Dehara Thompson

Council · Port Coquitlam

Oxford Heights 3 yrs

About

Dehara Thompson is an independent candidate for Port Coquitlam City Council. A former pro soccer player, mom of two, and community builder, she and her family have lived in PoCo for 3 years, raising their family in the Tri-Cities for 12.

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

✓ Scale up energy retrofits for existing homes, businesses, and public buildings. 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. 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.

✓ 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

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

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

✓ 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 family tends a backyard vegetable garden, we grow, preserve, and share what we harvest with neighbours. We're often hiking PoCo's trails, especially Minnekhada. That connection to land shapes how I approach climate resilience on council.

Questions for Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam is vulnerable to many climate-related risks (e.g., intense rainfall, flooding, wildfire smoke, and extreme heat events). How will you address these risks to increase our community’s resilience?

I'll push to build flood protection and climate resilience directly into PoCo's OCP refresh, and pursue federal and provincial grants aggressively so preparing for flooding, heat, and wildfire smoke doesn't fall on taxpayers alone.

If elected, will you do everything you can to ensure that Port Coquitlam implements the highest level of the Zero Carbon Step Code by January 2028, so that all new buildings are required to be built to be virtually zero carbon going forward?

I support PoCo moving toward the highest Zero Carbon Step Code tier, but I'd want a cost and feasibility review first, so the timeline doesn't undermine housing affordability, which remains my top priority.

Compiled & presented by

Authorized by Force of Nature Alliance, registered sponsor under LECFA, info@forceofnaturealliance.ca

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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