Category: In the News

Indo-Canadian Voice

Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) Annual Convention on Tuesday, the Mayors’ Council on Regional Transportation was joined by various community and business organizations to launch a letter-writing campaign aimed at the main political parties running in the October 19 provincial election.

“We are here today to remind all political parties that our region needs transit now more than ever,” said Mayor Brad West, Chair of the Mayors’ Council. “The transit funding model is broken, and we are facing drastic cuts to service that will devastate our region if new funding is not identified. That is why we are asking the public to reach out to their local candidates and tell them to do the right thing and save transit in Metro Vancouver.” …

“Every political party needs to recognize that if we want a healthy, livable and more affordable region, we need to invest in public transit,” said Mayors’ Council Vice Chair Malcolm Brodie. “We cannot afford cuts to service, more overcrowded buses, more delays and more congested roads. The public understands this, now it’s time for the parties to listen.” …

Read Full Story

Vancouverisawesome.com

TransLink is facing a $600-million structural deficit that means Lower Mainland bus service could be cut after 8 p.m. and SkyTrain service could be rolled back by 30 per cent.

Metro Vancouver mayors gathered at the annual general meeting of the Union of B.C. Municipalities in Vancouver said the region’s transit system is in trouble and needs funding commitments from the province before cuts begin to impact communities and the economy.

“Metro Vancouver’s transit system is under threat due to a lack of funding,” said Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West Sept. 17 as the region’s mayors and other transit advocates stood behind him. …

“Every political party needs to recognize that if we want a healthy, livable and more affordable region, we need to invest in transit,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, vice-chair of the mayors’ council.

“We cannot afford cuts to service, more overcrowded buses, more delays and more congested roads. The public understands this. Now, it’s time for the parties to listen.” …

Read Full Story

Richmond News

The province is granting the City of Richmond a six-year extension on rezoning parts of Steveston for higher density.

After the province passed Bill 44, which allows densification in single-family neighbourhoods, Richmond city council asked for an extension in Steveston where they say infrastructure upgrades need to be done.

The city asked for a pause on rezoning requirements for the area between Steveston Highway and Chatham Street and No. 1 Road and Seventh Avenue. …

Richmond city council, including Mayor Malcolm Brodie, have criticized the province for forcing densification, which over-ride municipal zoning plans.

While the City of Richmond has allowed densification in certain areas, Kahlon said if this were sufficient, “the reality is if that were the case, we wouldn’t be in a housing crisis.” …

Read Full Story

Richmond News

The City of Richmond is updating its current Official Community Plan (OCP) and is encouraging residents and community members to learn more and provide input.

Several opportunities are being offered from September through November where residents can learn about the project and give their feedback.

“Richmond’s Official Community Plan outlines our city’s long-term goals and objectives around development and land use to the year 2050,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

“The current updates we’re undertaking include a focus on housing affordability and environmental protection. With Richmond residents and businesses participating at this early stage, we are able to include valuable input on strategic and sustainable growth which supports long-term community needs for a well-planned and prosperous city.”

Starting next Tuesday, there will be pop-up events around Richmond where residents can get more information. …

Read Full Story

Richmond News

Richmond Olympians Camryn Rogers, who won a gold medal in hammer throw this summer, race walker Evan Dunfee and fencer Nicholas Zhang were honoured by Richmond city council on Monday.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie presented Rogers, Dunfee and Zhang with Certificates of Achievement for their success at the 2024 Paris Olympics and for representing the community they were born and raised in – Richmond.

Zhang wasn’t able to attend as he is currently attending university. His father, Martin, accepted the certificate on his behalf. …

Read Full Story

Richmond News

Dear Editor,

Re: “Letters: Community dialogue needed in Richmond supportive housing decisions”

A recent letter suggested the city should do more to engage residents on the proposed supportive housing project at Cambie and Sexsmith.

The city’s role in this project is solely to rezone the city-owned site. The actual supportive housing is a provincial government project with capital and operations funded through BC Housing.

