GaLTT’s sixth president Anne Landry moved to Gabriola in 2011 with her wife Ro Konrad, and was introduced to GaLTT through a friend who was on the board. Anne had worked for thirty-five years with Parks Canada, starting as a naturalist and summer interpreter in Nova Scotia and ultimately spending her final thirteen years as a park management planner in the Yukon. She loved her career and was confident the Gabriola Land and Trails Trust would provide her with an opportunity to not only put her skills to meaningful work in retirement but also to learn more about this place she now called home. And so, Anne put her name forward for a board position in 2012, was elected, and was on the board in various positions for the next twelve years, serving as president from 2017-19.
Like her predecessors, Anne recognizes GaLTT’s strong core values of teamwork, continuity, and organization building, noting, “people have not arrived to the board with personal agendas.” During her tenure, she instigated a practice of dedicating 15 or 20 minutes at the start of each meeting for brainstorming and envisioning, reflecting and fostering a culture of collaboration and growth.
A very hands-on president (bottom left) broombashing with other invasives removal volunteers.
One particularly fond memory involves the resurgence of ‘broom bashing.’ GaLTT worked with the museum on a brochure about invasives, and when they co-hosted a presentation about Scotch broom, GaLTT members “picked up that spark,” and the next spring, with the support of the Lions and of BC Parks— who sent four staff to participate—eighty community members turned up at Drumbeg Provincial Park for a big broom bash—a rejuvenation of invasives removal begun years earlier under the leadership of Dyan Dunsmoor-Farley. Anne says, “what impressed me was the enthusiasm from the community, and from the BC Parks staff; we had a real sense of accomplishment—and at the end of the day we’d made a difference with the removal of a huge pile of broom.”
Anne reflects on all the work that goes on behind the scenes, including policy development, prioritising properties for conservation, and sourcing funding. GaLTT has sought and received support not only from BC Parks and the Lions, but also from various Gabriola businesses and the Rec Society. She notes that there’s “a lot of serendipity” involved in making things happen, but that it’s vital to “really work on cultivating supportive and beneficial relationships.”
Also very important to Anne was the work of the From Truth to Reconciliation Committee. During her tenure, GaLTT helped fund some First Nation speakers, including a Snuneymuxw Counsellor, Doug White, who shared knowledge of their history and connection to this land. She notes that the GaLTT trail map reflects the understanding that a significant part of Gabriola remains subject to treaty resolution—a slightly different colour is used to indicate land held in trust for the Snuneymuxw.
When she first joined GaLTT, Anne was drawn to the idea of conservation covenants, explaining that she was “really impressed by the idea that private citizens would make that choice to protect their land.” Over the years, Anne has participated in monitoring the land protected by Gabriola’s covenants, and these conservation efforts remain especially important to her, as reflected by GaLTT’s motto,“Conserve and Connect”— which was incorporated into an updated logo design in 2017 by Nola Johnston.
Anne also celebrates the Nature Stewards program as a way for people to learn about conservation and what effect they can have “on their little plot of land,” and expresses great appreciation for trail licences, noting “what a community-minded thing” it is for “private individuals to make the choice to allow people to walk on their land—what a gift.”
While Anne and Ro moved to Victoria this summer, she is grateful to have been given an honorary lifetime GaLTT membership and expresses deep respect for the organization, saying she believes its “real strength” is its people and “visionary boards.” For her, the work “never felt like wasted energy.”
In thinking about GaLTT’s future, Anne hopes more people will eventually embrace conservation covenants, which, while “a serious decision, not to be made lightly”—are such a valuable way to protect and conserve. She adds, with a big smile, that “if someone wants to gift GaLTT land, that would be lovely.”
Anne Landry (right) at the signing of the Merlin’s Trail trail licence.
We’re celebrating our 20th Anniversary with a series of posts capturing the reflections and perspectives of GaLTT past presidents. Thanks so much to Trish Matson for conducting the interviews and writing these articles. Watch for more in coming months!
