How to read this page. Each row below is one policy area, with Helen Ritts'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 Helen Ritts 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 would change how consistently we follow through on the plans we already have. As a community, we have spent significant time and money developing plans for Sooke’s growth, infrastructure, transportation, parks and town centre. Those plans should mean something.
Follow the plans. Development should support our community vision, not determine it. Implement our plans, see how they work, and make adjustments based on evidence. Changing direction or starting over wastes public money and makes it harder to get things done. I look around Sooke and imagine what it would be like if we hadn't strayed from good plans so many times. - 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.
Helen Ritts's allocation of ten million dollars Housing $1,000,000 Transit $500,000 Walking Infrastructure $2,000,000 Rolling & Cycling Infrastructure $1,500,000 Roadway Infrastructure $1,500,000 Policing $250,000 Fire & Emergency Services $250,000 Parks & Recreation $1,000,000 Arts & Culture $500,000 Climate Action & Environment $0 Unhoused Resident Services $500,000 Community-Based Clinics $1,000,000 - Not graded GEN-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to communicate about your region, generally, feel free to share your thoughts here.
The $10M in new annual funding question was a fun one. We could do a lot of life changing improvements in Sooke with an extra $10M a year! Sorry, Police and Fire... wasn't trying to be stingy with you. Just dreaming large on the other stuff that hopefully improves the strain on emergency services currently.
Healthcare access
What Helen Ritts 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.
Sooke is eagerly awaiting the ground breaking of our new Urgent Primary Care Clinic, that has been promised to us by the province for years. This will in be addition to the
Transit
A- 20% of this topic TRN-01 A
Which fare measures would you actively advocate for at the VRTC? Select all that apply.
Why this grade: Backs the full slate of free travel for under 19s, cheaper fares for seniors, cheaper fares for people on income or disability assistance and a lower cost regional monthly pass. Every option offered is taken up, and no cheaper subset is preferred to the whole.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 4 of 6 options (up to 4 allowed) - 30% of this topic TRN-02 A
Do you support removing general on-street parking (excluding accessible parking spaces) from frequent transit corridors and main arterial streets in your municipality, and reallocating that space to bus lanes, loading zones, and walking and cycling infrastructure?
Why this grade: Would clear general parking from busy bus corridors end to end, in favour of bus lanes, loading zones and space for people walking and cycling. No condition is attached about timing or about which projects would qualify.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 6 options - 30% of this topic TRN-03 A
Do you support rapid deployment of transit priority measures on frequent transit corridors, even where this requires removing on-street parking or a general-purpose traffic lane?
Why this grade: Supports moving quickly on transit priority along frequent corridors, including where that costs kerbside parking or a lane of general traffic. No carve out is attached, so the hardest part of the change is accepted along with the rest.
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.
Helen Ritts 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: Endorses the creation of a regional body with responsibility for transportation. Support is given outright, without qualification.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 3 options - 10% of this topic TRN-05 B
Do you support building new bus-only and bike-only connections through parks, golf courses or public land when doing so would substantially shorten transit and cycling trips?
Why this grade: Would build new bus and bicycle routes through parks and public land so long as no mature tree is felled. Because the limit is specific and verifiable, it qualifies the yes without emptying it.
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.
Helen Ritts 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.
Again, many of these questions are geared to urban centres. My answers are for the idea in general but most don't fit the Sooke context. Sooke definitely needs more frequent / faster transit to connect us to the region. Until that happens, we are all car dependent. There is definitely the desire for better transit service in Sooke.
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
Helen Ritts chose 7 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.
Helen Ritts chose 2 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-03 0 / 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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-04 0 / 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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 8 options - HFL-05 0 / 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.
Helen Ritts 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.
Helen Ritts 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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-08 0 / 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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-09 0 / 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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 9 options (up to 7 allowed) - HFL-10 2 / 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.
Helen Ritts's answerI didn’t answer a lot of questions in this section because they seemed geared toward larger urban centres and don’t reflect the municipal capacity or scale of a community like Sooke. Within the Sooke context, many of these questions require a much fuller conversation.
By the end of the first year, I would like to see an updated Sooke Town Centre Plan that identifies opportunities for housing, commercial growth, walkability, public spaces and better connections through the town centre.
We need more housing choices that people can afford. But we don’t need more sprawl. Our roads are already struggling with the traffic we have.
I would rather see more housing in our town centre at a scale that fits Sooke – townhouses, smaller apartment buildings and mixed-use development, with trees, green space and good connections to shops, services and transit. At the same time, we need to build our commercial base so more people can shop, work and access services locally. There are also many people who want to age in place in Sooke and would happily downsize if there were suitable homes in a walkable neighbourhood.
New development needs to follow our community plans, contribute its fair share toward the roads, sidewalks, parks, trails and other infrastructure and amenities it requires, and account for the additional traffic and transportation demands it creates. I don’t consider these to be unreasonable expectations.
