About
Our Story
Galiano Island is a vibrant, resilient community of creative and hard-working people. Yet, like many places, we face a serious shortage of suitable housing. Too many community members are struggling or have had to leave due to a lack of safe, secure and affordable homes. For Galiano to remain sustainable, meeting local housing needs is essential.
The need for affordable rental housing on Galiano Island has been well established by both the Capital Regional District and the Islands Trust and recently by our own Renters Survey and Employers Survey.
With the exception of Page Drive Seniors’ Residence, the rental housing market on Galiano has historically relied on private properties, most of which do not provide long-term security for residents.
The Galiano Affordable Living Initiative Society (GALI) was incorporated as a non-profit society in March 2020 with the purpose of building and managing affordable rental housing for low income residents of Galiano Island. GALI received Charitable status in 2022.
GALI’s initiatives directly tackle Galiano’s urgent housing shortage by providing long-term, stable options for low and moderate income households. With a mix of unit sizes based on recent regional and local research, we plan to build for connection and design for the environment. We are working to provide homes that are not just affordable, but also secure, sustainable, well-managed, and purpose-built so that not only residents, but our whole community can thrive.
Community Benefit
The entire community benefits when the population has secure housing. Affordable rental housing increases the amount that individuals and families can put toward other important household needs and savings for the future, while also contributing to the local economy.
With stable housing, residents have more opportunity to participate in community activities, including employment, education, and volunteer and social opportunities that may not otherwise be possible. Housing security promotes improved quality of life and helps create a stable environment for families and children, contributing to improved educational outcomes and a thriving and diverse population.
In 2019, The Government of Canada passed the National Housing Strategy Act recognizing that the right to adequate housing is a fundamental human right affirmed in international law. It acknowledges that housing is essential to the inherent dignity and well-being of the person and to building sustainable and inclusive communities, and that housing outcomes are best achieved through cooperation between governments and civil society as well as the meaningful involvement of local communities.
In April 2025, the Islands Trust’s Housing Needs Assessment identified a need for 132 new units over the next 5 years and projected needing 426 new homes on Galiano within 20 years. The Islands Trust identified the need for 19 dwellings to address Extreme Core Housing Need over 20 years. GALI also conducted Renters and Employers Surveys in 2026 to collect Island specific information to support our design
GALI’s Board of Directors
Mike Hoebel
President
A long-time Galiano resident with a PhD in ecology. He is a former UBC Faculty of Education professor and BC Ministry of Education senior civil servant specializing in strategic planning, curriculum development, and policy.
Joanne Randle
Vice-President
A certified mediator, coach, and facilitator, she was a coach with The New Leaf Project and has over two decades of experience in palliative care, bereavement services, and conflict resolution. She is a founding board member who leads GALI’s fundraising.
Barb Grehan
Treasurer
Barb applies 30+ years experience as a Certified Management Consultant holding a Harvard MBA to GALI's financial and operations management. Her skill set includes business planning, designing complex budget models, and developing successful funding applications for non-profit organizations.
John Kidder
Secretary
A governance professional, tech entrepreneur, and environmental economist who founded an early governance software company. He has served as a director for numerous public, private, and political organizations across BC and Canada.
Allison Ashcroft
Director
The Director of Sustainability at the Municipal Finance Authority, the infrastructure bank to all local governments in BC. She brings 20 years of blended experience spanning local government climate action and sustainable infrastructure project execution, following a decade in financial and regulatory strategy consulting as a CPA with Deloitte.
Terry Bottomley
Director
A full-time Galiano resident who recently retired from a career at WorkSafeBC. She joined the GALI project team with a strong focus on fostering local community diversity and regional workforce integration.
George Harris
Director
A Galiano resident since 1982 and local entrepreneur who built and operated The Hummingbird Pub and GIFTS Film School. His diverse background includes working as a documentary film producer and serving four years as a local Island Trustee.
Peter Hrdlitschka
Director
A seasoned construction executive with a 45‑year career, including 15 years leading major Canadian building operations for Ledcor. Peter has deep expertise in project delivery, estimating systems, safety, and organizational strategy, and has overseen landmark projects across North America. He also brings extensive board and committee experience in the non‑profit, construction, and community sectors.
Geoff Inverarity
Director
Geoff brings extensive local leadership and governance experience to GALI. An award-winning writer with a PhD and an MFA, he also chairs the Galiano Island Literary Festival.
Dianne Laronde
Director
Dianne offers deep institutional memory and a long history of local advocacy. A resident since the late 1970s, she has served on the Health Care Society board and is involved in local Emergency Preparedness. She joins GALI with a targeted focus on resolving the island's increasingly urgent and precarious housing crisis.
GALI’s Staff
Lori Seay-Potter
Executive Director
Lori offers more than 25 years of leadership experience within British Columbia's non-profit sector, having served as a contractor, board director, and executive employee. A resident of Galiano Island since 1999, she is dedicated to enhancing housing security for low income islanders.
Ken Stauffer
Bookkeeper
Ken is a former long-term resident of Galiano and a detail-oriented charitable Bookkeeper with 20+ years of experience supporting financial operations for non-profits. Known for his precision and compliance expertise, Ken helps GALI maintain flawless financial health and takes care of our donor and grant funds.