How to read this page. Each row below is one policy area, with Duncan Cavens'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 Duncan Cavens 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?
I’d like us to get the turf field at Esquimalt High built. Residents have already raised substantial funds for the project, we have enthusiastic support from our neighbours in the Songhees and Kosapsum Nations, and our local soccer association has made a significant contribution. There is also a detailed plan for how the field would be managed and kept financially sustainable once it is operating.
The challenge is the capital cost, including significant infrastructure under the existing field that needs to be upgraded. I want us to keep advocating for support from the provincial and federal governments, but ultimately we need to figure out how to get this project done. Esquimalt needs a field where people can play and train year-round. - 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.
Duncan Cavens's allocation of ten million dollars Housing $5,000,000 Transit $500,000 Walking Infrastructure $100,000 Rolling & Cycling Infrastructure $200,000 Roadway Infrastructure $300,000 Policing $0 Fire & Emergency Services $0 Parks & Recreation $3,000,000 Arts & Culture $700,000 Climate Action & Environment $200,000 Unhoused Resident Services $0 Community-Based Clinics $0
Healthcare access
What Duncan Cavens 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.
Primary health care is fundamentally a provincial responsibility, and I do not think municipalities should routinely become health-care providers. However, municipalities do have tools that can help make new clinics possible.
Esquimalt has already used a third model beyond those described above. Through the development approval process for Pacific House, the Township used density bonusing and a restrictive covenant to secure space for a primary care clinic. That clinic has now opened and, while it is privately operated rather than a non-profit, it is expected to provide primary care for thousands of patients in the community.
I would continue to look for opportunities like this, using tools such as zoning, development agreements, municipal land or space, permissive tax exemptions or partnerships where there is a strong case that they can help improve access to primary care in Esquimalt.
Transit
C-- 20% of this topic TRN-01 C-
Which fare measures would you actively advocate for at the VRTC? Select all that apply.
Why this grade: Backs cheaper fares for people on income or disability assistance, without extending the commitment further. One measure out of four is the narrowest answer that still names something concrete.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 6 options (up to 4 allowed) - 30% of this topic TRN-02 F
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: Treats the reallocation of kerbside space on frequent transit corridors as a question that does not arise here. The question was treated as not applying rather than answered, and no commitment on street space was offered in its place. Note: Esquimalt is home to three FTN transit routes in the form of Routes 14, 15, and 26, all three of which would benefit greatly from transit priority measures within Esquimalt.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 6 options - 30% of this topic TRN-03 C
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 bus priority measures on busy routes while ruling out the removal of a general purpose travel lane. Excluding the traffic lane leaves the commitment resting on the measures that cost least.
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.
Duncan Cavens 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 setting up a single regional body to run transportation across the region. No reservation is recorded alongside the answer.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 3 options - 10% of this topic TRN-05 —
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: Declines to answer whether new connections for buses and bicycles should run through parks, golf courses or public land. The decline is explained elsewhere in the topic, so the row is deliberately left without a grade.
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.
Duncan Cavens 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.
Esquimalt has very narrow rights-of-way on many of its main streets, which limits our options without acquiring substantial additional land. Now that we have largely completed our Active Transportation Plan, I think we need to turn more attention to transit priority, particularly at intersections, so buses are not simply stuck in the same traffic as everyone else.
I support making transit more affordable for lower-income residents, but service frequency and reliability are also critical if we want more people to choose transit. With limited funding, there are no easy tradeoffs. We need to improve affordability while continuing to increase service and make transit a more practical option for everyday trips.
While I do support reducing the cost of transit for low income populations, increased service is very important for attracting people to transit. There are no easy answers with a limited budget.
Housing
F- 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
Duncan Cavens chose 7 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-02 6 / 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 6 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-04 2 / 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 4 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 3 options - HFL-06 0 / 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 6 options - HFL-07 0 / 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-08 2 / 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.
Duncan Cavens 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 3 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-12 -2 / 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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 6 options - HFL-10 3 / 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.
Duncan Cavens's answerBy the end of my first year, I would like the major update of Esquimalt’s Official Community Plan to be well underway, with a clear direction for where and how we expect the community to grow. My goal would be to complete that work within two years, rather than the five years currently contemplated.
