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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

INSIDE

33 45 48 50

NEWS Grenades brought into police station COMMUNITY Telling stories about homelessness through arts PULSE Richmond Country Farms opened up its popular pumpkin patch FOOD Feast: Asian Dining Festival is ofﬁcially here SPORTS 15-year-old Kaleigh Kuramoto a rising judo star

VOICES

Wards worth considering Eve Edmonds RICHMOND NEWS

It was a big day for us on Saturday. Hmmm … I might have said something similar after Thanksgiving a few years ago when there was advance polling for the federal election. That time, it was my son’s ﬁrst time casting a ballot. On Saturday, it was my daughter’s.

Regardless, I was a proud momma — even taking a picture of the three of us outside of city hall, much to the chagrin of my kids. But getting to the polling station was the easy part. The challenge was going through all 62 candidates and trying to explain who stands for what. I offered to just tell them who to vote for, but if you know my kids, you’d know how well that went over. So, Saturday morning at breakfast, we went through the list. It was a long breakfast and even then, I couldn’t do half of the candidates justice. But who am I to complain? Vancouverites have 158 names to choose from for everything from mayor, school trustee and parks board.

At Thanksgiving dinner my niece said she’s heard about a speed-dating-like event where voters could have a oneon-one with each Vancouver candidate. It’s a crazy idea, but then it’s a crazy situation — so let’s talk about wards.

When I was in Grade 6 growing up in Calgary, I remember our “alderman” came to our class to talk about city politics and how it’s his job to represent our neighbourhood. Calgary still has a ward system, which means you only have two votes, one for a representative of your ward and one for the mayor. Even if there are over a hundred candidates running throughout the city, with 14 wards, only about ﬁve maybe 10 would be running in your ward. The argument against the ward system is that councillors would then just represent their speciﬁc neighbourhood, not the city as a whole, and this could give rise to some paralyzing not-in-my-backyard battles on council. The advantage, beyond not having to remember 62 names, is that the council itself would be more diverse and representative of city’s make-up as a whole.

(Fun fact: A ward system was used when Richmond held its ﬁrst election in 1880. Although balloting didn’t happen until 1889 because up until then all the candidates won by acclamation. In 1946, Richmond switched to our current at-large system.) While there are pros and cons to both systems, with a voter turn-out rate at 32 per cent (last election), the greatest threat to our democratic process is simply a lack of citizen engagement. Presenting people with an overwhelming task of sorting through 60-plus names doesn’t help. A ward system may not be the best alternative, but it’s something to consider, particularly when we’re already considering an alternative electoral system at the provincial level.

Meanwhile, for this election, we have what we have, so get out and use it. As my dad says, “vote early, vote often.”

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A4 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

YOUR VOICE

Have you decided how you’re voting in Richmond’s civic election?

Tomas G. Ortega

Steven Ng

PROGRAMMING

Not yet, there’s actually a bazillion options. And some of them I’m not even completely sure what they’re supposed to do. I know it’s coming Oct. 20, so I know I need to check soon.

Elhan Albdour

BANKING

I watch the news. I know a little bit about the candidates, but...I haven’t decided anything. I think this year there are really a lot of candidates. I’m quite happy. But in terms of changes, I guess maybe there should be more public transport available. I think for housing, rents are too high.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

Published every Thursday by the Richmond News, a member of the Glacier Media Group. #200-8211 Ackroyd Road Richmond, BC, V6X 3K8 604.270.8031 Advertising Sales: 604.249.3340 advertising@richmond-news.com Delivery: 604.249.3132 distribution@richmond-news.com Classiﬁed: 604.630.3300 classiﬁed@van.net

RETIRED

Yeah, but I don’t know the people ... I received the voting card, but I don’t know who I should select.

PUBLISHER

Alvin Chow

achow@glaciermedia.ca 604.249.3336

EDITOR

Eve Edmonds

editor@richmond-news.com 604.249.3343

Daisy Xiong

dxiong@richmond-news.com 604.249.3348

Alyse Kotyk

akotyk@richmond-news.com 604.249.3345

Megan Devlin

No, not yet. Things that I’m passionate about are investing in the school system...and trying to make it more fair for domestic people to afford housing, rather than foreign business people. I’ll probably go online and ﬁgure out who the candidates are, that’d be a good start.

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MEDIA CONSULTANTS

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STUDENT

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REPORTERS acampbell@richmond-news.com 604.249.3342

Shahir Khan

lsmith@richmond-news.com 604.249.3349

RETIRED

Yeah, but not for Brodie. Also, some of the councillors are voting in favour of the big houses on agricultural land. I am against that.

Angela Pong

apong@richmond-news.com 604.249.3350

Jennifer Dueckman

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The Richmond News is a member of the Glacier Media Group. The News respects your privacy. We collect, use and disclose your personal information in accordance with our Privacy Statement which is available at www.richmond-news.com.The Richmond News is a member of the National Newsmedia Council, which is an independent organization established to deal with acceptable journalistic practices and ethical behaviour. If you have concerns about editorial content, please contact the editor at editor@richmond-news.com or call 604-249-3343. If you are not satisﬁed with the response and wish to ﬁle a formal complaint, visit the web site at mediacouncil.ca or call toll-free 1-844-877-1163.

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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

LETTERS

SPEAK UP!

Email your letters to Editor@RichmondNews.com

Readers sound off about election Dear Editor,

Dear Editor, Just ﬁnished reading Richmond News and a couple of things stood out. One, after reading all the civic election candidates’ comments, only one, Andy Chiang, raised the issue of “vehicle and trafﬁc safety.” There is an epidemic of ignorant, irresponsible drivers racing through our residential areas, which most candidates don’t seem to think is an important safety issue for their potential constituents. Two, the story regarding two off-leash pit bulls attacking two horses bearing riders: The current council and prior councils continue to have a laissez faire attitude regarding off-leash dogs until they are forced to get involved because someone has been badly injured. It is far past due that council instruct bylaw enforcement to get serious about this problem instead of focusing on parking tickets.

