the establishment of a broad-based Table to build consensus, not division, to effectively head off conflict of the type witnessed in Pender Harbour and achieve effective long term solutions.
David Busch (Conservative Party of BC)
Jennifer
Thank you for your email regarding the Islands Trust. We have had several of our constituents express concerns with the Islands Trust and its governance. We agree this concern is important and something that we need to look into when we are elected.
And, I’m sure you will agree that the state of our province needs serious improvement. We as a party and the individual candidates want to focus on our Common Sense Plan to deal with the following issues first.
- Health Care
- Housing prices/affordability
- Jobs unemployment
- Drug use/addictions/opioid crisis
- Street crime/public safety
When we have accomplished the above, or at a minimum, put solutions in motion, we will start looking at our constituents’ individual concerns. To that end, will you please send me more information on your concerns about the Islands Trust and what you would like to see going forward.
For more information on our Common Sense Plans go to:
https://www.conservativebc.
Again, thank you for stepping up to provide input on your concerns so that we can make BC better and more prosperous.