How to read this page. Each row below is one policy area, with Diane Fownes'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 Diane Fownes 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?
If I could change one municipal policy, I would revisit View Royal’s complete ban on short-term rentals. Provincial legislation has changed and now includes safeguards to protect long-term housing. I believe we can allow responsible short-term rentals in a person’s principal residence while using licensing and enforcement to address noise, parking and safety concerns.
A complete ban does not make sense to me when View Royal allows bed-and-breakfasts and encourages small businesses. Short-term rentals can support tourism and provide temporary housing for travel nurses, doctors, patients and families using Victoria General Hospital. They also give homeowners some reasonable choice in how they use their own homes.
Housing is a complex issue, and the responsibility for solving it should not be placed entirely on homeowners. I believe clear rules and proper enforcement would be fairer and more useful than a complete ban. - 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.
Diane Fownes's allocation of ten million dollars Housing $50 Transit $1,800,000 Walking Infrastructure $1,000,000 Rolling & Cycling Infrastructure $1,100,000 Roadway Infrastructure $800,000 Policing $100,000 Fire & Emergency Services $600,000 Parks & Recreation $400,000 Arts & Culture $250,000 Climate Action & Environment $950,000 Unhoused Resident Services $800,000 Community-Based Clinics $2,150,000 - Not graded GEN-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to communicate about your region, generally, feel free to share your thoughts here.
One thing I am learning from talking with residents is just how diverse View Royal is. Although we are a small community, our neighbourhoods can be very different. Something that may seem unimportant at first can become very meaningful once you understand where someone lives and how it affects them.
I truly believe we can solve problems by drawing on the collective knowledge of our community. Someone will always bring a different perspective or an idea we may not have considered. If we listen, stay open-minded and are willing to try new approaches, together we can build an even better thriving community.
Healthcare access
What Diane Fownes 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.
Access to primary care is a very serious issue. Many View Royal residents do not have a family doctor, and the situation is becoming dire. While health care is primarily a provincial responsibility, I believe View Royal needs to do what it can to attract family doctors and nurse practitioners to the area.
That includes working with non-profits, identifying suitable space for clinics and making it easier for them to set up through practical partnerships. I understand some work is already underway, and I would want to support it.
We should also recognize that flexible short-term accommodation can help visiting health-care professionals, locums, patients and families who need to stay near health services. Clear, well-managed short-term rental rules, developed with the municipality and health-care providers, could help support medical staff.
Transit
C- 20% of this topic TRN-01 A
Which fare measures would you actively advocate for at the VRTC? Select all that apply.
Why this grade: Would advocate for all four fare measures on the list: free travel for under 19s, cheaper fares for seniors, cheaper fares for people on income or disability assistance and a lower cost regional monthly pass. Nothing on the list is left unticked, which is the fullest answer available here.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Ties any removal of general parking on transit corridors to the requirements of an individual project. Because the trigger is a project that may never be brought forward, the commitment cannot be held to in advance.
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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 6 options - 30% of this topic TRN-03 C-
Do you support rapid deployment of transit priority measures on frequent transit corridors, even where this requires removing on-street parking or a general-purpose traffic lane?
Why this grade: Backs bus priority measures on busy routes while ruling out the removal of a general purpose travel lane. The exception removes the one measure the question is testing, which keeps this below a conditional yes while stopping short of outright opposition.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Supports bringing transportation decisions under one regional authority. No condition is set on the yes.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Backs new bus and bicycle links across public land on the condition that mature trees survive construction. The condition can be tested against a construction plan, so the commitment still holds in practice.
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.
Diane Fownes 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.
Traffic is a major concern in View Royal. We cannot undo what has already been built, but we do need to address the fact that our roads were not designed to support this level of growth.
Transit could help reduce traffic, but only if it is reliable, frequent, affordable and convenient. Coordinating transportation across municipal boundaries makes sense because people cross those boundaries every day for work, school and other activities.
