While TLC’s Board of Directors appreciated having interested parties of the media attend the open meeting and report on the updates shared, the article in the Vancouver Sun did include numerous inaccuracies which we have requested the author correct. To ensure that our Members and the public have the facts a few of these corrections are included below.

The 15-year-old non-profit society has been unable to meet all of its financial obligations for a year and no longer has paid staff.

There are eight paid staff (TLC went from a provincial organization of 50 to 8 in 2012) who are responsible for maintaining the 51 properties, 200+ covenants and a membership base of 7000. The Board have taken on the co-management of the organization through the transition period—on a voluntary basis—with a financial/general manager. The full details of the transition phase were laid out at the November 2012 AGM in the Chair’s address.

Concerns about the viability of the conservatory were expressed by critics three years ago and those concerns came to a head last year. But the extent of the problem is only slowly emerging.

The details of the transition phase have been well publicized since last year at the AGM when the full financial analysis was presented. These are all available on the website including all the mortgages which were also reported on in the press and can be found at the links below.

http://blog.conservancy.bc.ca/2012/11/tlcs-annual-general-meeting-2/
http://www.timescolonist.com/news/amid-heavy-debt-tlc-stays-upbeat-1.15567
http://www.timescolonist.com/opinion/letters/b-c-would-be-poorer-without-tlc-s-work-1.8947

Representatives of the Kogawa House Society said they found out there was a mortgage on house when a foreclosure threat was made in February and said they have struggled since to get their answer questioned.

The mortgage was placed on the house in 2006 with full public knowledge and the Kogawa House Society put the announcement from TLC on their blog, kogawahouse.com.

The total raised by the closing date was $673,392.37. The price of the house was $686,000, but there were many additional costs. Fundraising was targeted at $1.25 million.

These donations came from many donors, including individuals, foundations, and corporations. However, approximately 93% of the total amount was from two major donors: Joy Kogawa and Ontario 443472 (Senator Nancy Ruth for $530,000).

Donation history

2006 pre closing date $673,392.37
2006 after closing date $85,754.28
2007 $5,250.52.
2008 $7,193.00
2009 $7,230.00
2010 $9,276.00
2011 no money was raised
2012 $6,358.00

Donations for Restoration

2010-2011 $18,155.15

Grand total $826,564.32 and many of these later donations are specific to renovations which couldn’t be used against the mortgage anyway.

Total costs $861,000.00 ($686,000 plus costs over the last 6 years of $175,000)

$34,435.68 deficit with no latitude for paying off mortgage.

Target $1.25 million 

Below is an excerpt from the announcement from TLC which was pubished on the Historic Kogawa House Society blog.

The Land Conservancy of BC has decided to exercise its option to purchase the Historic Joy Kogawa House and take out a short term mortgage to save it from demolition (see press release below).  But we only have until August 2006 to raise the balance of the money needed to purchase the property in order to prevent TLCfrom carrying a long term mortgage on this property.  This buys us a bit more time to work towards the goal of preserving this important symbol of Canda’s cultural heritage in perpetuity.

Our goal of $1.25M as follows:

◦                             Land and House Purchase $700,000 

◦                             Restoration of Property    $200,000 

◦                             Endowment                    $300,000    to offset costs of maintaining a writers-in-residence program 

◦                             Cost of Fundraising          $50,000

To date we have raised $235,000 from over 500 people in donations and pledges. 

This is still a time sensitive campaign.  We have until August 31, 2006 to ensure the preservation of this property in perpetuity.  Your gifts and your ability to connect us to others who may be intertested in giving is essential to our success.  I am confident that with your help we can reach our goal of making this an educational site and a retreat for writers of conscience.  If you or someone you know has yet to donate or pledge to this important campaign, please take a moment to go to The Land Conservancy’s website at www.conservancy.bc.ca and make your donation or pledge today.  You can also print the attached pledge/donation form off and give it to others.

There are silk threads of hope healing and reconcilation running through this campaign and we’ve been inspired by the commitment and interest from people all over Canada, throughout the States and from parts of Europe and Asia.  It’s exciting to see the world become your neighbour and join together in this great cause.  We are a significant step closer to preserving this important symbol of Canada’s cultural heritage in perpetuity, which is important to us as individuals and as a society.  It’s a symbol that will carry with it the importance of our past, and even more importantly, provide a reminder for generations to come of the multiculturalism and interculturalism that provide the backbone to our culture and makes us proud to be called Canadian.

Thank you for your interest in and support of our campaign.

Sincerely,

Nancy  
Nancy Tiffin 
Development Officer – Major Gifts 
TLC The Land Conservancy of British Columbia 

“Joy Kogawa herself raised the full purchase price for this house before TLC got involved,” he complained.

