Saturna Island Property Owners Association

PO Bo 27, Saturna, British Columbia

Email: sipoa@saturnacan.net

Website: www:sipoa.ca

Beverly Neff
Dian Johnstone

Saturna Local Trust Committee May 9, 2011

Dear Beverly and Dian:

On behalf of the Saturna Island Property Owners (SIPOA) board of directors, we would like to extend our thanks for the informative and productive water workshop of this past weekend.

I know all of the directors who attended the workshop, as well as many of our members who attended, were impressed by the quality of the speakers and the depth of information available about the aquifer at East Point. Good work getting all of the relevant officials and scientists to help islanders understand the dimensions of the problem – both at East Point and more generally. We look forward to getting Ron Monk's synopsis as well as the longer version that the Trust will make available on your website.

As you know, earlier this spring the SIPOA board asked our members if they wanted us to get involved in this issue and there was resounding support to do so, especially to advocate that the workshop clarify the problem(s) before designing any solutions. To follow up on this initiative with our members, the board intends to present the results of the water workshop as an agenda item at our AGM (May 28th at the Rec Centre) and to ask members what they may want in terms of possible next steps. For example, should SIPOA be advocating to the CRD with respect to revising regulations governing rainwater capture, should we be asking the Islands Trust to do so on our behalf – or both? The same is true for education: Should SIPOA be taking a more active role in terms of educating property owners with respect to prudent water management techniques and practices. And, how should SIPOA work with the Saturna Community Club's Water Committee?

I believe Murray Rankin, President of SIPOA, has already invited you to attend our AGM but he has asked me to follow-up with you both because of your leadership in hosting the workshop and also, of course, because Sheila Malcolmson is our keynote speaker and there will likely be Local Trust issues raised as well as overall policy questions. We hope you both will be able to attend.

Finally, we are pleased to announce the creation of the SIPOA website. While it is still under construction you can see the progress if you go to:www:sipoa.ca. We are really quite excited about this website for many reasons, not the least of which it showcases the island as well as providing key information to all islanders.

Again, many thanks from SIPOA for your work on the water workshop.

My best,

Susie Washington Smyth
Board Member