Rod Mc Connell grew up in north-eastern Alberta. After completing high school, he attended the University of Alberta, undertaking his Bachelor of Education degree in sciences. He then taught elementary and senior high school for 6 years. He returned to the UofA to complete his B.Ed. and begin his M.Ed. degree in media and communications while employed as a science media consultant for the provincial Department of Education.

He has been very concerned about and active in reducing light waste, trespass, glare and pollution in Edmonton and has worked for over ten years with the City to adopt a Light-Efficient Community Program. This program, passed in 1913, is now being adopted by various municipalities throughout the province and other cities on a world-wide basis.

Rod has also been very active in the design, production and distribution of various types of media created to increase public awareness of light waste, trespass and pollution and promote remediation through Light-Efficient Community (LEC) programs not only in Edmonton but in many other communities. This free, distributable material is available on-line through his web site found at: http://www.light-efficientcommunities.com/

He has also been deeply involved in creating new LEC-related materials and produced a film titled "Demons in the Light." Now on YouTube.com, it exposes the various serious, negative aspects and costs of light waste. See: Demons in the Light: Light Waste - An Overview - YouTube

With a desire to have LEC-Compliant streetlights available to communities, Rod and associates undertook the conceptual design of a streetlight luminaire specifically tailored for LEC and "Green" communities in 2016. The first LEC-Compliant luminaire called Lumicana, is now manufactured by Lumican, (Lumican.com) a lighting company in Edmonton.

Besides a wealth of other subjects, he enjoys shooting the Pride Parades on video for the costumes, colour, movement, interaction of participants and bystanders in the parade and support for gay members of society shown by participants and the audience. He is pleased to make copies of these available to everyone through the this Web site.