Kelly Gilles RICHMOND

Dear Editor, I am Cindy Hu, a tenth grader attending Richmond Christian Secondary School. I am writing to you with some personal concerns about the upcoming municipal election. Ever since the campaigning for the Richmond municipal election started, it has become evident that there has been very little focus on environmental protection. As a 15 year old, I am deeply concerned by the conditions of our oceans and even more worried by the effects that it has on human civilization. Our lakes and oceans have never been this polluted. The Great Paciﬁc Garbage Patch exists just several hundreds of miles from our shore. The toxins released by the garbage patch are consumed by ﬁsh and eventually consumed by us, causing a variety of diseases. In an era where plastic is so widely distributed, some people have become aware of the devastating effects that it has on the earth, especially the waters.

Dear Editor,

In your Sept. 27 issue I read, and totally agree, that council members should not work in any way in Real Estate in the town they represent. How can he/she vote on land and property issues without bias?

Thank you for your section on 20 questions for the candidates. With so many people running, it is very difﬁcult to inform yourself of the candidates’ views on the issues.

I am interested to see what will be decided in the next council meeting(s).

I will not be voting for people that declined to answer the questions, as I have no knowledge of their views.

Petra Jobst

RICHMOND

Dear Editor, Thank you for that revealing article. I found some surprises; the TMH was an issue close to my heart and I note some interesting divergence from the actual vote (8-1 in favour, with only Clr. Chak Au voting against.) Now he’s saying he’s for it ?! I’m disappointed to see both Mayor Brodie and Clr. Loo are now against it. I’m surprised to see so many against reducing ALR home sizes to match the provincial standards and the independent report’s recommendations. You do know that developers only have one vote and only if they reside in Richmond? However, the vast majority of Richmond residents

R.W. (Bob) Garnett

Richmond has many new Canadian citizens and many new immigrants lack an understanding of Canada’s democratic electoral system. This being a big reason why the voting rate was so low in Richmond’s previous election.

are not pleased with that recent increase in the amount of ALR being no longer available for food production.

The participation of Guo in the mayoral election is, in itself, the best representation of the Canadian democratic electoral system at work.

May as well allow cannabis production now, being as it is suitable for food, as well as fuel, clothing, paper, medication, as well as a recreational relaxant that, as opposed to alcohol, results in far less domestic violence.

It will beneﬁt the entire political democracy in Richmond society with the ability to diversify and promote the city’s economic development and international humanities and communication.

RICHMOND

Tomorrow is the ﬁrst Advance Voting Day. Let the games begin!

George Pope

RICHMOND

Editor’s note: For further explaination of some of the candidate’s yes/no responses, see Richmond-News.com/election-2018

Dear Editor, Just received the Oct. 4 edition of your paper and had a real chuckle.

We citizens of Richmond live on the coastline, making us especially susceptible to the effects of water pollution.

Five of our present council members, namely Richmond First’s Derek Dang, Bill McNulty and Linda McPhail and Richmond Community Coalition’s Chak Au and Ken Johnson placed a number of joint advertisements with the subject heading ‘Let’s talk about the Real Issues’.

I am disappointed that such a pressing matter, one of the largest global issues of the day, is being almost completely ignored by the Richmond election candidates. I sincerely wish that the candidates would be able to recognize the issue that would be a threat to both the rich and the poor, as well as the young and old.

Cindy Hu

RICHMOND

Recently, the Richmond News published a series of negative articles about Guo. For example, the newspaper reported: “Richmond lawyer Hong Guo announces bid for mayor, courts Chinese voters.” Why does the newspaper think it is to win Chinese voters? Only Canadian citizens can vote in the mayoral elections in Richmond, is this not true? May I remind you that Guo’s campaign slogan is “Mayor for All.” Guo is an honest and diligent person who has a strong sense of social responsibility.

However, few are willing to take action to prevent the destruction.

Therefore, we need municipal leaders who are able to solve our present problems, able to envision future problems, and willing to put in efforts to make new policies that are aimed towards protecting the environment.

One of the important reasons why I support Hong Guo as mayor for Richmond is that I believe her to be a very professional and experienced lawyer, with an ability to solve the various social problems within our society. She is younger than the current mayor yet has a rich experience in Canadian life.

Two of their topics were affordable housing and transportation. My ﬁrst impression was, really, this has to be a joke, right? Both of these topics have been major issues for 10 years plus, and our councillors want to make them discussions points now! My only thought after reading such nonsense is “please Richmond voters, let’s clean house this year.” These ﬁve have had their chance. They are well past their sell-by date, and it’s now time to replace.

Dave Currie

RICHMOND

Editor’s note: The ads were paid for by a registered third party sponsor

She is also very ethical in her business dealings. Through no fault of her own, more than $7 million was stolen from her account and, to her credit, she took all the loss onto herself and was responsible for maintaining her clients’ accounts so none of them would lose their business transactions. Does this not demonstrate her integrity? Her political campaign is for the beneﬁt of the public. I personally have no prejudice against the incumbent mayor. But, many of us will support Gou because we think the mayor needs to be energetic, quick-thinking, and have a multicultural background.

Alice Yi

RICHMOND

A6 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018 www.riverrock.com 8811 River Road, Richmond B.C

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

Manslaughter charge laid after woman’s death dec

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The home where the body was found is an older-style, detached house at the corner of Westminster Highway and Minoru Boulevard. Alan Campbell photo

Alan Campbell & Megan Devlin RICHMOND NEWS

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Solaris Onatta Running Dey, 23, has been charged with the manslaughter of 19-year-old Aspen Pallot, who was found dead in the early hours of Thursday inside a home at the south-west corner of Westminster Highway and Minoru Boulevard. A short time after her body was discovered by police, Dey, who was known to Pallot, was arrested. He was scheduled to appear in Richmond Provincial Court last Friday.

