How Does The Cost Of Islands Trust's Planning Services Compare To What Your Regional District Would Cost?
Sunday, September 13, 2026 at 8:33AM For Lasqueti Island, the difference in cost for providing Land Use Planning services is dramatic.
According to the General Manager of Corporate Administration for the qathet Regional District (qRD), the total cost of the qRD's Planning Services was $423,278 in 2025 and $421,695 in 2026. The census in 2021 says that there are 21,496 people in the qRD (which includes Lasqueti's 498).
$423,278 ÷ (21,496-498) works out to about $20 per person per year. if our Regional District provided Land Use Planning services for Lasqueti Island.
The total cost of Islands Trust Planning Services was $11.2 Million in 2025 and $11.8 Million in 2026. These are the total yearly budgets for an organization that ONLY provides Land Use Planning services as authorized under the Islands Trust Act. The 2021 census states that there were 30,510 people in the Islands Trust area.
This works out to about $387 per person per year ($11,800,000 ÷ 30,510) for the Islands Trust to provide our Land Use Planning services.
Hopefully someone on your island will now be inspired to do this same comparison...and half of it is done!
Dave Olsen
Lasqueti Island