Duncan launches boundary study as North Cowichan raises concerns over process

The City of Duncan has launched an independent technical study examining potential realignment of its municipal boundary with the Municipality of North Cowichan

The City of Duncan has launched a study exploring potential municipal boundary changes with neighbouring North Cowichan, prompting concerns from the regional municipality over process, consultation and transparency.

The Boundary Realignment Technical Study will examine how current boundaries affect governance, service delivery and municipal finances. The city says no boundary changes are being proposed at this stage, and the work is intended to explore future possibilities only.

North Cowichan Mayor Rob Douglas says council was caught off guard by the announcement.

“We’re definitely concerned and disappointed with the news,” Douglas told CTV News.

“North Cowichan and Duncan, we’ve been neighbours side by side for over 100 years, and we’ve got a long track record of working together collaboratively, whether that’s service delivery, land use planning,” he said.

Douglas said North Cowichan had previously declined an invitation to participate in a joint study.

“They had come to us with an initial cost of about $80,000 and suggested that we could jointly fund it,” he said. “We declined and said we weren’t interested in pursuing a boundary adjustment exercise.”

He said Duncan’s decision to proceed independently was unexpected.

“To get the news earlier this week that they were going to be unilaterally undertaking this exercise really caught us by surprise,” Douglas said.

The municipality has since raised concerns with the B.C. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing and requested a meeting. Douglas said North Cowichan has not yet reviewed the full scope of the work.

“We haven’t even seen the report itself,” he said. “Depending on how far they’re willing to pursue this, it could have major tax implications.”

Douglas also pointed to provincial expectations that boundary reviews involve collaboration, Indigenous consultation and public engagement.

“For Duncan to pursue this unilaterally really isn’t in the spirit of collaboration and partnership and transparency,” he said.

Duncan Mayor Michelle Staples says the study is about understanding how the region has evolved and whether existing boundaries still reflect current realities.

“The boundaries on the maps were drawn in 1912,” Staples said. “At that time there was a separation between the business community and the rural community.”

She said those distinctions have blurred as the communities have grown together.

“We’re standing at a spot where the city has grown,” she said. “On one side of the street all the way down is the City of Duncan, but on the other side of the street is North Cowichan.”

Staples said the study focuses on how people live, work and move across the boundary, and said Duncan had previously raised the idea of a joint approach.

“We did reach out to them in January to let them know we finally have enough space to actually proceed with the study,” she said.

She stressed the work is exploratory and not intended to lead to immediate change.

“No one’s going to wake up tomorrow and all of a sudden have the city take away anything,” she said. “That’s not what this is about.”

Instead, she said it is about identifying options for future councils and residents.

The Boundary Realignment Technical Study will include a citizen advisory panel and public engagement once complete. It is expected to be finished by early fall 2026.

In a statement, the B.C. Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing said it is aware of the study commissioned by the City of Duncan.

The ministry said any future boundary change cannot be done unilaterally and would require the support of both municipalities, engagement with local First Nations, approval of electors, and agreement from the province.

Provincial guidance on municipal restructuring states that boundary changes are significant undertakings requiring assessment of impacts on taxation, governance, infrastructure and service delivery, as well as broad consultation and public approval.