How to read this page. Each row below is one policy area, with Dan Igaz's mark for it on the right; the key underneath says what each mark means. Open a row for the questions behind that mark, what they answered, and why each answer scored as it did. The control above the list opens all of them at once. At the foot of the page you can print this scorecard or share it as an image.
General
What Dan Igaz said
- Not graded GEN-01
If you could change one policy, bylaw, feature, or municipal asset (i.e, facility or infrastructure) in your municipality, what would it be and why?
Realistically, or in a dream scenario?
In a dream scenario, I would significantly increase the size of Esquimalt Rec Centre, featuring plenty of local and First Nations art. I would love if we had enough space for every single event, community group, artist, sports group, drop-in program, aquatics program, etc. that work so hard to bring us together and deserve the dedicated space to do it. Unfortunately, I don’t think anything of that scale will be feasible anytime soon; though we can certainly do a lot of good already with what we have.
My more realistic answer is significantly more boring. I would like to see Esquimalt put a much stronger emphasis on long-term, integrated planning. With a new Official Community Plan coming this year and our growing asset management framework, we have a real opportunity here to get our feet under us.
I want us to really think about what we want Esquimalt to look like in 10, 20, 30, 50 years. How will people get around? What infrastructure will be needed? Where will our green spaces be? We can only plan for the future if we have a clear direction of where we're headed.
It's admittedly not an exciting answer. Nobody is going to cut a big red ribbon when you replace a sewer main. But that's the kind of work that prevents bigger, more expensive problems later. If we get better at fixing problems before they even become problems, then we'll have more money in the long-term for things that are more interesting. - Not graded GEN-02
Your municipality has received $10 million in new annual funding and must spend all of it. How would you allocate it across the following areas? Your answers must total $10 million.
Dan Igaz's allocation of ten million dollars Housing $1,500,000 Transit $800,000 Walking Infrastructure $1,100,000 Rolling & Cycling Infrastructure $1,350,000 Roadway Infrastructure $600,000 Policing $0 Fire & Emergency Services $500,000 Parks & Recreation $1,000,000 Arts & Culture $850,000 Climate Action & Environment $1,250,000 Unhoused Resident Services $650,000 Community-Based Clinics $400,000 - Not graded GEN-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to communicate about your region, generally, feel free to share your thoughts here.
A quick note on the previous question: I did not see an appropriate category for core infrastructure renewal, like sewers and stormwater systems. My allocation would look different otherwise.
On to this question:
If we're zooming out to the entire region for a second, then I think the biggest opportunity is for our municipalities to get better at distinguishing between problems that are genuinely municipal, and problems that are inter-municipal.
Municipal boundaries are important for local accountability, but they obviously don't define how people actually live their lives. Residents cross municipal boundaries every day for work, school, recreation, shopping, healthcare, etc. Our governance structures should be capable of reflecting that reality.
I fear that words like "regionalization" have become politicized. To me, all this means is that where a municipality can deliver something effectively on its own, it should. But where a problem routinely crosses municipal boundaries, we should be more willing to work, plan and invest collaboratively.
Ultimately, I think good regional governance is best looked at not as another layer of government, but as an opportunity for our municipal governments to work together effectively when the problem demands it.
Healthcare access
What Dan Igaz said
- Not graded HLT-01
What role should your municipality play in establishing new primary care clinics?
Why we ask this
Ungraded. Mainly curious about how you'd approach expanding healthcare access in your region.
Chose 1 of 4 options - Not graded HLT-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to healthcare in your municipality, feel free to share your thoughts below.
I acknowledge that by design, healthcare is intended to be primarily the responsibility of the provincial government. But it will do us no good to shrug our shoulders and lament how this is somebody else’s problem. If there are practical ways Esquimalt can help to improve access to primary care, we should at least explore them. If that means pushing against the status quo, so be it.
I’ll admit that healthcare is not my area, and I’m not yet confident that I have a complete answer to the previous question (HLT-01.) I would be interested in learning more from experts in the field. I’m comfortable saying that I think that Esquimalt can be a part of the solution; I’m much less comfortable suggesting that I have the expertise to know all the finer details of exactly what that solution is.
Transit
A- 20% of this topic TRN-01 A
Which fare measures would you actively advocate for at the VRTC? Select all that apply.
Why this grade: Would advocate for all four fare measures on the list: free travel for under 19s, cheaper fares for seniors, cheaper fares for people on income or disability assistance and a lower cost regional monthly pass. No group of riders is left out, so the commitment covers the full list.
How this question is graded
A count of ticks, because no option here is cheaper than the others in the way CLI-06's are. Four or more = A. Three = B. Two = C. One = C-. None = F. The rows graded before this rubric was written are not perfectly consistent with it at three and two ticks; they were left as typed and the majority letter was taken. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 4 of 6 options (up to 4 allowed) - 30% of this topic TRN-02 A
Do you support removing general on-street parking (excluding accessible parking spaces) from frequent transit corridors and main arterial streets in your municipality, and reallocating that space to bus lanes, loading zones, and walking and cycling infrastructure?
Why this grade: Commits to the whole corridor version of reallocating street parking on frequent transit routes and main arterials. Nothing narrows the answer to particular streets or particular hours.
How this question is graded
Yes, across the whole corridor = A. Yes, only during peak hours = B. Kind of, only when a specific project requires it = C. No = F. Peak hours only is a real, testable limit on a yes, so it takes the conditional-yes B. Only when a specific project requires it names no project and commits to nothing in advance, which is the case-by-case answer CLI-08 puts at C. A No is F because the question is about street space, which is infrastructure. Eight of the earlier rows put the case-by-case option at B and nineteen put it at C; the nineteen were followed. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 6 options - 30% of this topic TRN-03 A
Do you support rapid deployment of transit priority measures on frequent transit corridors, even where this requires removing on-street parking or a general-purpose traffic lane?
Why this grade: Backs rapid deployment of bus priority measures on busy routes even when a general traffic lane has to go. Support is unqualified rather than limited to the easier measures.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, but not at the cost of a general-purpose travel lane = C-. No = F. The question asks specifically about giving up a traffic lane, so a yes that rules the lane out withholds the one thing being asked for and cannot take the conditional-yes B. C- rather than F because the rest of the toolkit is still on the table. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 6 options - 10% of this topic TRN-04 A
Do you support the creation of a regional transportation authority?