I would also like to explore shared e-bike stations near key transit stops, shopping areas and community facilities. We should improve walkability and support neighbourhood amenities, such as local grocery stores, so people have practical alternatives to using their cars for every trip.
Housing
F- HFL-01 0 / 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
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 10 options (up to 8 allowed) - HFL-02 0 / 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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 5 options - HFL-04 2 / 5
If there was a type of housing you wanted to see more of (e.g., affordable, non-market, family-sized, townhouses, etc.), what do you think are effective methods of getting more of it? Select all that apply.
How this question is graded
1 point for each option, but -1 for choosing mandated requirements (d). To increase the building of certain desireable types of housing (affordable, family sized, etc), cities need to pursue a broad approach of both removing barriers and targetted incentives. Mandated requirements (or inclusionary zoning) have a track record of acting like a tax and therefore reducing housing construction or increasing costs.
Diane Fownes chose 4 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.
Diane Fownes 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.
Diane Fownes 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.
Diane Fownes 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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 4 options - HFL-09 1 / 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.
Diane Fownes chose 3 of 9 options (up to 7 allowed) - HFL-11 0 / 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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 4 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.
Diane Fownes's answerYear one
I would like to have a clear understanding of what View Royal already has, what the vacancy rates are and if there are multiple vacancies what are the barriers.
What has already been approved or planned
What types of housing is missing
I would like to explore what kinds of partnerships could be made with housing co-ops and organizations that help young people and working families to purchase homes.
Look at shared-equity programs, rent to own, models and options that create pathways to home ownership.
I would also want to look at programs like Habitat for Humanity
Ensure that new housing is supported by adequate roads , parking transit and infrastructure .
Year 4
Have housing that fills real gaps including family co-ops and below market housing
Have clear expectations with regard to developers providing affordable housing and that they contribute to the community.
Clear guidelines with regard to growth - meaning it is planned, responsible , residents have real opportunity to be heard and contribute .
Success measurements are clearly laid out - new housing meets the needs of the community - it is not measured by the number of units built
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: Would end both advertising and sponsorship, and wrote that the point would be raised at the transit commission with lower carbon alternatives suggested in their place. Both halves of the question are met, even though the second was written out in prose rather than ticked.
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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 6 options Follow-up: Diane Fownes chose 1 of 5 optionsI would raise it- suggest promotion of heat pumps and energy efficient home up grades and other practical lower carbon alternatives - 8% of this topic CLI-02 B
The Capital Regional District declared a climate emergency in 2019. How should your municipality treat climate action in its next four-year plan?
Why this grade: A funded priority, though not the governing one. The budget is what earns the grade.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Refuses to commit. The answer keeps the door open, which is weaker than the pledge but is not a vote against any climate measure.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Would join if municipal costs are capped. The commitment is real but bounded, which is where a conditional yes lands.
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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-05 F
Will you support a zoning bylaw amendment that prohibits the approval of any new or expanded commercial gas stations within municipal boundaries?
Why this grade: Would not vote for the ban. That leaves expansion of gas stations possible for the whole term.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Four measures, including every one the municipality has to pay for. Only the vegetation and cladding bylaw is left out.
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.
Diane Fownes chose 4 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: Yes to ending the use of these tools. The answer is unqualified.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Leaves the terms to be set case by case. That reserves a judgement rather than making one.
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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 5 options - 8% of this topic CLI-09 A
What are the primary climate risk(s) facing your community, and what actions would you take to support adaptation and resilience in your community?
Why this grade: Clearly identifies risks and provides concrete strategies grounded in their local context.
How this question is graded
Free text. A = names a climate risk specific to the municipality and specific actions against it, usually tied to data or a programme already running. B = one half only, a risk with no action or actions with no risk named, or backing an existing plan without either. C = general support with nothing local in it, a list of risks and nothing else, or the work handed to the region. C- = a risk gestured at and nothing more. F = an answer that is not about climate.
