Richmond Review, March 25, 2015

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City wants region to oppose port expansion

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Port purchasing cheaper agricultural land for industrial plans but city says that robs critical resource by Martin van den Hemel Staff Reporter The City of Richmond is hoping to rally other municipalities in the Lower Mainland—and elsewhere across B.C. and Canada—to back its opposition to Port Metro Vancouver’s expansion plans which the city says comes at the expense of valuable farmland. Port Metro Vancouver has purchased 239 acres of farmland next to its properties in southeast Richmond, and from Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie’s perspective, it’s clear why the port did so. With industrial land being much more expensive to purchase, agricultural land would save the Port countless millions of dollars. “I’m sure their thinking is they can use the land for port purposes, notwithstanding the civic and provincial designation for it,” Brodie said. “I’m sure it’s many times more expensive to buy industrially-zoned land. On Monday, council approved a motion calling on other municipalities to support a request for federal regulatory changes to prohibit Port Metro Vancouver from buying any land inside the Agricultural Land Reserve for port purposes. “There’s no middle ground when it comes to farmland,” Brodie said. “Our remaining farmland is a precious resource critical to the social, environment and economic wellbeing of our region, province and country. We’re sending a strong message that using farmland to support port expansion is unacceptable.” The port has announced it needs 2,300 acres of land to support its expansion plans. Aside from blocking Port Metro from buying more farmland, the city is requesting that Transport Canada require the port to dispose of its Richmond property that exists within the Agricultural Land Reserve, along with other ALR properties it currently owns. The city will be asking the Lower Mainland Local Government Association to support bringing a resolution forward to the Union of B.C. Muncipalities as well as the Federal Canadian Muncipalities at their next annual conventions. The city is also lobbying the prime minister, premier and local MPs and MLAs.

Don Fennell photo Richmond Ravens had plenty to smile about last weekend after winning the provincial Midget A girls’ hockey championship Thursday night in Penticton and the division title Sunday at the Ravens’ annual invitational. See story on Page 9. For more tournament photos, see page 20.

Lulubaloo pitched as city’s latest festival City Centre event hopes to draw 40,000+ people by Martin van den Hemel Staff Reporter What’s all the hullabaloo behind the name of a new downtown Richmond festival slated for September? City staff have recommended renaming the city’s block party scheduled for Sept. 5, 2015 at Minoru Park. The tentative new name: Lulubaloo—Richmond World Festival. The

name must still receive the city’s endorsement. Earlier this month, the city’s general purposes committee approved the new signature festival, which at the time was called Richmond World Block Party. But the name didn’t work for everyone, and so staff hit the creative books, and came up with a list of alternate names. The free, family-oriented festival will celebrate the city’s significant diversity through music, food, sport and culture. Other options put forward by staff

included: Lulubaloo—Richmond World Block Party, CrossCurrent Summer Festival, Richmond World Festival, and LuluFest—Richmond World Block Party. In selecting Lulubaloo—Richmond World Festival, staff said that choice “meets our criteria for being short and catchy, unique, memorable and marketable, and it speaks to the festival’s location and purpose,” Bryan Tasaka, the city’s manager of major events and film, wrote in a report. The festival is expected to draw more than 40,000 people from throughout the Lower Mainland.

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