Dec 18, 2020 - Islands Trust Community Stewardship Awards Program Suspended for One Year

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Bowen, Denman, Gabriola, Galiano, Gambier, Hornby, Lasqueti, Mayne, N. Pender, Salt Spring, Saturna, S. Pender, Thetis 
 
 
December 18, 2020 – for immediate release 2020-26-IT 
 
Islands Trust Community Stewardship Awards Program suspended for one year 
Trust Council to revisit program activation at the end of 2021 
 
Lək
̓
 ʷəŋən, METULIYE/Victoria, B.C. – After consideration of competing priorities for staff resources during 2021, the 
Islands Trust Council decided at its September 2020 quarterly meeting to temporarily suspend activity on the Community 
Stewardship Awards Program, with a commitment to review the decision in December 2021. The program, with a multi-
year legacy spanning the entire Trust Area, recognizes community groups and individuals for their leadership in the 
preservation, protection, and stewardship of the Islands Trust Area’s environment and amenities. 
 
“The Community Stewardship Awards have been a celebration of the work of Trust Area community members for close to 
20 years,” said Islands Trust Council Chair Peter Luckham. “It has been an honour to recognize them. In the beginning, 
when Maureen Milburn was recognized for her work on the Salt Spring Island Maxwell Lake Conservation Covenant in 
2002, and just recently when Snuneymuxw Elder Geraldine Manson (C'tasi:a) received the award for sharing knowledge 
and volunteerism with community for 19 years through the Gabriola Historical and Museum Society. The Islands Trust 
Council, through this program, has honoured individuals and groups that have supported the preserve and protect 
mandate in ways that the Trust is unable to deliver on its own. It is important to emphasize that the decision to suspend 
the program for 2021 is only temporary as we grapple with COVID-19 and reprioritize complex and numerous projects – 
Islands Trust Policy Statement amendments, reconciliation and climate change initiatives, to name just a few. Taking a 
pause on the stewardship awards will enable us to deliver on our mandate with the greatest possible success.” He added, 
“I look forward to a time when we are once again able to come together to honour and recognize the important work 
that individuals and organizations do in our communities. I thank you all.” 
 
Since program inception in 2002, the Islands Trust Council has recognized 92 individuals and organizations across the 
Trust Area. Selected projects have addressed a wide range of issues including: leadership in land, water, and marine 
conservation, agriculture, wildlife rescue and rehabilitation, community publications, and the compilation and 
management of community records. The list of previous recipients is available on the Islands Trust website: 
http://www.islandstrust.bc.ca/trust-council/projects/stewardship-awards/previous-years/. 
 
During 2021, the Trust Programs Committee will be considering options for changing the Community Stewardship Awards 
Program to better align the program with the Islands Trust Council’s 

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