Month: October 2020

Vancouver Sun

What is it about tartan kilts in cosmopolitan Metro Vancouver?

Vancouver, where 51 per cent of residents are people of colour, now has its seventh consecutive mayor of Scottish origin. Kennedy Stewart is a proud member of the famous clan, who sometimes wears his ancestral kilt. …

Mayor Malcolm Brodie of Richmond has been serving as councillor or mayor for 24 years, with little trouble earning votes in a city where ethnic Chinese and other people of colour make up three-of-four residents. He’s interested in the way he traces back to Scotland’s Brodie Castle. …

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News 1130

Masks will be mandatory in all city-operated buildings in Richmond as of Sunday.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie says Richmond has some of the lowest COVID-19 rates in Metro Vancouver, and attributes much of that to proactive measures, such as regularly wearing masks.

“We want to continue to enhance and protect the safety and well-being of the community by asking everyone who enters a city facility to put on a mask,” he adds. “It is the safe thing to do. It is the right thing to do.” …

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Richmond News

As the cold, winter weather is approaching fast, the City of Richmond is making a call for residents to volunteer and join the Snow Angel program.

The program is a group of volunteers that provide snow removal assistance to the elderly or those in need during a significant storm. …

This could be helping community members clear sidewalks and walkways for those who cannot do so.

“Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s expected the need to help qualified community members will be even higher this year,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

“Snow angel volunteers not only provide an important service, but they also ensure that Richmond’s community remains strong, safe and vibrant.” …

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News 1130

While it isn’t clear if the B.C. election will result in delays to the replacement project, mayors on either side of the Massey Tunnel are pushing for details from the province.

The NDP government has said details about the replacement would be released sometime this fall, but the mayors of Richmond and Delta say now is the time to start on the project as they wait for more information.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie says if it wasn’t for the election, it is likely the business case would have already been presented.

“Whether it’s a bridge, whether it’s a tunnel, whether it’s twinning the existing tunnel, upgrading it, or whatever, everybody recognizes that it is a real priority and we need to get moving and continue the momentum,” he says.

Brodie says he is open to hearing the preferred option put forward by the province. …

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CBC News

We still don’t know the final results of the election and won’t know until at least Nov. 16. Elections BC says there are about 600,000 mail-in and absentee ballots across the province still to count, so the final result in some ridings could change.

But there’s still quite a bit to catch up on. …

Also on the government’s agenda of interest to Metro Vancouver mayors is the Massey Tunnel replacement. Folks might remember it was last year that it explicitly asked the province to move forward with an eight-lane tunnel, and the government said it would make a decision on the business case in the fall of 2020 …

Well, it’s fall 2020.

“I think it’s critical that now the government is back in power, that they would continue the effort and announce the preferred option,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who was critical of the B.C. Liberal proposal for a 10-lane bridge.

“I’m optimistic that within a very short period of time, we’ll have the answer.” …

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Richmond News

The deadline for a property owner to pull down an illegally built wall and restore a ditch in east Richmond is Friday 5 p.m.

If it’s not done by then, the City of Richmond will schedule a city crew to do the work at the expense of the owners. …

John Irving, general manager of engineering and public works with the city, pointed out the installation includes a “small, substandard pipe” that is causing flooding upstream. Even if the property owner applied to the province to allow the structure, it would have to be removed and rebuilt.

“There isn’t any situation where the city could tolerate the current installation remaining in place, subsequent to any provincial approval,” Irving said.

But after hearing the property owner’s appeal, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie questioned the actions the family had taken.

“You applied for the permit, you couldn’t get it, but you went forward anyway?” he asked the property owner.

“I didn’t have any choice because of my kids, my dog – there’s no safety,” she replied. …

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Richmond News

Mayor Malcolm Brodie and several city councillors joined the YMCA and ASPAC Developments to break ground on Richmond’s new childcare centre, Hummingbird Child Care Facility.

The facility will accommodate 37 children in two licensed childcare programs.

ASPAC, the builder of River Green near the Olympic Oval, is building the facility as part of its community amenity contribution.

Hummingbird Child Care Facility will be owned by the City of Richmond and operated by the YMCA.

Construction is expected to be completed in spring 2022. Programs will begin operating after the City of Richmond grants an occupancy permit. …

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Georgia Straight

Although today’s new case count is lower the weekend, it continues to remain above the 200-case mark. Meanwhile, numbers of active and hospitalized cases and monitored people remained about the same as yesterday.

The B.C. government announced today (October 27) that it has once again extended the provincial state of emergency, this time until November 10. …

The City of Richmond announced on October 26 that masks must be worn inside all city-operated facilities in Richmond as of Sunday (November 1). …

“Richmond has some of the lowest COVID-19 rates in Metro Vancouver,” Mayor Malcolm Brodie stated in a news release. “Much of that is attributed to proactive measures such as regularly wearing masks. We want to continue to enhance and protect the safety and well-being of the community by asking everyone who enters a city facility to put on a mask.” …

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CTV News Vancouver

Masks will be mandatory inside city-operated facilities in Richmond, B.C., as of Sunday, a change the mayor says is meant to protect the community.

The change was approved by council Monday and will be in effect at facilities like libraries, arenas, recreation centres and skating rinks, as well as fire halls, city hall and other community facilities including the Steveston Museum and the Richmond Art Gallery and Museum. …

“One thing that has kind of been avoided in our approach is actually fining people, or going that punitive route,” Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie told CTV News Tuesday. “I would have real hesitation about going that far.”

Noting a similar motion had already been approved in Delta, Brodie said, “The science, and the practice, and the public opinion I think was all in favour of the use of a mask as simply one device to help reduce the spread of COVID.” …

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Glacier News

For Richmond’s police chief in 2004, the impact of the opening of the River Rock Casino and Resort was immediately obvious.

“I am worried the monster is growing. Their influence will soon control B.C. gaming,” wrote Richmond RCMP Officer in Charge Ward Clapham in an email to his district commander in December 2004. …

Then, as now, Richmond’s mayor was Malcolm Brodie, who could not be immediately reached for comment.

Brodie has previously stated he was one on council to initially voice concerns about the new casino. …

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