French Creek Pushes for Self-Governance After Parksville, Qualicum Reject Annexation

French Creek residents are stepping up their campaign to run their own affairs after neighbouring cities Parksville and Qualicum Beach declined to fold the community into their borders.

Located between the two municipalities in the Oceanside region, French Creek is home to about 6,000 people—making up the majority of Electoral Area G in the Regional District of Nanaimo. Though technically “rural,” residents say it feels far more urban.

“We’re the most urbanized rural community in Canada, we’ve been told,” said Robert Williams, vice-president of the French Creek Residents Association. “We want to control our area directly, rather than working through one area director who sits on a board of 19.”

Under B.C.’s governance system, municipalities have their own mayor and council, while electoral areas like French Creek rely on a single director and services managed either by the regional district or the province. Williams says that leaves residents frustrated and ignored.

“If we were a municipality, we’d have four councillors and a mayor focused on French Creek only,” he said.

The road to incorporation is long. The province requires a step-by-step process that includes assessments, studies, and ultimately a referendum. A community issues assessment was completed in July, laying the groundwork for possible next steps such as a boundary review and incorporation study.

As part of the process, Parksville and Qualicum Beach were asked whether they’d consider annexing French Creek. Qualicum said no outright, and Parksville’s council voted to defer, with Mayor Doug O’Brien warning of service strains. “We don’t want to go anywhere near this,” he said, pointing to challenges around water, policing, and fire services.

For Williams and the residents’ association, that’s fine. They don’t want to be part of their neighbours anyway—unless left with no alternative.

Now, the decision shifts to the province, which will weigh whether French Creek can take the next steps toward incorporation. For residents, it’s the latest chapter in a battle for local control that began in 2018, and one they say they’re determined to win.