Denman Island
Northern Gulf Islands · Islands Trust Local Trust Area
Denman has its own site
Visit denmantown.org → — the petition to make Denman Island a town, plus the full case for local self-government.
A rural island in Baynes Sound between Vancouver Island and Hornby, governed by the Denman Island Local Trust Committee. The most heavily documented island in our archive.
Current trustees
- David Maude — Chair
- David Graham — Trustee
- Sam Borthwick — Trustee
Past trustee elections
2022: Denman Islands Trust councillor election
2 seats available
| Candidate | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|
| David Graham | 387 | Elected |
| Sam Borthwick | 359 | Elected |
Source: Comox Valley Regional District — Past Election Results (official)
CivicInfo elected-official report verifies elected trustees and vote totals. Non-elected/opponent rows are pending a separate official results source before publication.
2018: Denman Islands Trust councillor election
2 seats available
| Candidate | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Laura Busheikin (incumbent) | — | Acclaimed |
| David Critchley (incumbent) | — | Acclaimed |
Source: Comox Valley Regional District — Past Election Results (official)
CivicInfo lists only the two elected Denman incumbents and no vote totals or non-elected Denman rows in this report; treat as uncontested/acclaimed unless a local-election officer source shows otherwise.
2014: Denman Islands Trust councillor election
2 seats available
| Candidate | Votes | Result |
|---|---|---|
| David Critchley | 365 | Elected |
| Laura Busheikin (incumbent) | 351 | Elected |
| Perri Gorrara | 86 | Not elected |
Source: Comox Valley Regional District — Past Election Results (official)
CivicInfo lists three Denman candidates for two Islands Trust councillor seats.
The archive
348 Islands Trust meeting documents on record. Each links to its exact source.
- Denman LTC Regular Meeting Minutes (2026-08-24)
- Denman LTC Special Meeting Minutes (2026-07-11)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2026-01-20_RM_AGD.pdf (2026-06-24)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2026-03-17_RM_AGD.pdf (2026-06-24)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2026-04-17_SM_AGD_REVISED.pdf (2026-06-24)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2026-05-12_RM_AGD.pdf (2026-06-24)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2026-06-23_RM_AGD.pdf (2026-06-24)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2026-02-17_SM_AGD.pdf (2026-06-24)
- Denman LTC Regular Meeting Agenda (2026-06-23)
- Denman LTC Regular Meeting Minutes (2026-06-23)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2025-07-15_RM_AGD.pdf (2026-06-21)
- Denman Island LTC agenda package — DE-LTC_2025-10-21_RM_AGD_Draft.pdf (2026-06-21)
Documented examples
- Enforcement in the Dark: No Deadlines, No Transparency — The Trust enforces on a complaint-driven basis, behind closed doors, with no statutory timeline — by its own admission.
- Enforcement Outcomes Need a Clearer Public Record — This project has not located a consolidated public ledger of enforcement penalties. That is a limited search finding, not proof that court proceedings or every individual outcome are secret.
- Denman case study: Sixteen Months to Recognize a Pre-1974 Use — Uses that lawfully existed before the Islands Trust was created can hold "legal non-conforming" status — but owners bear the burden of proving it, with no published evidentiary standard and no deadline. One Denman file shows what that costs.
- Denman case study: Five Water Zones, One Controlling Map in Victoria — Denman Bylaw 186 publishes detailed marine-zone rules and a generalized diagram, while saying the controlling Zoning Map is kept at the Islands Trust Victoria office. This is a Denman case study, not a claim about every island bylaw.