The individual was incorrect and this statement could have been checked with the above excerpt from the Historic Joy Kogawa House Society blog post.

Vancouver lawyer Anders Ourom, who attended the meeting out of personal interest, said that TLC transferred land in Squamish to a developer last year. He alleged that TLC acquired the land in 2005 on the understanding it would protect it.

“The developer is now building the thing that the land was acquired to prevent,” Ourom alleged.

This allegation is incorrect and could have been checked with information published last year including the article on straight.com.

But the Kogawa society, after taking possession of the house in 2006, handed it over mortgage-free to the better-equipped TLC, which promised to ensure it was preserved. The society concentrated on running programming at the house.

The Historic Joy Kogawa House Society never owned the house. TLC has always owned it with the mortgage on it. The Historic Joy Kogawa House Society was incorporated as a non-profit society with the purpose to create programming for the House on September 11, 2007.  On March 5, 2013, the CRA let the society know that they had been awarded the society charitable tax status, effective January 1, 2013, and that was the first confirmation TLC had to ensure the legal transfer to a qualified donee. This was consistent with TLC’s desire for the local group to build capacity to hold it.

The status was applied for in case of possible transfer of the property.

But the credit union said it was only indirectly involved.

Representatives from Vancity have provided the following for clarification:

As the context might result in the reference to Vancity’s “general support” being misconstrued, we wished to reiterate the origins, purpose and nature of the support:

Over the course of last summer and fall Vancity was approached by a number of individuals, including representatives of conservation, land trust and heritage organizations, who expressed concern about the potential implications for the broader land conservancy movement of The Land Conservancy of BC’s (TLC) financial and operational challenges.

In response Vancity convened a “Wayfinders” table, open to all conservancy organizations and others able to offer expert guidance on land management tools and strategies, as well as the policy environment for land trusts and conservation. The table was premised on three principles-based objectives shared by all participants:

1. To help preserve irreplaceable conservation lands in the TLC portfolio for the purposes for which they were intended.
2. To restore and enhance public faith and confidence in the conservation movement as a whole. 
3. To work with and support partners across the conservancy movement in developing more effective tools, sharing exemplary practices, and promoting greater collaboration in advocating for a more enabling policy landscape for conservation work.

The overarching long term aim of the Wayfinders table is to advance BC’s role as a conservation powerhouse within Canada and Canada’s in the world.

To support the deliberations of the Wayfinders in identifying best outcomes for the properties in the TLC portfolio Vancity retained consultants currently tasked with scoping “the issues specific to the current inventory of properties and land convenants held by TLC” and proposing “best ownership/management structures for each property.” These property consultants report to Vancity, and the results of their research are intended to facilitate best outcomes for the properties, with the input, advice and involvement of the land conservation community.

Vancouver Sun article Kogawa House faces foreclosure over Land Conservancy debt, May 4, 2013

The Codd Wetland property encompasses just over 250 acres in the northeast corner of Pitt Meadows, BC.  Codd Wetland is a significant feature within the Alouette River watershed.  This tidally influenced fen wetland is dominated by grass and shrub vegetation and open stream channels.  The majority of the property is dominated by Reed Canary Grass and patches of Sweet Gale and Hardhack.  These grasses and shrubs provide important roosting and nesting areas for many bird species including endangered Greater Sandhill Crane.  A section of the North Alouette River flows through the southwestern portion of Codd Wetland and both the north and south arms of Blaney Creek, a tributary of the North Alouette, transects the property as well.  McKenzie Creek and several smaller watercourses provide upland drainage flowing directly down into the wetlands.   

The Codd Wetland property provides some of the most ecologically significant habitat in the Lower Mainland.  Hundreds of fish, reptiles, and terrestrial species use the wetlands at some point in their lifecycle or at some time of the year.  Local naturalists first took special note of the wetlands when the red-listed Greater Sandhill Crane was found to be using the area as a nesting site.  This endangered species numbers are thought to be as low as 10 in the Pitt Polder region.  At this critical level of decline the continued presence of intact nesting sites is essential to their local survival.  Some additional mammals of note using the area include the red- listed Peregrine Falcon and Long- tailed Weasel, the blue-listed American Bittern and Red-legged Frog.  For species like the Pacific Water Shrew and American Bittern the wetlands provide some of the best intact, undisturbed habitats remaining within British Columbia.  For other rare and endangered species such as the Green Heron, Great Blue Heron, and the Red-legged frog the wetlands also provide important breeding habitats.

Opening May 17, the campground contains over 60 tent and RV sites including a special bicycle camp, just off the Galloping Goose Regional Trail. Located at the north end of Sooke Potholes Regional Park, recreation, nature, and family fun are just a step away.

