2026 AGM Financials and Board Nominees

In preparation for the upcoming AGM on June 27, 2026, you are invited to review the financial statements, which will also be presented at the meeting: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hYpGXGoxhguFRo48jttBBmRTpFHU4gnQ/view?usp=drivesdk

Minutes from last year's meeting are also available here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1egY38qKAw3yMKhxZ_w3HoGtK-b2ooxoc/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104724407359244965908&rtpof=true&sd=true. A motion will be made to approve these minutes at the meeting on June 27th.

Many thanks to Karen Bell, Carmen Larsen, and Christian Engelstoft who responded to the call for nominations for the PICA board. Learn more below about the skills Karen, Carmen, and Christian bring to the organization prior to the AGM election.

Karen Bell and her husband Thomas moved from Toronto to Bricky Bay on Pender as full-time residents in August 2017.  They have embraced the rural life and appreciate the uniqueness of the Penders and the beauty of the surrounding Salish Sea. They have been supporters of conservation efforts through memberships and financial support in both Ontario (Lake of Bays Heritage Foundation) and BC (Habitat Acquisition Trust and Pender Islands Conservancy). Karen is also a member of Dark Sky International which puts a effects of light pollution, including on plants and animals, and how to mitigate them.

At the close of 2018, Karen marked the end of almost 40 years in a demanding legal career.  She spent the first 20 years as an advocate in a large firm as a commercial litigator providing business-oriented legal advice and solutions to a diverse base of enterprises and government departments. The balance of her career was as a law practice advisor in two large national firms as well as in a consulting role where she developed PracticePro and Resilience2Risk, two innovative risk management programs for Ontario lawyers.  She was also active in the business community as a board member, presenter and author, and as a volunteer.

Since settling on Pender, Karen has been involved in many of Pender’s community organizations both as a member and as a supporter, and has also engaged in volunteer activities. She has been an advocate on various issues before the Pender Islands Trust, has provided volunteer support to businesses during the Pandemic, served as a Director of the Pender Islands Health Care Society and Chair of its Governance Committee from 2020 to 2024, and has provided fundraising guidance to Pender organizations.

Carmen Larsen is an instructional designer at Royal Roads University where she supports colleagues in developing new programs and courses and weaving innovative educational practices and technologies into learning design. She loves working at an institution where so many colleagues share her passion for nature, sustainability and Indigenization.

As a little girl growing up in Victoria, Carmen used to look out in awe at the beauty of the Gulf Islands from the top of PKOLS. Now many years later, she recognizes what a huge privilege it is to live here, spending her days with the forests and waters of SDÁ,YES, and she’s keen to support the Conservancy's efforts to steward this land in a good way.

Christian Engelstoft, MSc, works locally as an independent wildlife biologist with decades of experience in conducting ecological and population studies and habitat assessments for diverse wildlife species, including reptiles, amphibians, birds, gastropods, and mammals. He has led landholder outreach programs and delivered public presentations focused on habitat protection for Sharp-tailed Snake, bats and Western Painted Turtle. He looks forward to assisting the Conservancy with ongoing monitoring programs, and spatial analysis of ecosystems, species occurrence and protected areas on Pender Island, and using these data to help guide future land conservation initiatives.