Why this grade: Backs a regional authority taking on transportation across municipal boundaries. It is the strongest response the question offers.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = C-. A No is C- rather than F because this asks who should decide, not what should be built or funded, which puts it on the governance side of the CLI-03 split. Three earlier rows typed F and two typed C-; the governance rule was followed over the count. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options - 10% of this topic TRN-05 B
Do you support building new bus-only and bike-only connections through parks, golf courses or public land when doing so would substantially shorten transit and cycling trips?
Why this grade: Supports shortening trips with new bus and bicycle connections through public land, subject to mature trees being kept. A condition this precise narrows the commitment without leaving it to discretion.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, if no mature trees are lost during construction = B. No = F. Losing no mature trees is a named and checkable condition, so it takes the conditional-yes B. A No is F because the question is about building a connection, which is infrastructure. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded TRN-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to transit in your region, feel free to share your thoughts below.
I believe public transit is a great example of an area that is best served regionally.
One example of regional transit that I’m particularly excited about is the Reconciliation Corridor Initiative. Lead by and in partnership with the lək̓ʷəŋən people, the initiative to finally revive the E&N Line was recently approved for federal funding. It’s still early, but I see good reasons for optimism.
Federal investment in the base means that traffic is going to get worse. I believe that the federal government understands that we can’t put 3,000 more cars onto Admirals and hope for the best. This would offer a viable alternative to that, among other benefits.
As a resident, I’m excited about the prospect of riding the rails to Goldstream and perhaps even beyond. As a Council candidate, I’m excited about the potential benefits to my community, and believe that we need to keep the return of rail tomorrow at the forefront of our minds as we make our decisions today.
Housing
B- HFL-01 7 / 8
What kinds of housing could your municipality use more of? Select all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point per selected type to max of 8. Housing exists on a continuum and different types are appropriate for different households. All housing is needed and positively affects other types via vacancy chains
Dan Igaz chose 7 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-02 7 / 8
Which of the following items do you support to minimize tenant displacement and maintain/grow the supply of affordable housing? Select up all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point per strategy to max of 8. To tackle tenant displacement local governments must take an all of the above approach to reduce the impacts associated with renovictions and evictions.
Dan Igaz chose 7 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-03 6 / 6
Do you think your municipality should have target approval times for multifamily housing?
How this question is graded
6 points for 30/180 days, prorated for longer timelines. Housing delayed is housing denied. Long delays drive us costs for housing, increase the chance that they will be cancelled, and indicate a lack of clear published guidelines. A time limit on decisions prioritizes housing action and reforms.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-04 5 / 5
If there was a type of housing you wanted to see more of (e.g., affordable, non-market, family-sized, townhouses, etc.), what do you think are effective methods of getting more of it? Select all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point for each option, but -1 for choosing mandated requirements (d). To increase the building of certain desireable types of housing (affordable, family sized, etc), cities need to pursue a broad approach of both removing barriers and targetted incentives. Mandated requirements (or inclusionary zoning) have a track record of acting like a tax and therefore reducing housing construction or increasing costs.
Dan Igaz chose 5 of 8 options - HFL-05 3 / 3
Do you believe that the municipality should pre-zone to the uses, heights and densities outlined in the Official Community Plan, so that OCP-compliant projects can be built without rezoning or public hearing?
How this question is graded
3 points for yes, 0 for no. An OCP sets out the direction and vision for a municipality with broad input from the community and council. Matching zoning to long term consensus-based plans reduces scarcity and allows incentivizes OCP compliant housing to be built quickly.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options - HFL-06 2 / 6
Beyond the three to four units Bill 44 already requires, what is the most housing you think should be legal to build by-right (i.e. without rezoning) in traditional single-family areas of your municipality?
How this question is graded
a) 0 points b) 1 points c) 2 points d) 5 points e) 6 points. With little room for new single family developments, housing abundance relies on density. People unable to afford a single family house should not be relegated to living only on busy arterials where high density is legal, but should have a diversity of housing options in every neighbourhood.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 6 options - HFL-07 3 / 3
A housing proposal has been reviewed by staff and they recommend approval. It requires rezoning because the existing zoning has not been updated. If it faces substantial neighbourhood opposition, how would you generally vote?
How this question is graded
3 points for a), 0 otherwise. Housing approval rules must be predictable and clear for those building housing, or it will lead to scarcity. If municipal planning staff have adequately considered objections to a project and still recommend approval it should be approved. If unanticipated issues are raised, policies should be clarified to ensure staff can work with applicants on future projects.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-08 1 / 2
Do you support eliminating minimum parking requirements for new developments or suites?
How this question is graded
1 point for yes, 2 points for yes with transportation demand management measures, 0 points for no. A single additional parking space can add tens of thousands to the cost of a home. However, a development without parking and without offsetting remedies can impact livability for the eventual occupants of a home.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-09 3 / 6
Non-market housing often faces additional challenges getting approved. Which of the following measures do you support to improve the prospects for below-market housing construction? Select all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point for each option, but -1 for choosing mandated requirements (d). Building homes is hard, building non-market homes is substantially harder. This has serious socio-economic consequences for certain members of society. With the exception of mandated requirements (or inclusionary zoning), which have a track record of acting like a tax and therefore a deterrent to new construction, a broad and flexible approach is needed to help non-market housing across the approval finish line.
Dan Igaz chose 6 of 9 options (up to 7 allowed) - HFL-11 6 / 6
The BC government set a housing target for Victoria at 4,902 homes over five years, which represents 75% of the estimated housing need for that period. Regardless of provincial requirements or penalties, do you believe the city should strive to build:
How this question is graded
6 points for too low, 1 for about right, 0 for too high. By definition, the provincial housing targets, being set as only 75% of estimated housing need is too low of a target to meet local housing needs.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-12 3 / 6
Municipal asset-management plans have identified substantial gaps between current funding and the amount needed to maintain and replace roads, water and sewer systems, public buildings, and other infrastructure. In Victoria, the 2024 Corporate Asset Management Strategy identified $570 million worth of infrastructure in poor or very poor condition. Which approaches would you prioritize to address this infrastructure problem? Select up to two.
How this question is graded
5 points for selecting more housing and commercial development, 1 for seeking additional provincial or federal funding, 0 points for increasing taxes or reducing infrastructure projects, and -2 points for increasing development charges, amenity contributions, and other fees imposed on new houses.
Dan Igaz chose 2 of 6 options - HFL-10 6 / 7
If elected, what do you hope to have accomplished on the housing file at the end of your first year, and end of your four-year term?
