Parris J. Williams

Like many people in our community, I do my part to reduce my environmental impact by recycling properly and taking public transit whenever possible. Before moving to Vancouver, I volunteered in Burnaby as a street cleaner, helping keep public spaces clean and well maintained.

Since moving to Vancouver, my community volunteer work has included participating in the City’s catch basin program. I recognize that I have not been heavily involved in climate focused advocacy or volunteer organizations to date, and I believe there is an opportunity for me to become more involved. I see climate action as something that happens not only through large policies, but also through the everyday choices we make and the way we care for our neighbourhoods.

I believe diversity in housing is important, and I also recognize that the way we heat and power our buildings is changing as communities transition toward electrification. Personally, I do not have a strong preference regarding gas hookups for new buildings at this time. I would want to consider the available evidence around affordability, energy reliability, emissions, and the needs of different types of housing before taking a definitive position. I believe residents deserve a practical, evidence based approach to this issue.

I would be interested in looking into this further. At this time, I cannot say that I would vote to restore full funding because I am not yet aware of the costs involved or the measurable outcomes associated with that funding.

In my view, the Sustainability Office should help the City develop practical, evidence based approaches to environmental sustainability and climate action, while providing research, coordination, and accountability for the City's goals. Before committing to a specific level of funding, I would want to better understand what the office currently provides, what additional funding would accomplish, and how those costs compare with the outcomes for Vancouver residents.

I fully support a moratorium on AI data centres. The rapid growth of AI has happened in a relatively short period of time, and we are still learning about its long-term impacts and the natural resources required to support these facilities.

Before allowing AI data centres to expand into our communities, I believe we should take the time to better understand their impacts on electricity and water consumption, infrastructure, the environment, and surrounding neighbourhoods. A moratorium would provide an opportunity to study these issues, establish appropriate standards, and make informed decisions about how and where these facilities should be developed in the future.

I love the neighbourhood that I live in. The Fraserhood offers a wide variety of things within a relatively small area, including shops, cafés, retail, groceries, condos, houses, and townhomes. It is a highly walkable neighbourhood and is also close to South Main, which offers another strong mix of amenities.

As our population grows, I believe we should build on what already works in neighbourhoods like this: creating communities where people can live, access services, and get around efficiently without always relying on a car.

One idea I would like to explore is a Personal Electric Vehicle (PEV) Network: an interconnected network of dedicated paths for bicycles, e-scooters, and other personal electric vehicles. This would provide people with safe and efficient alternatives to travelling on roads while helping reduce conflicts between different types of transportation. These routes could connect neighbourhoods with transit hubs, community centres, schools, and other important destinations.

By making it easier and safer for people to choose active and electric transportation, we can accommodate a growing population while reducing traffic and transportation related emissions. This is just one step toward building a city that meets the needs of residents today while preparing for the challenges of tomorrow.

My immediate priority would be ensuring that Vancouver has enough emergency shelter and warming spaces during the fall and winter months, when cold weather can become especially dangerous for people experiencing homelessness. I would advocate for temporary additional shelter capacity during these crucial months, while recognizing that temporary measures are only one step toward addressing the larger housing crisis.

I also support making public facilities such as libraries and community centres available as safe spaces during extreme weather, building on the role these facilities already play in providing accessible places for residents to escape dangerous temperatures.

For people experiencing homelessness who are dealing with mental health or addiction challenges, I would also like to see more shelter and supportive housing options located close to hospitals, clinics, and other health services. Climate safeguards need to account for the different circumstances of Vancouver's residents and ensure that people who are most vulnerable have access to safety, shelter, and appropriate support when they need it most.