I actually really like the idea behind The Islands Trust, a government at the local level duty bound to balance environmental protection with the needs of the community. But let's be honest, it is not working. The Trust is inaccessible to workers, unresponsive to the needs of the community, and follows an outdated governance model that prioritizes the wants of the wealthy over the needs of the environment and the workers, both current and retired, that make Salt Spring into a functional community.

I want to see an Islands Trust that is accessible, transparent, and actually functions.

• If I am elected I will work with staff to hold meetings, town halls, and public engagement at a variety of times to ensure they are accessible to more than the usual 9:30am on a workday crowd

• I will also work with staff to get agendas, minutes, and other important information shared with the public on forums such as the Salt Spring Exchange rather than just on the Trust mailing list

One of our biggest challenges is our outdated model of governance. The Islands Trust is great at solving the problems of the 1970s and 80s but has stumbled trying to address the problems facing us in the last 20 years.  We’re not solving today’s problems and we certainly aren’t prepared to handle those coming tomorrow.

• If I am elected I will continue the work on the OCP/LUB revision with an eye towards making those documents clear, consistent, written in plain language and, most importantly, that they represent Salt Spring Island for 2026-2030 and beyond.

• I will continue the work to finish the Trust Policy Statement in order to bring this over 30 year old document into the 21st century.

The success of the Trust, when it comes to issues other than land use planning, rests on working well with the LCC, CRD, improvement districts, and the provincial, federal, and First Nations governments.

• As Trustee I will make building relationships with and coordinating with other levels of government a priority

For too long discussions around housing have excluded those who actually need it while the comfortably housed dictate what they think we need. The Trust needs to use its land use planning powers to ensure that the people who are living, working, and contributing to our communities have places to not just live but thrive. We will not solve the housing crisis with boarding houses and feudal style farm labour housing as other candidates are proposing. We need real housing for real people and families that will live in and support our community.

• If I am elected I will focus on zoning for both rental and ownership housing that is attainable, long term, and allows people and families to settle and grow.

• I will limit zoning for vacation homes, short term vacation rentals, and unaffordable luxury homes as well as further limit house sizes

• I will work with staff to design zoning not just for affordability but also zoning that limits new workforce housing to people who work in our community and long term residents as has been done in other jurisdictions

• I will advocate for provincial government to include Salt Spring Island in the Speculation and Vacancy Tax or, better yet, work with other rural communities to create a new rural second homes tax

One option that we can use to help us with housing would be a Housing Authority such as has been tried, with success, in other jurisdictions.

• If I am elected I will work with our other levels of government to bring in a Housing Authority and implement the zoning necessary to support it

Make no mistake, our current regulations do not protect the environment. We still have big luxury homes being built on clear cut properties, and acres of land being purchased, de-forested for timber sales, and then put back on the market as subdividable developable land. Wild spaces and wildlife corridors must be preserved, and our community needs to be prepared for the increasingly severe effects of climate change.

• If I am elected I will work with staff to shift land use planning from the luxury rural sprawl we are currently allowing to attainable workforce density in and around villages and amenities

• I will push for environmentally protective zoning such as home plating and cluster housing

• When working on the OCP/LUB update I will make sure preparation for climate change is baked into the updated document

Agriculture is part of Salt Spring Island’s heritage, a big part of who we are, and what brought me to the island.  The land that feeds us is a critical part of our community infrastructure and resiliency, and farms and farmers must be protected.

• If I am elected I will protect productive agricultural zoning from rezoning/development

• I will work on solving our workforce housing crisis, as per the housing section of my platform, which will allow farms easier access to farm labour

• I will coordinate the work of the Trust, the Agricultural Land Reserve, the Province and many community organizations to ensure we grow our local food production system

• I will work towards creating a community where workers are prosperous enough to pay what local food really costs

This isn’t a platform item, it’s more about who I am. I’m not running to be a politician, I am running to improve my community. If I am elected I will govern with integrity because I value doing the right thing.

• As a Trustee I will act on principals of climate and environmental justice

• I will make sure that public engagement reaches a fair and balanced section of the population

• I will advocate for Salt Spring Islands workers and other underserved groups

• I will work towards reconciliation with local indigenous groups

• I will push for an AI policy that ensures staff minimize the use of AI, clearly label reports where AI is used, and if AI is used ensure it is used to assist staff not the other way around.