Richmond News July 20 2023

Bathrooms and matte black trends: bold and beautiful inspiration

Fixtures and accessories that instantly modernize your space

Whether you ’ re going to tackle a bathroom renovation or simply want to kick up the wow factor, matte black faucets and accessories go a long way in making a stylish statement, especially if you want to infuse some depth and drama to your focal points or accents.

The mass appeal of matte black cannot be understated, as it continues to filter into the mainstream and be incorporated throughout home designs. It’s showing up everywhere, but predominantly kitchen and bath spaces.

“We’ve seen matte black grow in popularity over the past few years, and a lot of our customers are asking for it more often, ” says Adam Young, marketing coordinator, with Splashes

Bath & Kitchen Victoria, B.C

“Customers can expect a wider range of options than years ago We stock a variety of brands that offer matte black in their collections, like Riobel, with their faucets and shower kits, or Kartners’ line of accessories.”

Matte black offers a more distinct and sleek profile than conventional fixture designs and finishes, so it’s easy to modernize your bathroom. Its

timeless quality means it’s unlikely to go out of style

Known for its versatility, it’s exciting to integrate with other metals for contrast, like satin brass and golds, for instance, even stainless. Plus, it pairs seamlessly with any design styles you want to achieve, like modern, traditional, or transitional Additionally, most people gravitate towards a neutral colour palette in their bathrooms, which makes it a great finish option that pops and complements fluently

If your bathroom is well-lit or sunshine streams in, with an unpolished finish like matte black, you’ll find less glare, without light bouncing off your fixtures.

“It’s softer, more subdued, too,” adds Young, “while maintaining an air of sophistication and elegance”

The big bonus? Maintenance is virtually effortless, as this black beauty is more impervious to water marks, fingerprints and scratches, compared to chrome or other metallic surfaces.

PRODUCT COLLECTIONS, INSPIRATION

The experts at Splashes Bath & Kitchen share some options to incorporate matte black products into your bathroom.

“The faucets in the Nibi Collection by Riobel have a minimal aesthetic that would complement any bathroom,” explains Young “They’ve taken inspiration from the cone-shaped tapering of a lighthouse, with straight, steady lines, and a rounded base We carry both the Single, Top Handle Faucet, and the Widespread Faucet models.”

For all you bathers who love a good soak, you can elevate your Zen time

If your go-to relaxation is a book and glass of wine, look to Kartners’ Free Standing Bath Wine Stand to keep everything within reach. Its modern styling is the perfect accent piece, and accommodates your book or laptop, stemmed wine glass, and towel

For wall-mounting towel hardware,

consider Kartners’ Oslo Collection Towel Bar 12”, with its round minimalist look, softened by round forms, it delivers a strong contemporary style.

Your fluffy robes can have their own home, too, on the Oslo Triple Robe Hook, with three fixed horizontal hooks, and concealed mounting for a seamless look.

“If you ’ re considering matte black for your bathroom fixtures and accessories, our consultants will help you with your questions and provide you with design advice,” reveals Young.

“Our experts are here to help make your dream bathroom a reality”

Consult a Splashes Bath & Kitchen expert to learn more about the best matte black fixtures and accessories for your needs, and view their exceptional selection of reputable brands and quality products at one of Splashes eight showrooms on the lower mainland area, including 4500 Vanguard Road in Richmond. Phone: (604) 278-3766 or visit splashesonline com for more information.

Nibi Widespread Bathroom Faucet. PHOTO VIA SPLASHES BATH & KITCHEN

OSLO TOWEL BAR - 12” AND TOWEL LADDER.

PHOTO VIA SPLASHES BATH & KITCHEN

OSLO TRIPLE ROBE HOOK. PHOTO VIA SPLASHES BATH & KITCHEN

‘They turned my house into a giant landfill’: Landlord

DAISY XIONG

dxiong@richmond-news com

Richmond resident Hui Chen and her husband entered the house they rented out on Williams and No 3 roads last week, after failing to collect rent and not hearing from the tenant for days

They couldn’t believe what they saw

“They turned my house into a giant landfill The whole house stunk,” Chen told the Richmond News

There was animal urine and feces everywhere on the floor, carpets, tables and chairs, and garbage scattered around the floor

The sink was full of unwashed dishes with flies circling and the fridge was stuffed with expired food The furniture and walls were alsodamagedfrom what appeared tobe deep scratches by the tenant’s pets

And there were holes on the window and door screens that were apparently created so the pets could go in and out freely, said Chen And that was not the end of it.

When Chen and her husband opened the garage, they were even more shocked because it was completely taken up by garbage bags more than 20 of them filled to the brim with everything from food waste to dog poop

“They never threw away the garbage and just stored them in the garage…it’s unbelievable someone can live in such a horrible environment,” said Chen, adding she now under-

stands why she always saw their car parked outside the garage.

“We were absolutely shocked I and my husbandlostsleepfortwonightsafterseeingthis We couldn’t believe this happened to us.”