Diane Fownes's answerHeat, wildfires and smoke, as well as heavy rain, flooding and other extreme weather, are important climate risks. Both situations can create serious risks for older adults, people with disabilities and people who do not have air conditioning in their homes.
View Royal should have places people can go in an emergency that are cool and have clean air. There should also be a clear, widely shared emergency communication plan. Supporting energy upgrades, including heat pumps and other home improvements, would go a long way toward helping residents make the switch. We also need to look at overall planning for drainage, trees and shaded areas.
These are important concerns, but solutions need to be affordable and supported. - 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.
Diane Fownes's answerView Royal has natural areas, trees, shoreline, streams, parks and abundant wildlife. These places are what make our community special and unique, and I want to make sure we protect them while also doing more to support sustainable living.
New developments should use plants native to the area, avoid unnecessary clearing and consider drainage from the beginning. Lawns may look nice, but they require water and maintenance. I would like to explore a free or low-cost program to help residents replace lawns with native plants and more water-wise landscaping. It could reduce water use, support pollinators and wildlife, and make our community more resilient. - 8% of this topic CLI-11 B
Do you see development as an opportunity to increase resilience to climate-related events, and if so, how?
Why this grade: Clearly supports improving resilience through development, but does not provide specifics about how this would take shape in their local context..
How this question is graded
Free text. A = yes, with how and why, naming strategies or a local policy that ties development to resilience. B = yes with relevant examples but no account of how they build resilience or how they get built. C = general support and nothing past what the building code already requires. C- = a bare yes, or support that doubts it is possible. F = does not accept that development can make a community more resilient.
Diane Fownes's answerDevelopment can be an opportunity if it is thoughtful and used to our advantage. New development should include good drainage, trees and shade, and be built to handle heat and heavy rain. It also needs to fit the neighbourhood and have the infrastructure to support it. - 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.
Diane Fownes 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 think that there are practical and affordable ways to improve climate action. This would include protecting what we have - green spaces and natural water systems. I think we should look at improving drainage and making sure that we are planting trees . New development should be energy efficient they should have low carbon systems . Additionally developers can contribute to community improvements - like shade , trees and drain upgrades - green space or other amenities that offset the development and improve the lives of the people that live nearby.
Arts
C- 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 arts, small businesses, markets and community events as areas for municipal support and proposes use of underused spaces, but does not clearly establish arts and culture as a core economic-development strategy.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 4 optionsFollow-up: I think the Municipality has a role to make it easier for people to start and grow small local businesses . That could include reducing unnecessary barriers for pop up markets , helping to connect poeple with unused commercial spaces and creating opportunities for craft fairs , displays and community events . City hall and other municipalities spaces could be used to showcase local art and bring people together - 16.67% of this topic ART-02 2 / 3
If elected, what specific action will you commit to in your first year to strengthen your municipality's arts and cultural sector, and what measurable outcome should residents expect by the end of your four-year term?
Why this score: Proposes using vacant commercial and shared spaces to increase opportunities for artists and small businesses, but the first-year action and four-year outcome remain broadly defined and not measurable.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes's answerIn my first year i would like to find a way to support local artists, small buisness and community groups. I think we could make use of existing under used spaces . This could include things like working with property owners of commercial buildings to make use of vacant space by allowing temporary pop-up markets, art displays , workshops or small community events . Another option might be to explore cooperative or shared spaces where local business and artists could sell their work without taking on huge costs associated to renting space.
