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Mayor: ‘It’s hard to imagine Richmond without him’
Retail vendors at stations on way
Philanthropist Milan Ilich dies BY ALAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
“It’s a very sad day.” Few would argue with Mayor Malcolm Brodie’s words after Richmond learned of the passing on Wednesday of esteemed philanthropist, developer and community leader Milan Ilich after a long battle with illness. Although an intensely private man, who shunned the media spotlight, he donated or helped raise tens of million of dollars for local charities throughout his years. “Milan was a true community supporter as well as being a great family man and businessman,” Mayor Brodie said in tribute. Ilich, who grew up in Richmond, founded the paving company Progressive Construction in 1965. “He helped this city in so many ways and we’re going to miss him greatly. It’s hard to imagine Richmond without him.”
BY ALAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
CHUNG CHOW/RICHMOND NEWS
Milan Ilich, pictured (centre) in 2009 through the mouth of the $1.7 million Richmond Hospital CT scanner that he helped raise funds for. Ilich died Wednesday after a long illness.
City in B.C.’s top 10 drunk driving league of shame Richmond postcode has earned highest rate of drink driving prohibitions in Lower Mainland BY ALAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
A postal code in Richmond has earned the reputation as being the worst place in Metro Vancouver for drink driving. Drivers living in the V6W region — a triangular section of southeast Richmond, running east from Highway 99 to Annacis Island and south from Westminster Highway to the Fraser River — have clocked up the highest drink driving prohibitions in Metro Vancouver. According to ICBC statistics requested by GlobalBC, for every 1,000 licensed drivers in the postcode, 15 were suspended for alcohol-related offences between April
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2010 and April 2011. The rate for the vast majority of postcodes in Metro Vancouver was less than 10 per 1,000. Richmond RCMP’s Inspector Janis Gray couldn’t say for sure why the area has managed to earn so many drink-driving prohibitions. “When we set up road blocks, such as during the Counter Attack campaign, things like a history of traffic, complaints from people and bars are a consideration,” Gray said in relation to the location of roadside checks. “Does that mean (south-east Richmond) is targeted? Probably. We don’t have a downtown core in Richmond, but we do have areas where we target and (south-east Richmond) has a lot of people com-
ing off the highway.” Drunk drivers being caught in a certain area can also be a by-product of police checks being carried out for other crime hotspots, such as breakins, according to Gray. Only a New Westminster/North Delta postcode came close to southeast Richmond, with between 10 and 12.5 per 1,000 drivers. In fact, the southeast Richmond postcode was the only Metro Vancouver area to make it into the province’s top ten league of drink driving shame. The other nine worst offenders came from the Interior, with Chilcotin top of the list (more than 15 suspensions per 1,000), followed by a block of three postal codes in the northeast, taking in Fort St. John, Dawson
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Creek and a large surrounding area. The suspensions resulted from all types of impaired driving-related charges, from impaired driving causing death to 12-hour suspensions. Fort St. John’s proximity to the top of the table came as no surprise to its RCMP detachment, citing the city’s resource-based community bringing in a lot of young, predominantly male workers from other parts of the province who have lots of disposable income. Top 10: (Only postcodes with more than 1,000 licensed drivers included in list) V0L Chilcotin; V0C Northeastern BC; V1G Dawson Creek; V1J Fort St. John; V1K Merritt; V2L Prince see City page 4
If you’ve wondered why there are no retail outlets at the Canada Line stations in Richmond, you’re not the only one. City of Richmond staff have been investigating what possibilities there are for having vendors positioned at or near the city’s four stations. The thought process is that having vendors at or under the stations will deter illicit activity and, thus, enhance safety and security of the area. It’s also anticipated that any vendor for a particular station or area could be made responsible for keeping it clean and free of debris. However, a report placed before city council’s public works and transportation committee highlighted restrictions with station owners TransLink as a potential roadblock. “The access agreement with TransLink restricts the city from using or undertaking any activities within a one-metre buffer area around the perimeter of the Canada Line infrastructure,” the report read. With regard to each station; both Bridgeport and Brighouse have very limited retail opportunities see Halsey-Brandt page 4
8171 Westminster Hwy. (at Buswell, one block east of No. 3 Rd.) Walkway access also from Save-On Foods parking lot
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