Islands Trust Elections

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Questions for Trustee Candidates in the Upcoming 2026 Election

Friends of the Gulf Islands will be sending questions to all declared candidates on the Trust Area islands and will post the responses on our website as we receive them. You may also wish to ask the candidates on your island the following questions to help you decide who to vote for and to let candidates know that these are issues that concern you.

  1. If elected, what will you do to sustain the health of our islands’ ecosystems – as per the Trust Object and as made explicit in the Trust Policy Statement?
  2. How do you define the term “unique amenities” used in the Trust Object?
  3. Will you commit to producing a development build-out report for your island if one is not available? This report would be a calculation of the maximum number of dwellings that could be built on the island under current zoning? From that an estimated island population can be calculated.
  4. Carrying capacity can be defined as the number of people each island can support without causing loss of functioning natural ecosystems on that island. Carrying capacity should also consider how many people can be supported by existing water supplies, ferry systems and other essential infrastructure. Would you support an analysis of carrying capacity of your island and set a population cap accordingly in your OCP?
  5. What weight would you give to water quality and quantity problems when considering rezoning properties on your island to a higher density?
  6. Do you think environmental reports paid for by development applicants are sufficient when determining impacts on the natural environment?
  7. Which Governance Review Report recommendations do you believe would best support improving Trust Council’s effectiveness?
  8. Would you support an amendment to the Trust Policy Statement to make protecting the natural environment paramount in land use decisions?
  9. What would you strive to accomplish during your four-year term?

2026 Islands Trust Election Information

Basic Election Information for Voters and Trustee Candidates

The next general local elections including election of Islands Trust (IT) trustees is on October 17, 2026.

The important dates for this year’s election are:

July 20 – Start of the pre-campaign period
September 1-11 – Formal notification period for candidates
September 16 – Start of official campaign period
October 17 – General Voting Day

Who Can Vote for Islands Trust Candidates?

In the Islands Trust area, voter eligibility allows for both residents and off-island property owners to have a say in local land use decisions.

  1. Resident Electors – You can vote as a resident if you meet all of the following:
    • 18 years of age or older on voting day
    • a Canadian citizen
    • have lived in BC for at least 6 months immediately before you register
    • live within the Local Trust Area

  2. Non-resident Property Electors – This category is for people who live elsewhere in BC but own property on one of the islands. To qualify, you must:
    • meet the basic age, citizenship, and BC residency requirements mentioned above
    • have been the registered owner of the property for at least 30 days before registering to vote
    • if the property has multiple owners, only one person can be designated to vote for that property, and they must have written consent from the majority of the other owners
      Note: you cannot vote if the property is owned even partially by a corporation

  3. Voters who are off-island off-island on election day
    • can request a mail-in ballot in BC through the regional districts’ Legislative Services or visit their website to request a mail-in ballot package well in advance of the election
    • in previous elections, regional districts in which Trust area islands fall, provide “off-island” voting locations, usually at their respective regional head offices.
    • polling locations are published in late summer or early fall of the election year

 

Becoming a Candidate for the Islands Trust

This is a structured process governed by provincial law. Since the Islands Trust contracts out its election administration to regional districts, the specific “where” and “who” for your paperwork depends on which island you are interested in. 

If typical, this is how the process can be expected to unfold for the 2026 election cycle:

  1. Confirm Eligibility
    To run for the office of Local Trustee, you must:
    • Be 18 years of age or older on general voting day
    • Be a Canadian citizen
    • Have been a resident of British Columbia for at least six months immediately before filing your nomination documents
    • Not be disqualified by the Local Government Act or any other law
    • Note: You do not actually have to live on the island you are running for, though most candidates do

  2. Obtain a Nomination Package
    Nomination packages are usually made available in the summer of the election year (around July or August 2026). You can pick these up from the Regional District office that handles elections for your specific island:
  3. Complete the Nomination Documents
    The package is extensive and includes several key forms:
    • Nomination Papers: You must be nominated by at least two eligible electors from the local trust area where you are running
    • Financial Disclosure: A statement of your assets and liabilities as required by the Financial Disclosure Act
    • Candidate Declaration: A sworn statement that you are qualified to hold office

  4. File During the Nomination Period
    There is a very strict window for filing your papers. For 2026, the nomination period runs from:

    9:00 AM on September 1 to 4:00 PM on September 11, 2026

    Papers must be filed with the Chief Election Officer of the relevant Regional District. If you miss this deadline, you cannot run.

  5. Managing Campaign Finances
    Once you officially become a candidate (or even before, if you start spending money), you must follow the rules set by Elections BC. This includes:
    • Opening a separate campaign bank account
    • Appointing a financial agent (you can act as your own)
    • Recording all contributions and expenses for a disclosure statement that must be filed after the election

      There are also rules about campaigning and election materials with substantial fines for non-compliance. Make sure you read and understand all the rules.

Helpful Resources

For more information visit Elections BC. If you are planning ahead, the Islands Trust website and the BC Ministry of Municipal Affairs provide candidate guides that explain the roles and responsibilities of a trustee. These guides are helpful for understanding the time commitment and the specific “preserve and protect” mandate you would be upholding.