Duncan Cavens
Mayor · Esquimalt
West Bay 16 yrs
About
Duncan Cavens is an Esquimalt councillor and registered planner who has spent nearly 20 years as a consultant, helping communities turn climate goals into practical plans. He is an active volunteer in Esquimalt.
Policy commitments
Buildings
We all want healthy, affordable, and comfortable homes. These policies will help to lower energy bills, cut pollution, and improve indoor air quality.
✓
Support electrification of new buildings.
Supportive
✓
Incentivize electric heat pumps and air filtration systems.
Supportive
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Incentivize renewable energy, battery storage, and smart-grid technologies in new and existing buildings to improve energy security.
Neutral
✓
Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings.
Supportive
✓
Implement a 'right to cool' bylaw to protect tenants during extreme heat events.
Supportive
Climate Justice
Our community is already experiencing the harmful impacts of climate change caused by fossil fuel pollution, and taxpayers are on the hook to upgrade and repair critical infrastructure.
✓
Endorse the fossil fuel treaty and commit to phase out fossil fuels.
Supportive
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Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources.
Neutral
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Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters.
Neutral
✓
Collaborate with Indigenous peoples as partners in the stewardship of the land, air, and water, and work towards reconciliation.
Supportive
Ecosystems
The air we breathe, the water we drink, and the food we eat all rely on healthy ecosystems. Nature can also help protect our community from extreme weather by controlling floods, protecting shorelines, and cooling neighbourhoods. Access to nature improves the health and well-being of residents, and supports biodiversity.
✓
Protect and restore ecosystems, which are essential to human survival, health, and economic well-being.
Supportive
✓
Expand and protect tree canopy, parks, and green infrastructure to cool neighbourhoods, clean air, and manage stormwater.
Supportive
✓
Prioritize native tree planting in all areas, especially those with low tree cover, higher population densities, and more vulnerable residents.
Supportive
✓
Create connected urban greenways for people and wildlife.
Supportive
Land Use
We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.
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Build affordable homes near jobs, schools, shops, and transit.
Supportive
✓
Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience.
Supportive
✓
Increase food security by supporting local agriculture and community gardens.
Supportive
Transport
Connecting neighbourhoods through public transit and active transportation networks will cut pollution, improve public health, and make our communities more affordable (and fun!).
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Deliver reliable, frequent, affordable local transit.
Supportive
✓
Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities.
Supportive
✓
Build bike and roll networks that are safe for everyone.
Supportive
✓
Expand EV charging infrastructure.
Supportive
Watersheds
Climate change, increasing populations, and overconsumption threaten our water security. Healthy watersheds and forests are critical to support clean drinking water, stormwater management, climate resilience, and biodiversity for future generations.
✓
Implement water conservation plans and educate the public to conserve drinking water.
Supportive
✓
Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure.
Supportive
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Develop and implement a water security plan.
Neutral
Zero Waste
Zero waste policies reduce pollution, keep waste out of landfills, build resilient local economies, and safeguard public health by shifting society away from a disposable culture toward a sustainable circular economy.
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Implement zero waste bylaws to divert organic waste and recyclables from disposal.
Neutral
✓
Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience.
Supportive
✓
Implement bylaws to eliminate waste from new buildings, renovation, and demolition projects and to use existing buildings as efficiently as possible.
Supportive
✓ Supportive
~ Neutral
× Opposed
– No response
Climate action
How have you contributed to climate action in your community through advocacy, past work, advisory committees, volunteer work, and/or reducing your personal carbon footprint?
I have spent nearly 20 years professionally helping local governments develop and implement climate policy. I was the lead consultant on early versions of both the City of Victoria’s and District of Saanich’s climate plans, and worked with BC Hydro on tools to help local governments track emissions and plan energy-conservation measures.
On Council, I championed Esquimalt becoming an early adopter of the Zero Carbon Step Code and pushed for a GHG lens on major capital projects. We are now moving beyond targets and making real reductions in corporate emissions through lower-carbon heating and cooling in municipal facilities and lower-carbon choices for our fleet.
Personally, I restored our 100-year-old home in West Bay to a very high energy standard. Between the house and our transportation choices, our household operating emissions are now very low. Just as importantly, the house is more comfortable and our annual energy costs are very affordable.
My approach to climate action is practical: set ambitious goals, but concentrate on measures that actually reduce emissions and make financial sense.
On Council, I championed Esquimalt becoming an early adopter of the Zero Carbon Step Code and pushed for a GHG lens on major capital projects. We are now moving beyond targets and making real reductions in corporate emissions through lower-carbon heating and cooling in municipal facilities and lower-carbon choices for our fleet.
