My 2026 Campaign for a Second Term on North Cowichan Council
My nomination paperwork is complete and submitted to be a candidate again for Councillor on Municipality of North Cowichan Council in the 2026 civic elections.
Right off the bat, let’s get it out there…..this election I am going to break the norm and will not be accepting any financial support or contribute any of my own funds to my campaign. I plan to spend nothing on this election so that if I am successful I will have done so 100% on my own accord. Transparency, financial disclosure and also developer meetings have been a hot topic in our community and I want to go above and beyond with my commitment.
I am only looking for your support in spreading the word and encouraging others to vote for my re-election. I stood behind my pledge this term to act fair, transparent, with empathy and compassion while not falling into ideologies or playing sides that sow division in our community. Decisions were made putting in the work to read, research, outreach, staff reporting and community feedback.
I have been noted on record and have also shared in debate during council meetings that my conduct, my leadership and my voting record should be the deciding factor when seeking a seat for a second term. Your vote shouldn’t be based on a leader’s choice to embrace populism or pandering to safe future electoral votes.
Good governance is making long term decisions that are the best for the community but might not be the most popular in the moment. We have to be willing to make hard decisions and at the same time able to accept the outcomes of those actions.
Reflection on being a Councillor During The 2022-2026 Term on Council
We had some obstacles along the way this past term on council to navigate from the passing provincially of Bill 44 to Tariffs & Trade Wars impacting the local forestry economy and also a By-election. Even with these challenges I feel good about what was achieved and how I handled myself based on my commitments & priorities in my 2022 Election Campaign.
Just a few of those were;
- – Housing & affordability a top priority (rentals, social housing, infill density, etc)
- – Steadfast protection of the environment & climate policies
- – Upholding Reconciliation & Relationship building with Quw’utsun Nation
- – Committing to the Pause in the MFR for a new strategy & co-stewardship model
- – Financial pragmatism on annual budgets & infrastructure backlog
- – Supporting business & economic growth including eco-tourism/sport tourism & Ec Dev Master Plan
On the personal side of things reflecting on this term the thing that I keep reflecting on is how I kept finding myself in a lonely place where I was working to avoid the trappings of a narrow perspective and being open to diverse perspectives. This puts you in a spot that you can equally make the full spectrum of residents pleased with a choice you have made but also the at times creating disappointment for them with me based on a particular given vote.
I think this is a difficult emotional place one will find themselves when they don’t vote with an open fair mind or caught in a populist mindset. Rather this peculiar place is found when one strives to break down boundaries and listen beyond ideologies or group think, often leaving a person feeling trapped that they must vote in a specific way without considering voices contrary to their own.
My belief is this is why often I often found myself the subject of many criticisms and attacks that weren’t objectively warranted. Truly sticking to your own path rooted in keeping humanity at the core of decision making is a journey of endless personal mental challenges. You will make mistakes but if you find a fair blend of mixing empathy and compassion with financial pragmatism and good urban planning, then you just might be a good fit for local politics.
How to Support My Re-Election Campaign for North Cowichan Council
I don’t plan on creating an election candidate facebook page as I did not do so either in the prior election for this term on council. I will use be using my personal Facebook Page and set posts to public, everyone is free to share and comment as well as send others there to ask questions as you. Of course I will be working on a series of blog posts here on the blog and I am active on Instagram, Bluesky and occasionally on LinkedIn.
I will be doing my best to answer every local website’s candidate questionnaires request from newspapers & reporters and of course I will attend the various candidate debates being held throughout the region.
Here were a couple from 2022;
My goal was always to approach decision making that looked at the municipality as a whole. To act with long term thinking to benefit as many residents as possible while not alienating or ignoring the many diverse voices. The choice to work hard to bring people together and not leave anyone behind is a tough but worthy road to travel.
A divided council does not serve the community. Bridging gaps, working towards consensus and commonalities, all with a pragmatic and future focused approach perspective was my intention from the start and I commit to doing so again if I am voted back in.
Thank you all for your past support and I hope I can count on you again to win my seat at the council table for the next four years.
Chris Istace
