How to read this page. Each row below is one policy area, with Tyler Russell'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 Tyler Russell 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?
Given the fatality rates of the 2021 heatwave, and the tendency of years preceded by El Niño's to be abnormally hot, the first and most urgent policy to bring in would be a "Right to Cool" We can follow New Westminster's lead and mandate that tenants have a right to at least one room in their homes that does not go above 26° at night.
I would amend Esquimalt's Business Licence and Regulation Bylaw to bring in a "Right to Cool": tenants could never be forbidden from using a cooling device, and every occupied rental home would need one living space that stays at 26°C or lower on hot nights.
A neighbour raised this at the door, and I looked into it. The 2021 heat dome killed 619 people in BC, and 98 percent of them died indoors. New homes are already covered by the building code. Older rental buildings, where many Esquimalt residents live, are not. New Westminster passed exactly this bylaw in June, so the legal path is proven, and it costs the Township almost nothing because it sets a result and lets owners choose how to meet it.
The timing matters. Forecasters expect a very strong El Niño this winter, and the year after one is usually among the hottest on record. I want this in place before the summer of 2027. - 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.
Tyler Russell's allocation of ten million dollars Housing $1,500,000 Transit $500,000 Walking Infrastructure $1,000,000 Rolling & Cycling Infrastructure $500,000 Roadway Infrastructure $2,500,000 Policing $300,000 Fire & Emergency Services $800,000 Parks & Recreation $1,000,000 Arts & Culture $300,000 Climate Action & Environment $600,000 Unhoused Resident Services $500,000 Community-Based Clinics $500,000 - Not graded GEN-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to communicate about your region, generally, feel free to share your thoughts here.
While I prioritise transit, it is currently paid via a separate regional levy, and I believe the transit initiatives I am putting forward should be supported by the attracting of Provincial and Federal funds.
As per an insightful February blog post from Councillor Cavens, it is clear that the infrastructure gap is glaring. https://www.duncancavens.ca/posts/2026-budget-capital-budget/. Roadway infrastructure, walking infrastructure and rolling/cycling infrastructure on this list become a proxy for all of the essential infrastructure that lies below them. As Councillor Cavens noted, there is an infrastructure gap that has been left to us that would not be kind to leave to our children. And as we gain housing, we need the infrastructure that accommodates it!
Also, my climate action/environment amount here is for canopy enhancement, urban biomass production and for contribution to a coordinated regional endeavour to make our civic wood waste processing involve pyrolysis. and thus make such trimmings carbon negative.
Healthcare access
What Tyler Russell 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.
The people of Esquimalt need doctors!! And wouldn't it be nice if we didn't have to drive to Langford to get to one! Let's work on this together!
Transit
B- 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: Tyler Russell would push for all four fare measures on the list, covering young people, seniors, people receiving income or disability assistance, and a cheaper monthly pass that works across the region. Backing every one of them is the widest commitment this question allows, so it takes the top grade.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 4 of 6 options (up to 4 allowed) - 30% of this topic TRN-02 C
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: Tyler Russell would take general street parking off busy bus streets only where a particular project makes it necessary, rather than along a whole route. That ties the change to projects that may never come forward and promises nothing ahead of time, which is where a case by case answer lands on this scale.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 6 options - 30% of this topic TRN-03 —
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: Tyler Russell is unsure about moving quickly to let buses get ahead of traffic on busy routes where that means giving up parking or a lane of general traffic. An unsure answer is counted as no position stated rather than as a weak yes, so this row is left without a grade and does not count toward the transit result.
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.
Tyler Russell 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: Tyler Russell supports setting up one regional body to run transportation across the area. The answer is a plain yes with no conditions attached to it, which 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.
Tyler Russell 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: Tyler Russell has not settled on whether to build new bus and bike connections through parks, golf courses or public land in places where they would make trips much shorter. With no position given either way, the row stays blank and drops out of the transit calculation instead of being scored.
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.
Tyler Russell 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 have a proposal for free transit along the Admirals, Esquimalt and Lampson to help alleviate the traffic jam for up to 5 years while we figure out other solutions. https://tyler4esquimalt.ca/#proposal-01. I am more inclined to encourage everyone to use transit along those routes rather than to encourage assumptions that transit is for the young, the old, the poor, and the infirm. I don't think that helps get us to where we want transit to be in our community. Transit is for everyone, rich poor, young, middle aged, etc. etc. I want it to be super normal for able bodied people between the ages of 20 and 65 who would otherwise drive a car to and from work to be using transit as their default.