By the end of four years, I would like to see a more diverse housing supply taking shape without pushing growth farther out, with more options for young people, families and seniors who want to stay in Sooke.
Climate
A- 8% of this topic CLI-01 A
Would you support ending fossil fuel advertising and sponsorship on property, media and events controlled by your municipality, to the extent the law allows? And would you advocate for the same at the Victoria Regional Transit Commission for BC Transit vehicles and shelters?
Why this grade: A yes to both forms of promotion going, with regional advocacy attached. The answer is as full as the question permits.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 6 options Follow-up: Helen Ritts 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: Places climate above the rest of the plan. Decisions that fail the test would not proceed.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-03 A
Will you pledge to never take meetings from fossil fuel company lobbyists?
Why this grade: Yes, without reservation. The candidate gives up a route of influence rather than promising to resist it each time.
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = C-. The No is C- rather than F because of the split the grading settled on: a plain No is C- where the question is about governance or conduct and F where it is about infrastructure, land use or funding. This one asks a candidate to give up a channel of access to themselves, which is conduct. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-04 A
Climate-related damage and adaptation costs increasingly fall on municipal budgets. Would you vote to have your municipality join other BC local governments in legal action to recover a share of those costs from major fossil fuel producers?
Why this grade: Would join the action as it stands. No conditions are attached about municipal spending.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-05 A
Will you support a zoning bylaw amendment that prohibits the approval of any new or expanded commercial gas stations within municipal boundaries?
Why this grade: Backs the zoning prohibition. That takes the decision out of the hands of each future application.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-06 A
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: All five measures are backed. Nothing about the answer leans on the cheapest options to look broad.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 5 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 change. The answer accepts regulation as the tool for it.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 3 options - 8% of this topic CLI-08 A
Large data centres can add substantial electricity and water demand. Under what conditions, if any, would you support a new data centre in your municipality?
Why this grade: Opposes them all. The position holds without anyone needing to monitor compliance.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-09 A
What are the primary climate risk(s) facing your community, and what actions would you take to support adaptation and resilience in your community?
Why this grade: Clearly identifies risks and provides concrete strategies grounded in their local context by citing current plans being presented that contain viable action steps.
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.
Helen Ritts's answerDrought, wildfire, more volatile and damaging weather (high wind, torrential rain), extreme heat, etc, and all the social stressors that come with this. Sooke's Sept 8th council meeting presented part 1 of a Climate Adaptation and Natural Hazard Risk Assessment project. Once again, let's follow the plan. "The CRA is the first deliverable under a larger Climate Adaptation and Natural Hazard RiskAssessment project. The CRA provides the District with a systems-based assessment of localized disaster risk and community resilience. Rather than focusing solely on individual hazards, the assessment examines how the District's social, environmental, infrastructure, economic, and governance systems interact to influence disaster risk and resilience." - 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.
Helen Ritts's answerSooke's new Official Community Plan has an action list and one of the top items is a survey of environmentally sensitive areas. We need to respect wildlife corridors. We have a new Streamkeepers group in Sooke. We have active citizen groups speaking out to save and protect greenspace - 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 several 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.
Helen Ritts's answerDevelopment that follows our community plan can certainly help with climate resiliency. Where and how we build in Sooke matters. Our community plan guides new development away from areas at greater risk from flooding, wildfire and erosion, protecting natural systems that help manage those risks, and encourages the use of fire-resistant building materials and appropriate landscaping. Good planning now can make Sooke safer and more resilient as conditions change. - 8% of this topic CLI-12 A
The UBCM passed several resolutions saying municipalities should be able to have climate action lens and climate considerations in development and housing mandates. Do you support blue-green infrastructure upgrades as a requirement of developments for climate readiness?
How this question is graded
Yes = A, No = F. Graded by RUSH from 2026-09-01; the mapping is recorded so the remaining rows match the ones already typed. Decline to answer is F where nothing explains it, and the Grade is left blank where the candidate explained the decline in the topic's comment box or answered the rest of the topic solidly. Unsure is left blank. A blank Grade drops the row out of the category rollup entirely; N/A is reserved for a question that does not apply to a candidate and never means ungraded.
Helen Ritts 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.
We are long past the age of climate change denial. We all have to do whatever we can to mitigate the climatic changes that are coming. For those in office, we need to put environmental responsibility at the centre of all decision making. Protecting farmland, forests, wildlife corridors, streams, wetlands, shorelines, and clean air and water is not separate from affordability, safety, or economic resilience. It’s all part of how Sooke will remain a healthy and beautiful place to live.