The Sooke Potholes are one of the most recognized features of the Southern Vancouver Island landscape. Famous as a spectacular swimming spot, many residents of the Capital Region have fond memories of their visits to the Potholes. Each summer tens of thousands of people flock to the park to bask in the sun, take a dip in the refreshing waters and explore the many surrounding trails.

The Board of Directors welcomes this opportunity to update TLC Members and the community at large about the current state of TLC affairs.

Highlights since the November 3, 2012, Annual General Meeting in Victoria include:

• AGM attended by more than 250 TLC Members and the public
   
• 500 for 500 campaign was launched; TLC was started by five people with $500. The goal of this campaign is to raise $250,000 to begin paying short term debt. During the AGM, 24 people stepped up to donate $500. Since the AGM the campaign has raised more than $200,000. 

• A donation of $100,000 retired the Madrona Farm mortgage and an obligation to the Capital Regional District for the purchase of Brooks Point Park on Pender Island is completed

• A $100,000 grant has been received from the Province of B.C.

• First payments of money owed to creditors and former staff have been made

• Working with Vancity Credit Union, the largest credit union in B.C., to develop best management solutions for properties TLC currently owns and manages

• Currently in discussion with The Nature Trust and The Nature Conservancy to find areas where we can cooperate on management of properties

• TLC has returned Eagles Estate Heritage Garden and Baldwin House to the owners, the City of Burnaby, for management

Lower Mainland properties protected through TLC involvement include:

Unlike most areas on the relatively dry Gulf Islands, the Creekside Rainforest contains life that is representative of the old growth hemlock and cedar rainforests on the West Coast of Vancouver Island. The deep ravine and continuous tree cover keep the land and creek at lower temperatures with higher levels of moisture compared to the rest of Salt Spring Island. As a result, at-risk species such as the coastal Cutthroat trout, red-legged frog, and Pacific sideband snail can survive here. The property is the only intact riparian habitat for salmon-bearing streams on Salt Spring Island.

Upon the sale of the property in 2005 by the long-time owner, the community became concerned about the potential development of the property. When the threat of development became real with a subdivision proposal on the land, the community of Salt Spring stepped up and was the driving force behind this project. Led by an ad-hoc group of concerned citizens, championed by Maureen Moore, they have pushed both for the protection of the property and for TLC to take the lead in its securement. The community raised just over $1,000,000, and TLC took ownership of the property in early 2008.

The property is used extensively by local hikers and walkers and is the site of a salmon enhancement project led by the Island Stream and Salmon Enhancement Society. This property has been considered a community resource for a number of years. Since TLC has taken ownership, we have installed a sign to thank all the donors to the project and installed hand rails to improve the safety of the walking bridge over the creek.

LEAVE A LEGACY™ is a national public awareness program designed to encourage people to leave a gift through their will to a charity or non-profit organization of their choice. LEAVE A LEGACY™ is a program of the Canadian Association of Gift Planners (CAGP-ACPDP™).

In recognition of LEAVE A LEGACY month, the local LEAVE A LEGACY Committee will be hosting a free half-day event on Saturday, May 4, 2013, at the Juan de Fuca Recreation Centre.  This event is for the general public to learn about estate planning, Wills and Power of Attorney, and the impact of legacy giving.

Please see the above poster for all the details.

“Leave a Legacy Table Talks” will be an informal, yet professional, discussion on three topics:  Understanding Your Assets, Wills and Powers of Attorney, and Leaving Your Legacy – The Impact it Makes.   The Table Talks will be lead by local professional advisors including a financial planner, accountant and two lawyers. The Victoria Foundation’s Director of Philanthropic Services, Sara Neely, has the privilege of leading the talk on legacy giving and will be joined by a local philanthropist who will share his story.

This an exciting event for LEAVE A LEGACY month to help build awareness in our community about the impact a gift to charity can make.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Natasha Benn, Chair of the LEAVE A LEGACY Committee, Vancouver Island at 250 519-1743 or by e-mail at natashabenn1@gmail.com or Sara Neely at the Victoria Foundation at 250 381-5532 or by email at sneely@victoriafoundation.bc.ca

Adrena LINE Zipline Adventure Tours will donate proceeds from zipline tours taking place on Saturday, April 20th to The Land Conservancy.

“Our partnership with The Land Conservancy provides us as a company, and our guests, with an opportunity to give back to the community in which we reside. Their initiatives are important to us as an eco-adventure company, in order to preserve the ecosystem that is the core of our operation,” said Sales and Marketing Manager Jonathan Heerema.

