About Us
Our services
The Islands Trust has a unique legislated mandate for protecting and preserving the trust area, primarily through land use planning and regulation. Please contact any of our offices for further information such as Official Community Plans and bylaws about planning and regulations on specific islands.
Other services such as fire, police, hospitals, roads and sewers or septic systems, are provided by other agencies. For information on who to contact check the blue pages of your local telephone book or see these sections of our website related planning services and related resources.
What is the Trust Area?
The Islands Trust Area covers the islands and waters between the British Columbia mainland and southern Vancouver Island, including Howe Sound and as far north as Comox. This is a unique and special place composed of 13 major islands and more than 450 smaller islands covering approximately 5200 square kilometres of land and water - an area almost the size of Prince Edward Island. About 25,000 people live on these islands.
What is the Islands Trust?
In 1974, in recognition of the special nature of the islands in the Strait of Georgia and Howe Sound, the Government of British Columbia enacted the Islands Trust Act to protect this unique part of the world. This remarkable area is home to an exceptional variety of species of birds, fish, intertidal life, wildlife and plants. Outstanding scenery and recreational resources include panoramic viewpoints, sheltered bays with secluded beaches, protected marine waterways and anchorages and pastoral vistas. The islands also support strong communities characterized by a mix of lifestyles, livelihoods and individuals. Island residents join together to bring special skills and viewpoints to sustain a tradition of community involvement.
The Act also established the Trust Fund Board to manage the Islands Trust Fund, the part of the Islands Trust that holds conservation covenants and nature reserves in support of the Islands Trust's goals.
At December, 2004 public opinion survey confirmed province-wide support for the conservation mandate of the trust, with more than 90% supporting the preservation and protection of the Gulf Islands.
Our mandate
The reasons the province created the Islands Trust as a land use and planning agency 36 years ago are still valid today - to preserve and protect the trust area and its unique amenities and environment for the benefit of the residents of the trust area and of the province generally, in cooperation with municipalities, regional districts, improvement districts, other persons and organizations and the Government of British Columbia. This mandate underlies the work of the Islands Trust, including the development of official community plans, zoning and other land use bylaws in each of the local trust areas or island municipalities.
The History of the Islands Trust
Over the next few weeks staff will be building a history page. As a start, here is former trustee Peter Lamb's recent publication "The Islands Trust Story" (1.3MB)
What we do
The trust is a unique federation of independent local governments, including Bowen Island Municipality, which plans land use and regulates development in the trust area. Like other communities in British Columbia, island communities elect their local representatives every three years.
There are two local trustees elected for each group of islands designated as a local trust area or island municipality. Together, with an appointed chair from the Executive Committee, local trustees are responsible for land use decisions within their respective local trust area, excluding First Nation reserves. The Islands Trust Area is comprised of 12 local trust areas and one island municipality. Each local trust committee has land use jurisdiction over a major island, plus smaller islands and surrounding waters.
This ensures that land use decisions are made by the locally elected people who are part of each island community.
How we work
In total there are 26 trustees, including two municipal trustees from Bowen Island Municipality, an incorporated island municipality within the trust area. These trustees form the Islands Trust Council, which makes decisions about overall policy, staff resources and budget for the Islands Trust and has broad responsibilities to uphold the Islands Trust's mandate. The council meets four times a year in various locations within the trust area. All meetings are open to the public. The Islands Trust has offices on Gabriola and Salt Spring Islands and in Victoria, including land use and policy planners, mapping specialists and administrative staff.
An Executive Committee, comprising the chair and three vice chairs, is elected by all trustees. It guides day-to-day operations and cooperative relations with other levels of government. It also reviews the land use bylaws of local trust committees and Bowen Island Municipality to ensure consistency with the Islands Trust legislated mandate.
Want to get involved?
Many residents and property owners get directly involved with the Islands Trust by becoming members of advisory committees and commissions.
You can also attend regular meetings of local trust committees and trust council by contacting your local trustees or the Islands Trust for times, dates and locations of those meetings. You can get information on ongoing activities from notice boards on some islands, island newspapers and newsletters, trustees, staff, the Islands Trust electronic newsletter, by signing up on line to the Islands Trust subscription service which provides regular information by e-mail.
Who funds the Islands Trust?
 The operations of the Islands Trust are primarily funded through tax levies on properties within the trust area. Provincial grants and development application fees also provide revenue. Trust Council is responsible for managing all finances of the Islands Trust.
What is the Islands Trust Fund?
As the land conservation arm of the Islands Trust, the Islands Trust Fund works with island communities to protect special places in the Islands Trust Area. The Trust Fund Board consists of three trustees and up to three members appointed by the provincial government. The Islands Trust Fund accepts donations, grants and bequests of money, land and covenants in order to preserve and protect significant natural and cultural features in the Trust Area. As of 2009, the Trust Fund had protected 75 areas totalling 975 hectares (2409 acres).
Protect your land and reduce your taxes
NAPTEP - the Natural Area Protection Tax Exemption Program - is a special tax incentive, unique to the Islands Trust Area, that enables land owners to protect land that has significant natural and cultural values. The program currently operates in the Galiano, Gambier, Mayne, North and South Pender, Saturna and Salt Spring Island local trust areas and may expand to other parts of the trust area as regional districts agree to become partners.
Landowners who want to preserve natural habitat on their property can register a conservation covenant and benefit from reduced property taxes on the protected portion of land.
Population growth
Communities in the Islands Trust Area are facing substantial population growth over the next 15 years. The population of the Georgia Basin, which includes the Gulf Islands, is expected to grow by 35% by 2020. The big attraction is the rural and unspoiled nature of the Gulf Islands yet, ironically, these are the very aspects being threatened by development pressures. Local Islands Trust bylaws are designed to balance the needs of the human and natural environments.
Sustaining communities
The islands are close enough to major population centres to be attractive for vacation properties. But with absentee owners, who volunteers for the local fire department? Who makes the communities? How do we ensure that our communities continue to function as real neighbourhoods, rather than resort or tourist destinations full of temporary visitors? The price of real estate on the islands has risen in recent years, making it increasingly difficult to sustain communities that are affordable to the people who live and work on the islands. Local trust committees are looking for new ways to make sure housing is available to support the community diversity that the islands are known for.
Protecting the natural environment
 As more and more people visit the trust area or establish homes on the islands, our unique ecosystems and the special habitat of vulnerable species become increasingly threatened. With a good understanding of this area's rich natural heritage we can all play our part to ensure its survival.
Water conservation
With increasing water demand on the islands, having enough water and storage capacity is a key challenge. We can all help to conserve water by using water-efficient appliances and toilets, planting drought-resistant gardens, storing rainwater and protecting groundwater from contamination.
These are some of the challenges we face if we are to preserve and protect this spectacular and unique part of the world today and for future generations.
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