By Hope Lompe, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Gabriola Sounder Islands Trust Council approved how the last of a $150,000 grant will be spent, voluntarily given by the provincial government in March 2023 to support relationship building with First Nations and support the development of protocol agreements with First Nations in the Trust Area. The funds, which need to be spent by the end of 2027, were given final allocation approval with the remaining $88,000 to be distributed for fiscal years 2026 and 2027. “The Islands Trust is responsible for land-use regulation on private lands and is best positioned to ensure that proposed bylaws and activities consider the interests and perspectives of the First Nations in whose territory the Trust operates,” the Ministry of Housing and Municipal Affairs provided the Sounder…