Adrena LINE Zipline Adventure Tours has built a world class reputation by providing safe and exciting zip line tours for tourists and adventure seekers on Vancouver Island. Adrena LINE offers zip line tours daily from March through the end of October, as well as the extremely popular Full Moon and our spooky Haunted Zip tours. Be on the lookout for more exciting events and new adventures in the near future and check our website at www.adrenalinezip.com for more information.

Media Contact for The Land Conservancy
Alastair Craighead
Board Chair
The Land Conservancy
250-479-8053
www.conservancy.bc.ca

Media Contact:
Jonathan Heerema
Sales and Marketing Manager
Adrena LINE Zipline Adventure Tours
250-642-1933
www.adrenalinezip.com

Abkhazi Garden is located at 1964 Fairfield Road, Victoria, B.C.

The Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden is going to be part of Dining Out For Life for the first time this year.
On April 25th the Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden will be donating 25% of the guests food bill to AIDS Vancouver Island.
Join us at the beautiful Abkhazi Garden for this one day event.

Mother’s Day – Sunday, May 12th

Spoil Mom with a visit to Abkhazi Garden and a visit to the Teahouse at Abkhazi Garden.
Reservations are strongly recommended. Call 778-265-6466 to make yours today.

Abkhazi Garden hosts one of the most spectacular and unique plant sales of the year.
This is your chance to purchase something special and rare.
Many of the plants have been grown by enthusiastic gardener’s and cannot be found anywhere else.
This event is only held once a year so don’t miss it.
The sale starts at 8 a.m. and runs until 12 noon.

TLC assisted the province with the purchase of this property in the Slocan Valley on March 31, 2009.

The Valhalla Mile, the 155 acre piece of wilderness that is now part of Valhalla Park, lies smack in the middle of the western shoreline of Slocan Lake and in the middle of the Park itself. Had this property been sold to other interests, a resort development may have stood in the midst of the Park.

Because it was privately owned, the Valhalla Mile property wasn’t included in Valhalla Provincial Park when the park was established in 1983. Thanks to the efforts of local champions Wayne McCrory and Lorna Vissor, TLC partnered with the Valhalla Foundation for Ecology and Social Justice and the Province of BC to purchase and protect this magnificent property.

Protecting the Valhalla Mile could not have happened without Wayne and Lorna’s tireless efforts. While TLC worked with funders such as the BC Trust for Public Lands, the Columbia Basin Trust and the Fish and Wildlife Compensation Program (Columbia Basin), Wayne and Lorna talked to their friends and neighbours, building support locally and across the province. In this way, they raised an amazing $215,000 in individual donations to complete the project.

The Valhalla Mile contains a spectacular one-mile long stretch of foreshore along Slocan Lake. The forest ecosystem protected provides habitat for grizzly and black bears, cougars and wolverine. As well, visitors to this remote property can explore hidden waterfalls or stroll along the lengthy shoreline.

Currently we’re in need of volunteers at Abkhazi Garden. Duties include greeting visitors, collecting entrance fees, handling sales of gift shop merchandise and TLC memberships, as well as assisting staff with other duties as required. For more information please see the full volunteer role description.

Interested? Please contact Louise Stevens at lstevens@conservancy.bc.ca or 250-479-8053.

This touching and historic opera, set during the Second World War, tells the dramatic story of nine-year old Naomi’s journey, with her Japanese Canadian family, from Vancouver to an internment camp in the interior of B.C. In a sensitive, visually-evocative production filled with emotion, humour and soaring melodies, Naomi and her older brother Stephen struggle with the harsh realities of war, racism, bullying and the loss of family. Ultimately brother and sister triumph by discovering the gifts that sustain them: music, words and love. Their resilience offers hope for the future and will inspire audiences to discover the power of human understanding and the beauty of compassion.

TLC purchased Hardy Mountain Doukhobour Village in Grand Forks on March 30, 2004.

Of the 90 or so communal villages established by the Doukhobors in British Columbia before the 1930′s, the Hardy Mountain Doukhobor Village site is one of the last that remains in its original form. It is known to the Doukhobor people as the Makortoff Village. The Mountain View Doukhobor Museum was founded in 1972 by its owner, the late Peter M. Gritchen. The Museum features one of the last remaining traditional Doukhobor communal village houses, built circa 1912, and four sheds. The 17 acre site includes the communal home containing a collection of historic photographs and objects that commemorate the pioneer life of the Russian Doukhobors. At the request of Boundary Museum Society and members of the Doukhobor community, The Land Conservancy purchased the Mountain View Doukhobor Museum in March 2004. In 2005, the site was renamed to Hardy Mountain Doukhobor Village Historic Site. Work to restore the communal home and site is underway. Under the stewardship of TLC and our local partners, this nationally significant heritage site will be protected forever, ensuring that the fascinating and colourful history of the Doukhobor community is shared with everyone.