We need an OCP that clearly sets out what is allowed and where, so residents, property owners and the development industry all have more predictable expectations. Our current OCP leaves too much open to interpretation, which makes development decisions more uncertain and more divisive than they need to be.
Once that work is complete, I would move quickly to update the zoning bylaw so that more housing that is consistent with the OCP can be built by right, without requiring lengthy rezoning processes.
By the end of the four-year term, I would like Esquimalt to have both a new OCP and a substantially updated zoning bylaw in place. My goal is for Esquimalt to demonstrate that it is possible to be strongly pro-housing while also genuinely involving the community in deciding how and where growth should happen. Getting the plan right at the beginning should make it much easier to approve good housing projects afterwards.
30% of this topic Incumbent record 5.61875 / 29What Duncan Cavens did about housing during their current term, scored by Homes for Living. This is not a questionnaire answer: no candidate was asked it.
Why this score: 82.10%
Scored from Homes for Living's vote tracker.
Climate
C- 8% of this topic CLI-01 F
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: Would not end the advertising or the sponsorship. The municipality keeps hosting both.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 6 options - 8% of this topic CLI-02 C-
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 address climate if it proves affordable. That leaves the extent of action entirely open.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-03 C-
Will you pledge to never take meetings from fossil fuel company lobbyists?
Why this grade: Says no to the pledge. The answer defends open meetings as a principle, which still leaves the specific commitment ungiven.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-04 F
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: Will not take the municipality into the case. The adaptation costs stay where they are, which is what makes this a failing answer.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-05 F
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: Left the zoning question unanswered. The written comments set out a general approach but say nothing about this measure, so the silence is scored as opposition.
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.
Duncan Cavens 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: Picks retrofit money, guaranteed centre hours and a campaign. The funded pair is there and the breadth is one short.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 3 of 7 options (up to 5 allowed) - 8% of this topic CLI-07 —
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: Did not answer on phasing out fossil fuel powered tools, and explained in writing that the equipment is already on its way out and that municipal effort belongs elsewhere. That is a stated reason, so the row is left out of the grade.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-08 F
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: Gave no answer on data centres and offered no reason for it in the climate comments. An unexplained pass is graded the same as support with no conditions attached.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-09 B
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 relevant risks and provides generalized ideas for how to mitgate them, but does not go into specifics relevant to their 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.
Duncan Cavens's answerEsquimalt is relatively well positioned compared with many communities in BC, but we still face some important climate risks. Our climate adaptation work identifies more intense rainfall and its impact on sewer and stormwater infrastructure as a significant risk, along with extreme heat, poor air quality from wildfire smoke, and stress on our urban forest. Wildfire risk within Esquimalt itself is relatively low, but regional fires and smoke can still affect us.
I would like us to put a particular focus on our urban tree canopy next term, with a clear plan to protect, manage and increase it. Trees provide multiple benefits at once: shade and cooling during heat events, better stormwater management, habitat and biodiversity, and a more attractive community. Esquimalt’s existing climate plan already calls for protecting and expanding the urban forest and increasing tree planting, so I would like to turn that into a more deliberate long-term program.
We also need to keep climate resilience built into our infrastructure planning, particularly as we replace aging sewer, stormwater and other municipal infrastructure. - 8% of this topic CLI-10 B
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: Clearly supports the concept of ecosystem connectivity but does not provide specifics about how protection and improvement would take shape in 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.
Duncan Cavens's answerEsquimalt needs an urban forest strategy. We have relied too heavily on private landowners to provide a substantial part of our tree canopy, and with continued development pressure that will become increasingly difficult to maintain without a consistent plan.
We need to increase tree planting on boulevards, in parks and on other public lands, while also identifying where additional public land may be needed to preserve and expand important ecosystem areas. The goal should be to protect and increase tree canopy over time, improve habitat connectivity, and make sure growth does not gradually erode the natural features that contribute so much to Esquimalt’s character and resilience. - 8% of this topic CLI-11 B
Do you see development as an opportunity to increase resilience to climate-related events, and if so, how?
Why this grade: Clearly supports improving resilience through development, but does not provide specifics about how this would take shape in 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.
Duncan Cavens's answerYes. Whenever someone invests in Esquimalt, it creates an opportunity to improve resilience, both on the site itself and in the surrounding area. That can mean reducing stormwater runoff, replacing older buildings with ones better able to handle changing climate conditions, improving drainage and landscaping, or increasing tree canopy over time.
