Bella Lee

Council · Victoria

Victoria 2002 yrs

About

My name is Bella Lee, and I’m running to lower your cost of living in Victoria. A long time resident and a renter, I have spent my career fighting to make sure no one gets left behind. I want to build a better Victoria. Better means a place where we

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.

✓ 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.

✓ Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters. Supportive

✓ 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.

✓ Expand and protect tree canopy, parks, and green infrastructure to cool neighbourhoods, clean air, and manage stormwater. Supportive

Land Use

We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.

✓ Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience. 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!).

✓ Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities. 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.

✓ Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure. Supportive

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.

✓ 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

Questions for Victoria

What are Victoria’s three most important environmental priorities for the next four years? What policies and budgets would you advance, and how would you respond when environmental protection is presented as conflicting with housing or economic growth?

My activism started when I was in elementary school when I created a compost club at school. It followed me into high school where I was a part of the environment club where we supported the restoration of Bowker Creek and organized the annual Rubber Duckie Race. Currently, I am on the board of Capitol Bikes which supports cycling and rolling in our City. And I attend as many climate advocacy protests as I can, most recently at MP Will Greave’s office protesting against the proposed pipeline on our coast.

We all have a part in reducing our emissions, and changing the system that creates and profits off of climate change.

What policies and investments would you prioritize for the next heat dome to retain mature shade trees, expand canopy in heat-vulnerable neighbourhoods, improve public cooling and drinking-water access, and ensure all at-risk residents receive protection?

Our three priorities are better transit options, reducing our cities’ emissions, and reducing our waste.
For transit, we need to expand and connect our cycling and rolling infrastructure, and work to get a rail line built in our region.
One of the largest emitters in our City is the current Crystal Pool, so I worked to get the referendum passed so that we could build a modern green facility now, rather than put it off for later.
To reduce our waste and protect our waterways, we need to enforce higher penalties for companies who do not effectively dispose of building materials and other waste properly, and harm people or our environment.

What changes to bylaws, development standards and approvals would you support to retain mature trees, Garry oak ecosystems, wildlife corridors, adequate soil and permeable ground to measure and enforce progress toward the 40% canopy target?

We are expected to have a dry winter, meaning an even drier summer. The work needs to start now to ensure we are prepared for the next extreme weather event.

We need to guarantee housing and especially non-profit housing has the appropriate measures to help people as our weather changes like heat pumps and air conditioning. We also need to be investing in cooling and warming centres to protect our most vulnerable populations. Finally, we need to make sure that we finding new ways to bring water fountains and drinking water for people that are outside during the summer.

Expanding our tree canopy is a priority as not only would it cool down our streets, but would also help wildlife populations, like the two owls I hear hooting outside my window, find a home.

Which municipal actions would you prioritize to close Victoria’s 2030 emissions gap? What improvements would you require or incentivize, how would you make them affordable and accessible, and what measurable results would you deliver during your term?

I’m committed to protecting this ecosystem by passing and maintaining bylaws to protect the ecosystem from further removal. We need to promote the growing of native plants on lawns and public areas, and work to expand our boulevard garden program so that folks in our City can actively participate in protecting and growing the Garry Oak ecosystem. We also need to work hard to remove invasive species like Scottish broom, English ivy, and (unfortunately) Himalayan blackberries.

Lastly, we must remember that the Garry Oak Ecosystem isn’t ‘wild’, it is the result of millennia of care, cultivation and stewardship by Songhees and Xwsepsum peoples. That stewardship includes practices that were banned, or discarded including controlled burns which create exactly the kind of environment that camas plants thrive in.

Campaign contributions

Public records from Elections BC — 7 contributions totalling $1,240.62.

2018 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS

7 contributions · $1,240.62

Contributor	Date	Amount	Office	Jurisdiction
MARGOT CUTCHER	Nov 15, 2018	$175.00	COUNCILLOR	OAK BAY
ISABELLA LEE	Aug 7, 2018	$600.00	COUNCILLOR	OAK BAY
ISABELLA LEE	Aug 28, 2018	$150.00	COUNCILLOR	OAK BAY
ISABELLA LEE	Aug 7, 2018	$100.00	COUNCILLOR	OAK BAY
ISABELLA LEE	Oct 9, 2018	$100.00	COUNCILLOR	OAK BAY
ISABELLA LEE	Nov 15, 2018	$84.17	COUNCILLOR	OAK BAY
ISABELLA LEE	Nov 15, 2018	$31.45	COUNCILLOR	OAK BAY

Compiled & presented by

Seniors for Climate Victoria
SI-CAN Natural Asset Management Team
WE-CAN Together 2026

Vote4Tomorrow is an independent voter guide to evaluate where local candidates stand on climate and environmental policies that will affect our future.

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