Emily Carson-Apstein
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder
The Islands Trust is the unique municipal government agency that oversees 13 major gulf islands (including Gabriola) and 450 smaller islands in the Salish Sea. The Trust was created in 1974 in response to concerns about the threat of overdevelopment on the Gulf Islands, and for the past 50 years the Trust has advocated for the land, waters, animals, and people of our island communities. In the documents for a financial committee meeting on August 20, 2025, the Islands Trust has released drafts of their 2025 financial spending to date. Funding for the Islands Trust comes from a variety of sources, including provincial and federal government grants, property taxes, bylaw enforcement fees, and investments. Those working for the Islands Trust are either staff or trustees. Staff are hired by the organization to do administrative or bylaw enforcement work, and trustees are elected by the islands they serve to represent the community and vote on issues that are brought to meetings. The “Statement of Financial Information” presented on August 20 has been audited by an external company and is still subject to approval by the larger Islands Trust Council.
In the 2024/2025 financial year, the Islands Trust spent $613,519 to pay trustees. Gabriola’s trustees, Susan Yates and Tobi Elliott, received $24,797 (Yates) and $70,248 (Elliott, who also serves as the Vice Chair for the Islands Trust Council). An additional $74,823 was spent on trustee expenses across all 13 islands. Islands Trust staff, across the entire region, were paid $5,196,638 in the 2024-2025 financial year, and had expenses totalling $145,682. Outside businesses and contractors were paid $4,488,766, including hydro and internet costs, insurance, technical and website support, and building renovations.
The statement also reports that as of June 30 2025, the Islands Trust was slightly under budget for this time of year. There has been less money spent on staff wages than normal because several positions were open for a period of time, and Trust Council spending is also under budget due to projects being pushed back or scheduled for completion later in the year. The Financial Planning Committee reports that so far in 2025 everything is within the approved budget. More information including the source documents for these numbers is available on the Islands Trust website.
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