Thetis Island Sustainability Guide

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Thetis Island  
Sustainability Guide   
What is the Sustainability Guide? 
The Sustainability  Guide  suggests  ways  to 
make  your  residential  construction  project 
more environmentally friendly, reduce its im-
pact  on  Thetis  Island’s  natural  ecosystems 
and save you money in the long term. It also 
includes  information  about  financial  incen-
tives and other resources that can help you 
achieve these goals. The Guide is primarily a 
guidance document to be used as you pre-
pare to build on your property.  It can also be 
used to provide add additional information in 
an application to the Islands Trust, such as re-
zoning,  development  permit,  or  variance 
(consult with a planner). 
 
 
Why on Thetis Island? 
Thetis Island is part of the Islands Trust, which 
has a mandate to preserve and protect the 
Islands Trust area’s unique environment. Both 
the Islands Trust and the Cowichan Valley Re-
gional District (CVRD) have signed the provin-
cial  government’s  Climate  Action  Charter, 
which requires communities to reduce green-
house gas emissions. One way to do this is 
through  adopting  a  more  sustainable  ap-
proach to land development and construc-
tion. Initiatives you take at the planning stag-
es of your building project can dramatically 
reduce any negative impacts and help to cre-
ate a truly sustainable community.  
 
Who should use the Guide? 
All current and prospective Thetis Island land-
owners who are preparing to build a new 
house, a cottage, or an accessory building, or 
planning to remodel, renovate or retrofit an 
existing dwelling. Someone planning driveway 
construction  or  re-routing  will  also  benefit 
from this guide. 
 
 
When should I use the Guide? 
Whether you are applying for a building per-
mit with the CVRD or a rezoning, develop-
ment permit or variance with Islands Trust, 
the earlier you consult the Guide, the easier it 
will be to include its ideas in your project.  Re-
view 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.  
 
 
The Guide has two parts:  
Part A: Location and Siting Design...page 3 
Part B: Building Design and 
Construction...page 8 
 

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Ecosystem Approach to Site Planning: 
Know the land 
(Official Community Plan (OCP) Section 4 Natural and Heritage 
Resources Objectives and Policies, Section 6 Development Per-
mits, and Schedule F - Sensitive Ecosystem Mapping) 
 
1. Identify areas with environmental and 
archaeological values, including habitat 
for threatened or endangered species 
and First Nations sites, before planning 
access, site clearing and design. 
2. Locate development — your driveway, 
septic system, house and outbuildings 
— away from areas with high environ-
mental values such as shorelines, 
streams, rare plants, and wildlife trees. 
Place natural buffers bet

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