How this question is graded
To receive full marks, candidates receive a point up to 7 for referencing impactful housing ideas in their answer including but not limited to: a rental vacancy rate target, a quantitative target regarding annual homes built, pre-zoning commitments / OCP alignment, non-profit by right commitment, commitment to tenant production aligned with platform, commitment to regulate and enforce Airbnb rules, delegate more rezoning / variance decisions to staff, a continuation of policies that have been working, developing a pre-approved catalog of housing designs, loosening design guidelines or other restrictive regulations, minimizing tenant displacement, increasing the regional housing fund, enhancing partnerships with other levels of government, the private sector, co-ops, and non-profit housing developers, streamlining regulations, and shorten requirements.
Dan Igaz's answerIt’s easy to look at the progress Esquimalt has made in housing in the last few years and think that we’ve done our part. 620 net new units last year is nothing to dismiss. The fact that we need to keep up our momentum should illustrate just how bad the housing crisis really is. (Even the provincial target itself, after all, represents only 75% of the province’s actual estimate for Esquimalt’s housing needs.)
The most recent CMHC estimate puts our vacancy rate at 2.9%. Even with the progress we’ve made, this is still fairly low. There’s still work to be done.
In my first year, I hope to:
• Maintain Esquimalt’s momentum on housing,
• Review our rezoning and development processes to increase clarity and diligence on topics like tree retention and design review,
• Identify the challenges and opportunities behind why the rate at which we’ve built non-market housing has seemingly slowed (0/204 units in the most recent report) and establish a clearer pipeline for potential future non-market housing, and
• Review our development policies to determine how and where we can better incentivize building family-sized, 3+ bedroom units (37/620 units in the most recent report) to better diversify our housing supply without impacting the pace at which we build smaller units.
By the end of my four-year term, I intend for Esquimalt to have:
• Comfortably surpassed our provincial housing targets without compromising what makes our municipality so special, with meaningful diversity and affordability in what we’ve built,
• Expanded our tax base to help to get property tax increases under control while still funding the services, programs, and projects that we need, and
• Established a long-term plan for housing development for the next 20 years that also factors in infrastructure, trees, livability, and community needs to provide greater clarity and consistency going forward.
Climate
A- 8% of this topic CLI-01 A
Would you support ending fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship on property, media and events controlled by your municipality, to the extent the law allows? And would you advocate for the same at the Victoria Regional Transit Commission for BC Transit vehicles and shelters?
Why this grade: Supports ending advertising and sponsorship together, with advocacy for buses and shelters on top. That is the whole question answered.
How this question is graded
Two commitments in one question, so the menu answer alone cannot reach the top. The menu sets a base and a Yes on the follow-up about advocating at the Victoria Regional Transit Commission raises it one step. Yes, both advertising and sponsorship = B, and A with the follow-up. Yes, advertising only or Yes, sponsorship only = C, and B with the follow-up. No = F, because ending the advertising is something the municipality controls outright. A follow-up written as free text rather than ticked is a judgement about the candidate and is graded by hand. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 6 options Follow-up: Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-02 B
The Capital Regional District declared a climate emergency in 2019. How should your municipality treat climate action in its next four-year plan?
Why this grade: Would fund climate at a high ranking. The spending is committed and the framing is not.
How this question is graded
The overriding priority, other decisions should be tested against it = A. One of the top three priorities, with a dedicated budget = B. One priority among many, addressed where affordable = C-. Not a municipal priority = F. The ladder skips C on purpose: a dedicated budget is the line between a priority and a sentiment, so addressing climate only where affordable drops two steps rather than one. Handing the file to another order of government is F. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-03 A
Will you pledge to never take meetings from fossil fuel company lobbyists?
Why this grade: A yes on the pledge. Access is refused as a matter of course rather than weighed each time.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = C-. The No is C- rather than F because of the split the grading settled on: a plain No is C- where the question is about governance or conduct and F where it is about infrastructure, land use or funding. This one asks a candidate to give up a channel of access to themselves, which is conduct. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-04 A
Climate-related damage and adaptation costs increasingly fall on municipal budgets. Would you vote to have your municipality join other BC local governments in legal action to recover a share of those costs from major fossil fuel producers?
Why this grade: A yes with no conditions on cost. Recovering the money is treated as the municipality's business.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, if municipal costs are capped = B, because a conditional yes is B wherever one appears and a cap on municipal exposure lands there. No = F, because the question is about spending to recover costs, which is the funding side of the split CLI-03 sits on the other side of. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-05 A
Will you support a zoning bylaw amendment that prohibits the approval of any new or expanded commercial gas stations within municipal boundaries?
Why this grade: Backs the prohibition. There is no carve out for existing operators wanting to grow.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = F. A land use question, so a No is F rather than C-. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-06 B
Extreme heat, wildfire smoke and wildfire risk all affect people living in existing homes. What would you have your municipality do to protect them? Select all you support.
Why this grade: Three measures, including assessments and retrofit financing. Breadth falls one short of the top band even though the funded core is there.
How this question is graded
Up to five measures may be ticked. Four or more ticks including at least two of the three the municipality has to pay for (subsidized home assessments, grants or financing for retrofits, designated centres with guaranteed opening hours) = A. Three or more ticks = B. Two = C. One = C-. None of the above = F. The funding floor is there because a straight count of ticks would let a candidate reach the top on the two cheapest options, a vegetation bylaw and an information campaign, while committing no money to anyone actually living in an overheating home. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 3 of 7 options (up to 5 allowed) - 8% of this topic CLI-07 A
Are you supportive of phasing out fossil fuel powered tools such as leaf blowers (following the lead of Oak Bay and other municipalities across the country)?
Why this grade: Would end the use of fossil fuel powered tools. The answer is direct and complete.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = F. A regulatory phase-out, graded on the same footing as CLI-05. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-08 A
Large data centres can add substantial electricity and water demand. Under what conditions, if any, would you support a new data centre in your municipality?
Why this grade: Rules the whole category out. That leaves nothing to be enforced or revisited.
How this question is graded
Oppose all new data centres = A. Support only with waste-heat recovery and no net increase in potable water use = B. Support only under conditions set case by case = C. Support without special conditions = F. The two conditional options are separated by whether the condition binds. Waste-heat recovery and no net potable water increase is a testable commitment, so it takes the conditional-yes B. Conditions set case by case name nothing and commit to nothing, so it takes the C that a depends-case-by-case answer gets everywhere else. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-09 A
What are the primary climate risk(s) facing your community, and what actions would you take to support adaptation and resilience in your community?