“IHIT detectives worked quickly to secure the evidence for charge approval,” said Cpl. Frank Jang, of IHIT. “Investigators would still like to speak with Miss Pallot’s closest friends and associates who may have information regarding her death.” On Thursday afternoon, police tape still surrounded the older-style, detached home on the south-west corner of Westminster Highway and Minoru Boulevard where Pallot was found. Anyone with information is asked to call the IHIT information line at 1-877-551IHIT (4448), or by email at ihitinfo@rcmpgrc.gc.ca. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.

The Estate Strip

In the summer (which was not that long ago!), reasons for judgment were released in a case called Herbach v. Herbach Estate. It is not a lengthy judgment but it is an important one. The Plaintiff is one of four children of the deceased (their mother), who died in 2011. The year before she died, she transferred her assets to two of her four children. She worked with an experienced Lawyer. The Plaintiff, a son, was excluded. He challenged the asset transfers. The Court viewed the transfers as the making of “immediate gifts” of the right of survivorship, to the other two children. The Court considered the deceased’s intent, which was to exclude two of her children and gift her assets instead to the other two of her children. The son’s application was unsuccessful. The transfers stood. There was no concern as to the deceased’s capacity. It is not stated in the reason(s) why the two children were excluded. This case illustrates first, how important it is for a parent to express their intention(s) in writing, when transferring their assets to some and not all their children. The case also describes one (but not the only) way to exclude some children from their Estate without risking a Wills Variation action. Visit our website (www.WillPowerLaw.com) or call us at (604)233-7001 to discuss your Wills, Estates and Seniors’ questions.

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

A8 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

NEWS

Grenades brought into police station Megan Devlin RICHMOND NEWS

A person looking to dispose of three preSecond World War era grenades demonstrated what not to do Thursday evening by bringing them to the Steveston police station.

still reminding people not to bring explosives into police stations.

Three hand grenades were brought into the Richmond RCMP. Richmond RCMP/Twitter photo

“If you’re confused about what to do with a device like this, please call us and describe what you have,” Cpl. Dennis Hwang said. “We will come to you.” An area near the Steveston Community Centre was behind police tape while explosive specialists worked. The bomb squad ﬁnished detonating the grenades by 7:45 p.m.

The person arrived around 5 p.m., grenades in hand, and Richmond RCMP had to call in the bomb squad.

Hwang said these incidents happen more often than one would think.

Cpl. Dennis Hwang doesn’t think the person had any malicious intent, but he’s

He’s heard of people ﬁnding surprise explosives while clearing out the homes of

Mounties investigating shots being ﬁred Alyse Kotyk RICHMOND NEWS

Late Monday night, Richmond RCMP were called to Parry Street, near Cabot Drive, after receiving reports of shots being ﬁred shortly before midnight.

Two vehicles were found parked at a residence with damage that appeared to be from gunﬁre. One individual, known to police, was also found in the area but is currently not cooperating with authorities. Investigators were on scene throughout Tuesday going through evidence. It is be-

lieved the victim was targeted. “We are very concerned with this overt display of violence and the blatant disregard for public safety,” said Cpl. Dennis Hwang in a press release. “Our General Investigation Section has been deployed and is actively investigating this matter. We urge the community to

Everybody has a designated voting place on Saturday, October 20.

Where’s yours?

Find out more at richmond.ca/elections or download the 2018 Richmond Election app. 2018

Richmond

Election

remain vigilant and ask that you report any suspicious persons or vehicles to police immediately.” Anyone with information can contact Richmond RCMP at 604-278-1212 or by email at richmond_tips@rcmp-grc. gc.ca. Or, to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-8477.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

E T VO

Authorized by Cheryl Li, Financial Agent for Hong Guo 778-297-6560

Bring City Hall Back to the People • The politics of division is self-serving and politically motivated, and must come to an end in Richmond. • I am running for Mayor to give back to a community that has allowed my family and I so much opportunity. • The current administration has forgotten how to listen, how to empower citizens, and forgotten how to put local voices above all other considerations. • I want to build bridges that bring City Hall closer to our neighbourhoods, and foster understanding and connection between residents.

A Little about Hong

* Master’s Degree, University of Regina, Saskatchewan * Juris Doctor, University of Windsor, Ontario * Licensed Lawyer in both British Columbia and Saskatchewan for 17 years * 2013 Canada’s Top Ten Outstanding Women * Honorary Consultant of Red Leaf Multicultural Art Group * Honorary Chairman of United Global Chinese Women’s Association of Canada * Legal Consultant of Canadian Community Service Association-Seniors Assocation * Legal Consultant of Canada National Sports Exchange Association * Mother of two wonderful children

facebook.com/hongguo2018

Hong Guo Vision Messaging Decisions today need to be based on the Richmond of tomorrow. We need to start today building the Richmond of 2040 and 2060 now. A city where our children can afford to live in, go to school in, find a job in and raise their children in, rich in opportunities and culture. A city that is safe, a city that we can easily move around in, a city that our children and grandchildren can be proud of. This is my dream for Richmond, and the inspiration behind my campaign.

@hongguo2018

www.hongguoformayor.com

A10 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

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604-626-9545 • nari@shaw.ca This animal trap (left) was found partially buried in a grassy area (right) near Steveston Community Centre. JJ Mac photos

Alan Campbell RICHMOND NEWS

Steveston residents made an alarming discovery on Thanksgiving Monday on a patch of green space in the village.

Members

• Conveyancing • Land Transfers • Mortgages • Subdivisions • Powers of Attorney • Representation Agreements • Wills • Mobile Homes • Attestations

Malek Allibhai

Tammy Morin Nakashima

604.244.8993

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209 - 3740 Chatham St.

Hans Podzun

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604.273.1101

Partially buried in two separate grass areas, close to Steveston Community Centre, were two, large animal traps, one of which was set and live. According to one of the residents who found them, Jonard Janolino, there was a little bit of caution tape wrapped around the traps near Ewen Avenue, close to Moncton Street. Janolino immediately called the RCMP, at around 2:30 p.m., before an ofﬁcer managed to safely disarm it. Police seized both traps for investigation. “We are actively investigating this incident,” said Richmond RCMP’s Cpl. Dennis Hwang. “We are very concerned these traps have been left in an area where serious harm could result to animals, pets, and humans.”

