Lucas McKinnon

Council · Mission

About

I am a longtime Mission resident, an award-winning young entrepreneur and a dedicated community volunteer. I advocate for equitable opportunities for young people and want to help build a forward-thinking, sustainable community.

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. No response

– Incentivize electric heat pumps and air filtration systems. No response

– Incentivize renewable energy, battery storage, and smart-grid technologies in new and existing buildings to improve energy security. No response

– Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings. No response

– Implement a 'right to cool' bylaw to protect tenants during extreme heat events. No response

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. No response

– Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources. No response

– Pursue available legal options to recover a fair share of the climate costs facing our community from fossil fuel companies and other big polluters. No response

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. No response

– Expand and protect tree canopy, parks, and green infrastructure to cool neighbourhoods, clean air, and manage stormwater. No response

– Prioritize native tree planting in all areas, especially those with low tree cover, higher population densities, and more vulnerable residents. No response

– Create connected urban greenways for people and wildlife. No response

Land Use

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

– Build affordable homes near jobs, schools, shops, and transit. No response

– Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience. No response

– Increase food security by supporting local agriculture and community gardens. No response

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. No response

– Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities. No response

– Build bike and roll networks that are safe for everyone. No response

– Expand EV charging infrastructure. No response

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. No response

– Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure. No response

– Develop and implement a water security plan. No response

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.

– Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience. No response

– Implement bylaws to eliminate waste from new buildings, renovation, and demolition projects and to use existing buildings as efficiently as possible. No response

✓ 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?

My most direct contribution has been through my business. Since opening, I have spoken with
customers about the benefits of choosing more sustainable clothing, including natural fabrics,
ethical sourcing and garments built to last. That approach is not always the most profitable in a
fast paced fast-fashion landscape, but I believe it is the most honest and responsible way to
operate. In the long term, I hope to influence West Coast fashion culture to place greater value
on the environmental and social impact of the clothing we buy.

Questions for Mission

Are you in favour of accelerating Mission’s adoption of Level 4 of the Zero Carbon Step Code, currently mandated by the province by 2030?

I believe the Province’s current 2030 timeline is reasonable. If Mission moves substantially
faster than surrounding municipalities, I am concerned we could lose development opportunities
or negotiating flexibility on other important development considerations.

Would you support making an updated Environmental Charter the foundation policy against which all other policies and strategies are measured?

If elected, I would look forward to taking an active role in reviewing and updating Mission’s
Environmental Charter in 2027. The affordability crisis and other immediate pressures can make
it easy to overlook the long-term environmental effects of our decisions. I would first want to
understand how many existing charter objectives have been achieved and help determine our
next priorities. Giving the charter a stronger mandate than it currently has would require careful
consideration of how that change would affect other important municipal goals.

Would you support a policy of evaluating all decisions for their effects on future generations? (i.e. the effect on Mission in 20 or 50 years)

Absolutely. As the young candidate, thinking about the impact of today’s decisions on future
generations(including my own) is central to my approach to this election and politics as a whole.
Short-sighted policies that fail to consider their long-term consequences frustrate me, both in
Mission and at the provincial and national levels.

Would you support mandating EV charging points in all new residential construction?

I would not support mandating EV charging points in all new residential construction. I am
concerned that the additional cost would compound our housing-affordability challenges. We
should, however, make it as straightforward as possible for residents and developers to install
charging equipment voluntarily.

Would you support developing an anti-idling policy for the municipal fleet?

I support an anti-idling policy for the municipal fleet. I would want to understand how it could be
implemented and monitored in practice, beyond relying entirely on an honour system.
Unnecessary idling has environmental consequences, and reducing wasted fuel is also a
straightforward opportunity to control operating costs.

Transparency and accountability

Lucas McKinnon did respond to all the survey questions but did so via an email with more complete and nuanced answers which we are not able to display in this format. You can read his responses here.

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.

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