Why this grade: Clearly identifies risks and provides concrete strategies grounded in their local context.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = names a climate risk specific to the municipality and specific actions against it, usually tied to data or a programme already running. B = one half only, a risk with no action or actions with no risk named, or backing an existing plan without either. C = general support with nothing local in it, a list of risks and nothing else, or the work handed to the region. C- = a risk gestured at and nothing more. F = an answer that is not about climate.
Dan Igaz's answerHeat waves and poor air quality are the main concerns for me, with stormwater flooding a close (and growing) third as the weather becomes more extreme. I would prioritize protecting our existing tree canopy and increasing the number of trees overall, ideally by a significant amount, and ideally along well-thought out ecological corridors (more on that later in this section.) Trees provide shade and cooling, improve air quality, and help manage stormwater; and they’re pretty nice to look at too. We need to start treating trees as the valuable community assets they are.
I would strongly support immediately reworking the rezoning and development process to consider tree loss mitigation in the earliest possible stages. Currently, its place in the process is unclear, and it makes it procedurally difficult to address tree loss for new developments. Some developments have gone through without Council ever having a proper opportunity to address tree loss. That can’t happen. - 8% of this topic CLI-10 A
Ensuring ecosystem connectivity is an important adaptation strategy for climate change. How do you plan to maintain or increase ecosystem features across the urban landscape?
Why this grade: Identifies clear, actionable strategies to improve resilience through development relevent to their local context.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = says what connectivity is and why it matters, with local examples, usually tied to data, a programme already running or the official community plan. B = practical examples with no local detail, or no link back to connectivity. C = general support with no project named, or an answer broad enough to fit any question. C- = agrees with the idea and offers nothing to do about it, or answers about something tangential. F is not used.
Dan Igaz's answerConnected ecosystems handle stormwater more efficiently, promote better biodiversity, and are more resilient to localized disturbances than segmented fragments of nature. Connecting our green spaces should factor into plans whenever possible. To that end, I would support:
• Introducing a minimum open lot space requirement to new developments. Esquimalt currently has a maximum lot coverage limit, but it applies only to buildings, not driveways or other paved spaces. This would require a portion of the property to remain genuinely green, open space. Burnaby, Maple Ridge, and Victoria itself have good examples of this.
• Introducing a pilot program that would incentivize residents to plant trees on their own property; either by offering vouchers that cover a portion of the costs to plant new trees (Nanaimo, Vernon), changing how our stormwater services are charged to reward properties with more tree canopy or permeable spaces (Waterloo, Seattle), or both.
• Identifying Esquimalt’s “green corridors”: the paths where we can better connect our parks and other natural areas through an urban environment. I think Singapore’s “Nature Ways” are the gold standard here, and we can learn a lot from their approach. As part of this, we would need to coordinate with neighbouring governments to identify cross-boundary green corridors as well.
• Prioritizing tree retention (and planting new trees) within those corridors where possible, to strengthen the connection between our natural areas. - 8% of this topic CLI-11 A
Do you see development as an opportunity to increase resilience to climate-related events, and if so, how?
Why this grade: Shows clear support for the idea and connects it to concrete actions relevant to their local context.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = yes, with how and why, naming strategies or a local policy that ties development to resilience. B = yes with relevant examples but no account of how they build resilience or how they get built. C = general support and nothing past what the building code already requires. C- = a bare yes, or support that doubts it is possible. F = does not accept that development can make a community more resilient.
Dan Igaz's answerAbsolutely. Every new development (really every change in general) is an opportunity to make our community more ecologically resilient than before. When we consider our main three concerns (heat waves, air quality, stormwater management), there are some obvious ideas that come out:
As Esquimalt residents saw with the development at 903 Admirals Road, it’s currently procedurally unclear exactly where in the rezoning/development process Council is even meant to consider tree loss and retention. This led the previous Council to approve the project, despite our own Design Review Committee recommending denial in large part due to the impacts on trees. If elected I would immediately pursue changing this process as quickly as possible to require the consideration of tree loss and retention from that start and throughout the project.
As I mentioned above, I would also support the introduction of a minimum open lot space requirement to new developments to increase our overall green space and help to address stormwater runoff that is anticipated to worsen in coming years. A stormwater service fee could be used to a similar or complimentary effect, where properties with, say, more tree canopy or permeable spaces, would pay less and vice versa. This would raise money while also rewarding owners and developers who prioritize tree retention and green space over “big gray box” designs. Waterloo and Seattle have found success with similar systems.
Finally, I would be interested in exploring incentives for building designs that perform well during extreme heat and poor air quality; including shading, passive cooling, high-quality ventilation and filtration, etc. - 8% of this topic CLI-12 A
The UBCM passed several resolutions saying municipalities should be able to have climate action lens and climate considerations in development and housing mandates. Do you support blue-green infrastructure upgrades as a requirement of developments for climate readiness?
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = F. Graded by RUSH from 2026-09-01; the mapping is recorded so the remaining rows match the ones already typed. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded CLI-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to climate concerns with respect to your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
The most critical aspect of our climate policy is how we integrate it into decisions that aren’t immediately, obviously about climate policy. We can’t treat it as a separate policy area anymore. Every new sidewalk, every building upgrade, we should be asking how that decision will be affecting our green spaces now and decades into the future. Even the phrase “green spaces” is a bit of a misnomer, as it inherently implies separate, isolated areas over a holistic, connected ecological network.
Protecting our trees now means they’ll protect us tomorrow. Climate change is here and we see the impacts every week. Green spaces not only help us fight the worst of those impacts, but also make our community a healthier and more beautiful place to live. It’s time we started treating them as the valuable community resources that they are.
Arts
B- 6.67% of this topic ART-01 3 / 3
Do you consider arts and culture to be a core part of your municipality's economic development strategy?
Why this score: Identifies concrete municipal roles including creating space, removing regulatory barriers, incorporating art into public spaces and reducing administrative barriers, with a clear enabling approach.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: The municipality's role should be as a facilitator. Guidelines and controls that are too strict are realistically fairly antithetical to the arts.
