Jessy Dhillon
Council · Richmond
Richmond 40 yrs
About
I’m a lifelong Richmond resident, husband, and father of two. As a Youth Support Worker and RYBL Coordinator, I’ve spent years supporting local youth. Richmond raised me, and I’m proud to give back to the community I call home.
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.
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Support electrification of new buildings.
Supportive
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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.
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Enact a moratorium on AI data centres to protect our energy and water resources.
Supportive
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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.
✓
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
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Prioritize native tree planting in all areas, especially those with low tree cover, higher population densities, and more vulnerable residents.
Supportive
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Create connected urban greenways for people and wildlife.
Supportive
Land Use
We envision vibrant, walkable communities that protect nature and improve food security.
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Build affordable homes near jobs, schools, shops, and transit.
Supportive
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Upgrade critical infrastructure for heat, fire, flood, and storm resilience.
Supportive
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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!).
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Deliver reliable, frequent, affordable local transit.
Supportive
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Advocate to improve regional public transit between communities.
Supportive
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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.
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Implement water conservation plans and educate the public to conserve drinking water.
Supportive
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Protect and restore watersheds as vital municipal infrastructure.
Supportive
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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.
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Implement zero waste bylaws to divert organic waste and recyclables from disposal.
Supportive
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Support the development of a circular economy to eliminate waste and improve resilience.
Supportive
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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?
For me, climate action starts with the choices we make every day. A few years ago, my family made the switch to an electric vehicle as part of our effort to reduce our environmental impact. While it may seem like a small change, I believe those everyday decisions add up over time.Through my work with students, I have the opportunity to encourage sustainable habits such as reducing food waste, recycling properly, and thinking about how our actions affect the environment. I love seeing students take lead of these ideas and bring them home to their families.Climate action is also something that has become a big part of our family life. My six-year-old son is a passionate and surprisingly well-informed recycling advocate. He is on a first-name basis with Richmond's waste management crews and is always excited to learn more about recycling, composting, and waste diversion. In fact, some of my strongest climate advocates are the students I work with and my son, who never misses an opportunity to remind our family what belongs in the recycling bin! I also support initiatives that encourage active transportation, safer walking and cycling infrastructure, and waste reduction. Local governments have an important role to play in making sustainable choices easier and more accessible for residents.
Questions for Richmond
Do you support or oppose the Fortis Tilbury LNG expansion?
At this time, I have not taken a firm position on the FortisBC Tilbury LNG expansion.
I recognize that the project has undergone an extensive environmental assessment and that the Province has now issued an environmental assessment certificate. I would want to better understand the impacts on Richmond could be, particularly around the environment, public safety, transportation, marine activity and our local communities.
I recognize that the project has undergone an extensive environmental assessment and that the Province has now issued an environmental assessment certificate. I would want to better understand the impacts on Richmond could be, particularly around the environment, public safety, transportation, marine activity and our local communities.
Do you prioritize active transportation with investments in walking, rolling, and cycling infrastructure that is safe, connected, easy to navigate, and accessible?
Yes, I prioritize active transportation. Richmond is a very active community with multi-use pathways connecting the city. I am glad to see that the multi-use pathway on Steveston high way is completing its last phase in the Ironwood area. However, I do feel we have neighbourhoods that could use an upgrade on infrastructure. We have neighbourhood streets that do not have sidewalks, school zones and streets that often experience speeding vehicles that could use speed reduction systems (example: raised crosswalks). Our residents should feel safe when they are walking, rolling and cycling to school, parks, community centres and businesses.
Do you support acceleration of the City's adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code?
I support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve the energy efficiency of new buildings. The Zero Carbon Step Code is an important tool for helping communities move toward a lower-carbon future.That said, I believe the pace of implementation should be carefully considered. Any acceleration of the City's adoption of the Zero Carbon Step Code should be balanced with affordability, housing supply, and the ability of builders, homeowners, and developers to adapt to new requirements.I would want to review the City's analysis, implementation plans, and community feedback to better understand the benefits, costs, and potential impacts.
Do you support expansion of Richmond's award-winning district energy systems?
Yes. I support the expansion of Richmond's award-winning district energy systems as a practical way to reduce emissions, improve energy efficiency, and build a more sustainable and resilient community for future generations.
What will you do to increase the number and types of green jobs and career training opportunities in Richmond?
To increase green jobs and career training opportunities in Richmond, I would focus on building stronger partnerships between local educational institutions , businesses, and government. We need training programs that prepare residents for careers in clean technology, energy-efficient construction, electric vehicle maintenance, sustainable transportation, and environmental management.I would also support incentives for building retrofits and clean-energy projects.
Richmond can further expand opportunities by investing in active transportation infrastructure, EV charging networks, and environmental restoration projects that provide employment for youth and new workers.
Richmond can further expand opportunities by investing in active transportation infrastructure, EV charging networks, and environmental restoration projects that provide employment for youth and new workers.
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