One of British Columbia’s natural wonders suffered a major blow this month when Trust Council, the political body of the Islands Trust, met to decide on future policy for the Gulf Islands.
In a vote of 17 to 8, trustees defeated a key motion to prioritize the environment in the Policy Statement. As a result, the Gulf Islands, which were afforded special legislative protection in 1974, might be the only protected area in the world where environmental considerations do not take precedence.
In recognition of the Trust’s commitment to First Nations reconciliation, the motion asked that priority be given to “the natural character of the environment and the cultural heritage of Indigenous Peoples.”
Lisa Wilcox, the Trust’s senior intergovernmental policy adviser, indicated the motion as presented reflected the priority of every Indigenous person the agency has engaged with over the past two and a half years.
She explained how integral the environment is to Indigenous culture and heritage, and cited tearful testimony that the decisions made by the Trust since its formation have contributed to the destruction of First Nations cultural heritage.
Denman Island trustee Laura Busheikin gained support for splitting the motion into two parts, one prioritizing the environment, the other Indigenous cultural heritage. The environmental part was defeated and the Indigenous part passed, effectively giving lip service to First Nations without addressing their concerns about development and damage to the environment.
In that moment, the majority of council chose community needs over environment as its priority, without appearing to grasp the consequences.
Some trustees believe social, economic and environmental goals can be achieved together, but experience has shown that, when everything is prioritized, nature, with no voice of its own, always loses out.
Highlighting the identity crisis within the Islands Trust, council vice-chair Dan Rogers stated “it does not mean we are not supportive of protecting and prioritizing the environment,” even as he helped defeat a motion to do just that.
Salt Spring trustee Laura Patrick, a strong housing advocate, argued in favour of keeping the Trust’s mandate “as broad as possible” and claimed the motion to prioritize the environment was “creating a lot of anxiety and damage to the Islands Trust.”
Several trustees echoed her concerns about narrowing the mandate of the Trust to place more emphasis on the environment. They said such a move would reduce the power of trustees at the local level by limiting their options, especially with regard to maintaining “healthy communities.”
But a lack of clear direction in the Policy Statement is one of the main reasons the Gulf Islands are in decline. Council’s 1994 decision to expand interpretation of the founding legislation to include community needs gives trustees too much discretion when considering rezoning applications.
Defeat of the motion comes at a time when the Trust’s own public consultation process, “Islands 2050,” has shown that the vast majority of islanders want, above all, to protect the environment and the rural character of the islands, with only a small fraction of respondents naming community needs, such as affordable housing, a priority. If the Trust won’t listen to island residents, why is it asking for their input?
Lost in the melee is last year’s State of the Islands Report showing that Gabriola, Hornby and Mayne are already at or near the “acceptable threshold for ecosystem health.” Freshwater depletion and deforestation were identified as vulnerabilities throughout the Trust Area.
With some trustees refusing to clamp down on illegal dwellings, the islands are becoming a go-to spot for many seeking affordable housing. The Trust’s inaction encourages further violations and perpetuates the planning nightmare.
Pressure from lobby groups is changing the Trust’s focus from protecting the environment to allowing more residential densities. Since the new densities do not specifically target local employees, the most pressing housing issue is never resolved, and the trend of urbanization and unsustainable growth continues.
Despite the special, protected status of the Gulf Islands, a majority of trustees have decided that these precious islands, valued by the entire province, can be developed in the same way as any other area.
History will not judge them kindly.
Jacinthe Eastick is a 40-year resident of Gabriola Island.