This means finding or creating space for artists, removing regulatory barriers, and incorporating art into public spaces. Our role shouldn't be to force anything, but rather to try to create the conditions for a diverse arts and cultural community to thrive, and then help with red tape where we can. - 16.67% of this topic ART-02 2 / 3
If elected, what specific action will you commit to in your first year to strengthen your municipality's arts and cultural sector, and what measurable outcome should residents expect by the end of your four-year term?
Why this score: Proposes an arts-space inventory/strategy and expanded local-art display, with a four-year goal of regular artwork rotation. However, the commitments are framed as “would like” and the outcome lacks a defined measurable target. 4-year goal focused mainly on art being visually consumed, and lacks a robust plan to support the arts nor mentions any actioning of the arts strategy developed in year 1. Insufficient for a 3.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz's answerIn my first year, I would like Esquimalt to develop an inventory and strategy for our arts and cultural spaces, working with local artists, organizations, and community groups to identify gaps and opportunities. I would also like to explore how we can better feature local art in non-arts spaces like the town square, the Rec Centre, or even participating private businesses.
I believe art is at its best when it's something that residents just bump into while they're going about their day. Not everyone is going to take the time to seek out a dedicated exhibit, or plan to take a date to a gallery, but most people would be pleasantly surprised to stumble upon a beautiful new mural on a trip to the store.
By the end of my four-year term, I would like to see a regular rotation of local artwork throughout our community, with opportunities for a broad range of artists. - 13.33% of this topic ART-03 3 / 3
Cultural strategies are often adopted and then not implemented. Would you support a cultural space implementation framework with defined tools, timelines and public reporting? Select up to three components you would prioritize. Select your top three options.
Why this score: Selects a cultural-space inventory, nonprofit partnerships for permanent assets and a municipal cultural-space strategy, providing a substantive framework. Strong municipal mix.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz chose 3 of 11 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-04 3 / 3
Arts organizations and event producers identify permitting, zoning and regulatory requirements as barriers to cultural activity. What would you commit to? Select all that apply.
Why this score: Includes simplified small-scale events, zoning review and disproportionate-cost review in addition to administrative reforms.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz chose 7 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - 16.67% of this topic ART-05 3 / 3
If preserving and securing long-term cultural space requires additional municipal support, which approaches would you support? Select up to five.
Why this score: Supports increased municipal funding, resource reallocation, municipal leverage, nonprofit acquisition and long-term leases—a strong combination of direct municipal interventions.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz chose 5 of 16 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-06 3 / 3
Municipal budgets require difficult choices. Would you support maintaining arts and culture investment alongside other core municipal services?
Why this score: Explicitly supports maintaining or growing arts and culture alongside core services.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-07 1 / 3
When a major development project affects an existing cultural space, what should your municipality prioritize?
Why this score: Uses the general “overall community benefit” standard but does not specifically identify preservation or replacement of cultural space.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 16.67% of this topic ART-08 3 / 3
Would you support municipal incentives to encourage private property owners and developers to provide affordable community & cultural space for nonprofits? Select all that apply.
Why this score: Selects cultural-space requirements in major developments and private-owner property-tax incentives for long-term affordable cultural space, both consequential mechanisms.
How this question is graded
Dan Igaz chose 4 of 7 options (up to 5 allowed)
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded ART-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to the arts in your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
Melbourne, Montréal, and Philadelphia are great examples of the type of public, open art that I would love to support. Esquimalt as a community is beautiful, creative, and just a little bit weird. I would love for our spaces to better reflect that. Having more open, public art woven organically into the rest of our community fits our municipal personality well and would improve the everyday lives of our residents. As an added benefit, it would also attract visitors to explore our community, shop at local businesses, and support local events.
Rolling & cycling
A- 15% of this topic ROL-01 A
Will you commit to funding and completing at least one 'missing link' in your municipality's Active Transportation Plan during your four-year term? If yes, which one would you prioritize?
Why this grade: Picks Head Street north of Esquimalt Road, arguing the main corridors are largely done and the next job is filling connective gaps, and pointing to the shops, the school with heavy student use and the Old Esquimalt neighbourhood it would serve, with a review of the Esquimalt and Head intersection alongside it. A named link with the network logic and the local reasons both given.
How this question is graded
Yes + Project surfaced = A; Yes + No specific project in mind, or vague project = B; Combination of No and/or a lack of project ideas = C-F, depending on severity.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: There are a few good candidates, and ideally we’ll be funding and completing more than one within four years. But if I have to stick to one for the question, then I believe Head Street is the obvious answer here, north of Esquimalt Road.
We’ve already made significant progress on the priorities identified in our Active Transportation Network Plan, especially on the main corridors. Our next priority should be to fill in the connective gaps so we can create a truly connected network throughout the municipality, and Head Street is a great choice given its proximity to nearby shops, École Victor-Brodeur (high student use), and the Old Esquimalt residential neighbourhood.
As part of this, we should look at reviewing the intersection at Esquimalt and Head St, to consider safety options like the Dutch-style protected intersection, two-stage turns, or bike boxes. Information learned here could then be applied to other major intersections, like Tillicum/Craigflower and Esquimalt/Admirals. - 15% of this topic ROL-02 B
Will you commit (or continue to commit) to physical protection (not paint alone) as the standard for all new and upgraded cycling infrastructure on busy streets in your municipality?
Why this grade: Accepts physical protection as the standard on busy streets, except where it is physically impossible. A limit that can be tested on the ground, which keeps it a band below an unconditional commitment.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, except where physically impossible = B. No = F. Except where physically impossible is a condition that can be checked against a street, so it takes the conditional-yes B, and that is where the 19 rows graded before this rubric existed put it. A No is F because the question sets a construction standard, which is infrastructure. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 15% of this topic ROL-03 A
Will you oppose efforts (current and future) to remove, narrow or downgrade existing protected bike lanes and other all-ages-and-abilities (AAA) cycling infrastructure in your municipality during your term?
Why this grade: Will oppose efforts to remove, narrow or downgrade existing protected lanes and all ages and abilities routes. Nothing qualifies it.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Depends, case-by-case = C. No = F. Depends case by case names no test and commits to nothing, which is the C it gets on CLI-08 and TRN-02; 13 of the 14 rows graded before this rubric existed agree. A No is F because the question is about keeping built infrastructure in place. An answer of N/A is a claim that the question does not apply to that municipality, which is a judgement about a candidate and is passed in by hand, like an excused decline. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic ROL-04 A
What is the most important active transportation project in the municipality that you will be focused on progressing? Please provide your reasoning.
