Jane Thomsing

Climate action has been part of my community work for many years. I previously served as Chair of the Colony Farm Park Association for over a decade and now serve as a Nature Ambassador with the Lower Coquitlam River Nature Association at ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park. Through this work, I have advocated for the protection of natural areas, provided free opportunities for people to learn about local ecosystems, and worked with community partners to connect people with nature. I have also worked with the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm First Nation stewardship group to raise awareness about the endangered Oregon Forestsnail and the importance of protecting its habitat.
I have helped establish a pesticide bylaw and have organized environmental cleanups, including an annual fishing-line cleanup at Lafarge Lake because of the impact discarded line can have on birds and wildlife.
I have also served on Coquitlam’s Environment Advisory Committee. My experience on the committee gave me an opportunity to see how environmental issues are brought forward to the City, but it also showed me that there is an opportunity to redesign and strengthen the advisory committee process so that community expertise can have a more meaningful impact on policy and legislation.
More recently, I have been advocating strongly for better tree retention and protection in Coquitlam. Our trees and natural areas are important pieces of climate infrastructure, but too often this value is not reflected in development or Council decisions. We need to stop thinking of trees as something that can simply be replaced.

When we increase density and population, we also need to make sure the infrastructure and services people depend on are there to support that growth. We can see the consequences when that doesn’t happen. In Coquitlam, particularly on Burke Mountain, significant development and tree loss occurred before the necessary infrastructure and amenities were in place. Homeowners have expressed frustration about the lack of schools, services, and community amenities, while the rapid population growth has also placed additional pressure on existing schools, recreation facilities, roads, parks, and services in surrounding neighbourhoods. I want to see infrastructure planning happen alongside housing planning, not years afterward. Before significant increases in density are approved, we need to understand whether our schools, roads, transit, water and sewer systems, parks, recreation facilities, childcare, healthcare, and emergency services can support the additional population.
I would strongly advocate for stronger coordination between the City, School District 43, TransLink, the Province, and other agencies so that everyone is planning for growth together. Developers, governments, and the community need to have a clear understanding of what infrastructure is required and when it will be delivered.Too often, meetings can become focused on debating what has happened in the past, rather than determining what we are going to do next. I believe we need to spend less time going over the same issues and more time identifying clear action items, assigning responsibility, setting timelines, and following up on whether those actions have actually been completed.

We need meetings that lead to progress.

Tree retention should be the first step in every development and redevelopment decision. In other municipalities, such as New Westminster, development projects require an arborist to assess the impacts of development on existing trees and specifically state that the process should “focus on tree retention options over proposing tree removal wherever appropriate.” The arborist is also expected to identify possible design changes that could keep trees viable. I would like to see this same approach in Coquitlam.
Before trees are removed, we should first ask how we can design around them and retain as many existing trees as possible. Coquitlam should establish a clear citywide tree canopy target. This target should be regularly monitored progress, and action should be taken to ensure we are moving toward that goal.
Tree retention and canopy protection should not be the responsibility of just one department. It should be an overarching goal across all departments and be clearly incorporated into the Official Community Plan, so that protecting and growing our urban forest is considered in every major planning and development decision.
Coquitlam plants trees, but there is often no meaningful follow-up to ensure those trees survive. I consistently find myself contacting the City to report newly planted trees that are dying or severely dehydrated. Planting a tree and walking away is not enough. If we are serious about increasing our urban tree canopy, we need to be measuring whether those trees actually survive.

I support the early adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code, and I was genuinely disappointed that Coquitlam did not adopt it. As someone who has spent much of my life working and volunteering in conservation, it is frustrating to see an opportunity for meaningful environmental action missed when other communities have already moved forward. As you know, buildings account for about 40% of Coquitlam’s CO₂ emissions, making this an important part of meeting our climate goals. We need to build healthier, more energy-efficient homes now rather than leaving future generations with costly retrofits. I believe Coquitlam needs serious environmental leaders on Council who will turn climate commitments into meaningful action and make decisions with the future of our community in mind.