Trust Council Quarterly Meeting Agenda

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Bowen  Denman  Hornby  Gabriola Galiano  Gambier  Lasqueti  Mayne  North Pender  Salt Spring  Saturna  South Pender  Thetis 
 
 
200 - 1627 Fort St., Victoria, BC  V8R 1H8 
Telephone  (250) 405-5151    Fax  (250) 405-5155 
Toll Free via Enquiry BC in Vancouver 604-660-2421.  Elsewhere in BC 1.800.663.7867 
Email  information@islandstrust.bc.ca 
Web  www.islandstrust.bc.ca 
 
September 30, 2016        File No: 5450-30 
 
Via electronic submission: nrcan.paneltmx-comitetmx.rncan@canada.ca 
Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project (TMX) Ministerial Panel  
Kim Baird, Tony Penikett, Annette Trimbee 
Special Representatives to the Minister of Natural Resources 
 
Dear Ms. Baird, Ms. Trimbee and Mr. Penikett: 
Re:  Islands Trust Council comments on the proposed Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project  
 
This letter is to supplement the presentation I made in person on August 16, 2016. I am the Chair of the 
Islands Trust Council, representing 26 trustees from 13 island governments.  
 
The Islands Trust was created by provincial legislation in 1974 in recognition of the unique fragility of the 
ecology of the 470 or so Gulf Islands in the Salish Sea. Twenty-five thousand people live within the Islands 
Trust area. Another 13,000 are non-resident property owners. The Strait of Georgia is among the most 
productive marine ecosystems in the world.  
 
Equally important, there are 37 First Nations who have asserted Aboriginal interests in the Trust Area – 10 
of these are Douglas Treaty Nations with established fishing and harvesting rights in the Gulf Islands. 
Although we copy First Nations on all correspondence such as this, we have not heard their positions on the 
Trans Mountain Pipeline Expansion Project. Given our commitment to establishing and maintaining a 
mutually respectful relationship with First Nations, we offer the Islands Trust position while being ready to 
respectfully consider their positions, as they become known. 
 
The Islands Trust Act requires that we preserve and protect the Gulf Islands for not only the residents but 
for the benefit of all British Columbians. The main tool we use to undertake that work is land-use planning. 
The Act further invites us to try to advocate for changes to the policies and regulations of senior levels of 
government in support of our mandate. Under our legislated mandate, Islands Trust Council has been 
expressing concern about tanker traffic and oil spill preparedness since 1979.  
 
In the ten years I have served the Islands Trust Council, we have continuously advocated for changes to 
marine shipping safety and the oil spill response regime generally as well as for more in-depth public 
consultation before approving new projects that would increase the risk of oil spills. I am familiar with 
Western Canada Marine Response Corporation (WCMRC) operations and have participated in the oil spill 
exercise they hosted in Delta, British Columbia three years ago. I recognize that oil tankers do not pr

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