Development should leave both the property and the surrounding community better prepared for future climate impacts. - 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?
Why this grade: Supports requiring developments to build in the drainage and planting that handle stormwater and heat. Making it a condition of approval is what turns good practice into standard practice.
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.
Duncan Cavens 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.
I have worked on climate policy for local governments for decades and believe strongly in practical, measurable municipal climate action. I was one of the primary consultants on both the City of Victoria and District of Saanich climate plans.
I also believe elected officials should be willing to meet with people and organizations they may disagree with. Shutting out dialogue gets us nowhere. My focus is on reducing demand for fossil fuels and taking actions that produce meaningful results.
For example, gas-powered leaf blowers are already on their way out. I would rather focus municipal effort on areas where we can make a much larger difference, such as retrofitting existing buildings, reducing vehicle kilometres travelled, improving transportation options, and preparing our infrastructure and neighbourhoods for the effects of climate change.
I support climate action that is practical, measurable and focused on outcomes rather than symbolic measures.
Arts
F- 6.67% of this topic ART-01 2 / 3
Do you consider arts and culture to be a core part of your municipality's economic development strategy?
Why this score: Identifies municipal support through CRD Arts participation and local grants, but the response does not provide enough strategic specificity regarding economic-development rationale, impact or execution.
How this question is graded
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: Municipalities should support the arts, as Esquimalt already does through its contributions as a full member of the CRD Arts Commission and via its Local Grants program to local groups that provide arts and cultural events in the township. - 16.67% of this topic ART-02 1 / 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: Commits to reviewing the Local Grants program to maintain/increase support against inflation, does little to 'strengthen the sector' and is more protectionist of existing programs. Support is general but provides no specific four-year measurable outcome.
How this question is graded
Duncan Cavens's answerI want to review our Local Grants program to ensure that we are maintaining and increasing our support for local events and festivals such that they are not effectively losing funding due to inflationary increases. - 13.33% of this topic ART-03 0 / 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: Declines to answer the implementation-framework question.
How this question is graded
Duncan Cavens chose 1 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: Selects simplified events, zoning review and disproportionate-cost review, plus coordination and service-standard reforms.
How this question is graded
Duncan Cavens chose 5 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - 16.67% of this topic ART-05 1 / 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 a regional cultural infrastructure funding program, a potentially high-impact regional mechanism, but identifies no additional direct municipal cultural-space intervention.
How this question is graded
Duncan Cavens chose 1 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
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-07 3 / 3
When a major development project affects an existing cultural space, what should your municipality prioritize?
Why this score: Explicitly requires replacement cultural space or equivalent community benefit.
How this question is graded
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 16.67% of this topic ART-08 2 / 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: Supports requiring or incentivizing cultural space in major development projects, a high-impact policy mechanism, alongside protection of current eligible nonprofit tax relief, this is potentially expansionary, but not the strongest mix
How this question is graded
Duncan Cavens chose 2 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.
Esquimalt is a relatively small community- while we should support the Arts sector, we are better able to do so in collaboration with regional partners such as the CRD Arts Commission. This avoids duplication of efforts and ensures that financial supports are used for programs and not for duplication of bureaucracy by implementing more Esquimalt-specific programs.
Rolling & cycling
A- 15% of this topic ROL-01 B
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: Says the municipality is on track to complete the main parts of its walking and cycling plan next term. That is a commitment to finishing the plan, but no individual missing link is identified as the one to fund and complete.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: We are on track to complete the main aspects of our Active Transportation Plan next term. - 15% of this topic ROL-02 A
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: Commits to physical protection rather than paint as the standard on busy streets. A clean yes with nothing carved out.
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.
Duncan Cavens 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 weaken the protected lanes and all ages and abilities routes already built. No condition attached.
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.
Duncan Cavens 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: Would complete the Esquimalt Road project while taking seriously the concerns of struggling businesses along it, pointing to time limited parking added just off the corridor as a step already taken, and holds that both can be done without giving up the purpose of the project. A named project, with a stated way of handling the obstacle in front of it.
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.
Duncan Cavens's answerWe need to complete the Esquimalt Road active transportation project, but we also need to work closely with local businesses that are struggling and have raised concerns about some of the implementation details.
