At its September 2023 meeting, Trust Council (the Trust’s governing body) decided in secret to fundamentally reinterpret the purpose or Object of the Islands Trust as stated in the Trust Act that requires protection of the islands’ “environment and unique amenities.” Trustees did this by interpreting the term “unique amenities” to include housing, livelihoods, infrastructure, and tourism.
Besides not being in any way “unique amenities” of the Gulf Islands, housing, infrastructure, jobs, and tourism promotion are services provided by regional districts and the provincial government. This new interpretation was not intended when the Trust Act was proclaimed in 1974 and is not what makes the Islands Trust unique in Canada.
Even more troubling, this “reinterpretation” was made in an in-camera meeting, excluding the public from hearing the views of their elected trustees and knowing how they voted on this fundamental decision. Such a decision is beyond what is protected by in-camera meetings.
Friends of the Gulf Islands has been publicizing this decision and how it was made, resulting in letters to the editor and coverage on CBC’s All Points West. We suggest that you write to the Trust at execadmin@islandstrust.bc.ca and local papers asking that trustee votes be made public so that we can hold trustees accountable in the next election.
This reinterpretation of the Trusts’ Object is concerning because it was likely made to facilitate Trust Council approving a new Trust Policy Statement (the Trust’s guiding document) that will allow local trust committees on each island to prioritize such issues over protecting the environment. Revisions to the existing Policy Statement is a priority project for the Trust in 2024 and 2025. We will be watching every step of the way to let you know the best time to make your opinion known.