Incumbent Mayors Retain Power in Cowichan Municipal Elections
Mayors Tim McGonigle and Rob Douglas won re-election in Lake Cowichan and North Cowichan, though North Cowichan saw a significant restructuring of its town council.
Incumbent mayors in two Cowichan municipalities secured their positions during the October 2026 civic elections. In Lake Cowichan, Tim McGonigle retained the mayoralty in a close contest, defeating former mayor Ross Forrest with 583 votes to 566. The Lake Cowichan council remained largely stable, with incumbents Lorna Vomacka, Kristine Sandhu, and Aaron Frisby returning. Dale Plante joined the council as the top vote-getter with 659 votes, replacing Carolyne Austin, who departed after 12 years of service. Voter turnout in Lake Cowichan rose to 45 percent, up from 33.76 percent in 2022.
In North Cowichan, Rob Douglas won a second term as mayor with 6,090 votes, comfortably defeating challenger Chris Wilkinson, who received 3,781 votes. While the mayoralty remained unchanged, the North Cowichan council underwent a major shift. Four incumbents—Tek Manhas, Bruce Findlay, Becky Hogg, and Mike Caljouw—lost their seats to first-time councillors Don Allingham, Krystal Adams, Valerie Russell, and Derek Masselink. Incumbents Christopher Justice and Chris Istace were the only councillors to secure re-election.
The new North Cowichan administration is scheduled to hold its inaugural meeting on November 4. The council faces immediate priorities including aging infrastructure, development, the municipal forest reserve, and the economic fallout from the closure of the Crofton mill site.
