North Cowichan’s newly elected Council held its inaugural meeting on November 4, 2026.
The evening began with a welcome and opening remarks from Chief Administrative Officer Ted Swabey. Cowichan Tribes Elder Ed Elliott opened the meeting with a prayer, and Charlie George closed the ceremony with a song.
Council members then took their oaths of office, administered by municipal solicitor Sukhbir Manhas.
As mayor, I provided the following opening address:
Good evening, everyone.
I want to welcome all of you to the inaugural meeting of your newly elected Council. Thank you everyone for being here today - family, friends, colleagues, and neighbours from across North Cowichan.
I want to express my gratitude to Cowichan Tribes Elder Ed Elliott for opening our ceremony with a prayer and to Chief Cindy Daniels for joining us this evening. North Cowichan is deeply committed to our relationship with Cowichan Tribes and the larger Quw’utsun Nation, and I look forward to strengthening that partnership over the next four years.
North Cowichan is a remarkably special place to live. It is why so many of us choose to stay, and why others continue to make it their home. It is a cherished home for those of us here today, for those who came before us, and for the Quw’utsun Peoples who have stewarded this land for thousands of years.
One of our greatest strengths is the natural beauty of our landscape: the 40 kilometres of oceanfront stretching from Stuart Channel to the Cowichan Estuary, our prominent mountains and fertile valleys carved by ancient glaciers, our rolling agricultural lands and working farms, and the distinct neighbourhoods, villages, and towns that define our character.
As North Cowichan continues to grow, we share a clear responsibility to protect that natural environment and rural character. Residents made this unmistakably clear in the October election. We must ensure that new development is carefully planned, supported by necessary infrastructure, and aligned with our Official Community Plan.
Like many communities across British Columbia, we face significant headwinds. The closure of the Crofton mill and ongoing uncertainty in the forestry sector have profoundly impacted local families, workers, and our economy. Aging infrastructure requires substantial investment, while housing pressures, the toxic drug crisis, and rising costs continue to strain households, local businesses, and municipal finances.
Despite these challenges, I am confident that this new Council is up to the task. While I cannot promise we will solve every problem over the next four years, I know that we will work hard, bring fresh ideas to the table, and treat one another, our residents, and our municipal staff with respect.
We have a great deal of work ahead of us to turn our shared vision into action. Residents overwhelmingly told us in October that they support focusing growth within our Urban Containment Boundary while protecting our rural character and environmentally sensitive lands. Now, we must translate that vision into reality, starting with updating our nearly 30-year-old zoning bylaw.
At the same time, with the closure of the Crofton mill and ongoing curtailment at the Chemainus and Cowichan Bay sawmills, economic diversification must remain a central priority. We need to attract new investment, support existing businesses, encourage high-paying jobs, and broaden our tax base. Achieving this will require active collaboration with industry, workers, First Nations, and senior levels of government, because a strong local economy is essential to funding the services our residents depend on.
Meeting these needs also means tackling our mounting financial and infrastructure pressures. Our water mains, sewer mains, roads, culverts, and pump stations are aging, increasingly expensive to maintain, and lack the capacity for future growth. Addressing this deficit requires major investment. At the same time, we must find efficiencies, make responsible financial decisions, and push back against the downloading of responsibilities from senior governments without adequate funding - all while keeping affordability in mind for households already struggling with high living costs.
Similarly, community safety and homelessness will continue to demand our attention. Municipalities like ours are dedicating scarce resources to issues that extend far beyond our traditional responsibilities. Because we cannot solve these problems alone, we will continue pushing the Province, Island Health, and BC Housing for meaningful, compassionate solutions that support our most vulnerable citizens while protecting our neighbourhoods and businesses.
None of these challenges can be tackled in isolation. Whatever our individual political leanings may be, building strong, collaborative relationships with our regional neighbours, First Nations, and our counterparts in Victoria and Ottawa is essential to securing the resources our community deserves.
Looking around this table, I am proud to see a Council that brings together a diverse, balanced range of skills, backgrounds, and perspectives from across our entire municipality.
We won't always agree on every issue. We will face difficult trade-offs, and unexpected challenges will inevitably arise. But I believe we share a fundamental commitment to serving the people of North Cowichan. We will approach our work by listening to one another, collaborating in good faith, and always keeping the best interests of our broader community front and center.
We carry an important responsibility - not only to address today's challenges, but to make decisions that leave North Cowichan stronger, healthier, and more sustainable for future generations.
I look forward to working with each of you over the next four years.
Thank you.
During the business portion of the meeting, council members were designated as acting mayor, as well as appointments to boards, committees, and commissions:
Acting mayor: Councillor Krystal Adams was designated acting mayor (when the mayor is absent or otherwise unable to act) for 2027.
CVRD Board: Mayor Rob Douglas and councillors Chris Istace, Christopher Justice, and Derek Masselink. Councillors Valerie Russell, Krystal Adams, and Don Allingham are alternates.
Accessibility Advisory Committee: Councillor Don Allingham
Agricultural Advisory Committee: Councillor Derek Masselink
Environmental Advisory Committee: Councillor Valerie Russell
Sports Wall of Fame: Councillor Chris Istace
Joint Utilities Board: Mayor Rob Douglas and Councillor Christopher Justice
Recreation commissions:
- Cowichan Core Recreation Commission: Mayor Rob Douglas and Councillor Justice (Councillor Valerie Russell, alternate)
- Cowichan North Recreation Commission: Councillors Chris Istace and Adams (Councillor Masselink, alternate)
- Cowichan Lake Recreation Commission: Councillors Derek Masselink and Don Allingham (Mayor Rob Douglas, alternate)
- Cowichan South Recreation Commission: Councillor Valerie Russell (Councillor Christopher Justice, alternate)
Cowichan Valley Regional District Sports Tourism Grant Sub-Committee: Councillor Chris Istace
Tourism Advisory Committee (City of Duncan): Councillor Krystal Adams (Councillor Derek Masselink, alternate).
Vancouver Island Regional Library Board: Councillor Valerie Russell (Councillor Christopher Justice, alternate)
Appointments of non-voting members to various local external bodies:
- BC Forest Discovery Centre Board: Councillor Christopher Justice
- Chemainus and District Chamber of Commerce: Councillor Derek Masselink
- Chemainus Festival of Murals Society: Councillor Chris Istace
- Cowichan Communities Health Network: Councillor Christopher Justice
- Cowichan Green Community: Councillor Don Allingham
- Crofton Community Centre Society: Councillor Don Allingham
- Duncan Cowichan Chamber of Commerce: Councillor Chris Istace
- Maple Bay Community Association: Councillor Valerie Russell
- Social Planning Cowichan Board: Councillor Chris Istace
- Somenos Management Committee: Councillor Valerie Russell
- Quamichan Watershed Stewardship Society: Councillor Christopher Justice
The next regularly scheduled Council meeting is November 18 at 5pm. Sign up to receive agendas by email at northcowichan.ca/subscribe
Thank you for reading and staying informed!
Rob Douglas, Mayor
Municipality of North Cowichan
T 250-746-3117
E rob.douglas@northcowichan.ca