March 12, 2026: Islands Trust Council Approves 2026-27 Budget
· Islands Trust Area · News & Advocacy · 2026
Original Trust document
· 166 KB
· SHA-256 c22a01ba55432015…
4,660 characters of machine-extracted text. Extraction is automatic and can be wrong; the original governs.
Topics: First Nations & reconciliation · Governance & budget — our classification, not the Trust's.
Extracted text (beginning)
Bowen, Denman, Gabriola, Galiano, Gambier, Hornby, Lasqueti, Mayne, N. Pender, Salt Spring, Saturna, S. Pender, Thetis March 12, 2026 – for immediate release 2026-03-IT Islands Trust Council Approves 2026/27 Budget Khowutzun Heritage Centre, Duncan, B.C. – Today, Islands Trust Council approved a budget of $11.8 million for 2026/27. “Recognizing the pressures on the community, Islands Trust Council committed significant effort to reducing the proposed budget. The approved budget balances the ongoing needs of the Islands Trust Area with responsible stewardship of taxpayers’ dollars,” said Islands Trust Council Chair Laura Patrick. The approved budget for 2026/27 is in alignment with the 2025–2028 Strategic Plan and provides the resources needed to carry out the Islands Trust’s preserve and protect mandate through land use planning, region-wide programs, and land protection. Key themes reflected in the 2026/27 budget include: • Support for land use planning projects and maintaining current service levels • Funding local elections in October 2026 and new trustee orientation and equipment • Better resourcing relations with First Nations and communications work • Continuation of Islands Trust Council’s Strategic Plan projects, and the development of a new Islands Trust Conservancy’s Five-Year Plan The 2026/27 budget supports Islands Trust work on various projects and programs, including: • Indigenous Relations Action Plan • Policy Statement Amendment Project • Freshwater Sustainability Strategy Review • Islands Trust Council Policy Review • Denman Island Local Trust Area Housing Review - Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review • Gabriola Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review • Gambier Island Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Amendments Implementation • Hornby Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review • Lasqueti Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan Review • North Pender Housing Access and Affordability Project • Salt Spring Island Local Trust Area Official Community Plan and Land Use Bylaw Review • Islands Trust Conservancy 2028-2032 Plan Development • Protected Areas Management Software Project • Accessibility Plan Development Highlights of the approved 2026/27 budget: • Total planned spending $11.8M, with $11.0M directed to operations, $588,484 directed to special projects, and $208,700 directed to capital purchases News Release 200 - 1627 Fort Street Victoria B.C. | V8R 1H8 Telephone 250.405.5151 | FAX: 250.405.5155 Toll Free via Service BC in Vancouver 604.660.2421 | in B.C. 1.800.663.7867 information@islandstrust.bc.ca | www.islandstrust.bc.ca Bowen, Denman, Gabriola, Galiano, Gambier, Hornby, Lasqueti, Mayne, N. Pender, Salt Spring, Saturna, S. Pender, Thetis • An 8.1% increase to the existing local trust area tax base plus an additional 0.8% tax revenue expected from new cons
First 3,000 characters. Open the original for the whole document.