Category: In the News

Richmond News

The City of Richmond and CUPE 394 (outside workers) gave out two scholarships to local students during Public Works Week last week.

The students each received $2,000 to support a career in the trades, presented by Mayor Malcolm Brodie and members of city council last week at the City Works Yard.

The 2025 recipients are Hugh Boyd student Samantha (Sam) Langan and Richmond Secondary student Joshua Farmer.

“The city’s public works teams provide many essential services that, while often unnoticed, are vital to the daily lives of Richmond’s residents and businesses,” said Brodie.

“The dedication and commitment our two recipients have shown their education will serve them well, and we know they will both be successful in their chosen professions.” …

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Vancouver Sun

The New Democrats learned this week that the two Green party MLAs, their sometime supporters, won’t be voting for Bill 15, the government’s troubled Infrastructure Projects Act.

The Greens say the legislation gives the cabinet too much arbitrary power to override other authorities and approve any project the New Democrats deem to be “politically significant.” …

“A fast-tracked approach that skips over consultation is more likely to lead to unintended consequences,” the UBCM warned.

“This is a dangerous piece of legislation and steps need to be taken to stop it,” Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie told Fran Yanor of the Northern Beat. …

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Richmond News

The annual Richmond Arts Awards on Wednesday evening (May 7) included some audience participation.

Not only did Musqueam representative Mary Point lead the audience in the traditional Musqueam “Paddle Song,” keynote speaker Morna Edmundson, co-founder and artistic director of Elektra Choir, got the 70-plus attendees to sing a round of “Row, row, row your boat,” showing how choir singing brings a community together out of “thin air.” …

The awards were hosted by Mayor Malcolm Brodie and the evening included musical performances by the ShowStoppers, Elisa Thorn and Fangfei Music Academy Society. …

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Richmond News

Richmond residents will once again have the opportunity to learn out about the city’s sewers, water system, roads and parks.

On Saturday, May 10, the City of Richmond will host its annual free Public Works Open house from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the city’s Operations Yard at 5599 Lynas Lane.

Highlights include viewing and exploring full-sized heavy equipment such as dump trucks, graders and backhoes, playing in the Kidstruction zone, taking a picture beside a Richmond Fire-Rescue truck and learning the basics of planting at the potting station.

Visitors can also learn about flood protection and other city initiatives at a variety of booths from different departments. …

“The city’s outstanding public works team is dedicated to keeping Richmond running smoothly. From maintaining our roads and dikes, to ensuring clean water and recycling, their dedication is what makes our community thrive,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

“I encourage everyone to come out to the Public Works Open House for a fun family day. It is a wonderful chance to learn about the important work our staff does and to celebrate the many ways they help make our city a great place to call home.” …

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City of Richmond

May is here, and with it comes Invasive Species Action Month—an annual opportunity for the City of Richmond to raise awareness about the impacts of invasive species in the community and all over British Columbia. Invasive species are plants and animals that have been introduced to the local environment and, once established, pose significant and negative ecological, social and economic impacts.

Richmond’s Invasive Species Action Plan identifies eight priority invasive species, including knotweed, giant hogweed, parrots feather, fire ants, common reed, European chafer beetle, Japanese beetle and scotch broom because of their risk to health and safety, infrastructure and the environment. Throughout May, a series of weekly social media posts will promote Invasive Species Action Month by showcasing these species, highlighting City and provincial programs, and recognizing local stewardship initiatives in Richmond. …

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Richmond News

The flags at Richmond City Hall will be lowered to half-mast for this week to commemorate the deaths of 11 people on Saturday at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie released a statement on Monday morning extending the city’s condolences and “deepest sympathies” to everyone affected by the incident.

“The loss of eleven cherished members of the Filipino Canadian community and the injuries suffered by many others have touched us profoundly,” Brodie said in a statement. …

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Richmond News

A Richmond city councillor is calling on the city to stop giving gift cards to its employees.

A motion at next week’s committee meeting, put forward by Coun. Kash Heed, is asking the city’s chief administrative officer to “immediately withdraw” the practice of giving out gift cards to employees, implement recognition programs that “prioritize fairness and meaningful appreciation,” take stock of any current gift card inventory and donate them to charity. …

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie told the Richmond News the city is in a “review and research phase” on how gift cards have been used at the city.

“Yes, I do think the cards have been problematic and we should discontinue their use,” he told the News when asked whether he generally agreed with the motion to stop using them.

While they’ve been used for “valid” reasons, such as recognizing excellence, recognizing volunteers during volunteer week and as a gift when an employee is retiring after long service with the city, Brodie said it’s a practice that should be “very tightly monitored and controlled.” …

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Global News

There are calls for an investigation into the use of restaurant gift cards by the City of Richmond.

Documents obtained by Global News through the freedom of information requests indicate about $498,000 was spent on the cards over three years. Minus possible duplicates, it’s about $445,000.

Richmond had previously indicated that gift cards cost taxpayers $32,800 in 2022, $71,550 in and $71,300 in 2024. The FOI results indicate much larger numbers. $156,000 in 2022, $218,000 in 2023 and $124,000 in 2024. …

Richmond says that now the gift cards are “only permitted for long service retirement and volunteer service.”

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie has declined to comment. …

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Vancouver Sun

The funding deal that TransLink reached with the province on Thursday doesn’t entirely fix the agency’s fiscal woes, but it does buy it time to keep working on a permanent resolution, officials say.

The B.C. government announced Thursday that it would provide $312 million in operating funding to the Metro Vancouver transit operator over the next three years.

On TransLink’s side, the funding agreement calls for the five-per-cent fare increase that the agency approved on March 27 to take effect in July, to be followed by two-per-cent annual increases, and a $1.50 increase to the surcharge for travelling from YVR.

It will also require a 0.5 per cent increase to TransLink’s property tax charge, equal to about $20 for a median Metro household.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, vice-chair of the TransLink Mayor’s Council, acknowledged it “is not the settlement that the mayors were hoping for.”

However, at the end of “lengthy and spirited negotiations,” Brodie said, “I think I can say with confidence that this was the best that the mayors could negotiate.” …

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Richmond News

An unveiling ceremony for two new street names honouring Const. Jimmy Ng, a Richmond RCMP officer who was killed in the line of duty, took place in Richmond on Thursday morning.

Cst. Jimmy Ng Road and Cst. Jimmy Ng Place are the two new streets in the Richmond Centre development project.

Ng, 32 at the time, was killed while working a night shift on Sept. 15, 2002, when a car ran a red light at No. 3 and Williams roads in a street race.

Numerous RCMP colleagues and troopmates of Ng, Commanding Officer of BC RCMP, Deputy Commissioner Dwayne McDonald, Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie, Richmond city councillors and dignitaries all attended the ceremony on April 10. …

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