Gail Maida

Nancy (Schick) Skinner

604.273.9688

604.270.8644

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230 - 8911 Beckwith Road

604.270.8384

If anyone has any information, contact the RCMP at 604278-1212 and quote ﬁle #2018-32431. You can also contact them via email at Richmond_Tips@rcmp-grc.gc.ca. Janolino, meanwhile, lambasted on social media the person who planted the traps. “These traps were made for medium size animals, which means children would have been severely injured....There might be more traps, so keep an eye out.”

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

A11

A12 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

NEWS

Candidates debate SOGI, safety Those comments elicited head shaking from incumbent Debbie Tablotney.

Megan Devlin RICHMOND NEWS

There were some dramatic moments surrounding Richmond’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) policy at the school trustee all-candidates meeting last Thursday, including when one incumbent candidate raised her “no” placard to indicate she hadn’t read SOGI 123. Alice S. Wong later told the Richmond News she has read Richmond’s SOGI policy but was confused by the question. A handful of candidates, mostly on the newly formed “Parents’ Slate,” voiced their opposition to SOGI 123 and the SOGI policy the Richmond School District adopted earlier this year. SOGI 123 is not a curriculum, but rather a provincial resource package to help educators make LGBTQ+ and gender non-binary students feel accepted. It advises school districts adopt inclusive policies that speciﬁcally mention sexual orientation and gender identity. Candidate Charvine Adl, who opposes Richmond’s SOGI policy, called it “barely legal,” and Ivan Pak said gender ﬂuidity “shouldn’t be in children’s minds.”

“I think what’s needed is an administration advisory committee to help people understand what that policy is all about,” she said. “I think there’s been a lot of fear mongering. I wonder how many people have actually read the policy.” Her comments won a round of applause from the audience. The meeting was hosted by the Richmond Teachers’ Association, CUPE 716, Richmond Association of School Administrators and the Richmond District Parents Association. When moderator Al Klassen, former RTA president, posed a yes-or-no question to candidates asking if they’d read the SOGI 123 policy, Wong raised her “no” card. She later clariﬁed via email she had answered no because, technically, SOGI 123 is a resource package, not a policy. Earlier this year, Wong caused controversy by saying she raised her hand to vote to accept Richmond’s SOGI policy by accident. Other incumbent candidates voiced their support for the policy, and talked of how dedicated they are to implementing it effectively. “It was an incredible moment in June when I could raise my hand for the SOGI policy,” Donna Sargent said.

Candidates for school trustee in the Oct. 20 civic election debate the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity policy. Megan Devlin/Richmond News In all, only ﬁve of the 26 candidates said they opposed implementing Richmond’s SOGI policy in the yes-or-no question. Wong said she opposed it, and so did four members of the Parents’ Slate: Pak, Adl, James Li and Andrea Gong-Quinn. Richard Lee, who is on the Parent’s Slate, voted “yes” to implementing the policy, even though he later clariﬁed to the Richmond News that he still doesn’t support it. “Once it was passed, we are a team. We don’t go out and speak against it,” said Lee. One topic that all candidates agree on, though, was the need for seismic upgrades at Richmond schools. “Every child should be in a safe environment,” Sargent said.

Others talked of the need to build a city centre school to accommodate the booming population in that neighbourhood. “(City) council keeps handing out these contracts for tower after tower...and we have the unique opportunity to ask them to subsidize a school,” candidate Harv Puni said. Others wanted to change catchement boundaries to ensure parents can get their kids into neighbourhood schools. When it came to teachers, Tablotney praised the return of the collective agreement both for job stability for staff and class sizes for kids. Rahim Othman with Richmond Community Coalition said there’s still more work to do, and Puni said educational assistants need more protections.

RE-ELECT I am pleased to endorse Mr. Chak Au for election as Councilor for the City of Richmond. Chak and I have worked together on a number of organizations in promoting multiculturalism and intercultural harmony in the community. Chak has been very active first as a School Trustee and then as a Councilor for many years. He is a very hard working, community minded and dedicated person. I am sure that if re-elected, Chak will continue to serve this community in an exemplary manner. Balwant Sanghera, O.B.C. President, Richmond Multicultural Community Services

CHAK AU

My name is Sacha Peter, and I have known Councillor Chak Au since he was a School Trustee. Chak has consistently demonstrated the ability to make decisions for the long-term welfare of the board and council that he has represented. He is able to work with people of all stripes, whether it be cultures, languages or even partisan affiliation, which is an essential skill for an elected official in Richmond. I whole-heartedly endorse him for Richmond City Council as he pursues another term. He will continue to bring his competence and accumulated experience to council and make the best decisions for Richmond. Sacha Peter, CPA, CMA

Council Candidates KEN JOHNSTON (RE-ELECT)

yes.ChakAu

JONATHAN HO

PARM BAINS

MELISSA ZHANG

HARMONY – BALANCE – ACTION

richmondcommunitycoalition

www.richmondcommunitycoalition.com Authorized by Aman Janjua, Financial Agent. 604-603-9359

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

NEWS

A13

Let’s talk about the REAL Issues:

MP takes birth tourism to Ottawa Alan Campbell RICHMOND NEWS

A petition calling for the federal government to end the growing problem of birth tourism was presented in Parliament last Friday by Richmond MP Joe Peschisolido. Almost 11,000 signatures from across the country accompanied the petition – which was kicked off in March by Richmond resident Kerry Starchuk. The petition denounces birth tourism as “an abusive and exploitative practice . . . whereby expectant mothers who are foreign nationals, with no status in Canada, gain automatic citizenship for their children born in Canada.” It claims birth tourism, which is technically legal, is “debasing the value of Canadian citizenship” and is prone to abusing Canada’s social security programs.

Affordable Housing

Petition sponsor Peschisolido, MP for Steveston - Richmond East, said the “birth tourism industry must be dismantled and ultimately shut down.

