Leanna’s reply
Hi there, Thank you for sending these and for taking the time to gather answers from all of us. These are practical, everyday questions, and I appreciate that. Here are my responses.
1. Food security, climate resilience and land-use rules
Yes, I would support a public review. If our rules are stopping people from growing food where it makes sense, we should know that and fix it.
Some of these limits may come from city rules. Others come from strata bylaws or landlord policies, which the city doesn’t control. A good review would sort out which is which, so residents know who to talk to.
Where the city does have a say, I would support letting food-producing plants and garden beds count toward landscaping requirements in new developments. I would support simple guidance for stratas and property managers that shows community gardens are allowed and how to do them well. I would also like to see more community garden space on city land near multi-unit housing, working with groups who already know how to run them.
Local First Nations have been growing and gathering food on this land longer than anyone. Food security comes up in every conversation I’ve had at the dialogue table, and it’s a goal we share. I would want local First Nations governments involved in this review from the start, and I’d look for ways to partner on community gardens and growing spaces that serve everyone.
During my term, I would ask staff to bring this review forward early, and I would make sure residents and garden groups are at the table when the changes are written.
2. The right to air-dry laundry
Yes to both. I would support asking staff to look at what Chilliwack can do, and I would advocate to the Province for a right to dry.
I’ll be honest about the limits. Strata rules and tenancy rules are set by the Province, so the city’s direct power here is small. That’s why the provincial ask matters most. A right to dry with reasonable safety standards, like freestanding racks or retractable lines that are secured, makes sense to me. It saves families money and cuts energy use.
During my term, I would bring a motion asking staff for a short report on the city’s options, and I would push to take this to the Province through our regional partners and UBCM, where a group of cities speaking together carries more weight than one.
3. Recycling and organics in multi-unit buildings
If we want people to recycle and compost, we have to make it easy. Right now, where you live can decide whether you have good access, and that isn’t fair.
For new buildings, I would support clear requirements for enough space and easy access for recycling and organics bins, planned from the start, not squeezed in later.
For existing buildings, I think the answer is partnership more than penalties. Most building managers want this to work. I would like the city to give them simple tools: clear signs in plain language and more than one language, a starter kit for new residents, and someone at the city they can actually call for help.
During my term, I would ask staff to look at where multi-unit buildings are falling behind and why, then report back on progress each year in plain language. That’s the same kind of public reporting I want for our roads and our climate plan.
4. The drug poisoning crisis
The city can’t solve this alone, but it can’t sit on the sidelines either. When someone is ready for help, that help needs to be there, close to home, without a long wait.
This crisis has hit First Nations people especially hard, and that has to shape how we respond. Local First Nations and Indigenous-led health organizations already know what works for their communities, including culturally safe care and land-based healing. I’ve spent eight years building a table with seven of our ten local Nations. I want to bring this conversation to that table and ask how the city can support the work they’re already leading, not plan around them.
Our council has asked the Province for two things for five years: a dedicated treatment team for Chilliwack and a fairer share of shelter beds across the region. Both are still unanswered. I would work with our regional partners and local First Nations on one clear, costed, public ask: what we need, what it costs, who pays, and when we expect an answer. Then I would make it public, so residents can see whether we got one.
Where the city does have tools, I would use them. That means making it easier to site treatment, recovery and supportive housing through our land use decisions, working with neighbours along the way. It also means bringing health, housing, outreach and police partners together so people don’t fall through the cracks between services.
I’ll also be honest that on some approaches, I’m still learning. I want to hear from public health experts and look at what has actually worked in other communities before I take a firm position. What I do know is that the way we’re doing things now isn’t working, and people’s lives depend on getting it right.
5. Wildfire smoke and indoor air quality
Yes. Wildfire smoke is now part of our summers, and our buildings need to keep up.
Where the city has authority, I would support stronger air quality standards for new buildings, including HVAC systems that can handle higher-efficiency filters. The Province often moves slowly, and if our local builders and residents are ready, I’m open to Chilliwack moving ahead. A home that costs a little more to build but protects people’s health and lowers costs over time makes sense to me.
I would also advocate to the Province for stronger building code standards and for funding to help older buildings improve filtration, with a focus on seniors and renters who can’t make those upgrades on their own.
During my term, I would push for a network of clean air spaces in our rec centres and libraries, planned alongside the cooling centres I want from our new Climate Risk Assessment and Adaptation Plan. Heat and smoke often arrive together, and we should be ready for both before the next summer starts. Smoke and fire don’t stop at municipal boundaries either. I would want this network planned together with local First Nations and the FVRD, so families on reserve and off have the same access when the next smoky summer arrives.
Thank you again for asking. I’m happy to talk about any of these further.
Warmly,
Leanna Kemp
Candidate, Chilliwack City Council