2025-12-16 Islands Trust Chair Submission regarding Bill M216 Letter

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Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola  Galiano  Gambier  Lasqueti  Mayne  North Pender  Salt Spring  Saturna  South Pender  Thetis 
 
    
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
December 16, 2025  
 
Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills 
c/o Parliamentary Committees Office 
Room 224, Parliament Buildings 
Victoria, BC V8V 1X4 
 
Submitted via consultation portal: https://consultation-portal.leg.bc.ca/consultations/154 
 
Re: Request to Exclude the Islands Trust from Bill M216-2025 
 
Dear Members of the Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' 
Bills, 
 
I am writing on behalf of the Islands Trust Council to respectfully convey opposition to Bill 
M216, and requests that if Bill M216 proceeds, that it be amended to explicitly exclude the 
Islands Trust due to its unique statutory mandate under the Islands Trust Act to preserve 
and protect the Trust Area and its unique amenities and environment. 
 
Applying Bill M216 without modification risks conflict with the Islands Trust Act and may 
inadvertently undermine the legislated preservation and protection mandate. Recent 
provincial initiatives with similar province‑wide applicability have recognized this 
incompatibility and have therefore explicitly exempted the Islands Trust. 
 
Like local governments, Islands Trust relies on professional submissions to support 
land‑use decision‑making; however, local review is often essential to identify deficiencies, 
clarify ambiguities, and ensure that reports reflect local conditions, risks, and 
public‑interest considerations. The Provincial Ombudsperson has previously cautioned 
against professional reliance models without adequate oversight, reinforcing the 
importance of ensuring that any provincial framework aligns appropriately with the Islands 
Trust’s mandate. 
 
We also note concerns raised by the Union of British Columbia Municipalities and the 
Planning Institute of British Columbia regarding the Bill’s potential impacts on 
accountability and local decision‑making processes. These issues further support the 
need for an explicit exemption for the Islands Trust.  
.../2 
200 – 1627 Fort Street, Victoria BC V8R 1H8
Telephone (250) 405-5151 Fax (250) 405-5155
Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 660-2421 
Elsewhere in BC
 1.800.663.7867
Email information@islandstrust.bc.ca
Web www.islandstrust.bc.ca
File: 11-4700-20

Select Standing Committee on Private Bills and Private Members' Bills 
December 16, 2025 
Page 2 
 
 
We always welcome early dialogue with the Province, or any private member considering a 
bill, to provide context about the potential implications on the advancement of Islands 
Trust’s unique legislated mandate “to preserve and protect the Trust Area and its unique 
amenities and environment for the benefit of the residents of the Trust Area and of British 
Columbia in cooperation with municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, 
First Nations, other persons and organizations and the gover

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