Gord Lovegrove
Council · Kelowna
Pandosy 21 yrs
About
Married father of four. Professor Emeritus of Sustainable Communities. Former Kelowna transportation planner. Former UBC Vancouver to develop & implement student U-Pass program. Former Science Advisor to federal Deputy Minister TC, INFRC, ECCC.
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
✓
Incentivize renewable energy, battery storage, and smart-grid technologies in new and existing buildings to improve energy security.
Supportive
✓
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
~
Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources.
Neutral
✓
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.
✓
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.
✓
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!).
✓
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
✓
Develop and implement a water security plan.
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 zero waste bylaws to divert organic waste and recyclables from disposal.
Supportive
✓
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?
As an incumbent on Kelowna City Council, I pushed for and approved the Kelowna Climate Resilient Strategy.
I was responsible for getting student U-Pass at UBC V & UBC O that resulted in a tripling of student transit ridership and reduction of over 10,000 tonnes of GHG / year for the past 23 years!
Nominated and one Kelowna Climate Champions in 2018 (lost to Angela Nagy). One car family (Toyota Bz). Avid cyclist. Bus pass UMO card holder; I did NOT take the City Hall parking pass! I mentor SD23 students in the CARE program.
I was responsible for getting student U-Pass at UBC V & UBC O that resulted in a tripling of student transit ridership and reduction of over 10,000 tonnes of GHG / year for the past 23 years!
Nominated and one Kelowna Climate Champions in 2018 (lost to Angela Nagy). One car family (Toyota Bz). Avid cyclist. Bus pass UMO card holder; I did NOT take the City Hall parking pass! I mentor SD23 students in the CARE program.
Questions for Kelowna
Would you accelerate Kelowna's adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code, and what other measures would you support to improve building efficiency and resilience to extreme heat?
YES!!! And up the budget to retrofit existing homes to meet it - R value; heat pumps.
What policies would you support to protect mature trees, expand Kelowna's tree canopy, and increase shade on both public and private land?
Private tree bylaw. Get planting to meet our planned goals. Value existing trees and where they must come down to support sustainable development, replace with like value number of trees. Ideally MOVE large trees like the Dutch do! Make all capital projects report to Council on an annual basis tree loss. Not only NO NET LOSS OF TREE CANOPY, but in deficient areas, ADD Positive tree canopy to meet Climate resilience goals.
What would you fund or change over the next four years to improve public transit, walking and cycling, and reduce transportation emissions?
Plan for Valley Rail - details on my web site at lovegrovekelowna.ca. Build the first ‘demonstration’ section between Downtown & YLW (partner with West Kelowna, MoTT, WFN to bring it to Westbank) - this is a current Council Priority!!! Double the bus fleet by building the new Transit Ops centre using funds saved from not building the Clement cross-town connector. Complete bike & sidewalk path network. Replace signals with roundabouts to reduce idling & delays & emissions. Better synchronize the remaining signals.
Would you support expediting composting programs and invest in the required facilities in Kelowna? If so, what would you do to make it happen sooner?
Absolutely, Council voted against it before, but I would push to reconsider and go with the regional district and partners to make it happen, as a Council priority.
What two climate actions would you champion during your term, and what measurable progress should Kelowna residents expect within four years?
I already championed the Council resolution and won 8-1 in favor to declare the climate emergency, yeah! But if we don’t add more trees and get going on transit it won’t make a difference. Drastic climate action is needed. Make sure:
1. POSITIVE NET TREE CANOPY happens - we have the ability to monitor it now; and,
2. Build the new transit shed, procure more buses
3. Get the Valley Rail plan done, so we confirm costs, governance, and funding - we could have it within 10 years of start of planning all the way between Osoyoos & Kamloops - My 20 years of UBC research to date - peer reviewed & published (contact me for the papers) - suggest its more affordable than widening roads, and, more importantly, could be built & operated for 30 years for LESS than the cost of a 2nd crossing. Yet it would remove 30 to 50% of congestion (effectively giving you a 2nd crossing), and, it would provide 3,000 direct & 4,500 indirect jobs - solving our high unemployment problems, providing green, clean-tech investment opportunities, 9:1 Benefit cost ratio. Reduce air pollution, reduce crashes, reduce inequity, reduce travel time. It could become a project of national significance.