Housing
F- HFL-01 2 / 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
Tyler Russell chose 2 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-02 2 / 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.
Tyler Russell chose 2 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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-04 1 / 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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 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.
Tyler Russell 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.
Tyler Russell 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.
Tyler Russell 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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-09 2 / 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.
Tyler Russell chose 4 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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-12 -1 / 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.
Tyler Russell chose 2 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.
Tyler Russell's answerBy the end of my first year I would like to see a workable Amenity Cost Contribution bylaw passed. Within that I would like to see both density in the form of transit oriented development and green space expansion prioritized. I would like to strike a tone between developers and neighbourhoods that is more caring, collaborative, and visionary and less adversarial.
Also, by the end of the first year, I would like to strike or join a region-wide coalition of the proactive to identify the people I will work with over the subsequent years of my term to make a real impact on providing housing for the unhoused. By the end of a four year term I would like to know that the neighbours are being cared for and have a sense of participation and hope around the visionary developments going up around them. And I want to know that real progress has been made in caring for and ensuring housing for the unhoused. A note on the 754 homes target over 5 years. That target was set in 2024 when the rate of population increase was increasing, and it was blown past in that same year, and much more coming down the pipeline. According to CRD's stats, population increase rate declined significantly from 2024 to 2025 and if immigration and aging population trends hold, we can see slower population growth holding for years to come. Just like we don't want to create undersupply, with an overzealous fixation on 2024 targets we don't want to create oversupply either.
Climate
B- 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: Yes to the full ban and yes to taking it to transit. The strongest combination this question offers.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 6 options Follow-up: Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-02 A
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: Puts climate at the head of the plan and makes it a test. That is as far up the scale as this question goes.
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.
Tyler Russell 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: No. The candidate keeps the discretion the pledge would have removed.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-04 B
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: Agrees to join if the bill is limited. The willingness is qualified rather than open.
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.
Tyler Russell 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: Would vote for the bylaw. Nothing softens the commitment into a preference.
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.
Tyler Russell 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 chosen, with the centres the only one carrying a cost. Breadth without much spending lands here.
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.
Tyler Russell 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: Backs the measure outright. Nothing is left to a future decision.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-08 C
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: Would set requirements as they come. Nothing is committed to in advance, which is what this grade reflects.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-09 C
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: Identifies a risk and a possible solution, but misses the mark by focusing on large-scale theoretical scenarios rather than specific, actionable strategies 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.
Tyler Russell's answerThe main climate risk is the 24billion tonnes of C02 we keep leaving in the atmosphere each year! That is a lot of carbon. I did the math and it is enough carbon, left in the atmosphere alone, not to mention terrestrial or marine sinks, to create carbon only solar panels large enough to meet hundreds of times humanity's annual power consumption, or a 20t carrying capacity carbon fibre space elevator tether long enough to go from here to the Oort Cloud! I want Esquimalt to expand green space and populate that green space with fast growing trees, the branches, and future harvested trees of which we will be able to pyrolyse, and make a part of our contribution to becoming carbon negative! - 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.
Tyler Russell's answerMy green for grey initiative addresses this. https://tyler4esquimalt.ca/#proposal-03. A portion of the amenity cost contribution will go into green space and ecosystem maintenance. - 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.
Tyler Russell's answerYes, especially when my Green for Grey initiative is enacted. https://tyler4esquimalt.ca/#proposal-03 - 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: Backs the requirement outright. New developments would have to manage water and heat on the site rather than passing the problem to the municipality.
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.
Tyler Russell 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 look forward to Esquimalt becoming not just net zero, but a leading carbon negative community!
The question of data centres is an interesting one, nothing of large scale, but if a small company needs more than one server for their business does that count as a data centre? I do not think Esquimalt is a suitable location for large data centres, but data is a part of our lives and it needs infrastructure for its management. Police and Fire services, the municipality, CFB Esquimalt all have in house data needs and I do not want to impeded on those being met.
On meeting fossil fuel lobbyists, in high school, I called Fidel Castro's office to ask a few questions for an essay I was writing about him. And when doing post-conflict peace building work in the former Yugoslavia, I met with some people I would rather not have. I think it is important to have wide breadth of people we are willing to engage with in this world.
