Building Sustainably: A Guide for Howe Sound & the Northern Gulf Islands

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Guide for residential construction for single family dwellings  
including additions, renovations and accessory buildings
Building Sustainably 
& the Northern Gulf Islands
 
      A      Guide for Howe Sound

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What’s this Guide for?
This Guide helps you build while protecting the islands’ natural ecosystems. 
It also includes information about financial incentives and other resources 
that can help you protect your environment. The decisions you make 
at the planning stages of your building project can dramatically reduce 
any negative impacts and help to create a truly environmentally friendly 
community.
What makes the Gulf Islands special?
The Howe Sound and Northern Gulf Islands are part of the Islands Trust, 
which has a mandate to preserve and protect the Islands Trust area’s unique 
environment. Most of the Northern Gulf Islands are in the Coastal Douglas-fir 
ecosystem, one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. 
The Islands Trust, the Sunshine Coast Regional District, Metro Vancouver, 
Regional District of Nanaimo and the Comox Valley Regional District have all  
signed the provincial government’s Climate Action Charter, which requires 
communities to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. 
Who should use the Guide?
This Guide is for all current and prospective landowners who are preparing 
to build a new house, a cottage, or an accessory building, or planning to 
remodel or add to an existing dwelling, alter the land or to build or reroute a 
driveway. 
When should I use the Guide?
Consult the Guide early in your planning process so that the ideas can be 
incorporated at the outset. Review the guide with your architect, designer 
and contractor. Consulting the guide after the working drawings are finished 
may result in lost opportunities and additional costs if you decide to make 
last-minute changes.
Where to find Maps
All of the maps you need showing your property, sensitive ecosystems and 
permitted land uses are located on the Islands Trust website using the MapIT 
application.  
The Guide to Environmentally Friendly Building in the Northern Gulf Islands is downloadable at www.islandstrust.bc.ca
Funder: Fraser Basin Council 
Published February 2014

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Ecosystem Approach to Planning
 ƒMaintain as much of your property as a natural, undeveloped 
area where only native species grow. Conserving existing natural 
areas is by far the most effective way to conserve plant and animal 
biodiversity on our islands.
 ƒIdentify environmental and archaeological values, including habitat 
for threatened or endangered species and First Nation sites before 
considering access, site clearing and design.
 ƒWhere possible, plan to locate your driveway, septic system, house 
and outbuildings away from areas with high environmental values like 
shorelines, streams, rare plants, and wildlife trees. Place natural buffers 
such as vegetation between the development and sensitive features.
 ƒCluster development in one area of the property to minimize 

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