1. POSITIVE NET TREE CANOPY happens - we have the ability to monitor it now; and,
2. Build the new transit shed, procure more buses
3. Get the Valley Rail plan done, so we confirm costs, governance, and funding - we could have it within 10 years of start of planning all the way between Osoyoos & Kamloops - My 20 years of UBC research to date - peer reviewed & published (contact me for the papers) - suggest its more affordable than widening roads, and, more importantly, could be built & operated for 30 years for LESS than the cost of a 2nd crossing. Yet it would remove 30 to 50% of congestion (effectively giving you a 2nd crossing), and, it would provide 3,000 direct & 4,500 indirect jobs - solving our high unemployment problems, providing green, clean-tech investment opportunities, 9:1 Benefit cost ratio. Reduce air pollution, reduce crashes, reduce inequity, reduce travel time. It could become a project of national significance.
Campaign contributions
Public records from Elections BC — 48 contributions totalling $17,178.17.
2022 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS
24 contributions · $9,273.17
| Contributor | Date | Amount | Office | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ERICA BELL-LOWTHER | Aug 11, 2022 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| ERICA BELL-LOWTHER | Oct 27, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| PIRJO BOUCHER | Sep 9, 2022 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| TIM CARROLL | Oct 22, 2022 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| PETER CHATTAWAY | Oct 8, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| FRANCIS CHENG | Oct 5, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| PAUL CLARK | May 22, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| TRACEY DAVIS | Jun 9, 2022 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| CLAUDE DESMARAIS | Sep 1, 2022 | $1,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| CLAUDE DESMARAIS | Sep 3, 2022 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| MAHMUDUR FATMI | Sep 24, 2022 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| CRAIG HOSTLAND | Sep 3, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| GRAHAM LEE | Aug 30, 2022 | $1,000.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| DANIEL LIEGMANN | Oct 1, 2022 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| GORD LOVEGROVE | Jun 29, 2022 | $2,500.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| KAREN LOVEGROVE | Nov 8, 2022 | $273.17 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| GRAHAM MCMYNN | Oct 3, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| BARRY MILNER | Aug 30, 2022 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| PAT MUNRO | May 16, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| JASON NEUMANN | Nov 7, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| JONATHAN PALMER | Jun 18, 2022 | $500.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| AHMAD RTEIL | Oct 4, 2022 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| OLIVIA SCARR | Sep 17, 2022 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| GREG WALLACE | Sep 18, 2022 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
2018 GENERAL LOCAL ELECTIONS
24 contributions · $7,905.00
| Contributor | Date | Amount | Office | Jurisdiction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALICE ARSENAULT | Sep 16, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| DAVE ASSIMES | Sep 14, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| LANDON BRADSHAW | Aug 14, 2018 | $150.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| LORI CAMPEOL | Sep 11, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| JULIE COLON | Sep 10, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| CHUCK CULLEN | Aug 14, 2018 | $100.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| ED GREFONE | Aug 24, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| CRAIG HOSTLAND | Sep 13, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| DANIEL JOSEPH | Sep 1, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| LORI LANG | Aug 22, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| RICK LANG | Aug 1, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| DANIEL LIEGMANN | Sep 14, 2018 | $350.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| GORD LOVEGROVE | Jan 1, 2018 | $2,400.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| KAREN LOVEGROVE | Aug 10, 2018 | $1,200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| HADI MOHAMMADI | Sep 10, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| GEOFF NEUFELD | Aug 21, 2018 | $150.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| JASON NEUMANN | Sep 13, 2018 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| TONY OTTO | Aug 17, 2018 | $300.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| HOWARD PIKE | Sep 10, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| DAVID SALTMAN | Aug 24, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| DARREN SCHLAMP | Sep 6, 2018 | $255.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| DAVID SCOTT | Sep 4, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| GREG WALLACE | Aug 20, 2018 | $250.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
| ERNIE WEBBER | Sep 13, 2018 | $200.00 | COUNCILLOR | KELOWNA |
Compiled & presented by
Vote4Tomorrow is an independent voter guide to evaluate where local candidates stand on climate and environmental policies that will affect our future.
© 2026 Vote4Tomorrow