Denman is too big to be governed this way.

What stays the same?

Under current law, incorporation alone would keep Denman inside the Islands Trust area. It would not automatically transfer community organizations' land or give a council control over schools, health care or ferries. The study must explain regional-district participation and any changes to local service responsibilities.

A council could advocate about ferry service. Whether that would improve service is a question to test, not a result we can promise.

What changes?

If Denman incorporates, voters would elect a municipal council. Its staffing, office space, service agreements and enforcement arrangements would need a costed plan. A locally staffed office is a proposal to evaluate, not a promised building or job.

The study must set out which planning and service duties would move to a council and which would remain elsewhere. Under current law the municipal community plan would still require Islands Trust approval.

A study would test how Islands Trust requisitions, municipal taxes, grants, service levels, debt, policing, roads, and transferred obligations would change. We do not yet know the net household result.

Will my taxes go up?

The honest answer is: we don't know yet. That is what the study is for.

Bowen is a useful comparison, but its service levels, debt, grants, roads, policing, and transferred obligations differ from Denman's. It does not prove Denman would be a tax wash.

A study for Denman would need independently prepared, constant-dollar tax and service scenarios.

Provincial study funding may be available, but it is discretionary and subject to circumstances and budget.

What about water and power and the internet?

Water, sewage, electricity and communications involve different owners, providers and regulators. The study should map their responsibilities and existing programs before proposing another layer of administration.

It could compare options for groundwater studies, emergency backup power and better coordination with service providers. Each option needs a responsible body, permission from affected owners, a funding source, operating costs and a measurable benefit.

We cannot promise a council would prevent outages, establish how much groundwater can safely be used, or deliver faster internet. The study should identify any remaining service gaps and compare municipal action with what current providers and community organizations can do.

What about the trash and recycling?

The study should compare current collection and depot services with possible changes: different pickup routes, recycling collection, organics collection or continued depot use. It should work with current operators and community organizations.

What would each option cost? Who would provide it? Would it work on rural roads, and how would charges be shared? Incorporation does not itself create curbside collection, remove user fees or decide the future of a community-run depot or Free Store.

What about the oysters?

Shellfish aquaculture involves federal regulation, provincial tenure and local land-use rules. Incorporation would not give a council control of federal or provincial decisions.

A study could examine how municipal advocacy would work alongside existing elected representatives and community organizations. It should not assume Denman has no representation now, or that a new council would obtain a different regulatory outcome.

What about the K’ómoks Nation?

K'ómoks members ratified their treaty, and BC passed the K'ómoks Treaty Act in May 2026. Federal ratification and other implementation steps remain; the currently anticipated effective treaty date is in 2028.

Any governance study must respect the Nation's rights and its chosen forms of engagement. The campaign cannot promise a partnership or speak on the Nation's behalf.

The study should examine treaty implementation and relationships among existing governments and a possible municipality. Municipal status does not itself create a partnership or make existing government-to-government relationships invalid.

What about housing? What about the food bank?

105 households on Denman are in “core housing need.” That means their home is unsuitable, inadequate, or unaffordable and they cannot access acceptable alternative housing. That is about one in six households.

People sleep in trucks. People sleep on the beach. People live in trailers in the winter. The volunteer society that runs the food bank also runs a public laundry now. And a shower program. And free phone charging. Because some people on this island have nowhere to wash their clothes.

Housing costs can make it hard for younger people to return and for older residents to find a smaller, accessible home. The question is which changes would deliver homes they can afford.

A council could consider more small homes on suitable lots. Those homes would still need to meet the applicable planning, building, water and sewage rules. Incorporation does not itself approve a cabin or guarantee an affordable rent.

Hornby's Beulah Creek Village secured support for 26 affordable rental homes without a municipal council. BC Housing's May 2026 announcement identifies a non-profit operator and federal, provincial and regional-district contributions. A Denman study should test whether a council would improve coordination and funding options alongside existing housing societies. It should not promise that incorporation will secure money or finish Denman Green.

The study should compare homes delivered, rents, accessibility, long-term affordability and displacement risks. More permission to build is only one part of making a secure home available.

We are not asking for a different Denman. We are asking for a Denman where the people who already live here can keep living here.

What is happening next?

1. Sign this petition. We need a few hundred signatures from Denman people.
2. We send the petition to the BC government. We ask for a Restructure Study.
3. The Province decides whether to support or fund a study. Neither funding nor timing is guaranteed.
4. A study would compare costs, service responsibilities, risks and alternatives. It may find that incorporation is not the best option.
5. A later referendum would occur only if the process reaches that stage; this petition does not call or guarantee one.
6. If a later referendum is held and passes, the Province decides the incorporation and election timetable.

What can I do today?

Three things.

1. Read the petition. If you support it, add your name and confirm your email.
2. Tell your neighbours. Tell your friends. Send them this page.
3. If you have time, discuss the study questions with your neighbours. People can support, oppose or ask for changes.