Islands 2050 is the Islands Trust’s public engagement process designed to help Trust Council plan for the challenges and opportunities that the Islands Trust Area will face in the next 30 years, particularly as it prepares for the realities of climate change.
This work involves updating the Islands Trust Policy Statement, which contains the vision, principles and policies that guide how Islands Trust implements its provincial mandate to preserve and protect the unique amenities and environment of the Trust Area. The Policy Statement shapes land and marine use planning in the Islands Trust Area, but the last version of the Policy Statement was written in 1994 and a lot has changed in the last 26 years.
We are updating the Policy Statement to be current, adapt to future challenges, and take advantage of new and developing opportunities.
Read the Draft New Policy Statement
You can be part of Islands 2050 by reading the draft new Policy Statement and providing input. We hope you will read the document cover-to-cover to understand how everything is interconnected and participate in formal engagement activities that will be announced later this summer.
You May Also Find Helpful
- Background information about the draft new Policy Statement:
Overview – draft new Policy Statement
- Answers to the latest frequently asked questions:
FAQ – draft new Policy Statement
- Motions related to the draft new Policy Statement that passed at the July 8, 2021, Trust Council Meeting
Motions from July 8, 2021, Islands Trust Council Special Meeting
- A discussion paper, which helped guide Trust Council’s discussion about the Policy Statement Amendment Project during the March 9, 2021, Trust Council meeting.
Discussion Paper – The Islands Trust Object: Past, Present and Future
Versions of the Policy Statement
- There are two versions of the DRAFT new Policy Statement Bylaw No. 183:
- Colour-Coded Version – shows amendment areas, colour-coded by theme (updated July 15, 2021)
- Clean Version – same content without colour-coding (updated July 15, 2021)
- View the Policy Statement that we currently use. Policy Statement Bylaw No. 17
We Welcome Your Input*
Please send us an email with your thoughts to islands2050@islandstrust.bc.ca, call 1-250-405-5151 or write to us at:
Islands Trust
200 – 1627 Fort Street,
Victoria, BC V8R 1H8
*Islands 2050 input is public. That means your comments could show up on our website or be included in documents that we create and distribute to the public. All materials produced by the Islands Trust, including emails, are subject to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.
Get Updates
Learn about upcoming Islands 2050 engagement opportunities and new developments by subscribing to Islands 2050 email updates on our Subscribe page. You may want to also subscribe to your local trust committee updates.
Timeline
Islands 2050 started in September 2019 with community and First Nations engagement.
Updating the Policy Statement has seven stages:
- Stage 1 is public engagement. We met with the public and gathered input face-to face and online.
- Stage 2 is reporting back what we heard during the public engagement.
- Stage 3 is policy analysis and sharing what we learned. We sought public input on policy directions and key themes.
- NOW: Stage 4 involves applying what we learned and drafting a revised new Policy Statement Bylaw. There will be months of public engagement on the draft bylaw as well as feedback from First Nations and referral agencies.
- Stage 5 is when the revised bylaw (Policy Statement) will go to Trust Council for consideration of first reading in December 2021. NOTE: Based on input, Trust Council may amend the draft new Policy Statement prior to first reading.
- Stage 6 is second reading of the bylaw (Policy Statement) at Trust Council. Council will discuss the bylaw and may make amendments. Then, during the third reading, there will be a final discussion about the bylaw, and possible amendments, before it is approved.
- Stage 7, the Minister of Municipal Affairs will approve the bylaw and Trust Council will adopt the bylaw through fourth reading.
- Throughout the stages, Islands Trust is meaningfully engaging with First Nations government and communities through a parallel process.
How Have We Asked for Public Input?
In Stage 1, we traveled across the Islands Trust Area and hosted 24 public events. We rode the ferries with our information booth, held evening open houses, set up booths at key community locations, and also welcomed ideas online through a comment forum called Thought Exchange. We asked three questions:
- What do you value about the Area?
- In the context of a changing climate, what concerns do you have about the future of the Area?
- What opportunities do you feel will help us preserve and protect the Area?
In Stage 2 we summarized all we had heard in Stage 1 in the What We Heard Report.
In Stage 3 we released a Policy Directions report and held a public survey. We also hosted a virtual open house on March 3, 2021 to share information. Watch the recording.
In Stage 4 we will be hosting webinars, offering an on-line survey, welcoming your letters and e-mails, and local trust committees and Bowen Island Municipality may host local engagement events.
Visit the Surveys and Polls page to view survey results.
Project Information:
- About the Project
- Communications
- Delegation Presentations
- Discussion Paper
- Draft new Policy Statement
- First Nations Engagement
- Presentations
- Public Correspondence
- Public Engagement Phase 1
- Public Engagment Phase 2
- Public Legal Opinion
- Referral Responses
- Trustee Input