T H E
the fine print TO DO: The Relay for Life fundraiser, Mother’s Daughters Pancake Breakfast is on Saturday, May 29 between 10:30 a.m. and noon at South Arm United Church, 11051 No. 3 Rd. Tickets are $10 and include a great breakfast and entertainment.
contact us Main office: 604-270-8031 Delivery: 604-249-3323 Classified: 604-630-3300 Fax: 604-630-4500 classifieds@richmond-news.com
the weather Friday high................14 low .................11 Cloud, rain Saturday high................14 low .................10 Cloud, rain Sunday high................17 low .................10 Cloud, sun
on this day May 28 2002 — The Mars Odyssey finds signs of large ice deposits on the planet Mars.
quote of the week
“He was just in the right place at the right time.”
— Joan Fader, on how her son, Jonathan, managed to hitch a ride aboard the Israeli Prime Minister’s private plane to Canada.
R I C H M O N D
N E W S
Upfront
The Richmond News May 28, 2010 A03 Editorial enquiries? Please contact The Richmond News 5731 No. 3 Road V6X 2C9 Phone: 604-270-8031 Fax: 604-270-2248 E-mail: editor@richmond-news.com
IMMIGRATION
The Russians are coming, with love BY ALAN CAMPBELL
Russian community, businesses proliferating in Richmond
It may not be obvious to the naked eye, but it’s profoundly apparent to the ear. There’s a new accent in town – Russian – and the proponents of the distinctive thick brogue are growing in number by the week. Some are coming for better job prospects, some for a better education for their children, some for the climate and some for a better life in general. Whatever their motivation for departing the Motherland, the Russian community is rapidly expanding and all signs point to the fact they’re here to stay. One such example being the local Russian literature group — Club Erudite — started in January by the Bukharova family. Since Olga Bukharova and her teenage children kicked off the club, which meets regularly at Cambie Community Centre, their numbers have swollen every month. Now they have a regular group of more than 20, without even counting the parents, who all get together on a regular basis for outings to places such as the zoo and laser tag. “It’s our own little community,” Bukharova said “It’s also about getting the children to express themselves in Russian with regard to controversial issues.” Bukharova said that, when the children are not at the club, they connect, communicate and socialize in their native tongue via an online forum. “The parents are interested in seeing what their kids are discussing and what interests them,” she added. “It’s wonderful how the club has grown and we really do have a lot of fun as well.” According to the latest Census snapshot, Richmond has the most concentrated Russian community per head of population anywhere else in the Lower Mainland. The Russian tongue ranks fourth — only behind Chinese, Punjabi and Tagalog — in the city’s non-official language table at two per cent of the population or around 1,850 people. In some of the city’s neighbourhoods, Russian is the second or third most spoken non-official language. On the business side, the News sales executives are noticing that they’re dealing with more and more Russian-owned businesses. Some have been in the city for many years and are more established. Others, such as European Touch Alterations and Tailoring and Richmond Jewelry and Loan, are fresher on the market.
Club Erudite’s members and parents get together regularly for events such as laser tag, above.
acampbell@richmond-news.com
SUBMITTED PHOTO
Larisa Zakon, owner of European Touch Alterations and Tailoring, set up business in February 2009 at No. 3 Rd., near Richmond Centre. Zukon, originally from Kahzakstan, was 29 when she left Russia. She moved to Israel for a few years and then followed friends to Vancouver. “We had Russian friends in Israel who moved to Vancouver. They kept telling us it was the most beautiful place in the world,” Zukon said. “They were right, it is the most beautiful place in the world and we have no regrets about coming here whatsoever.” Zukon has also noticed the proliferation in Russians in Richmond over the last couple of years. “There are much more and when I opened up this business I started to notice even more of them,” she said. “And not just ones that had been here for 10 or 15 years, fresh ones! “I guess they’re here for a better life I suppose. I have two daughters, aged 22 and 13. The 22-year-old is doing law at UBC. That’s the kind of reason we moved here, for opportunities like that for our family.” Her compatriot, Veta Chitnev, who helps her
husband run Richmond Jewelery and Loan, has been in town for less than three years after moving from Moscow to Vancouver 12 years ago. “We owned a travel agency in Moscow and we were doing well,” Chitnev said. “But we were not satisfied with living in Moscow, too much traffic and too many people, the medical care was very poor and we were tired of the six-month Russian winter. “When we came here, we did not know anyone. We simply looked up an encyclopedia for places that might be nice to live. Vancouver seemed to have the best climate. “I love it here. But I do miss Russian sausages and the potatoes and vegetables, they don’t taste the same here, it’s a different taste. And of course I miss my friends, my co-workers and my relatives,” she said. Likewise, Chitnev has noticed a growing number of her fellow Russians are choosing Richmond to create a new life. “There are more and more coming here and I think the Russian community is getting bigger all the time in Richmond,” she said. “It’s easier to buy a house here than Vancouver for a start.”
The Course is in Full Swing at Mayfair Lakes The course is in great condition and rates start as low as $25*! Book online or call the golf shop at 604-276-0585.
05282429
(*$25 is sunset rate, plus applicable taxes)
www.golfbc.com
Mayfair Lakes Golf & Country Club 5460 No. 7 Road, Richmond BC