For September, BC Housing, on behalf of the B.C. government, organized a series of five in-person and online dialogue sessions to discuss the proposed development with the community. Almost 1,400 invitations were sent out for those now-cancelled sessions. Obviously, it was important that community input and engagement be included.

However, on Aug. 30, just as this extensive consultation was about to start, the minister suspended the dialogue sessions – as well as the project itself – until further notice.

Assuming this supportive housing development will be reactivated, it will again be subject to the full rezoning process with city council through placement on the planning committee, council and public hearing agendas. Note that this is in addition to the sessions organized by BC Housing.

Residents can then share their views with council and the province prior to decisions being made. Through this dialogue, people should understand precisely what this project is and – more importantly – what it is not. Options should also be explored.

The City of Richmond remains committed to supporting our residents, including those who have no home. I hope that the premier will eventually allow the process to fully unfold before prematurely making decisions.

Malcolm D. Brodie

Mayor of Richmond

Read Full Story

Vancouver Sun

Premier David Eby has suspended work for now on a controversial housing project for homeless people in Richmond, where three NDP MLAs are fighting for re-election.

Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon announced the news on the Friday before the Labour Day long weekend, the preferred timing for a government seeking to minimize the fallout from a cynical decision. …

Caught off guard by the NDP government’s reversal was Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

“We have been working on this project for quite a number of years,” he told Global News. Scrapping it would not make the homeless disappear, said Brodie.

“So I ask the question, would people rather deal with them when they are housed, when they have a basic level of housing and a roof over their head and some kind of security?” …

Read Full Story

CTV News Vancouver

A planned six-storey, 90-unit supportive housing complex at Cambie and Sexsmith roads in Richmond is no longer going forward. Unless it does. Which it definitely will, but maybe at a different site.

That was the complicated position Premier David Eby laid out Tuesday when asked about his government’s recent decision to suspend the project amid criticism from local residents.

“The housing minister made the decision to put this particular project on pause because of concerns that inadequate work had been done with the community to ensure this is the appropriate site, to ensure that all issues in the community have been addressed,” Eby said.

“One of the things that we need to do better on is (to) ensure that when we’re opening supportive housing in a community, that we have all the pieces in place in advance and not after it opens.” …

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie told CTV News on Tuesday he feels “an element of frustration” with the province’s decision, but he stressed that the project is suspended, not cancelled.

Brodie said the city has received complaints from neighbours of the existing temporary supportive housing facilities, but it’s been working with BC Housing on the proposed permanent facility for years, and only recently started hearing more objections to the proposal.

The mayor also noted that the consultation process was ongoing, with BC Housing scheduled to hold meetings with neighbours of the proposed facility this month and next.

“The process was not finished,” he said, adding that he wouldn’t speculate on whether the B.C. government’s decision to pause the project was motivated by the upcoming provincial election.

“I will say that the city has done, I believe, all – and probably more than – you can reasonably expect in this regard,” Brodie said. “If BC Housing had to cancel all its consultation meetings and those 1,400 invitations and they’re not going through with that process, that’s on them.” …

Read Full Story

Richmond News

Richmond city council plans to issue formal letters opposing the provincial government’s pressure to build up to eight-storey buildings on 11 single-family properties in Burkeville.

This topic was discussed during Tuesday’s general purposes committee meeting by council and the Sea Island Community Association. …

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie described the province’s approach to densifying Burkeville as “ridiculous,” with Coun. Kash Heed calling it an “asinine decision.”

“We’ve not gained a lot of ground in terms of the province, but we are fairly unrelenting in this,” said Brodie.

“The province’s point of view is that they are not interested in the urban impacts of any situation. Notwithstanding they brought in one set of guidelines for the entire province and they think there’s not going to be any exceptions to that.

“It just doesn’t make sense. Obviously, we don’t accept that.” …

Read Full Story

CBC News

The province has suspended work on a six-storey supportive housing project at Cambie Road and Sexsmith Road in Richmond, saying it will consult with the community some more. Malcolm Brodie, the mayor of Richmond, says the decision is politically motivated, as the project had prompted protests over public safety concerns.