At the end of four years , i would like the community to see that there are more opportunities for local artists and small businesses to take part in local markets , events and shared spaces - My goal is to make View Royal feel more connected and vibrant but without creating more costs. - 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: Supports a cultural-space inventory, regulatory review and public reporting, providing concrete moderate impact implementation and accountability mechanisms.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes 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 service standards, published criteria, simplified requirements, a coordination point, zoning review and review of disproportionate nonprofit costs, representing substantial regulatory reform.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes chose 6 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 regional infrastructure funding, development contributions, municipal leverage funding, nonprofit acquisition and long-term leases, providing multiple significant mechanisms for securing cultural space.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes chose 5 of 16 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-06 1 / 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 only if new revenue sources are identified, making the commitment conditional.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 5 options - 10.00% of this topic ART-07 1 / 3
When a major development project affects an existing cultural space, what should your municipality prioritize?
Why this score: Uses overall community benefit as the criterion for development decisions without identifying preservation, replacement or another specific cultural-space protection mechanism.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 5 options - 16.67% of this topic ART-08 3 / 3
Would you support municipal incentives to encourage private property owners and developers to provide affordable community & cultural space for nonprofits? Select all that apply.
Why this score: Supports development incentives, fee reductions and a vacant-space/pop-up approach, providing meaningful municipal tools but without the private-owner property-tax incentive or a clearly established long-term affordability mechanism.
How this question is graded
Diane Fownes 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.
Art and culture and local business can help make View Royal feel connected and exciting . I would like to see more opportunities for local artists and businesses and i think that there are many ways to encourage this. The municipality can help by making permits and requirements simple and clear , working with property owners and looking for partnerships , grants and exploring what other communities have done successfully.
Rolling & cycling
C- 15% of this topic ROL-01 F
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: Declines to say whether a missing link would be funded and completed during the term. The topic comment box sets out general support for alternatives to driving and concerns about how trails are shared, but nothing there explains why the funding commitment itself could not be made.
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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 4 options - 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: Would apply physical protection as the standard except where it is physically impossible. Almost nothing is truly impossible to build, so an exception framed that way tends to absorb the cases where the work is expensive or contested.
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.
Diane Fownes 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 weigh removal, narrowing or downgrading of existing protected infrastructure one case at a time. Lanes already built were planned and paid for because the need was identified, and reopening each one keeps the network provisional.
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Raises trail sharing between people cycling and people walking, speed limits on trails, which devices belong on them and trail etiquette. These are operating questions about trails already in place rather than a project to progress, and no location or scope is 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.
Diane Fownes's answerI think that cycling routes need to be designed for safety but also need to be shared respectfully. Cyclists should not have to go into car lanes but at the same time pedestrians use the trails too and they should not be subjected to fast moving bikes either. Speed limits on trails should be considered , what types of bikes are allowed on trails and trail etiquette . - 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: States only that there was no previous term in local government. The question also asks what in a record outside council shows the same commitment, and nothing is offered in answer.
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.
Diane Fownes's answerI have not served in local government
Also shared, ungraded
- Not graded ROL-GEN
If you have anything you'd like to add in regards to the rolling and cycling in your municipality or the region as a whole, feel free to share your thoughts below.
I do support using alternatives to cars- I encourage alternative healthy modes of transportation like walking , rolling and cycle however, i also think there needs to be practical and safe decisions made. Cyclists should not be forced into vehicle traffic, and pedestrians children dogs should also be able to use the trails safely. I think consideration needs to be given to bike lanes on trails, speed limits and they types of cycles , scooters and so on that are allowed on trails. Also consideration to parking , traffic flow and the needs of each neighborhood should play a part in decision making
Walking
B- 10% of this topic WLK-01 C
Municipalities, the CRD and the Province have all adopted targets to shift trips away from driving. Do you support meeting your municipality's adopted mode-shift targets, and would you vote for the necessary street-space and budgetary changes?
Why this grade: Modest support for 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.
Diane Fownes 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 safe crossings near schools, transit and shops, with a specific school as the example, and would spend the first year identifying the highest risk locations from collision history and public concern. Clear priorities, with the change itself still to be chosen.
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.
