Sep 6, 2019 - Islands 2050: The Future of the Trust Area

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News Release 
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September 6, 2019            2019-22-IT 
 
ISLANDS 2050: THE FUTURE OF THE TRUST AREA 
What will the Islands Trust Area of British Columbia look like in 30 years? 
 
Lekwungen territory, Victoria — Today, the Islands Trust announced the launch of Islands 2050, a major public 
engagement process designed to help the Trust plan for the challenges and opportunities that the Islands Trust Area 
will face in the next 30 years, particularly as it prepares for the realities of climate change. 
 
In communities throughout and around the Trust Area, the Islands Trust will engage the public and First Nations 
through open houses, community events, onboard BC Ferries and online conversations. Opportunities to provide input 
on questions relevant to climate change and the public’s vision for the future of the Islands Trust Area will be available 
through www.islandstrust.bc.ca/islands2050.  
 
The goal is to give everyone with an interest in the Islands Trust Area opportunities to have their say. From September 
through November, Islands Trust will be visiting communities to seek opinions.  
 
Findings of the Islands 2050 engagement process will help the Islands Trust update the Policy Statement, the 
foundational document that guides the preserve and protect mandate of this special-purpose government. The 
document guides policy decisions about island landscapes and the waters surrounding them. It includes 
recommendations to other levels of government. Notably, it informs how local official community plans (OCPs) and 
land use bylaws are created – changes to this document could affect local OCPs.  
 
“It’s been 25 years since the Islands Trust last reviewed the Policy Statement,” explained Peter Luckham, Chair of the 
Islands Trust. “That was a generation ago and the world has changed dramatically. Globally, we’re confronting a climate 
crisis; locally, we’re experiencing changes in island demographics. The Salish Sea, which unites all the islands in the 
Trust Area, is at increasing risk from pollution and industrial uses, including increased numbers of freighters and oil 
tankers.  
 
“These changes will have impact on the environment and our way of life. So, the question we’re asking now is: are the 
policies of 1994 the right ones to guide us into a changed world?” 
 
Encompassing the waters and islands of the Salish Sea between southern Vancouver Island and the mainland, the Trust 
Area of British Columbia features spectacular beauty, vibrant communities, and some of the world’s most endangered 
and precious ecosystems. The special nature of this region was recognized when the B.C. G

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