Richmond families are being forced out of our City by high home prices.

“Birth tourism is an abuse of Canada’s immigration and citizenship system, as well as our public health care and social security systems.

We need housing options that keep families together in the community they grew up in.

“Unscrupulous individuals are proﬁting from this industry. Exploiting the generosity of our immigration and health care systems violates people’s sense of fairness, as was evident by the high number of signatures on the petition.” Birth tourism is a practice whereby expectant mothers, through an organized effort, travel to another country for the purpose of giving birth so the child gains citizenship in that country.

These candidates will act in a positive way to create the kind of housing that our community needs. These candidates have the vision and experience to deliver affordable housing for our residents!

Canada, added Peschisolido, needs to determine the full extent of birth tourism and implement “concrete measures to reduce and eliminate this practice.”

Re-elect Derek Dang

Re-elect Chak Au

Re-elect Bill McNulty

Re-elect Ken Johnston

Municipal and provincial governments, said the Richmond MP, must also address and come to grips with birth tourism.

Re-elect Linda McPhail

Melissa Zhang

The Standing Orders of the House of Commons require the government to respond within 45 calendar days to every petition presented.

Andy Hobbs

Parm Bains

Sunny Ho

Jonathan Ho

An entire industry of brokers and maternity tourism businesses are proﬁting from birth tourism, from agents to birthing houses and doctors to hospitals.

The Richmond News told in March how the continued rise in non-residents arriving at Richmond Hospital to give birth provoked Starchuk and several other Richmond 14

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A14 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

NEWS Serge Biln, Ann Merdinyan, Robert Ingves, Kerry Starchuk and Gary Liu were among the core petitioners against birth tourism back in March. File photo

Petitioner: Play by the rules residents into starting a second House of Commons petition, aimed at denouncing and

eliminating birth tourism nationwide.

Prior to the new petition, an older one, from 2016,

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was sponsored by Conservative MP for Richmond Centre, Alice Wong, who asked the government to end automatic citizenship rights for being born in Canada, referred to as jus soli.

The Liberals turfed that one, as Peschisolido maintained in March that those rights are a fundamental pillar of freedom in Canada. Community activist Starchuk, who is now running for city council, said in March that, while the new petition is “softened,” she was hopeful it would at least be discussed in the House. There were 379 births to non-residents in Richmond, according to Vancouver Coastal Health’s 20162017 ﬁscal year records. By comparison, from 2004 to 2010 the hospital helped birth, on average, 18 new Canadians per year from non-resident mothers. A core group of six petitioners includes three immigrants who feel the practice is unfair. “In general, most of the immigrant community despises this kind of practice, but for different reasons people are not outspoken. It’s an unfair practice to all other immigrants who play by the rules,” said scientist Gary Liu, 39, a Vancouver resident, who came to Canada 25 years ago.

A leading hearing aid manufacturer will be releasing new technology that will break barriers in hearing aid acceptance and listening quality. Participants will be invited to test new technology in a busy restaurant setting.

Petitioner Serge Biln, 56, said immigrants such as his parents (from India), jump through many hurdles to become Canadian.

Eligible participants can purchase the hearing aids following the trial at a discounted rate if they wish.

However a clear solution to the perceived problem is not made clear in the petition, noted fellow petitioner Ann Merdinyan, an immigrant herself. Peschisolido said the main intent of the petition was to ﬁrst denounce the practice and then study its scope.

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“The government should say birth tourism is bad. Let’s quantify it and lets ﬁx it,” Peschisolido said in March. Starchuk said denouncing the practice is important as some birth tourism agencies in China are advertising as if Prime Minster Justin Trudeau accepts birth tourism (going so far as to put pictures of him on their website).

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

NEWS

A15

Let’s talk about the REAL Issues:

Addiction help ready for hash legalization Megan Devlin RICHMOND NEWS

The executive director of Richmond Addiction Services Society (RAAS) is urging local and federal governments to continue investing in harm reduction and clinical supports for substance abuse ahead of cannabis legalization. “Whenever you increase the availability of a substance, you usually increase the usage,” Rick Dubras told the Richmond News. “Therefore there might be more of a demand for prevention.”

Transportation

Various studies have shown mixed results about whether legalization is correlated with increased use in the U.S. Nevertheless, Dubras aims to ensure his organization has the resources to help as more may try cannabis after Oct. 17. RASS supports youth up to 24 with substance use problems by providing counselling for individuals and families at their clinic and running outreach programs to pierce the stigma surrounding addictions.

Traffic in Richmond has become a problem for us all. It is time to start building the roads we need before new development creates congestion. We need to bring some real pressure to bear on the NDP in Victoria to stop studying the Tunnel and start fixing the problem!

“There’re usually reasons, and very good reasons, for people to use. Part of the recovery process is to create alternatives for people to turn to. This is about the entirety of what is involved in being a happy and healthy person,” he said.

These candidates will bring real vision and experience to fix our traffic problems!

Although proponents of legalization say it will make cannabis easier to regulate, Dubras pointed to less than water-tight enforcement of rules around alcohol.

They will actively address our traffic issues, aren’t beholden to the NDP and will press them to get moving on replacing the Massey Tunnel.

“Kids get bootlegged alcohol all the time when adults think it’s no big deal,” he said. Some people credit cannabis use with helping them wean off of more dangerous drugs, like opioids or cocaine. Dubras has heard that in his work, but says it’s only one part of a larger continuum of therapies. “It can be seen as harm reduction but it can be seen as continuing with addiction,” he said. “So is opioid replacement therapy. It’s all part of a (treatment) strategy.” Dubras sees talk of drug use surrounding cannabis legalization as an opportunity to ask for better help for those with substance use issues.

Re-elect Derek Dang

Re-elect Chak Au

Re-elect Bill McNulty

Re-elect Ken Johnston

Re-elect Linda McPhail

Melissa Zhang

Andy Hobbs

Parm Bains

Sunny Ho

Jonathan Ho

“We want comprehensive funding to all levels of prevention. We want enhanced health promotion initiatives, harm reduction services and treatment.” There are several options for treatment: RAAS (604-2709220); Transitions (Richmond Public Health, 604-244-5488); opioid dependence (Anne Vogel Clinic, 604-675-3975).

