Together, we saved the Heart of Savary Island and protected more than 350 acres from subdivision and development.
On May 31st, 2018, the deal to purchase District Lot 1375 and Lots 35 and 36 closed, and 350 acres of the last undivided land on Savary Island was preserved forever.
In an astounding outpouring of generosity, over 175 donors came together to raise $4 million dollars for the Nature Trust of BC to acquire and steward the land. Donations came from every corner of the Island, including the donation of eleven one-acre lots just east of First Point.
The Heart of Savary, as this area is now called, features the greatest remaining example of dunes within the rare Coastal Douglas-Fir biogeoclimatic zone (CDF) and one of the best examples of coastal sand dunes in Canada. It is home to forest more than 250 years old and mature second growth forest more than 80 years old; the area also holds the largest groundwater recharge zone on Savary. With over 12,000 feet of waterfront and the only trail network on Savary Island, the development of these 350 acres would have profoundly changed the island as we know it.
In December 2017, “Friends of Savary DL 1375”, a group comprised of Savary Islanders including Peter Armstrong, John O’Neill, and Kip Woodward, came together and successfully negotiated an agreement to purchase the remaining land in DL 1375 from the Sahlin family.
Until the purchase agreement closed on May 31st, the land was owned 50% undivided interest by The Nature Trust of BC and 50% undivided interest by the Sahlin family. The Friends of Savary negotiated with the Sahlin family over several years in the hopes of coming to an agreement to acquire the land for the Nature Trust of BC and keep the land intact and free of development.
To make this dream a reality, $3.5 million plus a $500,000 endowment for future land management was needed.
The Friends of Savary kicked off the fundraising by contributing $1.8 million. Working together, the Friends of Savary and SILT led the Save the Heart of Savary campaign to raise the rest, with SILT raising $1.6 million.
The funds would go to the Nature Trust of BC, who purchased the Sahlin Family’s 50% interest and will manage the land in perpetuity.
It was a tall order, but it became clear early in the campaign that Savary Islanders were ready to step up. Liz Webster, Executive Director of SILT, led our fundraising efforts and she was astounded at the response. People who love this island understood what was at stake and gave without hesitation.
After 22 years of work on the part of the Savary Island Land Trust, with the tenacity and generosity of the Friends of Savary, as a community, we came together to save the heart of Savary Island.
It is a remarkable legacy to leave for future generations, and a story we should all be proud to be a part of.
Thank you to everyone who donated, and to everyone who has supported SILT over the years. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
May we continue to be stewards of this uniquely wonderful island, and work together to preserve natural spaces on Savary, now and forever.