Tenants have ‘disappeared’: Landlord

Chen posted her property online for rent last summer and was approached by a couple in their thirties with two young children.

“They told us they have a property in Vancouver but they wanted to stay close to their kids’ school in Richmond,” recalled Chen.

She was hesitant at first because the couple said they had a golden retriever but they guar-

anteed that the pet was very well-behaved and would stay in a cage when it was inside the house so it would not cause any damage.

Chen agreed and the couple moved in last August after signing a two-year contract

“Last month, I didn’t receive their rent and tried to contact them but there was no response,” said Chen

“I later found out that they cancelled their accounts on Fortis BC and BC Hydro. I gave them a written notice and then went in to check the place, and found out they just left with such a mess.”

When checking the house, Chen realized the couple also had a cat which was never men-

ti

oned

“What also disturbs me is that they have two young kids and they let them live in such a dirty environment,” said Chen, adding she saw children’s toys left right next to pet poop in the house.

Chen said she doesn’t understand why they left without notice claiming that they never had any issues with each other over the past 11 months.

But she is too busy to think of the whys and wherenow shehastorepairallthedamage they’ve made, including replacing the stairs and carpet, repainting the walls, replacing the furniture and having the house cleaned from top to bottom

“The total cost is estimated to be more than $30,000 the floor replacement itself is quoted for more than $10,000, way more than the house deposit they left behind,” said Chen. “And this doesn’t include the money we lose for not being able to rent out the place during this time”

Asking to take responsibility

Chen, who has the couple’s name on the contract, hopes they can contact her and take responsibility for their actions

She said she is collecting evidence and will have to take the couple to court if they refuse to come out, but hopes it doesn’t go that far

“We live in a law-based society you can’t just do things like this and run away It doesn’t work like that,” said Chen

The tenant left the house with cat and dog poop and urine everywhere (far right) and more than 20 bags of stinking garbage (above)

City took broom to London Farm painting

Dear Editor,

Two weeks ago, a renovated London Heritage Farm site was opened by Mayor Brodie, accompanied by a handful of city and government officials

During this ceremony, little to no attention was paid to what was factually accomplished during the almost two-year project

Debatable is the overall change from a pleasant, though rather neglected, venue, to a streamlined, somewhat pretentious theme park complete with mind-numbing signs that tell you where everything is and particularly what it is

One of the most attractive park features used to be a small pond, teeming with wildlife of all feathers

An utterly charming, monetesque gem, now crossed by a bridge so bulky, so expensive and so huge as if constructed to support multiple contingents of battle tanks, crossing the wildest section of the Fraser River or the Volga

Richmond council saw an opportunity to ruin a hallowed heritage gem, and they took it with a heavy duty broom rather than with an artist’s brush to “open up the area”

As an appalled citizen, I demand this over the top bridge be demolished, and suggest to the City of Richmond decision makers to hire future designers with some respect for heritage and a sense of proportion and beauty

Robert Berkhout RICHMOND

Construction chaos trumps car racket

Dear Editor,

Much has been written about car noise and busy parking lotslately How about residentialconstructionareas?

There is a monster house being built in our neighbourhood and for the past (almost two years) we have been subjected to trucks/cars blocking our narrow street, making it a nightmare to pull in/out of our driveway

They park wherever they want; thus, destroying our lawns

The city has allowed us to use plastic cones as a solution But these construction workers disrespect our neighbourhood.

They do as they please, block our streets with complete disregard for the residents, put their materials so close to the street, we have to dodge them as we drive and walk.

We have complained to the city and all the city has done is create a file Bylaw officers are sent but as soon as they leave the premises, everything goes back to the way it was before

So we don’t exactly know who is in charge here and why the city isn’t doing more to ensure that our streets and neighbourhoods are livable to all and not a constant nightmare

J Dunlop RICHMOND

Bemused by city’s alcohol U-turn

Dear Editor,

“City council approves drinking alcohol in three parks,” News, July 6

In the Richmond News of June 22, it states that the majority of city councillors voted against the pilot program allowing drinking alcohol in Richmond parks

It seemed like a done deal!

So why then was it re-opened?

I was somewhat taken aback when I read in the July 6 edition of the Richmond News that now drinking alcohol got approved in three parks, including part of Garry Point Park, which Mayor Brodie was against Who pushed that through, against the advice of Richmond’s health officer, Dr Meena Dawar, and the concern of the citizens of Richmond?

City council is accountable to the public and is supposed to work for the well-being of families and children.