Peter Liu Authorized by Frederick Scott, registered sponsor under LECFA, contact #1-250-415-7860

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A16 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

FOR EVERY BOOKING, RIVER ROCK CASINO RESORT WILL DONATE 50% OF THE BOOKING PROCEEDS TO THE BC PROFESSIONAL FIRE FIGHTERS’ BURN FUND (up to $5,000)

NEWS

City expands plastic recycling

Thank you to all the brave men and women who fought the forest fires in British Columbia this summer.

However, items must be kept separate and can’t be accepted curbside Alyse Kotyk RICHMOND NEWS

There’s no need to throw your empty chip bags in the garbage anymore, as the City of Richmond has expanded its recycling program to collect ﬂexible plastic packaging.

$50 per night for any firefighter + 50% off in the food court Valid for stays from Sunday to Thursday October 1, 2018 – November 29, 2018

Call reservations at 604.247.8900 to book your stay Rates do not include gratuity or tax. Based on availability. Offer is valid for all firefighters, must present a valid piece of government ID and a recent paystub.

As of Sept. 1, the City of Richmond now recycles packaging including zipper lock pouches, crinkly wrappers and bags, ﬂexible packaging with a plastic seal, net plastic bags, protective packing such as bubble wrap and shrink wrap. “Richmond residents have consistently been leaders in recycling and thanks to their efforts, we are diverting 78 per cent of household waste from the landﬁll,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a press release. “We have a target to divert 80 per cent of waste by 2020, and this new program, combined with other recycling such as the

Green Cart program, will help us achieve the remaining two per cent.” According to the city, “other ﬂexible plastic packaging is one of the fastest growing packaging types on the market and the largest category of packaging that was previously not collected.” As these items must be kept separate from rigid plastic packaging and containers, they are not accepted in curbside collection. However, ﬂexible packaging can be collected at Richmond’s Recycling Depot (5555 Lynas Lane) or at Richmond’s London Drugs locations (11666 Steveston Hwy or 5971 No 3 Rd). After collecting these items, the city will recycle the products or produce engineered fuel. The city’s pilot project for collecting these items is part of a Recycle BC initiative and Richmond will receive $175 per tonne of material it collects. In 2019, this will increase to $500.

LAST WEEK, IN THE NEWS, A THIRD PARTY ADVERTISEMENT THAT PROMOTED RICHMOND FIRST AND RICHMOND COMMUNITY COALITION CANDIDATES, CLAIMED RITE RICHMOND WILL RAISE TAXES.

RITE RICHMOND IS HERE TO REFUTE THIS MISS GUIDED CLAIM.

“The Rite Team is the Right choice for city council” - OTTO LANGER

According to the voting record, Councillor Carol Day is the only

1 Councillor who consistently voted against tax increases.

Under the current council, Richmond regularly increased taxes on

2 consistent interval despite Councillor Day’s protest.

Day voted NO to the 250 K Multi-flag pole, 800 K annual Oval marketing

3 budget, 3.5 million discount for ONNI ( Wozny report) etc.

UNFORTUNATELY THIS ELECTION IS FILLED WITH FALSE INFORMATION AND MISS GUIDED CLAIMS. RITE RICHMOND IS DETERMINED TO BE ACCOUNTABLE, TRANSPARENT AND CONSISTENT IN ALL OF OUR ADVERTISEMENT/POLITICAL MESSAGES IN ALL LANGUAGES. Sincerely, RITE Richmond: Carol DAY,, Niti SHARMA, Michael WOLFE and Henry YAO

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

A17

Let’s talk about the REAL Issues:

Mounties nab 55 distracted drivers

Richmond RCMP was out in force recently to catch drivers using their phones in trafﬁc.

Taxes

This election presents a sharp choice: the NDP affiliated RCA/ RITE with their plans to tax and spend or a team of responsible politicians that can keep taxes low. Richmond enjoys some of the lowest taxes in the Lower Mainland because of the efforts of our Richmond First and R.C.C.A councillors. Don’t give the left the chance to raise your taxes!

Alan Campbell

These candidates have a track record of financial responsibility. Vote for candidates with the vision and experience to keep our taxes low!

RICHMOND NEWS

Fifty-ﬁve violation tickets for distracted driving were issued by Richmond RCMP during the space of a few hours in the city centre last week. A 28-strong team of Mounties, auxiliary constables and RCMP volunteers — the latter of which were positioned early in the vicinity, to give drivers fair warning to get off their phones.

Re-elect Derek Dang

Re-elect Chak Au

The areas targeted during the day were: No. 3 Road and Alderbridge Way; Garden City Road and Alderbridge Way; Garden City Road and Westminster Highway; Garden City and Cambie roads.

Re-elect Bill McNulty

Re-elect Ken Johnston

Re-elect Linda McPhail

Melissa Zhang

While vehicles were lined up at red lights at the intersections, ofﬁcers could be seen wandering through the trafﬁc, looking for drivers using their phones, even while stationary.

Andy Hobbs

Parm Bains

Sunny Ho

Jonathan Ho

As well as the tickets issues, one prohibited driver was also caught during the blitz.

