The Owners of Strata Plan VIS5122 (Sallas Forest)

Purpose: Invite expressions of interest from qualified community planning teams to develop a community plan for Sidney Island that captures the core community values, land use direction, environmental stewardship, safety and security, governance and pathways to implementation. 

Overview: Sidney Island BC 

Sidney Island sits in the southern Gulf Islands about 5 km across the Sidney Channel from the town of Sidney BC. Total land area is about 8.66 km² and the island’s highest point is 77 m above sea level. The island falls within the Capital Regional District. 

Land Ownership and Governance
The island is effectively split between public parkland at the northern most part of the island (Gulf Islands National Park Reserve/Sidney Spit) and private strata lands covering the remaining portion of the island. Parks Canada manages the public parkland. The private component often referred to as the Sallas Forest Strata Corporation and is organized as a strata corporation with 111 bare land strata lots and extensive common property. Private lands and common property together in total roughly 1,760 acres, with the strata lots themselves comprising about 300 acres. The island is residential only with no commercial shops or services on island. The island is ‘off grid’, with no access to public utilities. It is the private component of Sidney Island, Sallas Forest Strata Corporation (“Sallas”) that is the focus of the community planning process.

Natural and Cultural Features
Sidney Island has patches of second growth Douglas fir, arbutus, Garry oak associates, and mixed coastal Douglas fir understory. On Sallas lands these occur in fragmented stands interspersed with cleared lots and landscaped yards. Small wetlands, seepage areas, and remnant meadow or Garry oak habitat can occur on private lots and- common lands. Rocky shorelines, small coves, beaches and intertidal flats characterize much of the private shoreline.

Access and Services
Access to the strata lands is by private boat, chartered water taxi or aircraft. There is nopublic road or ferry service to the private strata lands. There is a private road system thatspans the island consisting of approximately 24km of gravel road. There is a private dock
with a capacity of 67 boats.

Community Plan Overview
The current Sallas Council wants to develop a new of a 5-year community plan that will capture core community values and priorities for future development of the community. It will provide guidance to future strata councils regarding future land usage, new and improved infrastructure, and continued environmental stewardship. The intent is that the plan will provide a roadmap that will assist with both shorter term budget development and longer-term funding needs so that implementation of agreed priorities can be planned and proceed
in a predictable manner.
 

Community Plan Objectives
• Create a compelling community-driven 5-year plan that articulates the community core beliefs/values, goals, and directions for land use, natural environment, heritage, access, governance, safety, security and services and supports both shorter term budget development and longer-term funding needs
• Ensure robust community and stakeholder engagement throughout the process.

Scope of Work
1. Background review and regulatory context: review relevant plans, bylaws, mapping, rules, and regulations, including under the Strata Property Act, Sallas Bylaws and applicable C RD, Islands Trust and Islands Trust Conservancy rules and regulations as well as Parks Canada relationship and other island contexts relevant to the planning process.
2. Engagement strategy and implementation: design and deliver a multi-phase engagement program (online, in-person, workshops, surveys) that will capture the inputs of a majority of the community in the most effective manner, including facilitation.
3. Technical studies coordination: identify and manage required documentation (history, governance, ecological, servicing, infrastructure etc.) and integrate relevant findings.
4. Drafting the plan: prepare the planning document and supportive documentation to anchor the use of the plan.
5. Review and adoption support: present drafts to stakeholders and the sponsoring body, revise, and provide materials for community engagement and adoption processes, facilitate community engagement process.

Deliverables
• Project workplan and engagement plan that reflects the unique situation of a bare strata in general and Sallas in particular
• Background report and technical appendices.
• Facilitation of community planning session or sessions
• Interim engagement summary
• Draft community plan (policy text, maps, implementation schedule).
• Final plan package and presentation materials for adoption.
• Monitoring and evaluation framework.
 

Qualifications & Evaluation Criteria
• Lead planner with demonstrated OCP or community plan experience in BC; experience with island or rural communities preferred.
• Team capacity to handle all aspects of the plan development from engagement to adoption.
• Evaluation will weigh relevant experience, proposed methodology, engagement approach, schedule, and indicative cost.

Submission requirements & timeline
• Submission: cover letter, team CVs, relevant project examples, proposed approach, preliminary schedule, and budget range. We would ask you limit the document to 10 pages.

• Deadline & process: RFI response by January 12th, 2026. The plan sponsors will short list submissions and conduct interviews with the shortlist during February of 2026. Based on the interviews, qualified candidates will be requested to provide an RFP. The strata ownership will have to approve the final proposal which is anticipated at the Annual General Meeting in May 2026.

• Contact: 

The RFI should go to:

Triana Newton

E: triana.newton@outlook.com

P: 604-614-1687

Should you have any questions regarding this RFI, please contact Triana Newton at triana.newton@outlook.com.