Why this grade: Notes the provincial design guide calls for physical separation above four thousand vehicles a day and that four named roads exceed it, then argues the insurer's own crash data puts most collisions with people walking and cycling at intersections, so the focus should move there, naming three that the municipality's plan already flags. A named set of projects, chosen from the evidence.
How this question is graded
A = Candidate is able to identify a project in their community and speak to its importance. B & C = Candidate has a general idea of something that can be improved but it isn't high on their priority list. F = Candidate does not think any improvements can/should be made.
Dan Igaz's answerBike lanes are the topic du jour, and certainly a lot of work still needs to be done there. The BC Active Transportation Design Guide generally recommends physical separation on roads with traffic volumes above 4,000 vehicles a day, and Admirals, Esquimalt, Lampson, and Tillicum all see well over that. Clearly, major work still to be done.
However, ICBC data shows that the majority of vehicle/bicycle and vehicle/pedestrian crashes happen at intersections. So if we’re following the data, then I think that our focus should really be there.
Fortunately, our Active Transportation Plan has already identified key intersections needing more focused review. Of those I would highlight Craigflower/Tillicum, Esquimalt/Head, and Devonshire/Fairview, but the lessons we learn from these can be applied to other intersections. I believe that we should follow the evidence and reprioritize to making these intersections safer. We could explore leading intervals, Dutch-style protected junctions, two-stage turns, bike boxes, etc. - 35% of this topic ROL-05 B
If you have previously served in local government, what did you do to advance walking, rolling, cycling or transit? If you have not, what in your record outside of council shows the same commitment?
Why this grade: Cycles to work more than by any other means, offers to ride with colleagues and partners not yet comfortable doing it alone, led the workplace effort during bike to work week, and once volunteered running safe cycling clinics downtown. Real and continuing community work, at a smaller scale than a delivery record.
How this question is graded
Free text, graded by a person on what the record shows about advancing walking, rolling, cycling or transit. A = delivered work, meaning budgets moved, plans adopted, infrastructure built, or a sustained organisational role with results behind it. B = substantial relevant advocacy or a directly relevant role, with less account of what it produced. C = a record from a different office, or advocacy confined to one location or issue, or no previous term with nothing offered in its place. C- = personal experience or unrelated work with no advocacy behind it. F = nothing relevant offered, or a record that closed the question rather than advancing it. The bands come from the 79 rows graded before 2026-09-20. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz's answerAnyone who knows me will tell you that I cycle to work more than any other form of transport and it’s not even close. I regularly offered (and currently offer) ride-togethers to employees and partners who aren’t yet comfortable cycling to work on their own, and was an avid leader in our Bike to Work Week. Years ago, I volunteered to help to run clinics on safe cycling in downtown Victoria.
It’s not much, but it’s helped at least a few people to become more comfortable taking their bike for trips where they would have otherwise taken their car. I’m proud of that. I look forward to the opportunity to contribute on a more impactful scale.
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded ROL-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to the rolling and cycling in your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
I would like to explore options to make cycling through construction zones safer and more comfortable so cyclists don’t feel as though they’re suddenly shuffled into fast-moving traffic. We have a lot of roadwork coming up. How cyclists move through that roadwork needs to be a stronger consideration. Alternate routes, or earlier, slower merging like New Zealand uses, would be strong considerations here.
For our residential roads, I would like to look at through-traffic management options that would still allow residents to comfortably use those roads to get to and from their homes, while discouraging the use of those roads as “shortcuts” by cars better suited to major arterial roads. This would make walking, cycling, and driving safer and more pleasant in our residential areas. We could explore infrastructure like diverters or chicanes (Edmonton) or explore a more significant option like Belgium’s filtered permeability strategies (low traffic neighbourhoods.)
Walking
B- 10% of this topic WLK-01 A
Municipalities, the CRD and the Province have all adopted targets to shift trips away from driving. Do you support meeting your municipality's adopted mode-shift targets, and would you vote for the necessary street-space and budgetary changes?
How this question is graded
A = yes, even if it means removing driving lanes. C = yes, but not when it takes road space from drivers. F = no. Two steps between the two yeses because the adopted targets cannot be met without reallocating street space. Unsure and Decline to answer are both C- on this tab.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-02 A
Which pedestrian safety problem in your municipality concerns you most, and what is the one change you would commit to in your first term to make walking safer and more attractive than driving for short trips?
Why this grade: Uses the insurer's collision data to show most crashes involving people on foot happen at a handful of intersections, and commits to a head start signal at every one of them, extending the list over time. Explains the mechanism and the evidence, and picks one change deliberately.
How this question is graded
Free text, graded by a person against the two things the question asks for: a named local problem, and one change committed to in a first term. A = both, with the change specific enough to be delivered and usually tied to funding, a named corridor or an existing plan. B = the problem is named and the response is concrete but soft, narrow, or a review rather than a change. C = a problem is named and nothing is committed to, or the framing of the question is declined. C- = no local problem is settled on, or the answer is a general gesture. F = nothing responsive is offered. The bands come from the 31 rows graded before 2026-09-20 and were applied to the remaining 51 on that date. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz's answerICBC data shows that the majority of our pedestrian-involved crashes are at a handful of key intersections. I would push to implement leading pedestrian intervals at all of those intersections, and gradually add to that list as time goes on. A leading pedestrian interval gives pedestrians (and often cyclists) a few seconds to start crossing before the vehicle light turns green, allowing pedestrians to visibly occupy the intersection before drivers can enter and effectively reducing the split-second indecision that so often causes these incidents. They’re employed all over the world and several studies have shown their effectiveness in reducing crashes and near-misses, sometimes by as much as 50% or 60%.
Parts of our sidewalk network are deteriorating, need modernization, or are missing entirely. There’s a lot of work that needs to be done here. But if the question is one specific safety change, I’m going with leading pedestrian intervals. They’re simple, inexpensive, and effective. - 10% of this topic WLK-03 B
Sidewalk construction and maintenance is chronically underfunded across the region. Would you vote to increase the share of your municipality's transportation capital budget dedicated to pedestrian infrastructure?
Why this grade: Supports increasing the sidewalk budget within a ceiling. One step down for the scale alone.
How this question is graded
Yes, a substantial increase, meaning more than double what is currently spent = A. Yes, a modest increase, meaning more but less than double = B, because that is a real commitment with a ceiling on it. No, the current amount is sufficient = F, because the question is about money for infrastructure, which is the funding side of the split. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-04 F
Do you support expanding pedestrian-priority and car-free streets in your municipality's downtown, main street or village centre?