I want to thank all those who voted against the pilot project and didn’t waver

Thank you, Couns Bill McNulty, Michael Wolfe and Chak Au. Your perseverance for the common good will be remembered

Brigitte Moore

Hotels suing union, striking workers for making too much noise on picket line

VIKKI HUI vhui@richmond-news com

A group of Richmond hotels is taking a union and its striking workers to court for allegedly making too much noise on the picket line and harassing employees going to and from work

The Sheraton Vancouver Airport on Westminster Highway and its neighbouring sister hotels filed a notice of claim last Friday at the B C Supreme Court against Unite Here Local 40 and its members, who have been on strike for a month

Hotel strike rally shuts down street

VIKKI HUI vhui@richmond-news com

Hundreds gathered at Richmond city centre on Friday afternoon for a mass demonstration led by Unite Here Local 40, the union representing the striking Sheraton hotel workers, to mark the one-month anniversary of job action

A section of Minoru Boulevard was closed off as workers and their allies marched around the area,

calling for living wages and better working conditions

Workers such as housekeepers, banquet staff, front desk agents and the Sheraton’s Starbucks food services workers walked off the job on June 14

Since then, they have been picketing outside the Sheraton and its sister hotels, Hilton Vancouver Airport and Marriott Vancouver Airport, every day between 7 a m and 7 p m

According to court documents, the workers on the picket line are creating “intolerable” noise which exceeds bylaw levels from 7 a m to 7 p m each day

The hotel claims that the noise causes “substantial annoyance and disturbance” to the Sheraton and its neighbouring sister hotels, their guests, employees andthegeneralpublicandinterfereswiththeir“physical, psychological and mental well-being.”

The Sheraton is seeking a court order banning picketers from using microphones, loud speakers, megaphones, blow horns and other tools in the area or making any noise exceeding levels permitted by City of Richmond bylaws

The Sheraton also alleges the union and its supporters have engaged in “intimidating and harassing conduct towards Sheraton employees who choose to continue working during the strike, as they are law-

fully entitled to do.” According to the notice, picketers repeatedly harassed an employee who crossed the picket line by blocking her from driving home, going to her house and knocking “loudly and incessantly” on her door while shouting at her on two occasions.

“(The employee) fears that she has been followed to and from work by the union, for the purpose of intimidating and threatening her for deciding to cross the picket line,” reads the claim

Itaddedtheemployeehasturneddownshifts infear of being confronted by union members

The hotel is also asking the court to stop the union and its members from intimidating or interfering with employeesandguests,aswellasgeneraldamagesand costs.

The Sheraton’s sister hotels under the same management company, Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel and Hilton Vancouver Airport, are also plaintiffs in the lawsuit.

Unite Here Local 40 members walked off the job on June 14 to demand better pay and working conditions Since then, they have been picketing daily outside the three hotels and their resident restaurants

The Sheraton has received three cease and desist orders from the BC Labour Relations Board for using illegal replacement employees over three weeks. The union will have to file a response to the lawsuit within 21 days of being served

Sheraton workers and their allies gathered outside Sheraton Vancouver Airport on Minoru Boulevard on Friday to mark one month since they walked off the job Galileo Cheng photo

Signs remind community of racist past

MARIA RANTANEN mrantanen@richmond-news.com

A memorial to the Komagata Maru ship that tried to land in Vancouver in 1914, but was turned away, will now have a permanent memorial at King George Park

This is to remind Richmondites of Canada’s historical racist policies and practices

Raj Singh Toor, vice-president of the Descendants of the Komagata Maru Society, approached Richmond city council more than two years ago, asking them to recognize this history

A week ago, the two signs were unveiled. There were already many people from India living in Richmond in the early 20th century when the boat arrived.

Sikhs opened a Gurdwara in Richmond in 1912, and there were many Indians working on farms and at the Imperial Cannery Canada, however, closed its doors to immigration from India in 1914, and the Komagata Maru steamship came, challenging that law

Most of the 376 passengers were eventually sent back, after spending two months on the ship waiting in the harbour, often hungry and ill Toor’s grandfather, Baba Puran Singh Janetpura, was one of the passengers on the ship. He notes the passengers were British sub-

jects, and their British citizenship should have made them eligible to enter Canada

When they arrived back in India, they faced persecution from the British, with about 20 killed and many injured This was one of the motivating factors behind the independence movement in India

Toor said the signs at King George Park will help educate the community as well as remind

City warns of increased fire risk

them of Canada’s and Richmond’s “diverse makeup”

“Komagata Maru interpretive sign in Richmond is a great tribute to those passengers who suffered a lot during the tragedy,” Toor said “We can’t undo the past, but we can move forward and leave a legacy for future generations by educating them about the past”

Letter writers attack affordable housing proposal

MARIA RANTANEN

mrantanen@richmond-news com

A 25-unit affordable apartment building for women and children in Steveston has been the subject of a form-letter campaign, opposing its construction

The building, on a city-owned lot at the corner of Railway Avenue and Steveston Highway, will be dealt with at next week’s planning meeting

Thecityrecentlyreceivedagrant from the federal government for $9 1 million to build the facility, which will be run by Turning Point Housing Society and is meant for women and children who are facing challenges finding housing

The city received 102 form letters opposing the housing project some were from the immediate surroundings and others from the nearby vicinity

One letter noted that Turning Point has “recovery society” in its name.

However, the society created an affiliate organization Turning

Point Housing Society when the 129-unit Storeys building was constructed about five years ago in city centre.

In a letter of clarification, Turning Point executive director Brenda Plant notes this building isn’t a recovery home nor is it a lowbarrier building

There will be Turning Point staff on site 24 hours a day.

Furthermore, she noted, the homes are meant for long-term

residents

“Individual counselling and support services will be provided as needed to assist residents in building strong, happy and productive lives,” Plant said in her letter.

“Many will already have jobs, be seeking employment opportunitiesor advancing their education” Some feedback questioned who would live in the building, noting the location was inappropriate

because it is located across the street from a pub.

Other comments mentioned the “challenges” of traffic flow and parking as well as the risk of property values going down.

“The presence of affordable housing units, particularly if they are concentrated in one specific area, may result in a perceived decline in the desirability of our neighborhood, which could consequently affect property values,” reads one letter

“The City is trying to shoot in a recovery facility in a quiet, peaceful, harmonious and familyoriented neighbourhood without disclosing the details to the neighbours,” reads another piece of feedback

There will be 15 studio apartments and 10 two-bedroom apartments in the three-storey building

The item was on the planning committee agenda after the News’ print deadline It will then come to a future council meeting

There were a dozen bush and grass fires reported in Richmond in the past week, at a time when the city’s fire danger level is rated “extreme,” like much of the province

The extreme heat is rendering 870 hectares of park lands in Richmond vulnerable to fires, according to the City of Richmond

While parks and trails remain open, there is a complete ban on barbecues and stoves at any time in city parks and at beaches

People are also being reminded not to discard cigarette butts from vehicles, onto sidewalks or in bins, even though they have been extinguished they should be put in sand or water before being thrown out.

There is a $200 fine for not discarding a cigarette or smoking butt correctly and a fine of up to $10,000 for not following fire bans and restrictions

Water resources are also a concern during the extended heat and related drought conditions.

Metro Vancouver reported a 21-percent increase in water use compared to the same period last year.

Richmond is on stage one water restrictions until Oct 15, but this can change if the warm weather and drought conditions continue.

This means residents at even-numbered addresses can only water lawns on Saturday with automatic watering from 5 a m to 7 a m and manually from 6 a m to 9 a m

Odd-numbered addresses may water lawns on Sunday with automatic watering from 5 a m to 7 a m and manually from 6 a m to 9 a m

Raj Singh Toor (third from left) and his son Karan Singh Toor (second from left) are descendants of a Komagata Maru passenger who was refused entry into Canada.

Photo submitted

The city is planning 25 units of affordable housing for women and children at Railway Avenue and Steveston Highway.

Maria Rantanen photo

There have been several brush fires in Richmond recently as the hot, dry weather continues

Sting nets eight drunk drivers

MARIA RANTANEN

mrantanen@richmond-news

com

Eight drunk drivers were detained and taken off the road and 49 tickets were issued in a road safety blitz in Richmond on a recent Saturday night Richmond RCMP’s Road Safety Unit teamed up with BC Highway Patrol for a road safety enforcement sting, aiming to get drunk drivers off the road They were stationed at the Sea Island

Pride flag to fly at city hall for first time

MARIA RANTANEN

mrantanen@richmond-news com

Two firsts are planned for Richmond this year to celebrate Pride Week: a progressive pride flag at city hall and a Pride Walk in Steveston.

This will be the first time a pride flag will fly at Richmond City Hall, from July 31 to Aug 6, and comes on the heels of city council changing its flag policy earlier this year

Furthermore, RichmondSteveston MLA Kelly Greene is planning to host a “Pride Walk” on July 29 along the Steveston boardwalk also the first of its kind in Richmond starting in front of herofficeatImperialLanding

“Throughout my time living in Richmond and being in elected office, I have heard from residents that Richmond lacks a sense of belonging for many queer folks and Richmond needs to do better in recognizing our local 2SLGBTQIA+ community, from visibility to consulta-

tions relating to policy planning,” Greene said The News reported last year how a drag queen story hour in Hamilton was disrupted by protesters, some with rainbow swastikas.

The city is organizing various events during pride week including story times, workshops, fitness classes and an improv performance

For a full list of events during Pride Week, go to Richmond ca/pride

Pride Week highlights

Pride Author Panel: Monday, July 31, 7 to 8 p.m. at Brighouse Library

Allyship Workshop: Aug 3, 4:30 to 6 p m at Cambie Community Centre. Open to 2SLGBTQI+ community membersandalliesages13+years

Hot Pot Talks: Queer Asian

Storytelling: Aug 4, 6 p m to 9 p m at Richmond Cultural Centre, 7700 Minoru Gate

Pride Swim: Aug. 5, 9:30 a m to 11:30 a m at South Arm Outdoor Pool

Way off-ramp from Highway 99 south.

In addition to the eight drunk drivers, another driver was arrested for driving while prohibited

In total, drivers received tickets for 49 various provincial charges during this one-night operation

“(Road safety) operations like this one, which see Richmond RCMP collaborating with BC Highway Patrol, allow us to enhance our enforcement of

road safety rules and regulations,” said Const. Frank Tarape of the Richmond RCMP Road Safety Unit

During the month of July, Enhanced Road Safety Enforcement Initiatives will be occurring every Friday and Saturday night somewhere in the City of Richmond

“Our message is clear,” said Tarape. “Drive safe If you’re going to drink, don’t drive”

There will be events from July 31 to Aug 6 in Richmond to celebrate Pride Week City of Richmond photo

Day parole extended for Mountie killer Steven Leclair

VIKKI HUI

vhui@richmond-news com

A man serving a life sentence for fatally shooting four people in 1980 has been granted an extension to his day parole for six more months

Steven Leclair, now in his late 70s, shot two employees and an elderly patron after getting kicked out of a Vancouver bar 43 years ago.

He then held people at gunpoint and forced them to drive him to a Richmond RCMP detachment, where he shot 26-year-old Const. Thomas Agar in the chest

He was convicted of four first-degree murders.

Leclair was granted six months of day parole in December 2022, which has now been extended for six more monthsbytheParoleBoardofCanada (PBC)

In a decision issued on June 23, the PBC acknowledged Leclair’s health has “declined” since he was released to the community, including his “cognitive capabilities”

“(Leclair is) bed-ridden, (has) atrophy and (is) now unable to walk,” reads the decision

Leclair has received in-home care from local health authorities since he was released on day parole Although the PBC “remains very concerned with the seriousness” of

Leclair’s crimes, which caused “inexplicable and incalculable” harms, it decided Leclair’s day parole should continue as he is experiencing “further physical and mental decline”

The PBC said “significant weight” was put on the viability of Leclair’s release plan, which included “support from the local health authority and (Leclair’s) spouse.”

According to the decision, Leclair is engaged in his correctional plan and his accountability, motivation and reintegration potential are a medium level

“(Leclair continues) to have some need for improvement in risk domains,” reads the decision

Under his day parole conditions, Leclair is forbidden from drinking or entering drinking establishments.

He is also not allowed to contact the victims and their families, go to various municipalities across B.C. including Richmond, and he cannot go to police detachments unless it is prearranged or an emergency

Notice

Development Permit Panel Meeting

Wednesday, July 26, 2023

3:30 p.m. in Council Chambers

Agenda Items:

1. 7600 Ash Street - DV 23-013843 - Jatinder Johal - To vary the provisions of Richmond Zoning Bylaw 8500 to reduce the minimum south side yard setback for accessory buildings with a wall length greater than 6.0 m from 2.4 m (7.87 ft.) to 1.5 m (4.92 ft.) to permit retention of an existing detached garage at 7600 Ash Street.

2. 8220 Gilbert Road – DP 23-011608 - Rick Bowal – To permit the construction of a total of two front-to-back duplexes at 8220 Gilbert Road (one on each new lot after subdivision), on lots zoned “Arterial Road Two-Unit Dwellings (RDA)”.

Please call 604-276-4395 for further information.

Please note: If you are unable to attend the Development Permit Panel meeting in-person, you may provide written comments in advance of the meeting by email to cityclerk@richmond.ca, by standard mail, or participate in the meeting remotely by teleconference. Registration to participate remotely is available starting on the Friday prior to the meeting until 1:00 p.m. on the date of the meeting. Information on how to register is available on the City website: https://citycouncil.richmond.ca/meetings/phone-participation.htm

Crash sends one person to hospital

VIKKI HUI

vhui@richmond-news com

A crash at No 4 Road and Westminster Highway last Thursday night has left one person hospitalized

Photos taken by Richmond News reader Terry Crowe at around 8:15 p m on July 13 show a black SUV being towed away along Westminster Highway

Meanwhile, a heavily damaged silver sedan could be seen nestled into the grassy area on the other side of the road Emergency vehicles including Richmond RCMP cruisers, ambulances and a fire truck were also spotted at the scene

One person was sent to the hospital after a crash at No 4 Road and Westminster Highway last Thursday. Terry Crowe photo

Const Thomas James Agar, 26, of Richmond RCMP was fatally shot while in the line of duty in 1980

Nets collected in Steveston camouflage Ukrainian medics

MARIA RANTANEN mrantanen@richmond-news com

Oldfishingnetsusedonthecoast of B.C. have been collected by the Steveston Harbour Authority and repurposed to camouflage medics and field hospitals in Ukraine, a country at war with Russia

Brent Mudry – with his nonprofit Defend Ukraine Foundation – has sent thousands of pounds of fishing nets to the war-torn country where locals then weave pieces of cloth into them to create camouflage nets to place over ambulances and field hospital tents to hide them from the enemy

“It’s almost like a knitting bee,” Mudry said of the process

What colour cloth is used for the camouflage depends on the season white in winter and greens and browns in the fall

Sometimes, if they’re in a hurry, the fishing nets are sent out to the frontline and sticks and leaves are woven into them.

Mudry noted medics, ambulances and field hospitals have been targeted by Russian forces, something that goes against the Geneva Conventions

Last fall, North Shore Rescue donated a used tent that was shipped off to Ukraine by Defend Ukraine. Lo and behold, it arrived just in time as a field hospital had once again been targeted and desperately needed a new tent

For Mudry, who recently retired from the RCMP, helping Ukraine is personal as his family is partly from the Eastern European country

“It’s been a blur since March of last year,” Mudry said

“The stuff is so desperately needed, I want to do more and more,” he added.

Mudry has high praise for the staff at the Steveston Harbour Authority who have not only collected the fishing nets but have also allowed them to use their space to pack their containers.

There have been 10 shipments so far, and each targeted fundraising campaign has a different name.

The latest was Project Easter, that included the fishing nets

This arrived in Kiev about three weeks ago

Each campaign has a unique names last Christmas it was Project Frozen, and others have been given names like Project Padre and Project Bethume

Doing one project at a time allows donors to see directly where their money is going.

There have been some surprise donations, for example, the foundation received a cheque for $2,800 out of the blue from a legion in Manitoba.

Other assistance has come in free shipping from Vancouver to Montreal, covered by CP Rail, something Mudry estimates would cost between $2,400 and $2,800.

Project Easter’s container was half filled with fishing nets about 20 totes weighing about 500 to 600 pounds each.

The other half of the container included combat medic supplies such as wheelchairs, walkers, metal rescue basket stretchers, boot casts and crutches worth $10,000.

Also included in the shipment were donations of clothing, blankets and toys collected by the Yalenka Ukrainian Dancers in Prince George.

When the shipments arrive in Ukraine, they are met with volunteers and local NGOs who distribute the contents to where they’re needed

Through his connections in Ukraine, Mudry sees the on-going need for medical supplies and more camouflage

To donate to Defend Ukraine Foundation, contact Mudry at bmudry@hotmail.com.

Dim sum game made during pandemic to connect friends

VALERIE LEUNG vleung@richmond-news com

Dim sum is not only a meal enjoyed at a restaurant, it’s also a time to connect This became evident during the COVID-19 pandemic when socializing was restricted and meeting with families and friends over dim sum was verboten

Long-time friends Marie Wong, a Richmond resident,

and Pauline Kong decided to create a board game called Steam Up to replicate this culturally important pastime and teach others about dim sum culture

“Dim sum is how I connect with family and friends and when the pandemic hit, it actually took away that connection,” said Wong

“Steam Up comes in and tries to fill in the gap and is

meant to bring that connection back to people regardless of whether we’re at home or at the restaurant”

The game features a moveable turntable game board, stackable steamers and iconic dim sum games pieces like shrimp dumplings, BBQ meat buns, sticky rice and even phoenix claws

Kong told the Richmond News they wanted to incor-

porate cultural awareness throughout the game.

“Dim sum is something many people can relate to, and especially for us, culturally,” said Kong

“We wanted to design something that is authentic, highly related to us, while teaching families and kids about the culture”

There are subtle parts of the game that teach people about Asian culture such as information about the 12 zodiacs and why the number

four is blank on the dice.

“We hope people can learn about new food, try it and learn a little bit about a culture that they haven’t seen before And of course, for those who are familiar with it, we hope it brings back nostalgic feelings”

Scraps of cloth are woven into fishing nets collected by the Steveston Harbour Authority to create camouflage used in war.

Pauline Kong (left) and Marie Wong created a dim sum-themed game titled Steam Up Hot Banana Games photo

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Stop stigmatizing and start helping: Advocate

MARIA RANTANEN mrantanen@richmond-news.com

One had a legal gun, the other an illegal one. An early-morning armed robbery at Denny’s in Vancouver, an arrest and an eventual acquittal due to a technicality is the mutual history of two Richmond sons in the early 1990s one as a cop, the other as an armed robber. But to see them chatting over a cup of coffee 30 years later with the former cop asking the former robber to help educate the City of Richmond on addictions and homelessness their camaraderie and mutual admiration is obvious.

Richmond city councillor Kash Heed, a former VPD cop and former solicitor general, and Guy Felicella, peer clinical advisor with the BC Centre for Substance Use, recently sat down with the Richmond News to talk about old times but also to look forward to how the City of Richmond could better tackle the toxic drugcrisis,peoplelivingonthestreetsandthe mental-health issues that often lead to these.

Hearkening back to when the former Vancouver cop was following Felicella, Heed described it on both sides as an adrenalinfuelled “game”

“I happened to have a legal gun on my hip he happened to have an illegal gun on his hip,” Heed said

Even though they were on the opposite sides of the cops-and-robbers game, Heed said the issues Felicella had that led him to a life of crime and eventually addiction and living on the streetsofVancouver’sDowntownEastside for almost 20 years, aren’t far from the addictive qualities he himself has

The difference is, for Heed, it led him to a career as a police officer. After their encounter at Denny’s, Guy’s life started going downhill, leading him to living on the streets, while Heed started rising in the ranks, eventually ending his policing career as chief constable of the West Vancouver Police.