Personally, I restored our 100-year-old home in West Bay to a very high energy standard. Between the house and our transportation choices, our household operating emissions are now very low. Just as importantly, the house is more comfortable and our annual energy costs are very affordable.
My approach to climate action is practical: set ambitious goals, but concentrate on measures that actually reduce emissions and make financial sense.
Questions for Esquimalt
Esquimalt is rapidly losing its affordable housing with rising renovictions and demolitions. What strategies would you promote to ensure affordable housing is built and protected?
Protecting existing affordable rental housing is just as important as building new housing. One of the best ways to keep older rental buildings from being demolished is to keep them in good condition. Buildings that are not maintained or upgraded are the most vulnerable to redevelopment.
I would like Esquimalt to work more closely with the Province, Federal organizations, the CRD and housing providers to bring existing funding programs into our older rental buildings. Energy retrofits are a particularly good opportunity: heat pumps, better windows, insulation and other upgrades can lower emissions and operating costs while also making homes more comfortable and safer during increasingly hot summers.
We also need to be much more active in attracting new non-market housing. Local government cannot fund affordable housing on its own, but we can make land-use decisions that support it, build relationships with non-profit providers, and pursue provincial and federal funding.
The goal should be straightforward: preserve the affordable housing we already have while steadily adding more homes that people on ordinary incomes can actually afford.
I would like Esquimalt to work more closely with the Province, Federal organizations, the CRD and housing providers to bring existing funding programs into our older rental buildings. Energy retrofits are a particularly good opportunity: heat pumps, better windows, insulation and other upgrades can lower emissions and operating costs while also making homes more comfortable and safer during increasingly hot summers.
We also need to be much more active in attracting new non-market housing. Local government cannot fund affordable housing on its own, but we can make land-use decisions that support it, build relationships with non-profit providers, and pursue provincial and federal funding.
The goal should be straightforward: preserve the affordable housing we already have while steadily adding more homes that people on ordinary incomes can actually afford.
Natural Asset Management (NAM) puts a monetary value on living assets. It is key to Tree Protection. Public engagement for Small Scale Multi Unit Housing (SSMUH) identified tree protection as the number one concern.
I support incorporating natural assets into Esquimalt’s asset-management work, with practical and easy to analyze metrics that can help us with decision making at the council table.
Protecting and expanding our urban tree canopy should be a key part of the upcoming Official Community Plan review and the zoning work that follows it. Trees, natural areas and green infrastructure provide real services: shade, cooling, stormwater management, habitat, traffic calming, and carbon storage. We should account for those benefits when we make decisions about development and infrastructure.
Protecting and expanding our urban tree canopy should be a key part of the upcoming Official Community Plan review and the zoning work that follows it. Trees, natural areas and green infrastructure provide real services: shade, cooling, stormwater management, habitat, traffic calming, and carbon storage. We should account for those benefits when we make decisions about development and infrastructure.
With Department of National Defence and SeaSpan expansion, what are your solutions to deal with its impact on the existing challenging rush hour traffic?
Yes. The Island Rail Corridor and active transportation are both part of the solution.
The E&N corridor is a major regional asset that should be better used for moving people, both as a transportation corridor and as a regional trail. I support the Reconciliation Corridor Initiative, led by the Songhees and Kosapsum (Esquimalt) Nations, which is examining the feasibility of passenger rail between Victoria and the West Shore.
Esquimalt also needs to keep building out its active transportation network. Our Active Transportation Plan is about giving people more choices. Every trip made safely by walking, cycling or rolling is one less vehicle competing for limited road space, leaving more room for people who need to drive.
Transit is equally important. I want us to pursue transit-priority measures, particularly along Admirals, so buses are not simply stuck in the same rush-hour traffic. Transit needs to be fast, frequent and reliable if we expect more people to choose it.
We also need to examine if there are ways to tweak our intersections to allow better traffic flow: we need to make sure our roads are as efficient as possible for all modes.
There is no single solution to congestion around CFB Esquimalt and Seaspan. We need rail, transit, active transportation and better use of the roads we already have.
The E&N corridor is a major regional asset that should be better used for moving people, both as a transportation corridor and as a regional trail. I support the Reconciliation Corridor Initiative, led by the Songhees and Kosapsum (Esquimalt) Nations, which is examining the feasibility of passenger rail between Victoria and the West Shore.
Esquimalt also needs to keep building out its active transportation network. Our Active Transportation Plan is about giving people more choices. Every trip made safely by walking, cycling or rolling is one less vehicle competing for limited road space, leaving more room for people who need to drive.
Transit is equally important. I want us to pursue transit-priority measures, particularly along Admirals, so buses are not simply stuck in the same rush-hour traffic. Transit needs to be fast, frequent and reliable if we expect more people to choose it.
