VITA November 2020/2021
As we all begin to thankfully emerge from the Covid Pandemic I wanted to update you on some of the heavy lifting your Board has been doing.
In September 2020, the Board went through a Strategic Visioning exercise led by Dr. Marie Low. We now have a detailed and actionable three-year strategic plan that guides our work and keeps us focused. This is a working document that will evolve as new and exciting opportunities arise.
In the Spring of 2021 we officially set up an Endowment Fund under the auspices of the Victoria Foundation. I am happy to report that our fund has $40,000 already. Anyone who wishes to donate to the Vancouver Island Trail Fund can connect with me personally at [email protected] or connect directly with the Victoria Foundation and let them know you wish to donate to the Vancouver Island Trail. The Victoria Foundation will issue you a tax receipt.
The Board is partnering with Oak Bay Municipality and the Songhees First Nation to create a new kiosk at Anderson Hill, where the Trail starts. Our warm thanks and appreciation goes to Franklin Forest Products of Port Alberni, who provided the yellow cedar lumber for this project.
I’m happy to report that we have two new Board Members – Vandi Hill and Steven Myhill-Jones. Vandi joins us as Communications Director. Vandi brings with her over 40 years of supporting private and public sector companies consulting on the development and implementation of marketing plans and strategies. Steven’s passion is to get as many people experiencing the outdoors as possible and his expertise in mapping and GIS systems is a welcome addition to our working board of directors.
Work on the Trail continues under the expert guidance of our Operations Manager Terry Lewis. 740 kms of trail is complete with roughly 60 kms left to go. Our goal is to have the Trail completed by 2023.
As President, I have been reaching out to prospective partners and also to all levels of government to raise awareness of the Trail. It’s surprising how many times I get the response – “wow that’s incredible, I had vaguely heard of the Trail but had no idea it had progressed this far”. People are further blown away by the idea that we are all volunteers and the Trail is largely built by the many wonderful volunteers we tap into.
So let’s keep the momentum going.
– Liz Bicknell – President Vancouver Island Trail Association