Raffi Foundation Child Honouring

I am running for the Islands Trust because I believe it is time for strong new leadership that is more attuned to the needs of today’s diverse population. I know we can honour the mandate of the Islands Trust while also strengthening the fabric of our communities, local small businesses and farms, and important services.  I have proven leadership abilities, I like to get things done, and I want to work with the people of this community. Since the outcome of the incorporation vote last fall, many islanders are seeking and developing ideas to improve governance on our island.  Improvement begins with the island’s elected officials working effectively together and across the various organizations. Elect me and I will get to work on:  maintaining and strengthening our environmental safeguards to keep Salt Spring and the Trust Area special; finding both immediate and long-term innovative solutions to our housing crisis that is affecting too many fellow islanders – especially o…

We have a housing crisis that is impacting everyone on this island either directly or indirectly. Working people – among them nurses, teachers, servers, chefs - struggle to find long-term homes. We are losing organizations and businesses that are integral to our island life. Enrolment in our school district is falling. This is a complex problem and there is no single or easy solution. We are in a housing crisis that is affecting too many of our fellow islanders. Elect me and I will work to identify and implement innovative solutions to provide immediate and long-term homes that fit within the character and capacity of our island. The very first thing I will do is to bring the Trust, CRD, our MLA, BC Housing and local housing organizations together to collaboratively develop an understanding of the housing issue, and work with the community to develop a comprehensive Housing Strategy. The strategy will identify solutions, and the timeline, the responsible agency, and a fu…

Our island environment is under stress from the impacts of climate change, a heated housing market, and increased tourism. I believe the Islands Trust can be a leading model of ecological-based land management. I know we can and MUST do better if we are to build a healthy, vibrant island community that is in harmony with the natural environment, both for today and, more importantly, for tomorrow. Elect me and I will work on maintaining and strengthening our environmental safeguards to keep Salt Spring and the Trust Area special and a world-class example of sustainability. We can do better by communicating how every one of us who lives in, owns land on, vacations in or travels through this region needs to become a steward of our precious ecosystem. We need to know what actions we can each take to protect it. We can do better by managing and conserving our water supplies and employing standards to ensure long-term ecological sustainability of our watersheds while…