There is a good reason why people marvel at the beauty of Salt Spring. The Islands Trust was created with a mandate to preserve and protect these extraordinary islands and their unique amenities and environment for island residents and British Columbia as a whole.

I believe deeply in this mandate. Preservation does not mean freezing the islands in time. It means helping human communities live within ecological limits so people and Nature can thrive together for generations.

Our forests, farms, wetlands, watersheds, shorelines and marine ecosystems provide water, support biodiversity and make island life possible.

I am a biologist, environmental educator and community-builder with over 20 years of experience in ecological restoration, research, planning and stewardship. My graduate work focused on ecology, and I hold certificates in Urban Design and Co-Management of Natural Resources.

My namesake, Robert Jenkinson, settled in Victoria five generations ago. As a sixth-generation settler, I feel responsible for understanding colonization’s consequences, supporting reconciliation with First Nations, and helping restore and protect the lands and waters inherited by generations yet to come.

I raised my children here—they are now 12 and 15—and care deeply about whether their generation, and future generations can thrive on Salt Spring. My community work includes creating school gardens and outdoor learning opportunities, Fall Fair and poultry club, organizing neighbourhood and inter-island events, and working with Island Pathways to advance safer walking and cycling routes.

This summer, I visited more than 17 Salish Sea islands, learning about ecological stewardship, community innovation and Indigenous-led initiatives. I met people restoring shorelines, protecting forests, monitoring species, tending ethnobotanical gardens and building trails. Each island is distinct, but we have much to learn from one another. As trustee, I would share ideas and strengthen collaboration across the archipelago.

The Trust cannot solve the housing crisis alone. It can use its land-use powers wisely and work with First Nations, the CRD, the province and community organizations to support affordable housing, local farming, livelihoods and village life while protecting the natural systems on which they depend.

We can welcome thoughtful forms of housing and land tenure, regenerative local economies, ecological restoration, active and public transportation, and renewable energy without abandoning environmental safeguards. Good planning can reduce pressure on forests, farmland and watersheds.

If elected, I hope to serve on the Islands Trust Conservancy Board. I will advocate for respectful relationships with First Nations and land-protection partnerships that benefit lands, waters and communities.

I will support plain-language planning and open public processes. Residents should understand what the Trust is doing, what authority it has, why decisions are made and how their input can help. Confidence grows when the Trust makes well-supported decisions, speaks honestly, works effectively with other bodies and remains faithful to its purpose.

I am running to help the Islands Trust fulfil its remarkable mandate while sustaining island communities. I would be honoured to serve—and I would love to hear your positive visions for Salt Spring’s future.

Just imagine: What if we get it right?

Questions, visions and ideas are welcome at robintrustee2026@gmail.com.