FOSBA Bulletin March 2026
FOSBA bulletin March, 2026
News from our Annual General Meeting on Feb. 23rd., 2026.
Dear Friends,
Thank you for your continued support. For the last two years we’ve enjoyed a significant growth in both membership and in the public’s awareness of the need to save the Stillwater Bluffs. We now feel the time has come to step up our public involvement and focus more upon serious fundraising and fun, but today I’d like to share with you a summary of our 2026 Annual General Meeting.
Membership growth:
Secretary David Harris presented the following data regarding the various events we attended in 2025 together with the number of individuals signing up to support us.
Event | Date | Sign-ups |
Banff Film Fest | 21-22 Feb | 32 |
Seedy Saturday | 08 March | 43 |
qathet Film Fest | 16 March | 5 |
Lang Bay plant show | 10 May | 8 |
PRISMA on the Beach | 28 June | 7 |
Blackberry street party | 15 August | 31 |
Sunshine Music Fest | 30-31 August | 21 |
Fall Fair | 6-7 September | 0 |
Other |
| 11 |
Unsubscribe |
| -1 |
| Total | 157 |
| Year-end total: 616 friends |
|
Financial notes:
Treasurer Jason Addy presented our financial situation as of Sept. 20th, 2025 as follows:
FOSBA opening balance at start of fiscal year: $4,223.73
credits
Membership dues paid $850.00Donations $326.00Shirt sales $989.20Stickers and cards $34.70Gear Attic $468.00Bottles and container re-cycling $208.40Interest $.33
debits
Cost of shirts - $1,449.94Cost of cards - $ $77.54Cost of stickers - $91.68Website - $154.00Filing fees - $80.00Filing costs - $57.75Ending Balance $5,189.45
Legacy Fund - $18,288.50
These funds are kept in a separate account held by The Malaspina Land Conservancy.
They can only be used for the purchase of parkland. The reason for having this fund is that if someone wants to gift a larger donation, they can receive a tax receipt. Once or twice per year we move excess funds from our FOSBA account into the Legacy fund.
President’s report:
Lauritz Chambers’ report described the following:
- How the FOSBA organization has grown dramatically in numbers over the past two years and what this means to FOSBA’s ability to affect local political decision making, fund raising as well as physical protection of the Stillwater Bluffs.
- An article about FOSBA’s struggle with Mosaic Forest Products, to be written by Emily Blatta, a journalist writing for The Tyee and Ploughshares.
- The support and communication FOSBA is receiving from similar groups in other communities who are dealing with similar issues.
- The apparent financial state of Mosaic Forest Products given the U.S. tariffs, increasing costs of accessing timber, class action lawsuits and the toll taken by modern forest fires.
- FOSBA’s work in chasing rumors concerning imminent logging in the Stillwater area and the purchase of some Mosaic blocks by Peeter Wesik.
- Those willing to help us include directors from various organizations similar to ours including S.I.L.T( Savary Island Land Trust), the Cumberland Community Forest Society, and FTCCIS (Forest Trust for the Children of Cortes Island Society).
- The attitude of Mosaic appears to be changing as in a recent negotiation they did not require an extra generation of trees when finalizing their evaluation.
Election of directors:
David Harris (secretary) and Jason Addy (treasurer) will remain in their respective positions while Lauritz Chambers will remain as president. Brent Goodman will stand in as Vice President.
Goals for 2026
Our emphasis will change this year as we will turn our focus more towards fundraising. We feel if we organize some big, fun events that can bring all our friends together, we can not only raise our community profile to a higher level but as well raise some of the necessary funds needed to purchase the bluffs. A couple of suggestions so far are 1) to organize a huge potluck/dance party in a suitably large venue, 2) hosting a music event to be held at Palm Beach during the summer. We are wide open to more ideas so please feel free to contribute.
And speaking of fund raising, while your moral support is so welcome and necessary, your financial support is also greatly needed. Our dues are only $10 per year, however if all of us contribute we would raise over $6000, a small but significant step forward.
So in the interests of the chipmunks scampering the shoreline, the eagles fishing from the giant old growth firs, the chickadees and kinglets sweeping the bark and branches in search of harmful caterpillars, the Douglas squirrels spreading the spores of mushrooms far and wide in their poop to become the underground mycelium highway of nutrient transfer, that in ways far too numerous to imagine ensure the continued survival and healthy existence of the millions of inhabitants calling the Bluffs their home and in the interests of generations to come of parents and children, hikers and climbers, brides and grooms, artists, students, scientists and wandering monks, please seriously consider adding your financial support to protecting this miniscule fragment of paradise in its natural state.
Ten dollars per year, due after our AGM, will not only inform us of your continued support, but as well give the Bluffs a really important financial boost. Further to that, why not consider a monthly contribution established through your bank.
Oh, and of course, most importantly, don’t forget to inform friends, family and new members to the community of our quest.
Thank-you
Lauritz
Still your FOSBA president.
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