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Islands 2050

The Islands 2050 Policy Statement Amendment Project was launched in 2019 and is designed to update the Islands Trust Policy Statement, the document that states how Trust Council plans to carry out its mandate to preserve and protect the Islands Trust Area. The Policy Statement shapes conservation-oriented land use planning across the region, but the current version has not been meaningfully updated since 1994 and a lot has changed over the past 30 years.

Trust Council is now updating the Policy Statement to adapt to current and future challenges and opportunities, and to reflect its commitments related to reconciliation, climate change, and affordable housing. This work involves engaging First Nation governments, partner agencies, and the public, who each have important roles to play in preserving and protecting this special region for current and future generations.

Latest News

  • June 2023: Staff advised Trust Council that due to staff vacancies the project is facing delays. Staff now anticipate that Trust Programs Committee will receive the draft revised Policy Statement in January 2024.
  • March 2023 Project Plan Approval: Trust Council approved a project charter and received a communications plan for the project.
  • Dec 2022: Orientation Session: The newly elected Trust Council (2022-2026) began its new term in November 2022 and received an orientation session on the Policy Statement Amendment Project at its December 2022 Trust Council meeting. View the presentation slides or watch the recording (starts at 2:16).
  • June and September 2022 Trust Council Resolutions: After reviewing recent engagement and referral feedback, the outgoing Trust Council passed a series of resolutions requesting staff to undertake further work on the Policy Statement Amendment Project, for review by the new Trust Council and its committees in early 2023. Read the Summary of Trust Council’s June & Sept 2022 Resolutions.
  • Next Steps: Trust Council does not currently have any timeline planned for first reading of the draft Policy Statement bylaw. It is anticipated that Trust Council will develop a revised project timeline for the remaining stages of the project in early 2023 and that Trust Council and its committees will begin to review and revise the next draft of the Policy Statement in May-June 2023.
  • Recent Engagement & Referral Summary Reports: 
  •    1) Public Engagement Phase 3 Report 
  •    2) First Nations Engagement Phase 2 Report
  •    3) Agency Referrals Phase 1 Report
  • Questions? Email us

Public Engagement 

Updating the Policy Statement involves considering and balancing many inputs, including feedback from the public.

Public Engagement Phase 1

In Fall of 2019, Public Engagement Phase 1 sought public feedback on values, concerns, and suggestions related to preserving and protecting the Trust Area over the next 30 years. The project team hosted 24 local community events across the Trust Area, including open house evenings, group discussions, engagement booths in communities and on ferries, and an online comment and discussion forum. See the Phase 1 “What We Heard” Report for more details.

Feedback from this phase of engagement informed Trust Council’s committees as they developed preliminary policy directions for amendments to the Policy Statement.

Public Engagement Phase 2

From January to March 2021, Public Engagement Phase 2 centred around the release of a Policy Directions Report that outlined preliminary policy directions for amendments to the Policy Statement and sought public feedback through an Online Survey and Virtual Open House.

Feedback from this phase of engagement informed the development of draft amendments to the Policy Statement.

Public Engagement Phase 3

From February to April 2022, engagement consultants from ISL Engineering led a third phase of public engagement to inform and consult the public on the draft amendments to the Policy Statement through 24 local community events, a virtual information and Q&A session, a two-part interactive virtual community workshop, a number of small focus groups, and an online/paper survey. See the Phase 3 Engagement Summary Report for more details.

Feedback from this phase of engagement informed Trust Council’s decisions in June and September 2022 regarding further revisions to the draft Policy Statement and next steps for the project.

First Nations Engagement

We are undertaking early and meaningful engagement and capacity funding support with First Nation governments in the Trust Area, to guide all stages of the Islands 2050 Policy Statement Amendment Project.

Beyond government-to-government relationship building and engagement, we are also beginning to engage with Indigenous people living on the islands to learn and build relationships.

Learn More:

Project Timeline

The Islands 2050 Policy Statement Amendment Project began in 2019 and will go through several iterative stages, meaning that each stage of the project will build on, and be informed by, the stages that came before it.

The project has experienced a delay in 2023 and a revised draft is now expected for early 2024.

Read the Draft New Policy Statement

PLEASE NOTE: Staff are currently revising the July 2021 draft below according to Trust Council’s 2022 resolutions. Stay tuned for the next draft in early 2024!

View the DRAFT new Policy Statement Bylaw No. 183:

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.

Project Library:

  • About the Project
  • Agency Referrals Phase 1
  • Delegation Presentations
  • Discussion Paper
  • Draft New Policy Statement
  • FAQ
  • First Nations Engagement Phase 1
  • First Nations Engagement Phase 2
  • Indigenous Community Engagement
  • News Releases
  • Presentations
  • Public Correspondence
  • Public Legal Opinion
  • Trustee Input