January 28, 2022 - Groundwater Licensing Program Information February 3, 2022 Webinar

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Bowen, Denman, Gabriola, Galiano, Gambier, Hornby, Lasqueti, Mayne, N. Pender, Salt Spring, Saturna, S. Pender, Thetis 
 
 
January 28, 2022 – for immediate release 2022-02-IT 
 
Groundwater Licensing Program Information February 3, 2022 Webinar   
 
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 ʷəŋən, METULIYE/Victoria, B.C. – In partnership with Islands Trust, provincial staff will be offering a free online 
information webinar on British Columbia’s groundwater licensing program on Thursday, February 3, at 7:00 p.m.   
 
This session will be moderated by Islands Trust’s senior freshwater specialist, William Shulba. The webinar comes ahead 
of the March 1, 2022, deadline date to apply for a water licence with the Provincial Government for those who started 
using groundwater from a well or dugout before March 1, 2016, for non-domestic uses like irrigation, commercial, 
waterworks, or industrial use, or home businesses that increase intensity of water use. After this date, the Province 
requires that those affected by the legislation stop using groundwater until they have a licence. Non-compliance could 
result in losing priority access to the groundwater.   
 
Domestic well owners are also urged to register their well for free, so their water use is known and considered by 
provincial decision-makers when dealing with other licence applications.   
 
“The sustainability of freshwater resources is crucial across the Islands Trust Area,” said Peter Luckham, Islands Trust 
Council Chair. “Licensing water helps protect aquifers and streams, along with the businesses and livelihoods that depend 
on reliable access to water. Join us as provincial staff from the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations 
and Rural Development and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy present about the legislation and 
what it could mean to you and the islands.”   
 
In the Water Sustainability Act, non-domestic groundwater is now included in the same regulatory structure that has 
existed for surface water for over 100 years. The Act recognizes that groundwater and surface water should be managed 
together amidst increasing pressures on freshwater resources.    
 
The webinar will take place on Zoom Videoconferencing. To register and receive the invitation link, visit 
https://bit.ly/3KLDRkr. Participants are encouraged to submit questions ahead of the presentation to make the most of 
the evening webinar. Questions can be submitted to programs@islandstrust.bc.ca.    
 
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About Islands Trust 
Islands Trust is a special-purpose government representing 26,000 people living within the Islands Trust Area and 10,000 
non-resident property owners. The Islands Trust Area is located within Coast Salish territory and is the homeland to over 
28,000 Coast Salish Peoples who have called this place home since time immemorial. Islands Trust is responsible for 
preserving and protecting the Islands Trust Area's unique environment and amenities through conservation-oriented land 
us

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