I think the right approach is to take those concerns seriously and look for practical ways to address them without compromising the purpose of the project. We have already taken steps in that direction by adding significant time-limited parking just off the corridor, giving businesses more confidence that customers will still be able to find convenient parking.
I believe we can complete the Esquimalt Road network while also finding solutions that work for the businesses along the corridor. - 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: Points to the municipality having built most of its planned walking and cycling network during the term, and expresses pride in that work. A term in office with the network delivered, though the answer claims no particular part of it.
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.
Duncan Cavens's answerEsquimalt has built most of its planned active transportation network this term. I am proud of this work.
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.
We need to spend some time evaluating how well our newly installed cycling network is functioning. I believe it has generally been successful, but it has also created some congestion issues that we should be able to improve.
In particular, I would like us to review a few key intersections, including Craigflower and Tillicum and Lampson and Devonshire, to see whether they can work better for transit and vehicle traffic without compromising the safety improvements for pedestrians and cyclists.
Walking
C- 10% of this topic WLK-01 C-
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-02 B
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: Names vehicle speeds and unsafe crossings on neighbourhood streets and points to the dedicated annual traffic calming funding already established, which would continue with narrowing, speed humps and similar measures. Continuation of an existing programme rather than a new commitment.
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.
Duncan Cavens's answerVehicle speeds and unsafe crossings on neighbourhood streets remain a concern. Council has established dedicated annual funding for traffic calming, and I would continue that program, using measures such as intersection narrowing, speed humps and other changes in response to identified safety problems. - 10% of this topic WLK-03 F
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: Declines any increase. Sidewalk gaps would close no faster than they do now.
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.
Duncan Cavens 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 pedestrian priority and car free streets. Esquimalt has a village core the question reaches, so this is a pass rather than a statement that the question misses.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 6 options - 20% of this topic WLK-05 C
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 point to the dedicated annual traffic calming funding Council established, to the narrowed intersections, speed humps and flexible bollards it has paid for, and you would keep that funding in place. Sustained funding is real, but the answer speaks about resident feedback in general and never reaches parent groups, school staff or the specific hazards on a walk to school.
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.
Duncan Cavens's answerThis term, Council has provided dedicated annual funds to our engineering department so they can implement traffic calming measures based on resident feedback. It's been very successful although there is still much more work to do. Narrowing intersections, speed bumps, and flexible bollards to encourage slower speeds have been very successful. I believe we should continue this funding. - 20% of this topic WLK-06 B
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 keep assessing sidewalk condition and accessibility, identify the highest priority gaps and barriers, and build those projects into the four year capital plan with attention to curb cuts, crossings and the routes older residents and people with disabilities use. Putting the work into the capital plan is the right mechanism, though the assessment is described as a staff exercise with no role for the residents who meet those barriers daily.
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.
Duncan Cavens's answerWe need to continue assessing the condition and accessibility of our sidewalks, identify the highest-priority gaps and barriers, and incorporate those projects into our four-year capital plan, with particular attention to curb cuts, crossings and routes used by older residents and people with disabilities.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 17% of this topic GOV-02 —
Do you support creating a regional service that designs, builds and maintains local municipal infrastructure shared across Capital Region municipalities?
Why this grade: Has not formed a view on the shared service. The blank keeps the row out of the category grade entirely.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 5 options - 17% of this topic GOV-03 B
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").
Duncan Cavens's answerFirst, create a clear long-term plan to reduce and ultimately eliminate Esquimalt’s infrastructure deficit. We already have much of the underlying technical work. What we need is to bring it together into a coherent and understandable plan and establish clear financial targets.
Second, review municipal fees and charges to make sure they reasonably reflect the cost of providing services. There will be areas where we deliberately choose to subsidize services because of the broader public benefit, such as recreation or affordable housing, but those choices should be explicit.
Third, complete a review of Development Cost Charges and Amenity Cost Charges. New development should make an appropriate contribution toward the infrastructure and amenities needed to support growth. The goal is not to discourage development, but to make sure Esquimalt has a fair and predictable system that supports growth without placing all of the cost on existing taxpayers. - 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 )
Duncan Cavens 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: Supports the seat without condition. Governance would include local First Nations.
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 3 options - 17% of this topic REC-02 B
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.
Duncan Cavens chose 1 of 7 options
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