Minister Kahlon is with us: The Islands Trust Council has now received a letter from the Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs, Ravi Kahlon, that supports our view that the Trust has an “ecological mandate” and is to “manage expectations of growth, development and local economies without exceeding the carrying capacity of local ecosystems and preserving unspoiled natural amenities.”
The Minister’s letter is a response to one sent to him by the Islands Trust Council asking for a provincial review of the Trust’s Mandate, governance, and structure. That letter was sent following a statement from the Trust Council declaring that their interpretation of the Trust’s purpose/mandate is broad and “may include issues such as, but not limited to, housing, livelihoods, infrastructure and tourism.” Perhaps, they were anticipating an affirmation of this interpretation from the Minister’s office. A big “thank you” to Ravi Kahlon or upholding the integrity and wisdom of the Trust mandate.
MLA Rob Botterell is with us: We are also pleased to report that our new Green Party MLA, Rob Botterell, has publicly expressed views and concerns relating to the Trust’s drive to reframe its mandate that align with those of Positively Forward, Keep Salt Spring Sustainable, and Friends of the Gulf Islands. His article in the April 2nd Driftwood criticized the islands Trust Council for their reinterpretation of the trust mandate to the detriment of conservation-based policies. Rob stated, “The effort to re-interpret the mandate of the Islands Trust to cover land use planning issues that are not unique to the Trust Area is a serious concern and does not accord with my assessment of the law. The preservation and protection of the lands and waters of the Trust Area is, and must always, be paramount.… Development and population growth in the islands Trust Area is not inevitable. It is a choice.”
Rob has restated his commitment to work with advocacy groups such as ours, showing no signs of backing down under pressure from those who disagree with his views. He has become a very significant ally in the fight to prevent Trust Council from undermining the core values of the Islands Trust Act. A big “thank you” is owed to Rob Botterell.
Petition Good News: Positively Forward’s online petition asking our Salt Spring Island Local Trust Committee to retain our current Official Community Plan policy permitting upzoning only for affordable housing projects, now has 1,167 signatures, with more added each day. The plan is to present the petition to our Local Trust Committee this summer as the review of our Official Community Plan public engagement program progress.