Why this grade: Selected not applicable on expanding car free streets. Esquimalt has a main street and village core, so the question does apply here.
How this question is graded
Yes, and I would pursue a permanent expansion or implementation = A. Yes, but only temporary, seasonal or pilot closures = B, because it is a yes with a stated limit on it. No = F, because the question is about street space, which is infrastructure. An answer of N/A is not on this list: it is a claim that the municipality has no downtown, main street or village centre, which is a judgement about a candidate and is passed in by hand. It has been left blank where that is true of the municipality and graded F everywhere the question plainly does apply. Unsure was typed C on two rows before 2026-09-13 and those rows were reset to blank on 2026-09-20, so the question now follows the shared policy. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 6 options - 20% of this topic WLK-05 A
How will you work with parent groups, school staff, and municipal staff to assure that children’s safety is prioritized over convenience and flow of motor traffic?
Why this grade: You would work directly with parents, school groups and walking and cycling school bus leaders to map the routes children actually use, carry that into later roadwork decisions, keep open lines with the walk and ride leaders, and you state without qualification that you would choose children's safety over motor traffic. The commitment to protect an identified school route when future construction threatens it is a detail almost no answer covers, and it is the one that keeps gains from being undone.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = names parents, school staff and municipal staff and attaches something concrete: an audit, measures, funding, timelines, or work delivered. B = one half only, consultation without measures or measures without consultation. C = points at an existing programme as enough. C- = vague, deflects, or denies the problem. Blank only where Walk On cannot judge local conditions. F is not used.
Dan Igaz's answerThe issues at play here are the same issues that affect the rest of our active transit community, but more pronounced. Children are a vulnerable group, and need safety considerations that are above and beyond what we would expect elsewhere. There’s also a practical element here: giving children safe opportunities to walk and cycle now helps to build confidence and familiarity with active transportation in the future.
Before I get into my answer, I’d like to say that I fully support the CRD’s Ready, Step, Roll program, and support the continued integration of our schools with it. Most importantly, I support the implementation of the recommendations it produces. Furthermore, if we do move forward with the bicycle-skills training courses outlines in our ATNP (as I would like to) I would like to see schools offered free or at least subsidized access to age-appropriate versions.
First, I would like to work directly with parents, school groups, and local walk-to-school or ride-to-school groups like Walking School Bus to identify their commonly used routes and specific areas of concern. Municipal staff have already identified several: speeding cars, dangerous intersections (see my answer above), heavy traffic around drop-off and pick-up, etc.
This information will be vital; not just in fixing the issues that are brought to us, but also in guiding our future decisions. When roadwork or infrastructure development might impact a route that we’ve identified as a commonly used school route, that needs to be given significant consideration. Improvements that protect our vulnerable groups (in this case, groups of excitable children who use the route nearly every day) should be prioritized whenever possible.
I would also support a long-term commitment to walking school bus or cycle train programs at our schools. As part of this, the municipality would stay in regular communication with local Walk Leaders and Ride Leaders so that they can more easily flag problems they encounter on their routes.
If at any point a decision needs to be made between the flow of motor traffic or creating a safe route for children (for example, introducing traffic calming measures to deliberately slow traffic near schools, or eliminating parking by crossings in front of a school,) I want to be very clear that I will prioritize the safety of children in a heartbeat. - 20% of this topic WLK-06 A
What will you do, in a 4 year term, to identify, prioritize and set time-lines to assure that pedestrian infrastructure is improved to meet the needs of the older and disabled members of your community?
Why this grade: You would gather information from older residents, people with disabilities and accessibility advocates, identify the specific uneven sidewalks, pronounced curb ramps and short crossing times, then rank the work by severity and by how much people depend on the route, with far more urgent timelines for routes to a clinic or a bus stop. Treating an impassable sidewalk as the equivalent of a closed road is the right frame and it leads straight to the prioritizing the question asks for.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = names what to fix and the order it gets fixed in: an audit, named priorities, consultation with older and disabled residents, a timeline inside the term. B = real improvements with no process behind them, or continuing existing work. C = states the need and defers it, or one fix with no plan. C- = a problem with no action, or an answer about something else. Blank only where Walk On cannot judge local conditions. F is not used.
Dan Igaz's answerMy answer here will follow a similar process to the previous question.
First, we would need to work directly with affected residents; accessibility advocates, older residents, people with disabilities, etc. There’s a place in governance for theory work, but in situations like this it’s mostly best to just get your information from the people who experience these barriers every day. We would want to identify specifically which sidewalks are uneven, which curb ramps are too pronounced, which crossing times are not long enough, or any other barriers to independent travel.
From there, we establish a clear system for prioritizing the work. Mostly we would look at the severity of the issue itself, and the importance of the route for those who rely on walking. Walking routes commonly used to access a medical clinic, or near a transit stop, are good examples of issues that should be given particular attention. The time-line on work like that needs to be much more urgent than a less-used route with multiple alternative options. Imagine if a significant road unexpectedly became unusable, preventing drivers and cyclists from getting to the grocery store at all. It would be major news, and addressed quickly. For residents with mobility issues, an impassable sidewalk or crossing can have the same impact on their ability to get around.
But again, we’re not just using this information to fix the individual problems as they’re brought to us. The information that we collect can then be used to for proactive planning and decision-making. When we replace a sidewalk, long-term accessibility needs should be part of the design. When we look at upgrading commonly used walking routes, we could place benches at strategic locations so residents with mobility issues can comfortably make longer trips, or introduce better wayfinding signage in areas where people with cognitive or visual impairments are more likely to experience difficulty, for example. London has a very progressive approach to this that we could learn from.
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded WLK-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to walking or pedestrian activity in your municipality, feel free to share your thoughts below.
8 80 Cities is a Canadian nonprofit that advocates for healthier, more equitable, people-oriented cities. They have a simple rule for thinking about safe transit: Think of a child and an older adult you love, and ask yourself “Would I send them out together for a walk or a ride to the park?”
I’ve lived in cities where the answer was a flat no. I’m glad I don’t live there anymore. Esquimalt is ahead already, but I’d like us to reach a place where it’s a consistent, emphatic yes. That means treating walking as essential transportation, equal to or more important than driving.
