√ Qualified
√ Committed
√ Compassionate
My name is Philippe Lucas, and I’m a candidate for Victoria City Council. I’m currently a Graduate Research Fellow with the Center for Addictions Research of B.C., and my background includes nearly 15 years of teaching and childcare experience, and over 9 years of working with our region’s critically and chronically ill through the Vancouver Island Compassion Society, of which I am Executive Director. Over the years I have had the privilege of living in some of the world’s great cities - Montreal, London, New York, Boston, Vancouver - but none quite match the unique blend of beautiful views and vistas, rich and diverse art and culture, and social and environmental awareness that we possess here in Victoria, and that’s why I have made this vibrant city my home for nearly 15 years.
However, our community is not without its challenges, and I have worked 
hard over the years to tackle some of the most difficult issues facing our region. With the goal of increasing the vibrancy and vitality of our downtown core, I served over three years on the City of Victoria’s Downtown Advisory Committee (DAC) developing policies on beautification, abandoned lots and buildings, substance use, and policies for local produce and artisan markets, finishing my term as vice-chair of the DAC. In the face of the ever-increasing level of homelessness on our streets, I joined the Committee to End Homelessness in Victoria in 2005, working to ensure that the voice of the homeless is heard on the many regional committees now devoted to addressing this incredibly important issue, raising funds for innovative solutions like the MOTHERS tent-trailer project supported by VanCity, and increasing awareness of the needs of our street affected population by working with them towards more effective policies.
I have a passion for working with some of our most disadvantaged
citizens, and feel that we all deserve the right to live a fulfilling, fruitful, and productive life, so when VIHA and our current city council allowed our fixed site needle exchange to close down 
I worked with Harm Reduction Victoria to organize community dialogues in order to raise our community’s understanding of this necessary and effective public health service, including co-hosting Dr. Gabor Mate’s intimate discussion of addiction at Alex Goolden Hall in July.
As a former professional cook and caterer, food is incredibly important to me, and that has led me to get involved in local food security issues. When my wife Mary and I bought a house
in the Quadra-Hillside community, my first goal was to ensure that we had access to local, organic produce in our neighbourhood, so I worked with Lee Fuge and Fern Wager to get a FoodRoots pocket market established on Kings St. across from the Work Street Commons, our 
local community garden where you can find often me digging and weeding (when I’m not taking care of my own organic garden). Additionally, I’ve fought hard to protect our farm lands by actively promoting the establishment of a permanent food and produce market in our downtown core that would allow our farmers, bakers, wineries, cheese producers and artisans to highlight our regions remarkable bounty.
I believe that Victoria has the potential to be a world leader in sustainable development, social justice, and citizen engagement, but we have been falling short of these achievable goals for far too long. This great city deserves leadership that is not afraid to challenge the provincial and federal government to make greater contributions to address our most pressing social issues, and that can ensure that we all have the opportunity to thrive and to live rich and rewarding lives. We deserve policies that will create a safe and vibrant downtown core, improve public transportation, ensure good value for money on major infrastructure projects like sewage treatment, and allow and encourage real citizen 
engagement in our local government. We expect and deserve so much better from City Hall than the dearth of leadership, creative-thinking, and determination that has plagued our city council for far too long, and as a city councillor I look forward to working each and every day to ensure that our great city finally reaches its full potential, and that our community health and happiness is paramount in all municipal policies and practice.
Let’s work together for brighter future for ourselves and our children; let’s work together for a better Victoria.