I’ve just completed my first Trust Council meeting. It felt like I was in a room full of Bob Turners! We are off to a good start. The first day I got issued a laptop [thank-you!] and that evening we all got sworn in.
The next morning started with a round table update. I was first up, but not knowing what was expected, I mentioned our opinion poll but failed to mention the whales returning to Howe Sound/Átl’ka7tsem. On the crossing to Nanaimo, BC Ferries slowed to a crawl twice, once off Cape Roger Curtis, while multiple spouts moved toward the ship. In the 40 odd years I have lived on Bowen, that was my first ever spotting of whales, and as portents go, that one was magnificent.
Other Trustees reported on their successes and challenges. Time and again they reported an urgent need for housing options – on one island, someone living in a tent, and fearful of getting help, had died.
There are many national and global challenges, but small islands with fundamental limitations, are very much feeling the crises. Some good news was the Trust’s leading role in Reconciliation efforts: a draft new policy statement and a Cultural Heritage Mapping project are in the works, and there are active efforts to work more closely with the 33 different First Nations in the Trust Area.
A regional freshwater strategy laying out a road map for the next 10 years was also welcomed. Several islands are working on reviews and revisions to their governance documents. All agreed there is a need for more and better communications about the federation, its work in conservation, and shared strategies for the effects of the climate crisis and species loss.
The staff introduced their departments and their work plans and we started the budget process. There were elections and we all signed up for one of four committees: Finance, Regional Planning, Trust Programs and Governance.
There was much to be impressed with, but what I coveted most was their microphone system – WOW! Everyone could hear each other, each person had to finish before another could speak, and there was a camera tracking the microphones as they lit up so that you could watch the screen for a close-up of the speaker.
It’s probably far too expensive for our small muni, but it is brilliant. Check out the system in any of the videos of the meetings.