Yes, the individual improvements matter. We need safer intersections, better sidewalks, better lighting, and appropriate traffic calming. But the big picture goal is a community where anyone can comfortably make these short trips without needing a car or feeling like they’re taking a risk. That’s when we’ll get that emphatic yes.
Governance
B- 17% of this topic GOV-01 A
Do you support expanding shared or regional delivery of municipal services in the Capital Region?
How this question is graded
Yes/Partly = A, Unsure = C, No = F.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 17% of this topic GOV-02 A
Do you support creating a regional service that designs, builds and maintains local municipal infrastructure shared across Capital Region municipalities?
Why this grade: Supports creating the service. The answer commits rather than reserving the question for later.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. Yes, only if full cost recovery is guaranteed for my municipality = B. No = C-. Full cost recovery is a named, checkable condition on a yes, so it takes the conditional-yes B. A No is C- rather than F because the question is about how services are organised and who runs them, which is the governance side of the split CLI-03 sits on the other side of. Unsure was typed C on three rows before 2026-09-13 and those rows were reset to blank on 2026-09-20, so the question now follows the shared policy. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 5 options - 17% of this topic GOV-03 C
If elected, what three steps would you take to put your region or municipality on a firmer financial footing?
How this question is graded
“Real financial resilience comes from increasing the productivity of land that's already served by infrastructure: letting neighborhoods incrementally thicken, encouraging redevelopment where roads and pipes already exist, building more value per acre instead of more acres that need public maintenance.” The Strong Towns approach thinks about revenue vs liabilities and the cost of replacing infrastructure as a key driver of municipal financial success. Next-increment intensification or better allows improved use of pipes, roads, and wires, increasing the economic base for the city while lowering vacancies (examples, strongtowns.org , archive.strongtowns.org ). No credit was given for/against for either a) sharing costs with neighbouring governments or b) asking for money from higher levels of government, both of which may have additional merit beyond the boundaries of the muncipality. A-level (excellent) answer: 1. a comment about density being linked to financial wellbeing (revenue side), 2. a comment about efficient use of that revenue (expenses side), 3. thinking about infrastructure liabilities and how to pay for them given the intergenerational problems. B-level (good) answer considers some of these principles, but likely doesn't consider both revenue and expenses. C-level (mixed) - may have other ideas about arbitrary efficiencies and doesn't provide a mechanism for doing the work they propose (e.g. "fill up the reserve fund" -- with what money?). F - working in the opposite direction of resilience (e.g. arbitrary property tax increase caps), or doesn't answer the question (e.g. "my municipality is on firm financial footing").
Dan Igaz's answerThe topic “du jour” here will be the potential to introduce Development Cost Charges. I support introducing them, but am hesitant about the effect that they've been shown to have on housing prices. I would want to be very careful in their implementation to keep things simple for developers, and with explicit relief for builds that include affordable or non-market housing.
I would also explore service-based fees, so that residents who produce less garbage or have more tree canopy, for example, would pay less. This could both raise money and discourage "big gray box" designs. (See Waterloo or Seattle's approaches.)
But to be frank, the only “real” answer here is that Council is going to have some very difficult decisions ahead. The tax increases of recent years are unsustainable in the long term, and even with alternate revenue streams, the simplest and quickest way to a balanced budget is just to just spend less money. - 17% of this topic GOV-04 F
Do you commit to eliminating mandatory parking minimums for all land uses in your municipality by 2030?
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No/Decline = F. Parking minimums are pseudoscience that should be eliminated from city codes everywhere, and have been eliminated in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Ottawa, and others across North America without any negative consequences (archive.strongtowns.org )
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options - 17% of this topic REC-01 A
Do you support ensuring that local First Nations are represented in transit governance, such as on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and the CRD Transportation Commission?
Why this grade: Backs representation as put in the question. Nothing is reserved.
How this question is graded
Yes = A. No = C-, on the same reasoning as GOV-02 and TRN-04: the question is about who sits at the table, not about what gets built or funded. No candidate has answered No, so that letter is a rule rather than a record of how anyone was graded. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 3 options - 17% of this topic REC-02 A
Concerning our municipal government’s First Nations’ reconciliation and consultation practices, I support:
How this question is graded
A = significantly more consultation practices. B = somewhat more. C = the current amount is enough. Written answers take the same ladder: A commits to partnership with local First Nations, B wants better consultation without committing to a change, C questions whether more is wanted. Nothing here has been graded C- or F.
Dan Igaz chose 1 of 7 optionsI would certainly be open to a review, but my current understanding of recent years is that Esquimalt’s has developed relatively strong consultation practices in recent years. It feels disingenuous of me to just answer “I support more consultation practices” when what I really support is an evolution towards more direct partnership and more shared projects. (See my response to REC-GEN).
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded GOV-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to governance, shared services, and municipal infrastructure, feel free to share your thoughts below.
I would like to spend some of my time on Council modernizing some of our own processes. We could run meetings more efficiently with expected time limits or "time certain" agenda items (Portland), make Public Comment Period more usable, and explore a pilot similar to Helsinki’s Resident Initiative petition to give residents a clearer avenue to make their voices heard and hold government accountable.
I would also embrace working beyond our municipal borders when that is what best serves our residents. Transit and policing are classic examples, but recreation offers opportunities too. A regional recreation committee could help municipalities plan facilities together and develop fair cost-sharing arrangements.
Finally, Council will need to be honest and disciplined about trade-offs. There are more things to do than money to do it with. Council will need to track every dollar carefully, prioritize critical spending, and make difficult decisions today to avoid worse ones years from now. - Not graded REC-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to First Nation transit governance or consultation practices, feel free to share your thoughts below.
As I alluded to in the previous question, reconciliation to me does not just mean checking in with our First Nations neighbours more often on select municipal decisions. This plays an important part, certainly, but in areas where a regional approach is more appropriate than a municipal one (like transit), it seems obvious to me that all affected regional partners should be involved from the start in collaboration, planning, and decision-making.
The recent rework of the SD61 trustee system is a great example of this approach in action, and the Reconciliation Corridor Initiative, in which the lək̓ʷəŋən are true leaders and partners, is another excellent example of true government-to-government partnership.
As our relationships with our First Nations neighbours mature, I would like to pursue more opportunities to work together on projects of mutual interest. I think a great place to start would be the public art program I discuss later on in the Arts section of this questionnaire. I would love to explore more opportunities to feature First Nations culture and art in our open community spaces.
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