Category: In the News

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TransLink is announcing City of North Vancouver Mayor Linda Buchanan and Township of Langley Mayor Eric Woodward have been appointed as Mayors’ Council Designates to TransLink’s Board of Directors, with both mayors participating in upcoming Board meetings.

Mayor Linda Buchanan is currently serving her second term as Mayor of the City of North Vancouver. She previously served as a City Councillor and School Board Trustee. Before being elected, Mayor Buchanan was also a public health nurse for 30 years.

Mayor Eric Woodward is currently serving his first term as Mayor of the Township of Langley, after serving as a Councillor from 2018 to 2022. Before entering municipal politics, Mayor Woodward co-founded several technology companies.

Mayors Buchanan and Woodward’s roles took effect on April 4. They join Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie as Mayors’ Council Designates to the Board. …

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Vancouver Sun

The most desirable neighbourhood in Metro Vancouver is threatened by the provincial government’s mass upzoning, says the mayor of Richmond.

Steveston, an historic township of about 6,000 people at the mouth of the Fraser River, came out on top when British Columbians were asked to name the “best neighbourhood” in Metro Vancouver out of 192 communities.

But Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie is convinced the B.C. NDP’s decision to force municipalities to approve fourplexes to sixplexes on virtually all single-family lots in the province will have “a dramatic effect on the character of Steveston,” which is adjacent to a popular shopping village and fishing harbour. …

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CTV News

Water usage restrictions will take effect across Metro Vancouver next month as the region’s snowpack remains near half the historical average for the season.

Metro Vancouver board chair George Harvie announced the coming restrictions Tuesday, saying the lack of snowpack for the region’s reservoirs and the expectation of another hot, dry summer means residents will be allowed to water their lawns a maximum of one day per week starting May 1. …

“Last year, we had to ban lawn watering mid-summer because use of our treated drinking water for outdoor use was too high,” said Malcolm Brodie, chair of Metro Vancouver’s water committee.

“This year, we’re hoping to avoid escalating restrictions for as long as possible,” he added. “Let your lawn go brown this summer, and save water for where it’s needed most: cooking, cleaning, and drinking.” …

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CTV News

Richmond’s two overnight warming centres are set to close Monday, and one outreach worker tells CTV News now is not the time to take away resources from a growing homeless population.

“There’s going to be a lot more people on the street,” said Hugh Freiberg, who delivers meals to Richmond’s homeless population six nights a week. …

Richmond’s mayor admits finding a solution isn’t easy and says the city is constantly working with the province and federal government on funding and resources for the community’s most vulnerable.

“In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have any of the tents around,” said Mayor Malcolm Brodie. “But we live in a region, in a province, in a country where there are plenty of homeless people and so we try and support them as best we can.”

B.C.’s Ministry of Housing told CTV News that Richmond’s emergency shelter spaces operated at 87 per cent capacity from January to March of this year.

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Langley Advance Times

Metro Vancouver residents will be limited to watering their lawns once a week, beginning May 1.

News of the upcoming restriction came down on Tuesday (April 9), with Metro Vancouver water committee chair Malcolm Brodie saying water conservation now could save the region from an outright ban later.

The region’s reservoirs are currently at about 56 per cent of their historical average. They’re expected to be fully by mid-May, but Metro Vancouver says the summer is forecast to be hot and dry and could quickly drain water stores away.

“Last year, we had to ban lawn watering mid-summer because use of our treated drinking water for outdoor use was too high. This year, we’re hoping to avoid escalating restrictions for as long as possible, but it really depends on you. Let your lawn go brown this summer, and save water for where it’s needed most: cooking, cleaning, and drinking,” Brodie said in a statement. …

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Richmond News

Richmond city council is giving a developer an extension on their application, which allows them to avoid increasing the number of affordable units they have to build.

But Mayor Malcolm Brodie cautioned the developer, Landa Global Properties, at Monday’s council meeting to take their eight-week extension “seriously.”

“I don’t want to be here on June 10th – or June 15th – thinking about another extension,” he said. “This is it, as far as I am concerned.”

City council upped its requirement for affordable housing units from 10 per cent to 15 per cent in city centre developments about 18 months ago. …

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Richmond News

Two warming centres in Richmond, at Brighouse Park and South Arm Pool, are set to close next week.

When the Richmond News dropped by Brighouse Park last Monday evening, a couple dozen people were milling around outside the centre.

Among those staying in the park, unhoused, was a young woman who is seven months pregnant.

Close to the Brighouse warming centre, which also serves as a drop-in centre for unhoused people during the day, there are tents where other unhoused people are staying. …

The city is now “actively reviewing” what to do once these centres close on April 14, according to the mayor of Richmond, although he couldn’t give details.

As for longer-term solutions, Mayor Malcolm Brodie said city staff are in continuous talks with the province to get more supportive housing.

“Housing for those who have no homes is always a discussion (with BC Housing),” Brodie said. …

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Richmond News

A new union has been created amid a labour dispute at the Sheraton Hotel in Richmond.

Employees at Sheraton Vancouver Airport Hotel, who belong to Unite Here Local 40, have been on strike for almost 10 months.

But some employees who’ve gone back to work and some who are still on strike decided to form their own union, the B.C. Hospitality Employees’ Association Local 7551 (BCHEA) in January, claiming Unite Here isn’t bargaining in good faith. …

City council agreed to boycott all three hotels in January after hearing from a delegation of representatives from Unite Here Local 40.

Three council members, however, including Mayor Malcolm Brodie, wanted the boycott to only cover the Sheraton and not the other two hotels under the same ownership but not on strike. They were over-ruled by the majority. …

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Journal of Commerce

Construction has begun on the Pathways Clubhouse building in Richmond, B.C. which will contain 80 affordable homes.

The project at 5491 No. 2 RD is a partnership between BC Housing, the City of Richmond and Pathways Clubhouse Society of Richmond and includes 24 studios, 36 one-bedroom units, 15 two-bedroom units and five three-bedroom units. Five per cent of the units will be fully accessible for people living with disabilities, a release said.

“These 80 units will provide rental homes for Richmond residents at various income levels and accommodate single people, families and seniors. It is yet another example of the city’s Affordable Housing Strategy in action. We look forward to seeing even more housing opportunities developed for Richmond residents in the coming months,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie in a statement.

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Richmond News

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this day, and we’re excited.”

The “day” was Monday when an announcement that an 80-unit housing development at Westminster Highway and No. 2 Road for people with mental illness will finally be built with an estimated completion date of early 2026. …
The building permit has been issued, according to the city, but this comes five years after city council approved the project and a development permit was issued.

City councillors and one Richmond MLA were at the site on Monday morning and did a ceremonial sod-turning with golden shovels. …

Sixteen of the units will be at shelter rates for people at risk of homelessness or those who are unhoused. The others will be for “varying levels of income,” Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie said at the press conference. …

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