Islands Trust Council Chair Letter to Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs Kahlon re Support for North Salt Spring Waterworks District

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Preserving and protecting over 450 islands and surrounding waters in the Salish Sea 
Bowen Denman Hornby Gabriola Galiano Gambier Lasqueti Mayne North Pender Salt Spring Saturna South Pender Thetis 
 
 
 
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 
 
 
July 15, 2025 File No.: 11-5770-30-10 
 
Via email: hma.minister@gov.bc.ca 
 
The Honourable Ravi Kahlon 
Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs 
PO Box 9074 
STN PROV GOVT 
Victoria, BC V8W 9E2 
 
 
Dear Minister Kahlon: 
 
Re: North Salt Spring Waterworks District 
 
I am writing on behalf of the Islands Trust Council to convey its support for the North Salt Spring 
Waterworks District’s (NSSWD) request, as set it out in its May 16, 2025 letter to you, for the Province 
to empower the local trust committees or NSSWD with the regulatory tools necessary to ensure new 
water connections are allocated to where they are needed most in our community, and if possible, 
for BC Housing to immediately prioritize any potential new projects/partnerships within the Ganges 
area. 
 
Our staff have not identified any additional existing powers that could be provided to local trust 
committees that would ensure that water connections are allocated where needed most in 
communities. However, they noted a potential solution may be possible through a change to 
NSSWD’s letters patent. 
 
We agree with NSSWD that this limited lifting of the moratorium on new connections on the Maxwell 
Lake side of the system is a rare and timely opportunity to address Salt Spring Island’s urgent 
housing needs. With NSSWD or local trust committees having the authority to direct new 
connections to specific types of housing, it would greatly help in allocating connections where they 
are needed most. 
 
Thank you for considering these requests. 
 
Yours sincerely, 
 
 
 
 
Laura Patrick 
Chair, Islands Trust Council 
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Preserving and protecting over 450 islands and surrounding waters in the Salish Sea 
Bowen Denman Hornby Gabriola Galiano Gambier Lasqueti Mayne North Pender Salt Spring Saturna South Pender Thetis 
 
Minister Kahlon 
July 15, 2025 
Page 2 
 
 
 
 
Attachment: May 16, 2025 letter from North Salt Spring Waterworks District to Minister of Housing 
and Municipal Affairs 
 
Ec: North Salt Spring Waterworks District Board 
BC Housing 
Bowen Island Municipal Council 
Islands Trust Council

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