Peter Liu Authorized by Frederick Scott, registered sponsor under LECFA, contact #1-250-415-7860

Celebrate with us. It’s been a journey 49 years in the making. Come celebrate with us, connect with the community, and help build a brighter future for Langara College Beyond 49. Learn more. beyond49.langara.ca

A18 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

NEWS

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

Seismic upgrades underway Megan Devlin RICHMOND NEWS

Engineer Frank Geyer, provides school trustees with an update on seismic remediation underway at four Richmond schools. Megan Devlin/Richmond News

In spite of seismic upgrades running under budget at one Richmond school, escalating construction costs could increase other budgets, a district engineer has told school trustees. Frank Geyer, executive director of planning and development with the Richmond School District, gave a progress report recently on the four schools with upgrade projects underway and the three more with upgrades being evaluated for feasibility. The modiﬁcations to the existing structures are being made to help schools cope better in the event of an earthquake. Geyer described what they’re doing as creating a “wafﬂe pattern” using beams to make sure the buildings don’t get swallowed by the earth during liquefaction. It’s a phenomenon that happens when soils that are sandy, loose or saturated with water lose their stiffness during an earthquake and turn into

a quicksand-like substance that can engulf buildings. “We’re literally building a concrete ring around the school that stiches the building together,” he said. “So the building, if [the soil] liquefies, will float. It’s like building a big concrete raft. That’s how you deal with liquefiable soils.” In September, Premier John Horgan announced an additional $16 million in funding for seismic upgrades at 63-year-old Tait elementary and 58-year-old Ferris elementary. Ferris, Richmond’s largest

Charvine ADL

elementary school, will need fewer updates that originally anticipated, Geyer said, because the soil is of better quality than they thought. That allows him to trim 10 months from the construction timeline and save on costs. The project’s budget is $6.26 million and is expected to be completed by August, 2020. Tait’s entire building needs upgrading, and construction could start in May 2019 and is expected to be completed in August 2020. That school’s upgrade budget is just under $5 19 million.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

NEWS

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

A19

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Construction on seismic upgrades at Tait elementary could start this spring and is expected to be ﬁnished by August 2020. Photo submitted.

Costs could escalate up to10% Construction on Hugh Boyd secondary should also start in spring 2019. The school’s structure as well as its underground foundation will be upgraded, but the newest wing of the school doesn’t need to be touched. Along with seismic upgrades, the school will get a new technology education wing which will house a computer-aided drafting lab, media editing room and “maker space.”

The school’s capacity is also being reduced by 100 students to reﬂect community need. Investment from the province came down in November 2017 for the project that’s now costed at $8.4 million. The seismic upgrade and addition at William Cook elementary is the most expensive of all the projects underway, with a budget of $14 million. The board has contributed $1 million, with other funding coming from the Capital Plan and the Annual Facilities Grant. The entire building is at high risk of liquefaction. The original school building will be demolished and replaced by a single-story

addition to the rear, which will expand the school by four classrooms. Trustee Debbie Tablotney said she was relieved to see the progress in protecting schools against earthquakes. “At least it’s moving along and the wheels aren’t stuck anymore,” she said. Geyer mentioned a problem across Metro Vancouver where companies bid a project at a certain price, but then costs escalate between eight and 10 per cent during construction. But he was confident that the board’s reserve and inflation budgets could cover those costs. Officials are still evaluating the feasibility of upgrade projects on three additional schools: Mitchell elementary, Tomsett elementary and Manoah Steves elementary. In total, 27 of the city’s schools were deemed at high seismic risk in the board’s Capital Plan. David Sadler, spokesperson for the school district, said the parents can expect a response from the Ministry of Education about the next seismic projects at the end of October.

City Board Consolidated Fees Bylaw 8636 Amendment Bylaw 9897

At the October 9, 2018 Council meeting, three readings were given to Consolidated Fees Bylaw 8636, Amendment Bylaw 9897 to increase fees for a range of products, services and fees provided by the City.

The Seafood House is now open for weekend brunch every Saturday and Sunday from 10:30 - 2:30 p.m.

Those persons who consider themselves affected by the proposed bylaw are invited to make written submissions to Council, c/o the City Clerk at 6911 No 3 Road, Richmond, BC, V6Y 2C1; or by fax at 604-278-5139; or by email to cityclerk@richmond.ca; or make verbal presentation to Council by appearing as a delegation at the November 13, 2018, Council meeting. All written submissions received prior to the proposed bylaw adoption on November 13, 2018, will be forwarded to Council for consideration. A complete copy of the staff report is available on the City website at www.richmond.ca (City Hall>City Council Agendas & Minutes>Finance Committee>2018>Agenda and Staff Reports>). For more information on the proposed Bylaw Amendment, please contact the Business Licence Division at 604-276-4389.

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A20 THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

NEWS

Battle over election signs rages Daisy Xiong RICHMOND NEWS

As we enter the home stretch of the civic election race, the battle heats up in the proverbial election sign

war.

tain signs are even legal.

Some residents are upset about election signs suddenly appearing on their property without their permission, some candidates are complaining that their signs are vanishing, while others are questioning if cer-

When Richmond resident Brendan Mulhall returned to his property under construction on Friday morning, he was shocked to see a large election sign for council incumbent Chak Au in front of his house.

“Someone came in last night and nailed the sign to the ground, ﬁrmly...why do they think it’s okay to put it on my private property without asking me?” asked an upset Mulhall. “I want to ask Mr. Au for his address so I can go to

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Richmond resident Brendan Mulhall saw a large election sign put up on his property without authorization last Friday. Daisy Xiong photo his home to put a sign up in front of his house. I don’t think he will mind given what has happened here.”

too large to be put on cityowned properties and some were put on private land without authorization.

Au said the sign was put there “by mistake,” perhaps by a confused volunteer. He added that, “(the home owner) can contact me and we will send someone to go to take it down,” said Au.

For candidates violating rules around election signs, the city will “warn and seek compliance, conﬁscate or remove the sign, or prosecution,” said Lavino Chan, licencing and sign inspector for the city.

Mulhall was not the only resident that found a “present” on his land.

Halloween is happening at this Richmond-area mall

ou don’t have to wait until October 31 to celebrate Halloween. In fact, Lansdowne Centre begins celebrating the holiday long before then. The popular Halloween train and ‘Scarousel’ (Halloween Carousel) children’s rides are back this year and operating every day during mall hours until October 31.

in costume can Trick or Treat at participating stores around the mall. Bailey says: “Parents love Trick or Treating in a shopping mall because it’s safe, warm, dry and there are lots of stores to visit. It’s also great for families who have more than one kid or have younger children who are new to Trick or Treating.”