Arts
B- 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 infrastructure, event facilitation and broad vision-setting as municipal roles, but the response lacks sufficient specificity about how these would be strategically executed. Very limited response.
How this question is graded
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: Infrastructure development, event facilitation, broad vision crafting. - 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 early engagement with First Nations, CFB Esquimalt and arts groups and identifies a four-year cultural-connection objective via an 'arts mediated communication', outcomes feel rather broad and non-specific, and lack susbstantive connection to tools, policies, and interventions to 'strenghthen' the art sector at a municipal level.
How this question is graded
Tyler Russell's answerI am a curator by profession, so I will try to keep it brief. In my first few months, I will engage with local First Nations, CFB Esquimalt and local arts groups to get a sense of the cultural need. Art, that we share publicly, to me is about relationships relationships to ourselves, to our neighbours, to the world around us, to the cosmos, etc. In particular, starting my arts career in the international relations and inter-communal conflict navigation contexts, I want to see the arts help us have deeper, more meaningful and more understanding relationships among the somewhat cloistered communities of our immediate area. By the end of four years, you will begin to see the beginnings of a rhythm of arts mediated communication that connects us to each other better, and honours our relationships with connections around the world. Over 10 years you may begin to see an institutionalisation of the rich cultural flows we will have grounded here in Esquimalt. - 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 municipal and regional cultural-space strategies plus nonprofit partnerships for permanent cultural assets, establishing a substantive framework.
How this question is graded
Tyler Russell 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: Selects all available administrative and consequential reforms, including simplified events, zoning and disproportionate-cost review.
How this question is graded
Tyler Russell chose 8 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: Selects nonprofit acquisition, municipal loan guarantees, patient capital and community/social finance, providing multiple structural financing mechanisms.
How this question is graded
Tyler Russell 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
Tyler Russell 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
Tyler Russell 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: Selects private-owner property-tax incentives for long-term affordable cultural space, a high-impact mechanism, alongside fee and nonprofit-owned-space tax relief. Somewhat expansive, but not the strongest mix.
How this question is graded
Tyler Russell chose 3 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 doing great. I think there is a lot more that we can do together with CFB Esquimalt. And in the coming decade, I very much look forward to seeing a globally reputable dedicated arts infrastructure coming alongside the Island Rail Corridor!
Rolling & cycling
C- 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 yes, then sets aside the Admirals and Colville links the plan names in favour of the stressful intersection at Munro, Fraser and Bewdley, floating a stop sign and noting the area also lacks sidewalks. A specific place, but the fix is raised as a possibility rather than committed to, and it is not the completion of a missing link.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: While our active transportation plan cites Admirals and Colville, I think i would focus on fixing the stressful intersection at Munro, Fraser and Bewdley. That one causes real stress for young parents, myself included. The step that has been taken is helpful, but the job is not done. A stop sign perhaps. The area around there also sorely lacks sidewalk infrastructure. - 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: Backs physical protection on busy streets except where it cannot physically be built. A testable exception, which keeps a qualified yes below an outright one.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - 15% of this topic ROL-03 C
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: Would handle each proposal to remove, narrow or weaken an existing lane case by case rather than opposing them. No threshold is named and nothing is held in reserve.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic ROL-04 C
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: Wants more sidewalks in the community and, over the longer term, better joining up of transit and cycling infrastructure. Both are directions rather than a project, and no reasoning is offered for choosing either.
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.
Tyler Russell's answerI want our community to have more sidewalks. And, though this is long term I want to see better integration of transit and bike infrastructure. - 35% of this topic ROL-05 C
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: Gets around on foot, by scooter, by bike, by bus and by car share, and after noticing dangerous bumps in the sidewalks raised it with the mayor and the engineering department and offered to help write grant applications. Concrete local effort, recent and small in scale, with nothing carried through yet.
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.
Tyler Russell's answerI am by choice a leg, scooter, biker, transit and car share user. With my son's initial complaints and my own observations of some dangerous bumps in sidewalks, I spoke both with the current mayor and the engineering department to promote better sidewalk infrastructure, I offered to help with grant writing to attract funds to further enhance our sidewalk infrastructure.
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.
Let's make the interface between bikes and cars lower stress. I think it all starts with higher transit use and perhaps the re-introduction of the Blue Boat. Once traffic stress level is brought down, the conflict around bike lanes will also calms. Let's get there.
