By Hope Lompe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder The Island Coastal Economic Trust is a local-government led fund founded by the province in 2006 with the goal of expanding economic growth for Island and coastal communities. It started with $50 million, and had another injection of $10 million in 2023, with the mandate for the Trust to use the funds to support economic growth projects. Since then they have put about $2 million into the economy annually. This has included things like GIRO on Gabriola Island and the Vancouver Island Convention Center in Nanaimo. However, with funds dwindling, and independent review of the Trust concluded without intervention it would be set to close by 2028. The Trust has proposed a governance modernization of the Trust, which will allow First…
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