Tickets are $4 each, or you can get a book of seven tickets for $20, says Lansdowne Centre’s marketing manager Bronwyn Bailey.

To enter to win a free book of ride tickets, visit Lansdowne Centre’s Facebook and Instagram pages. Also this fall, the mall will hold a win-whatyou-want contest, running October 9 through October 31 and Bailey encourages shoppers to stop by Lansdowne Centre Customer Service to obtain an official shopping list entry form for a chance to win what’s on your list up to a value of $500 from Lansdowne Centre shops and services.

The “goolish” rides are popular every year for Halloween but are also available—in less scary iterations—during other seasons. “[The rides] also come to the mall during Spring Break and Christmas every year. Tickets bought during one holiday can be kept and used next time,” explains Bailey. Lansdowne Centre also holds a Trick or Treat evening on October 31 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Kids

For more information, please visit http://lansdowne-centre.com.

Lansdowne Centre is located at 5300 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC, Canada

Sandi Bezanson-Chan told the Richmond News last week that an unauthorized campaign sign for mayoral candidate Hong Guo appeared on the lawn of the vacant home into which her family was moving soon. According to the city’s Guide to Election Sign Placement, election signs can only be put on private property with the property owners’ consent, with a maximum size of 4x8 feet for a sign face. The guide also notes that any signs bigger than 2x3 feet cannot be placed on city-owned property, including highways, roads, bridges, parks, boulevards and city buildings. An election sign inspection report issued by the city showed that as of Oct. 1, incumbent mayoral candidate Malcolm Brodie had nine signs removed by the city, Richmond First had six, council candidate Parm Bains had one and incumbent councillor Alexa Loo had one. Some of the signs were

Why do they think it’s okay to put (a sign) on my private property without asking me? BRENDAN MULHALL

“In order to preserve the neutrality of the election process, we do not comment about speciﬁc candidate signs,” she added. Meanwhile, some candidates are concerned about their signs going missing or being damaged. Kelly Greene, who’s with the Richmond Citizens Association, said her slate’s campaign signs have been frequently damaged, stolen or thrown on to the road to be run over by cars.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 11, 2018

NEWS

A21

City Board NOTICE OF PERMISSIVE EXEMPTION FOR THE YEAR 2019 Permissive Exemption Bylaw 9893 Notice is given that the City of Richmond intends to provide exemption from property taxes for a period of one year (2019 taxation year) for the properties listed below. Estimated City taxes are shown for the 2019 and for the following two years as required by Section 227 of the Community Charter.

Someone painted a yellow sad face (emoji) over Guo’s on one of her election signs originally erected at Railway and Blundell roads. Photo submitted She took to Facebook on Sunday to ask people to not steal or wreck anyone’s signs, despite their political views.

“The person who has the sign wants to support their candidates. The sign is paid for by hardworking community member’s donations,” she posted. Guo also reported having her signs damaged and some of her posters in shops were torn down. On a large Hong Guo election sign originally erected at Railway and Blundell roads, someone painted a yellow sad face (emoji) over Guo’s

face. Guo said she believes the yellow face has a “racist overtones.” “I feel hurt to see someone painted an ugly yellow face over mine on my campaign poster,” said Guo. “We are living in a democratic country with freedom of speech...but this is happening. Is this democracy?!” Social media is another battleﬁeld where candidates can win votes, which also makes it ripe for election sign controversy. A Chinese-only online poster has been questioned by some candidates. It tells peo-

ple how to vote and who to vote for, but it doesn’t include a name or contact info as is usually required on election advertising. The poster, however, doesn’t contravene election laws, said Chan, because no one actually paid for it. “Under Election BC rules, online advertisements with a placement cost must include the sponsor name and contact info,” said Chan. “If there is no placement cost. If it is an organic social media post or email blast, for example, it does not meet the deﬁnition for election advertising.”

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3,050

3,140

Development Disabilities Association

6531 Azure Road

2,650

2,729

2,809

Development Disabilities Association

8400 Robinson

3,252

3,349

3,448

Development Disabilities Association

7611 Langton Road

3,172

3,267

3,363

Gardens Children's Centre

10640 No. 5 Road

1,456

1,499

1,544

Girl Guides of Canada

11551 Dyke Road

16,520

17,012

17,514

Girl Guides of Canada

4780 Blundell Road

2,716

2,797

2,879

Greater Vancouver Community Service Society 4811 Williams Road

2,764

2,846

2,930

Navy League of Canada National Council

7411 River Road

9,477

9,760

10,047

Pinegrove Place, Mennonite Care Home Society of Richmond

11331 Mellis Drive

13,968

14,385

14,809

Cook Road Children's Centre (Richmond Society for Community Living) Cranberry Children Centre (Richmond Society for Children's Centres)

Richmond Animal Protection Society

12071 No 5 Road

Richmond Caring Place

7000 Minoru Boulevard

10,520

10,834

11,154

113,576

116,961

120,411

Richmond Centre For Disability

100-5671 No 3 Road

21,891

22,543

23,208

Richmond Family Place

8660 Ash Street

9,599

9,885

10,176

Richmond Gymnastics Association

140-7400 River Road

10,281

10,588

10,900

Richmond Ice Centre

14140 Triangle Road

192,074

197,798

203,633

Richmond Lawn Bowling Club

6133 Bowling Green Road

38,628

39,780

40,953

Richmond Legion Senior Citizen Society

7251 Langton Road

19,028

19,595

20,174

Richmond Lion's Manor

9020 Bridgeport Road

Richmond Oval

6111 River Road

Richmond Public Library - Cambie Branch

17,101

17,611

18,131

1,310,730

1,349,790

1,389,609

140-160 11590 Cambie Road

2,978

3,067

3,158

Richmond Public Library - Ironwood Branch

11688 Steveston Highway

5,328

5,486

5,648

Richmond Rod and Gun Club

7760 River Road

25,599

26,362

27,140

Richmond Rod and Gun Club

140-7400 River Road

5,140

5,293

5,450