Walking
C- 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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-02 C
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: Wants a large expansion of areas where a child playing will not meet traffic, and names two locations raised at the door. The concern is genuine and no change is committed to beyond wanting more of them and a better walking map.
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.
Tyler Russell's answerI want to see vast expansion of walkability zones. spaces where people don't have to be stressed out about whether their playing child will have an interface with traffic. Esquimalt does pretty well with this already, but I think we can do more. The biggest concerns that I have heard knocking on doors is the Bewdley, Fraser, Munro intersection and the laneway between Colville and Ellery. I frequently walk my son to school and a better walking map would be great. It isn't fun to walk up Admirals. - 10% of this topic WLK-03 A
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: Yes to substantially more capital spending on pedestrian infrastructure. Unqualified.
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-04 B
Do you support expanding pedestrian-priority and car-free streets in your municipality's downtown, main street or village centre?
Why this grade: Backs temporary pedestrian priority streets. The reversibility is what holds this at the conditional yes.
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.
Tyler Russell 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 argue that children learn pedestrian skills by walking with a parent and that greater transit use would cut the number of interactions between cars and children, pointing to your own free transit proposal, and you treat speed humps and speed controls as acceptable but secondary. Transit ridership is a different question, and this one asks how you would work with parent groups, school staff and municipal staff on the safety of the routes children walk now.
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.
Tyler Russell's answerEducation has been central to my own son's traffic safety, and his adeptness comes from experience. The more you walk with your child before they go to school the more used to pedestrian norms they will be when it comes time to go to school. Walking goes together with transit use. If we increase and normalise transit use, children will have more experience as pedestrians by the time they are school aged. Increased transit use is key. More transit use = fewer car-child interface instances. Speed bumps and controls on speed are fine, but I would like to take a transit first approach. Adopt my Esquimalt Free Ride proposal and see what impact that has not just on the traffic jam, but also car-child interface. https://tyler4esquimalt.ca/#proposal-01 - 20% of this topic WLK-06 C
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 propose a smooth, carbon negative sidewalk surface that you have discussed with engineering staff and believe could attract grants from outside the municipality, noting how bumpy Esquimalt's sidewalks are. Surface quality is a real barrier for people using mobility aids and an outside funding source is worth pursuing, but curb cuts, crossing times, missing crossings and lighting go unmentioned and there is no process for deciding which streets come first.
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.
Tyler Russell's answerI have a proposal for smooth carbon-negative sidewalk infrastructure! That is what I have spoken to Barb and the folks in Engineering about. This is a proposal that can attract grants from outside of the municipality and is something I want to be able to tell my son that I achieved over these 4 years. As my son repeatedly points out, the sidewalks in Esquimalt in particular, are too bumpy! We need a smooth sidewalk campaign
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.
Walking, rolling and hopping on a bus or other mode of transit that zips you to where you need is so much fun! It make urban life so much better, let's have more of it. :)
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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 5 options - 17% of this topic GOV-02 B
Do you support creating a regional service that designs, builds and maintains local municipal infrastructure shared across Capital Region municipalities?
Why this grade: Yes with a cost guarantee attached. One step below agreeing without one.
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.
Tyler Russell 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").
Tyler Russell's answer1. It is bonkers that Esquimalt doesn't have a Amenity Cost Contribution. That would help alleviate the tax burden and ensure that growth pays for growth. It would also streamline and bring clarity to processes for developers.
2. Close the infrastructure gap. The looming massive expense of Esquimalt's infrastructure deficit is daunting and needs to be addressed.
3. A regional policing plan. Policing is one of the biggest line items on our budget, and it is slated to be our fastest increasing line item in coming years. We need a stable plan for how burdens, costs and capabilities are shared in our region. And we need to find a way to keep the ballooning costs in check. I have written about a quest for a regional policing plan on my website. - 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 )
Tyler Russell 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: Yes, in full. The answer accepts representation rather than substituting engagement for it.
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.
Tyler Russell 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.
Tyler Russell chose 1 of 7 options
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.
It is silly that Esquimalt doesn't have an amenity cost contribution bylaw in place. It extends process by making each development a negotiation and leaves tax payers unclear on what part of the development tab they are picking up.
Here are some of my thoughts on regional policing: https://tyler4esquimalt.ca/#dispatch-02 - 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.
I love what is happening with the Reconciliation Corridor Initiative, I think this is all very positive.
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