Project Timeline

The Islands 2050 Policy Statement Amendment Project has seven stages:

• Stage 1 began with the first phases of public and First Nations engagement in Fall 2019.
• Stage 2 involved reporting back on what we heard during the first phase of public engagement.
• Stage 3 involved presenting some preliminary policy directions and seeking further public input.
• NOW: Stage 4 involves drafting amendments to the Policy Statement bylaw. There will be months of public engagement on the draft new Policy Statement bylaw, as well as feedback from First Nations and referral agencies.
• Stage 5 is when the draft new Policy Statement bylaw will go to Trust Council for consideration of first reading.  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) by 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 is when the Minister of Municipal Affairs will approve the new Policy Statement bylaw and Trust Council will adopt the bylaw through fourth reading.

Public Engagement

The Islands 2050 Policy Statement Amendment Project has three phases of public engagement:

• Public Engagement Phase 1 (Fall 2019):

In Phase 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 and group discussions, set up booths at key community locations, and also welcomed ideas online through a comment forum called Thought Exchange.

We asked the public three questions:

1.  What do you value about the Trust Area?
2.  In the context of a changing climate, what concerns do you have for the next 30 years?
3.  What opportunities do you see to preserve and protect the Trust Area?

We summarized all we had heard during the first phase of public engagement in the What We Heard Report.

• Public Engagement Phase 2 (Jan-Mar 2021):

In Phase 2 of public engagement, we released a Policy Directions Report (Jan 2021) and launched a public survey related to the report. We published the Policy Directions survey results through our Survey and Polls webpage. We also hosted a Virtual Open House on March 3, 2021 to share information from the Policy Directions Report and answer questions from the public (watch the recording). 

• Public Engagement Phase 3 (coming soon):

We are currently planning for Phase 3 of public engagement, where we will seek public input on the draft new Policy Statement through a series of in-person and online events. Stay tuned for more details in December 2021 / January 2022.

First Nations Engagement

We are undertaking several phases of early and meaningful engagement and capacity funding support with First Nations governments and treaty alliances 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 foster community connections and understanding.

Learn More:

• Trust Council Reconciliation Declaration and Action Plan (2019)
• Reconciliation Report 2019 – 2021
• First Nations Engagement Update Report (July 2021)
• “Truth Precedes Reconciliation” Section 1.1 of Discussion Paper

We Welcome Your Input*

Please send us an email 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

*NOTE: 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.

Project Information: