Richmond Review, July 18, 2012

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the richmond

$1-million playground to go into Terra Nova park 3

REVIEW

RICHMONDREVIEW.COM

WEDNESDAY, JULY 18, 2012

24 PAGES

Telephone pole is in the middle of the sidewalk It’s only temporary, developer says by Martin van den Hemel Staff Reporter No, it’s not some Georgianinspired design style. But if you’re texting, tweeting or surfing on your iPhone while walking on the sidewalk in front of the new Mayfair Place residential development on Odlin Road, it may just deliver a jarring message. On Sunday, Graeme Bone (@graemebone) tweeted about the new Polygon residential development between No. 4 Road and Garden City, and how a wooden telephone pole sprouts from the centre of the freshly-laid concrete sidewalk in front of the multifamily project. “New building, new sidewalk...and this. Would someone like to explain? #richmondbc gov? @polygonhomes?” Bone said on Twitter. On Monday morning, Polygon explained that the telephone pole is temporary, and will eventually be replaced by underground service. How long that will take before it’s complete, Polygon didn’t say, and a call to the developer’s head office was not immediately returned on Monday afternoon. But Bone still had concerns. “I can accept that pole in sidewalk is temp, but would have preferred a more people friendly solution,” he tweeted, adding: “Not blaming the Polygon though. The city needs to provide better guidance when developers build public infrastructure.”

Matthew Hoekstra photo Coun. Chak Au at Richmond City Hall Monday. Au is encouraging ‘calm, rational’ debate around the possible prohibition of shark fins.

Shark fin debate ‘could get ugly’ Councillor calls for calm in debate about possible ban by Matthew Hoekstra Staff Reporter

Martin van den Hemel photo Construction crews continue to work at Polygon’s Mayfair Place condo complex on Odlin Road, where a telephone pole sprouts from the middle of a freshly-poured sidewalk.

ENTER TO WIN

A Richmond councillor is calling for calm in a divisive debate he believes could pit cultures against each other. “I am concerned that the shark fin debate will divide our community along racial and cultural lines,” said Coun. Chak Au. “Things could get ugly in the next six months, and I don’t want to see that happen.” Richmond City Hall staff have until year’s end to report on a possible ban of shark fins, which animal rights activists say are harvested inhumanely and threaten species with extinction. Toronto is enacting a ban in September and prohibition talks are spreading fast. On Monday, council in Calgary voted 13-2 to draft a ban on possession of shark fin. Politicians in Saanich backed a shark fin ban resolution for the Union of B.C. Municipalities to consider. Some communities like Port Moody already prohibit shark fins, but with few Chinese restaurants and food retailers, have less at stake than Richmond. Local restaurateur David Chung told The Review last week that shark fin soup “is a tradition that we don’t want to break,” suggesting “Chinese people have become part of the food chain,” keeping shark populations in check. Online reaction was swift, with many commenters attacking Chung. See Page 3

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