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: Establishes meaningful municipal support for arts and culture but does not provide the same level of specific strategic execution required for 3 and leans on dependency of plebiscite outcome.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: Sooke has new MRDT (hotel tax) funding that hopefully can help highlight Sooke's arts and culture scene. We have truly incredible artists and talents living amongst us. That together with our natural setting is a unique opportunity to market.
Sooke also gives community grants to a variety of arts organizations. There is a plebiscite on our ballot regarding the idea of borrowing money for a Gathering Place, a seniors/youth space with potentially room for our Sooke Arts Council gallery to expand. All ideas at the moment but a yes vote from voters opens the possibilities. - 16.67% of this topic ART-02 2 / 3
If elected, what specific action will you commit to in your first year to strengthen your municipality's arts and cultural sector, and what measurable outcome should residents expect by the end of your four-year term?
Why this score: Provides a concrete first-year direction citing community engagement, but does not establish a sufficiently specific measurable four-year outcome and support remains fairly general.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts's answerIn my first year, work with local arts and cultural groups to identify practical ways the District can better support arts, culture and public art, particularly in our town centre and public spaces. By the end of the term, would like residents to see more local art, cultural activities, and opportunities for local artists woven into everyday life in Sooke. - 13.33% of this topic ART-03 2 / 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 meaningful cultural-space implementation tools, but the combination is not as consequential as a full structural implementation package.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts 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: Supports a broad set of consequential permitting, zoning, event and coordination reforms.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts 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: Supports substantive mechanisms for securing and financing cultural space, ***dependent on taxpayer consultation.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts 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: Supports arts and culture investment maintaining or growing alongside core services.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts 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: Supports preservation/replacement of cultural space through a substantive redevelopment response.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts 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, but no other supports indicated.
How this question is graded
Helen Ritts chose 4 of 7 options (up to 5 allowed)
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded ART-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to the arts in your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
Again, these questions are tough to answer from Sooke. We have $83,000 in our Sooke Program for the Arts. That's not going to do much and I'm not sure it gets any regular contributions. So while I said yes to the various categories of support, the new hotel tax is probably our best bet in Sooke. Not every kid is an athlete and I would love to see a community space in Sooke for arts and culture. I'd also love to see a larger regional performance space in the west shore that Sooke residents could enjoy, with a bus directly from Sooke to its front door.
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 and puts safer school routes first, promising to go through every school route for trails and sidewalks that could be fixed, finished or improved. The commitment is genuine, but it covers a review of many routes rather than one link 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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: Sooke needs safer routes to our schools. I will push to look at all the school route and see what trails / sidewalks can be fixed / completed / improved to make walking and biking to school a reality for more kids. - 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: Takes physical protection, not paint, as the standard for new and upgraded cycling routes on busy streets. The yes stands on its own with nothing carved out of it.
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.
Helen Ritts 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 stand against removing, narrowing or weakening the protected lanes and all ages and abilities routes already in place. An unqualified yes to holding the line on what has been built.
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.
Helen Ritts 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: Names the Little River trail crossing, too steep to be used safely today, better signage on the neighbourhood trail connections, and a walking and cycling bridge over the Sooke River that would double as an emergency crossing. Specific places, each with a reason attached.
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.
Helen Ritts's answerWe have so many needed active transportation connections! Same as above, getting more kids and parents to walk and bike to school. Better signage on our neighbourhood trail connections. Fix the Little River trail crossing which is too steep to be used safety. Bigger wish list is a pedestrian / biking bridge across the Sooke River to connect the town centre to the Galloping Goose. This could also be used as an emergency crossing. - 35% of this topic ROL-05 F
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: Leaves the question of a record on walking, rolling, cycling or transit unanswered. With nothing offered from inside or outside local government, there is nothing to weigh.
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.
Helen Ritts's answern/a
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.
Door knocking, I am always pleasantly surprised how many people want to walk and bike in Sooke. But they currently feel unsafe. A lot of concern now too for motorized scooters / motorcycles that drive at unsafe speeds and should not be sharing the path with regular bikes and pedal e-bikes.
Walking
A- 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?
Why this grade: Supports multimodal planning and TDM.
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.
Helen Ritts 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 the shortage of sidewalks and says walking to local shops feels neither safe nor pleasant, with safer routes to school as the priority. The commitment is to making the town centre plan review a priority rather than to a change on the ground.
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.
Helen Ritts's answerAll of my previous answers feed into this question. Definitely safer walking routes to school. Generally, Sooke has so few sidewalks. I live downtown and walking to the local shops doesn't feel safe or pleasant. As we improve our town centre, the pedestrian experience has to be our top priority. Reviews and updating Sooke's town centre plan needs to be a top priority. - 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: Would put substantially more of the capital budget into walking infrastructure. The top answer on this question.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 5 options - 20% of this topic WLK-04 —
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. The main street through the Sooke town centre is a provincial highway the municipality cannot close on its own, so the question does not fairly apply here and no grade is given.