We also need to examine if there are ways to tweak our intersections to allow better traffic flow: we need to make sure our roads are as efficient as possible for all modes.
There is no single solution to congestion around CFB Esquimalt and Seaspan. We need rail, transit, active transportation and better use of the roads we already have.
A temporary permit has been issued for a private, for profit, sauna business to run in Esquimalt Gorge Park. What are your thoughts on private business in public parks?
I don’t think public parks should be commercialized by default, but I also don’t think every private activity in a public park is inappropriate.
The Gorge Park sauna is a one-year pilot, which is exactly how I think proposals like this should be tested. It does not require the Township to make a major capital investment, and Council has asked that access for lower-income residents be addressed through programs such as LIFE.
The test for me is whether an activity adds something to the park without taking away from public access, greenspace, habitat or other park uses. It should remain under Township control, and I would be very cautious about long-term leases or arrangements that effectively turn public space into private space.
Gorge Park has a long history as a place for recreation, gatherings and activities. It used to have restaurants, a roller coaster and other private attractions before the 2nd World War. If a small, temporary commercial use helps bring people into the park and builds community without compromising the things that make the park special, I think it is worth trying.
At the end of the pilot, we should look at how people actually used it, what problems arose, and whether it provided enough public benefit to continue.
The Gorge Park sauna is a one-year pilot, which is exactly how I think proposals like this should be tested. It does not require the Township to make a major capital investment, and Council has asked that access for lower-income residents be addressed through programs such as LIFE.
The test for me is whether an activity adds something to the park without taking away from public access, greenspace, habitat or other park uses. It should remain under Township control, and I would be very cautious about long-term leases or arrangements that effectively turn public space into private space.
Gorge Park has a long history as a place for recreation, gatherings and activities. It used to have restaurants, a roller coaster and other private attractions before the 2nd World War. If a small, temporary commercial use helps bring people into the park and builds community without compromising the things that make the park special, I think it is worth trying.
At the end of the pilot, we should look at how people actually used it, what problems arose, and whether it provided enough public benefit to continue.
What is your position on whether Esquimalt should join an initiative to have local governments recover a fair share of climate costs from fossil fuel companies, eg: Sue Big Oil?
Climate change is already creating real costs for local governments, and I understand the argument that fossil fuel companies should contribute to those costs. I am not, however, ready to commit Esquimalt to the Sue Big Oil lawsuit.
I would support this work being taken on at the provincial level. Before spending municipal funds on litigation, I would want a clear understanding of the legal case, the financial exposure for the Township, and the likely benefit to Esquimalt residents.
My priority is to put our limited climate resources into measures where we know they will have an impact: reducing energy use and emissions from municipal buildings, moving our fleet to lower-carbon options, protecting and expanding our urban canopy, and making our infrastructure more resilient to a changing climate.
I have worked on municipal climate action for nearly 20 years. That experience has made me strongly supportive of climate action, and focused on implementation and measurable results.
If a credible class action moves forward with broad municipal participation and clearly understood costs and risks, I would look at it on its merits. Right now, I would prioritize spending Esquimalt’s limited resources on reducing emissions and preparing for climate impacts.
I would support this work being taken on at the provincial level. Before spending municipal funds on litigation, I would want a clear understanding of the legal case, the financial exposure for the Township, and the likely benefit to Esquimalt residents.
My priority is to put our limited climate resources into measures where we know they will have an impact: reducing energy use and emissions from municipal buildings, moving our fleet to lower-carbon options, protecting and expanding our urban canopy, and making our infrastructure more resilient to a changing climate.
I have worked on municipal climate action for nearly 20 years. That experience has made me strongly supportive of climate action, and focused on implementation and measurable results.
If a credible class action moves forward with broad municipal participation and clearly understood costs and risks, I would look at it on its merits. Right now, I would prioritize spending Esquimalt’s limited resources on reducing emissions and preparing for climate impacts.
Campaign contributions
Public records from Elections BC — 5 contributions totalling $2,592.00.
2022 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS
5 contributions · $2,592.00
| Contributor | Date | Amount | Office | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| STUART DUNCAN CAVENS | Jan 4, 2023 | $597.00 | COUNCILLOR | ESQUIMALT |
| STUART DUNCAN CAVENS | Oct 10, 2022 | $560.00 | COUNCILLOR | ESQUIMALT |
| LYNDA CAVENS | Sep 25, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | ESQUIMALT |
| KRISTI MACMILLAN | Oct 10, 2022 | $135.00 | COUNCILLOR | ESQUIMALT |
| DENISE DIANE PRITCHARD | Jan 4, 2023 | $800.00 | COUNCILLOR | ESQUIMALT |
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