“I hit my pinnacle and he hit his bottom, and guess where we’ve come right now, sitting across from each other at the same level,” Heed said

Heed recently facilitated an informational meeting for Richmond city council and city staff to speak with Felicella

Felicella said the point of speaking to Richmond city councillors and city staff, in the city he was raised in, was to humanize people who struggle with addiction and remove biases and judgment He wanted to talk about his childhood in Richmond and about the challenges he faced as a youth

While his history is filled with crime, poverty, homelessness and addiction, Felicella was eventually able to overcome these and is now married with three children and works

as a fierce advocate for people who are going through what he experienced for many years. With his lived experience, he sees the barriers put in front of people trying to overcome an addiction

For him, a turning point was when people started seeing him as a human and saying “enough of punishing this guy, enough of stigmatizing this guy, let’s try to effing help this guy,” and he found the strength to stop doing drugs

Drug crisis behind ‘picket fences’

Both Heed and Felicella are critical of the media’s portrayal of the drug crisis with stories often linked to images of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside Instead, these stories should include images of white picket fences, because that’s where drugs are being consumed and people are dying

In fact, in 2022, 14 out of 29 people in Richmond who died from toxic drugs died in private residences

When Heed was with the West Vancouver Police, a 14-year-old girl died from an overdose This led to outrage in the community and a full police investigation When police interviewed young people, however, they told them the question shouldn’t be who is using drugs, rather, who isn’t using drugs.

“The frequency of use by kids in their teen years (in West Vancouver) was moreso than the inner city of Vancouver,” Heed said “The only difference was these kids in West Van weren’t committing crimes to buy their drugs, they were getting money from their family”

“Don’t show the Downtown Eastside, be-

cause it’s your own backyard where you’ll find the problems,” he added “And, if you look in your own backyard, those are the areas where we can make most of the difference”

Felicella’s years of crime and eventual addictions and homelessness started behind a figurative white picket fence

Felicella recounts his childhood in Richmond growing up in a middle-class family, attending McKinney elementary and Hugh Boyd and London secondary schools

But at 12, he was already dipping into a life of crime and, at 14, he was incarcerated for the first time and spent the rest of his teen years in foster care and in juvenile detention

Undiagnosed ADHD played a huge part in the path he took, but he also attributes it to influences from his peers

For Felicella, while he was involved with gangs in the Lower Mainland in the 1990s, the gang shootings scared him enough to push him out With nowhere else to go, he ended upontheDowntownEastsidefor20years,addicted and homeless.

He changed his name to Tony “because it was too painful to be Guy”

Finally, when Felicella started overdosing

a total of six times and he saw the physical toll that was taking on him, he found the strength to finally quit

It wasn’t a straightforward journey of “just say no” to drugs, however He went to treatment a dozen times, got out of the Downtown Eastside, then attended a day program for a year “like it was my job,” he explained

But the treatment system often made him feel like a failure He would relapse while in treatment a very common thing to happen and he would get kicked to the curb The message of abstinence is dangerous, Felicella said, because when an addict relapses, they feel like a “a bag of shit”

“People didn’t celebrate that I was trying, I was f*** trying,” he said “I’m not getting the outcome that I wanted, but I’m still trying”

In fact, some treatment programs don’t allow methadone or suboxone while others require, if someone is on methadone, to taper off while in treatment Being on these opioid substitution programs is not considered being “clean,” Felicella explained.

“What the hell are you talking about? I’m not putting a needle in my neck, get over it, I’m clean,” he said

“Basically, you’re trying to get your life together and we’re going to put you in withdrawal and you’re going to have to go through that, while you’re trying to put your life together,” he added

As an activist and through his work, Felicella sees others struggling with the issues he dealt with for years. And he sees the same barriers he faced

Too often, the mentalhealth and addictions system tells addicts “we have it our way, we’re not doing it your way,” he said, but, in fact, they need “a pathway out of their addiction”

And there’s no cookie cutter way to do it, but a good start is harm reduction services such as safeinjection sites where an addict can build relationships and connect with support

“This is why people are dying alone you don’t have a place to go to get support,” Felicella said

Richmond doesn’t have a sanctioned safeinjection site, but Vancouver Coastal Health has recently expanded some daytime safe consumption services

Accessing a safe-injection site for a drug user is a choice he or she makes to take care of him or herself, Felicella said And being in a place where they’re supported, they may ask for treatment or other help

Guy Felicella (left) and Richmond city councillor Kash Heed have a long history They recently sat down with the Richmond News to talk about how to tackle mental health, addictions and homelessness Maria Rantanen photo

... enough of punishing this guy, enough of stigmatizing this guy, let’s try to effing help this guy.

GUY FELICELLA

You’re going to lose access to local news on Facebook and Google.

Dear readers,

Your access to local, provincial and national news is going to be revoked on Google, Facebook and Instagram. And it’s not because of anything we’ve done.

