Alexa Loo, Richmond City Councillor: Where Time Carved Snow and Now Cultivates Community | Words of Time

In Richmond, British Columbia, a voice finds form in Alexa Loo, a former Olympian who once carved down snow-covered slopes and now walks the streets of her hometown as a city councillor, listening, learning, and leading.

“I’ve grown up here in Richmond. This is where my roots are. And now, I want to come back to this land and do something meaningful.”

Alexa’s journey began not in politics, but in a moment of personal reckoning. Once an accountant, she made a life-changing decision to pursue her dream — representing Canada in alpine snowboarding at the 2006 and 2010 Winter Olympics.

In the mountains, she learned about determination and risk. But she also learned that the greatest challenges often begin after the podium:

when one returns home, and chooses to build something lasting.

From Speed to Stillness: Turning Momentum into Meaning

“We’re already a great community — but how can we be even better?”

That question led her into public service, and eventually to her role as a city councillor in Richmond. Her vision: a city that is not only safe and livable, but rich in cultural expression and human connection.

“Culture is the food we eat. It’s the languages you hear in every corner of the street. It’s a place where both Lunar New Year and Christmas can light up the same avenue.”

She envisions Richmond not as a city of labels, but as a living community — just like her own journey, one that blends the athlete, the policymaker, and the cultural bridge-builder.

“Cultural harmony isn’t about you becoming me, or me becoming you — it’s about us becoming us.”

Building Trust Through Services That Matter

While culture is at the heart of her values, Alexa is equally focused on the foundational pillars of any thriving city: health, safety, and trust.

“I care deeply about health and safety — that means ensuring we have enough police and fire services.

I also want to make sure our hospitals are adequately staffed.

When someone walks into an emergency room, I want them to know there’s a doctor there.”

She believes true safety is not a slogan, but a promise — that people can rely on their city when it matters most.

Editor-in-Chief: Doris Shangguan

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Until next time — in time.