Gabriola LTC Special Meeting Minutes -DRAFT

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DRAFT 
Gabriola Island DRAFT  1 
Local Trust Committee Special Meeting Minutes 
February 27, 2025 
 
Gabriola Island Local Trust Committee 
Minutes of Special Meeting 
 
Date:  
Location:  
February 27, 2025 
Electronic Meeting 
 
Members Present: Susan Yates, Chair 
 Tobi Elliott, Trustee 
  
Regrets: Peter Luckham, Trustee 
  
Staff Present: William Shulba, Senior Freshwater Specialist (electronic) 
Landen Matechuk, GIS Consultant and Researcher (electronic) 
Emily Bryant, Planning Team Assistant (electronic) 
 Narissa Chadwick, Island Planner  
 Carly Bilney, Recorder (electronic) 
  
Others Present: There was 1 member of the public in attendance. 
 
1. CALL TO ORDER 
Chair Yates called the meeting to order at 10:04 a.m.  
2. TERRITORIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT 
Chair Yates acknowledged that the meeting was being held on the traditional territory of 
the Coast Salish First Nations. 
Landen Matechuk introduced himself as a GIS consultant and researcher who has 
worked with the Islands Trust for the past five years with a focus on ecosystem 
resilience and the Suitable Land Analysis. 
3. APPROVAL OF AGENDA 
By general consent the agenda was approved as presented. 
4. BUSINESS ITEMS 
4.1 Suitable Land Analysis Review Presentation 
Senior Freshwater Specialist William Shulba introduced the project, and made 
the following comments: 
 The Suitable Land Analysis aims to: 
▪ Balance the preserve and protect mandate of the Islands Trust; 
▪ Evaluate and prioritize areas across the Islands Trust for 
sustainable development while emphasizing environmental 
preservation; 
▪ Identify areas suitable for additional residential density; and, 

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Gabriola Island DRAFT  2 
Local Trust Committee Special Meeting Minutes 
February 27, 2025 
▪ Integrate several themes – ecological sensitivity, freshwater 
sustainability, transportation and infrastructure and slope stability – 
to inform land use decisions and address opportunities for suitable 
development. 
 The Suitable Land Analysis uses third-party information, as well as 
primary data created by the Islands Trust. 
 The Suitable Land Analysis uses data that planners have already been 
using to integrate ecological, social and economic factors into planning, 
and align with official community plans and bylaws. 
 
The following comments were made about the Suitable Land Analysis 
methodology: 
 The analysis involved collating and processing datasets and using 
existing maps and spatial information. 
 The tool looks at the values of freshwater and environment, and how they 
align with sustainable infrastructure to find areas suitable for potential 
increased density. 
 The analysis uses ArcGIS Pro’s Suitability Modeler Tool to weigh values 
using a multiple-criteria decision analysis for prioritization. 
 The layers within each value include: Marine Shore Adjacency; Sensitive 
Ecosystems; At Risk Ecological Communities; Dominant Age of Forests; 
Groundwater Recharge; Groundwater Well Density; Watershed 
Re

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