Recently, Canada passed the Online News Act, also known as Bill C-18, which has led to a standoff between the government, Google and Meta the parent company behind Facebook and Instagram

Both Google and Meta have said they plan to cut ties with the news industry in Canada as a result.

This means Meta will block the posting and sharing of our news articles on Facebook and Instagram. Google will also remove links to our sites and articles in Google News, Discover and search results. They’ll also cancel significant content licensing agreements already in place with our parent company, Glacier Media

Undoubtedly, this will have a huge impact not solely on us but, more importantly, on people like yourself who may use these platforms to discover what’s happening in your community and to get context to events happening in your own backyard.

We’re not planning on going anywhere, but here’s how you can help:

1 Sign up for our free daily newsletter by scanning the QR code (And encourage your family and friends to do the same )

2 Follow us on Twitter

3. Bookmark our website as the homepage on your devices.

4. Consider becoming a member if you aren’t already. Your support will help us continue to cover local stories, by locals.

5. If you own/operate a local business, consider supporting local by placing ads with 100% Canadian-owned media outlets, like us.

With your help, more people will be able to get their local news from a trusted source In today’s age of misinformation, that’s more important than ever.

Thank you. We appreciate you.

Sincerely,

The Richmond News team

India wins Nations Cup after penalty shootout

VALERIE LEUNG Vleung@richmond-news com

It was deep into the evening on Sunday before the winner of the Nations Cup was decided

Extra time and a penalty shoot-out were required to separate India and Croatia in the men’s open division, with the former coming out on top to regain its crown from last year’s winner

During the last of three days of thrilling amateur soccer, the fields across Richmond were heated up, not only by the sunny weather but also by enthusiastic cheers this weekend

Thousands of amateur players and fans from across Western Canada arrived in Richmond for the 42nd annual Nations Cup soccer tournament, played across all ages and sexes over three days at Hugh Boyd, Minoru and South Arm fields

Aside from the main event, the men’s open final, men’s over 52s went to England, 2-0 over Scotland, while the 45s section was won by Germany, 1-0 over Canada.

The men’s over 38s win went to Iran with a 1-0 victory over Scotland, and the men’s over 30s title goes to India, which defeated Scotland 1-0

In the women’s open division, India took the win with a 5-1 over China

For more photos from the weekend, go to Richmond-News com/local-sports For all the tournament’s results and final standings, visit thenationscup.com.

It has been a good summer for the Richmond FC U14 girls Strikers team The girls, who made it to the provincials last season, repeated the feat this year, this time coming home with a silver medal from the tournament in Kamloops, hot on the heels of winning the regional Coastal Cup. For the full story, go to Richmond-News com/ local-sports

Nations Cup president Jeff Wilson (centre) with Team India, after their dramatic shootout win against Croatia in the men ’ s open division final Valerie Leung photo

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REMEMBRANCES

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Ines Echino

April 6, 1930 - July 25, 2022

It’s been a year since you passed and you are missed more and more each day.

Your oving famiy

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QUIRK, Gwynneth Mary (nee Hurst)

May 15, 1926 - June 23, 2023

Born in Ashton-under-Lyne, Great Britan, passed away at age 97 Predeceased by her husband John and her daughter Eleanor Survived by her chidren Ewan (Karen), Ruth (Pat), Eva (Steve); grandchildren Geoff (Misu), Zoe, Sri, Leigh, Hadyn (Nicole), Nck (Lauren), Angela (Ron), Dana (Randy), Justn (Jocelyne), Curts (Chloé); great grandchidren Kaya, Luke, Kaleb, Livia, Raine, Aya, Reese, Ara

Prvate famly service wil be hed at a ater date

In ieu of cards or flowers, pease consider a donation to the Knowedge Network n her memory

MARCH, Penny A.

April 10, 1952 May 14, 2023

Penny March (n. Racicot) passed away suddenly on Mother’s Day and is sadly missed by her son Tyler; daughter in law Gita; her two grandchildren Darcy and Gemma; sister Arlene; nephew Aaron; brother Gerry; her partner Serge; as well as extended family and her many friends

Penny was born in Wawa, Ontario, and moved to B.C. with her parents, Ann and Arnold Racicot, when only 4 months old. She grew up in Richmond and lived much of her life there, playing in the fields and dyke close by as a child and later running a landscaping business with her partner, Serge. Penny had boundless love for her grandchildren and spent much of her later years enjoying her time with them.

Penny’s passion for caring for animals began at a very young age and continued throughout her life. At one point, she created a sanctuary for cats called Forgotten Felines. Through this, she developed very close friendships that lasted the remainder of her life. These friendships were very important to her, and her family is thankful for the support and love they provided her.

This kind, gentle and loving woman will be sadly missed by her family and many friends

In lieu of flowers, please consider donating to her grandson’s fundraiser for Covenant House: Darcy’s Pyjama Party and Sleep Out ( s u p p o r t c o v e n a n t h o u s e b c o r g /g o t o / Darcy_Sleepout_and_PJ_Party)

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