Alexis Chicoine

Climate action has been part of both my community involvement and the choices I make in my own life. For four years, I served on the board of Positive Voices West Vancouver, including as Vice-Chair, advocating for evidence-based approaches to the environmental, transportation and other challenges facing our community.

I also believe our built environment has an important role to play. I deliberately moved from a neighbourhood where almost every trip required a vehicle to one where I can walk or roll to shops, services, parks and community amenities. That change allowed our household to sell our second vehicle and significantly reduce our reliance on driving.

Through my years of volunteer work on municipal advisory committees, I have also seen how decisions about transportation, housing, accessibility, infrastructure and the environment are interconnected. Climate action is most effective when it is incorporated into how we plan our community rather than treated as a stand-alone issue.

I believe local government has a practical role to play: protecting our natural environment, preparing for wildfire and extreme weather, improving transportation choices, and making thoughtful long-term decisions that reduce emissions while creating a more resilient community.

West Vancouver already has strong plans in place, including our Climate Action Strategy, Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan, Urban Forest Management Plan and Integrated Stormwater Management Plans. My priority would be turning those plans into measurable action, rather than spending more money developing new strategies where good work has already been done.

I would ensure climate resilience is reflected in Council’s priorities, budgets and infrastructure decisions, with regular reporting on progress. That includes advancing FireSmart initiatives, vegetation and fuel management, early detection, emergency response and evacuation preparedness.

For flooding and increasingly intense rainfall, I would prioritize necessary drainage and infrastructure improvements and incorporate future climate conditions when assets are renewed. I also support practical, nature-based solutions such as rain gardens, which can manage stormwater while adding greenery and biodiversity.

Along our waterfront, I would support continued preparation for sea level rise and storm surge, guided by current science and coordinated with infrastructure and foreshore planning. Protecting and renewing our tree canopy can also provide cooling during extreme heat, help manage stormwater and strengthen biodiversity.

Resilience also depends on residents being prepared. I would strengthen emergency communication, public education and regional coordination for wildfire, smoke, extreme heat and other emergencies, while making better use of the expertise on West Vancouver’s Environment Committee.

Good planning matters, but so does follow-through. We should invest our resources in implementing, measuring and improving the plans we have before paying to reinvent them.

LNG is a fossil fuel, and decisions about its future should consider our climate commitments as well as potential impacts on Howe Sound, English Bay and neighbouring communities. I also believe provincial and federal governments should carefully consider whether future public investment is better directed toward expanding fossil-fuel infrastructure or accelerating genuinely low-carbon energy and the transition to a cleaner economy.

If a significant expansion of Woodfibre LNG is proposed, I would advocate for a new and comprehensive assessment of its cumulative climate, environmental and marine-safety impacts. An assessment based on the currently approved project should not simply be assumed to apply if operations and vessel traffic increase substantially.

West Vancouver may not regulate marine shipping, but Council should strongly advocate for our residents and environment. I would call on federal authorities to assess increased LNG carrier traffic and any anchorages proposed near West Vancouver, including collision risk, emergency-response capacity, air quality, impacts on other marine users, and consequences for Howe Sound and English Bay. I would also ensure our own emergency planning considers LNG carrier traffic and identifies any gaps in preparedness.

Any significant expansion should face appropriate new scrutiny, meaningful public and Indigenous consultation, and demonstrate that its climate, environmental and public-safety impacts can be adequately addressed.