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.
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 6 options - 20% of this topic WLK-05 A
How will you work with parent groups, school staff, and municipal staff to assure that children’s safety is prioritized over convenience and flow of motor traffic?
Why this grade: You point out that some children live too close to school to qualify for a bus yet still have no safe way to walk, and you would work with parents, schools and municipal staff to map the routes children actually use and find the gaps, fixing each with a sidewalk, a separated path, a safer crossing, traffic calming or speed enforcement as the site requires, alongside walking and biking school buses. Your insistence on looking at the whole route, because one bad stretch is enough to stop a family walking, is the right standard.
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.
Helen Ritts's answerKids should be able to walk or bike to school and neighbourhood parks safely. We have children who live too close to school to qualify for a bus, but still don’t have a safe way to walk there.
We need to work with parents, schools and municipal staff to identify the routes kids actually use and, more importantly, where the gaps are. Sometimes we need a sidewalk, but sometimes a separated path, safer crossing, traffic calming or dealing with speeding will solve the problem.
I would also love to see more walking and biking “school buses,” where groups of kids travel to school together with adults. They help kids get to school safely, get some exercise and become more comfortable walking and biking in their own neighbourhoods.
We need to look at the whole route. One dangerous section can be enough to make parents decide it isn’t safe for their child to walk.
And yes, when there is a choice between the convenience of moving traffic and the safety of a child, I choose the child. - 20% of this topic WLK-06 A
What will you do, in a 4 year term, to identify, prioritize and set time-lines to assure that pedestrian infrastructure is improved to meet the needs of the older and disabled members of your community?
Why this grade: You would have Sooke look at its walking network through the eyes of someone using a wheelchair, scooter or walker, identify and rank the gaps, and set a realistic plan and timeline covering missing connections, unsafe crossings, curb cuts, surfaces, lighting, benches and the places where people are forced too close to traffic, working with local seniors and people with disabilities. Noticing that one small fix can make an entire route usable is the insight that gets the most out of a limited budget.
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.
Helen Ritts's answerWe need to look at our pedestrian network through the eyes of someone using a wheelchair, mobility scooter or walker. A route that seems fine to an able-bodied person can be completely inaccessible to someone else.
Over four years, I would like Sooke to identify and prioritize the gaps in our walking network and have a realistic plan and timeline for addressing them. That means looking at missing connections, unsafe crossings, curb cuts, surfaces, lighting, benches and places where people are forced too close to traffic.
We won’t be able to fix everything at once, so we need to prioritize the improvements that make the biggest difference. Sometimes one relatively small fix can make an entire route usable.
Our MLA uses a motorized wheelchair, and I would welcome the opportunity to work with him along with local seniors and people with disabilities, to better understand the barriers people encounter getting around Sooke.
If we want people to age in place in Sooke, they also need to be able to get around their community safely and independently.
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.
None all of these ideas and improvements will be fast or inexpensive but if we stick with a plan and do it bit by bit, each small investment will make a vast improvement.
Mostly we need to avoid making the mistakes of the past and make sure new development contributes to the cost of roads, sidewalks, and other needed community infrastructure. Every new development should help us achieve our community plans, not derail them.
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.
Helen Ritts 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: Undecided on the regional service. Uncertainty is read as neither support nor opposition, and the row drops out of the rollup.
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.
Helen Ritts 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").
Helen Ritts's answer1. Follow our financial and capital plans. Set priorities and stick to them.
2. Make sure growth pays its fair share. New development should contribute to the community we want, including the infrastructure, parks, trails and other services needed to support growth.
3. Plan for the long term. We need honest conversations about taxes, what they pay for and what level of service we expect. Make responsible decisions that build a safe and sustainable community we are proud of. - 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 )
Helen Ritts chose 1 of 3 options - 17% of this topic REC-01 A
Do you support ensuring that local First Nations are represented in transit governance, such as on the Victoria Regional Transit Commission and the CRD Transportation Commission?
Why this grade: Backs representation on the transit commission and at the regional district. The answer covers both bodies named.
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.
Helen Ritts 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:
Why this grade: Strong support for more reconciliation.
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.
Helen Ritts 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.
Again, these questions seems geared to larger urban centres. I dream of a day that transit is a frequent and convenient option for Sooke but until then, we are a rural, somewhat secluded community and cars/private transportation are an essential part of life for most people. Currently, we have more cars parked on the street than our streets can handle, so I am not a fan of eliminating mandatory parking minimums for new developments. That idea doesn't work for Sooke. - 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 don't know enough to comment meaningfully here on the practices of First Nation consultation and governance or what their wishes may be on this subject, but I am open to learning and supporting any good work that is underway. I do believe in listening, building respectful relationships, and ensuring First Nations are part of decisions that affect their communities, lands, waters and the ecosystems they depend on.
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