donate

Crystal Mountain Society is creating a low impact, eco-friendly retreat centre capable of hosting both short and long-term silent meditation retreat in a forest setting. Our next step toward this goal is a rezoning process that ensures protection of rare and sensitive ecosystems. We will transfer title of 75% of our approximately 60 acres of land to the Islands Trust Conservancy, a B.C. government agency dedicated to conservation of high-value ecosystems in Canada’s Gulf Islands. This will create a 44.4 acre ecologically-rich nature reserve held intact in perpetuity. This campaign’s $88,000 goal includes; a legacy payment of $30,000 to support management fees of future conservation efforts on the nature reserve; survey fees to create the new boundaries of the reserve land; a change in boundaries to protect the Pagoda; water and ecological management plans; legal fees; etc. Less than 2% of the remaining 15 acres will be impacted by building. The rezoning process will allow us to move forward in continuing to support Buddha Dharma in the west.

This Spiritual Education Forest Retreat Centre will preserve and promote the objectives of the society: Supporting the awakening and liberation of individuals through study, reflection, compassion and by meditation retreats based on the principles set forth by all three cycles of the teachings of Buddha Dharma, and by the study and practice of natural history and science.

Our history on Galiano Island: Since 1980 Crystal Mountain Society has held a presence on Galiano Island. Generous donations by members and supporters has allowed us to first purchase 20 acres and now we have almost 60. In 1982 the World Peace Pagoda was erected by visiting teacher, Venerable Sayadaw U Thila Wunta as part of his world tour. Camping style summer retreats have been continuously held since inception. The initial rezoning application was submitted in 2004, with the second application submitted to Islands Trust in 2014. We are currently on a trajectory to complete this phase in spring of 2022. The funds needed ensure the ability to complete this process.

All teaching, retreats, and administration is entirely on a volunteer basis. As is traditional, Buddhist teaching is freely given. The teacher does not charge a fee but is sustained by the generosity of the students. All retreat fees are charged to cover expenses and no profit is built into budgeting.

As per CRA Regulations: donations to a society are not refundable. Should this rezoning application not move forward at this time, your donated funds will be used to sustain the society’s objectives. Major donors ($5,000 or more in donations) will have the opportunity to indicate how they would like their funds to be reapportioned.

• See below for various ways to contribute •

Please see our Rezoning Page for additional information on our appropriately scaled retreat facilities that will allow retreatants to study and meditate in a forest environment, meeting their most basic needs in simple, low-cost structures with minimal infrastructure.