Diane Fownes's answerMy main concern is making sure there are safe crossing areas near schools, transit stops, shopping areas and busy roads. In my first year, I would want to identify the highest-risk locations. For example, Shoreline Community Middle School is near a very busy area. I would look at where accidents have occurred, where the public has raised concerns and find practical ways to make these areas safer. - 10% of this topic WLK-03 B
Sidewalk construction and maintenance is chronically underfunded across the region. Would you vote to increase the share of your municipality's transportation capital budget dedicated to pedestrian infrastructure?
Why this grade: Backs more money for sidewalks while stopping short of doubling it. The increase is genuine and bounded.
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.
Diane Fownes 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 the idea in trial form. The street space comes back to cars at the end, which is what keeps this below the top grade.
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.
Diane Fownes chose 1 of 6 options - 20% of this topic WLK-05 A
How will you work with parent groups, school staff, and municipal staff to assure that children’s safety is prioritized over convenience and flow of motor traffic?
Why this grade: You would work with parents, school staff and municipal staff to pinpoint the locations that feel unsafe, test that against collision data, concerns raised over time and traffic volumes, then prioritize safer crossings, better visibility, signs and traffic circles. Checking what residents report against the collision record is how a priority list survives scrutiny, and you say clearly that safety has to be taken as seriously as flow.
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.
Diane Fownes's answerI would want to work with parents and school staff as well as municipal staff to pinpoint the areas that they feel are not safe. I would want to look at factual data such as collision data , public concerns raised over time, traffic in the area, then try to prioritize practical improvements such as safe ways to cross , increased visibility better signs or traffic circles . Traffic flow is important but so is safety and these matters need to be addressed and taken seriously . - 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: Over four years you would work with older adults, people with disabilities and accessibility organizations, collect data on uneven paths, poor lighting, damaged surfaces and unsafe crossings, and build a priority list from public input ranked by need and by cost, with transparency and accountability about how the decisions were made. Publishing the reasoning behind the ranking is what lets residents trust that their street was assessed rather than overlooked.
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.
Diane Fownes's answerOver four years
Work with older adults and people who have disabilities as well as organizations that deal with accessibility issues . I would want to collect data to identify the more problematic areas - things like paths that are uneven or the lighting is poor, places where the path needs repair , unsafe crossing - i would want to have a list of priorities that was based on public input and other factual data. Then i would want to prioritize based on need and cost. I would also want to ensure that the public has input and that that there is accountability about progress and decision making with regard to priority . In other words transparency with regard to the decisions made.
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.
Safety is key- walking routes need to be accessible and safe for everyone - children , elderly , people using wheelchairs , parents with strollers .
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.
Diane Fownes 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: Would join if the municipality got all its costs back. The support is real and the guarantee is what bounds it.
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.
Diane Fownes 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").
Diane Fownes's answer1. Find new ways to generate municipal revenue that does not include raising taxes. This would include identifying unused or under used municipal land and consider ways that it could be used to generate revenue while still serving the best interests of the community.
2. Explore new ways to fund community improvements , including grants and partnerships- meaning alternative methods to raising taxes .
3. Review current municipal spending , look at existing contracts and also projects that are being planned in order to make sure that taxpayers are getting good value and that essential services are protected . - 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 )
Diane Fownes 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: Would ensure local First Nations sit in transit governance. Nothing narrows the commitment.
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.
Diane Fownes 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.
Diane Fownes 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.
I support sharing services but only when it will result in improved service for View Royal residents. It must be fair and must have clear benefits for View Royal. Such decisions need to be based on clear and factual data that can be defended with logic and clear current evidence. I am committed to finding creative ways to fund community improvements that will not result in higher taxes . - 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.
Transit routes, infrastructure and service decisions affect Indigenous communities in View Royal. These communities should have a meaningful role in decisions affecting their territories and their access to services. Consultation should be clear, ongoing and built into the decision-making process. The Nations in our community bring valuable knowledge and perspectives that can lead to better decisions for everyone.
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