Category: In the News

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With election day coming up Saturday, we’re breaking down the mayoral candidates in Richmond.

Long-time Mayor Malcolm Brodie is hoping to win for the eighth time in a row.

Malcolm Brodie (Incumbent)

Brodie was first elected to the Mayor’s chair in 2001 following a by-election. He was reelected in 2002, 2005, 2008, 2011, 2014, and 2018.

Before being elected mayor he served on city council and practiced law.

His platform centres around his “proven leadership” and is all about affordable housing, community safety, and keeping property taxes low.

Brodie is the chair of Metro Vancouver’s water committee and the city’s longest-serving mayor. …

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The Tyee

Rematches, retirements and some surprising returns to politics are the stuff of the many local elections in Metro Vancouver this month.

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Vancouver might be home to a tight and crowded race, but it’s only one of the 23 elections taking place in the region home to 2.6 million. Each has its own dramas, from the sexual assault charge that overshadowed a council’s work to a divisive mayor’s count of mischief over claims that a car ran over his foot. …

Richmond: A farmland defender retires

Harold Steves won’t be on the ballot this election, leaving behind an enormous legacy for the one-time school teacher and longtime cattle rancher who was first elected to council in 1968. …

As for the mayoral race, Malcolm Brodie is running again for the eighth time.

Kash Heed, the former BC Liberal solicitor general, is one high-profile newcomer to Richmond politics. He’s seeking a council seat as opposed to the mayoralty, admitting that it would be tough to challenge a veteran like Brodie. …

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Richmond News

Colin Shen, the owner of an up-and-coming business, Yudi Patisserie, has been waiting for almost seven months to get a building permit to start renovations.

Since he submitted his application in March, Shen has spent almost $28,000 on rent and insurance for a vacant shop.

“It’s just been taking too long. And many times… we send email(s), we call the city hall, we call Vancouver Coastal Health and we rarely get any response,” said Shen. …

Mayor Malcolm Brodie, who is also seeking re-election, said the city is always working to “revise and upgrade” the business licence and permit application system to make it more “responsive,” and such electronic tools are part of its efforts.

“In general, the city does a pretty good job,” said Brodie, explaining that, while he has heard of a couple of incidents like Shen’s, it’s not always a clear-cut and simple issue. …

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Richmond News

The Richmond News has been busy soliciting the profiles and some key information from all 30 mayoral and city council candidates for the civic election being held on Saturday, Oct. 15.

We asked them why they are looking for your vote and why they are running for office. We also asked them what they believe to be the three key issues in this year’s election.

Here are the three candidates for mayor in the 2022 Richmond election:

Name: Malcolm Brodie

Party: Independent

Occupation: Mayor

Why are you running for office: I’m running for re-election as Mayor to help lead Richmond in continuing to grow responsibly, affordably and sustainably for future generations — as we maintain the safe, high quality of life and good management the City has now.

Key issues in this election:

1. Affordability – we need to work with partners on a full range of housing for families to sustainably complement our many environmental initiatives and programs. Important in order to ensure affordability, we want to extend our extensive recreational trails, cycle paths, childcare centres and facilities;

2. Finances – we need to continue to keep Richmond’s property taxes low and our finances strong while expanding grants and subsidies for those who cannot afford recreation or other programs;

3. Community safety – it’s vitally important that we continue to provide the resources and personnel to keep every resident and business safe. We need to eliminate racial discrimination and hate through education and encouraging victims to report incidents. Everyone needs to feel safe in the City. …

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Richmond News

Arts is a way to bring people together and requires as much consideration as other topics in an election, according to actor and playwright Andrew Wade.

Wade, executive director of the Richmond Arts Coalition (RAC), wants this year’s candidates in the Richmond election to consider it in their platforms.

“At the Richmond Arts Coalition, we believe that the arts are crucial for a healthy community. We feel that the arts can help bring people together in our multicultural city,” said Wade. …

Both mayoral candidates John Roston and incumbent Malcolm Brodie responded that there is a need for additional performance spaces. …

Brodie agreed that he would be in favour of new facilities and expansion of existing spaces, but it would need to be “demonstrated through a business case.”

“Other levels of government and the School Board would need to be partners along with the community,” said Brodie. …

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Vancouver Sun

Richmond’s mayor has come under fire for lack of action on housing from his opponent in the city’s mayoral race.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie told an all-candidates meeting this week that the city needs more resources to tackle housing and affordability issues, and that it needs to work with other levels of government and developers.

But his challenger in the race, RITE Richmond mayoral candidate John Roston, said city hall under Brodie has not been tough enough in the issue and writing letters is not enough. …

Richmond has joined other Metro cities in recent years is requiring a higher proportion of new residential units be dedicated to rentals, including below-market rentals, in developments that have more than 60 units. …

Brodie has been in the seat for 21 years and is considered a shoo-in for his sixth term. He won the last election in 2018 with about 65 per cent of the vote and the one in 2014 with nearly 70 per cent. …

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Richmond News

A ground-breaking ceremony was held on Tuesday to mark the official start of construction for the new Steveston Community Centre and Branch Library.

The $90-million project aims to design a three-storey building facility that is “innovative, sustainable, inclusive and a model of wellness.” …

“This new facility has been a council priority that reflects the city’s commitment to building strong communities and the unique cultural and historical identity of Steveston,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie.

“Richmond was recently named B.C.’s most active community, and through projects like this we can continue to bring people together in modern, environmentally-friendly facilities that support healthy lifestyles and active learning.” …

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Richmond News

If you want more rental housing, why don’t you vote for it, was Richmond Mayor Malcom Brodie’s query to Coun. Michael Wolfe at last Monday’s council meeting.

Brodie was challenging Wolfe on his opposition to a proposal to build a 330-unit rental project in the Thompson area.

Wolfe is running in the current election under the RITE Richmond banner and at the meeting Brodie, who is also seeking re-election, read from RITE’s housing platform in an attempt to highlight what he called Wolfe’s “inconsistent” stance.

“What you say flies in the face of your platform,” Brodie told Wolfe at the council meeting.

“What more is the applicant to do to build rental housing in this city than what is being done in this report?” Brodie added. …

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Richmond News

More than 100 Richmond business leaders are gathering today to explore how businesses can adapt to an evolving economy and build resilience.

Hosted by Mayor Malcolm Brodie and city councillors, the 2022 Business and Partner Appreciation Event is being held for the first time since it went on hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. …

Local business leaders in attendance will include Nancy Small, Tourism Richmond CEO; Shaena Furlong, Richmond Chamber of Commerce CEO; Mike McNaney, YVR VP and chief external affairs officer; and Paul Tilbury, chair of the city’s economic advisory committee.

The event is being held at the Wilson School of Design at Kwantlen Polytechnic University today (Sept. 27) at 12:15 p.m. …

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Cision

The Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB), Lulu Island Energy Company (LIEC) and Corix Infrastructure Inc. (Corix) have achieved financial close on a district energy expansion project in the City of Richmond, British Columbia.

Under the agreement, the CIB will provide $175 million in financing for the LIEC City Centre District Energy Utility project. It will enable expansion to more than 170 new residential and mixed-use commercial development sites in the area by 2050, using low-carbon heat recovered from the Gilbert Road regional sewer system. …

The benefits of this expansion will be realized not only by the residents and businesses connected to the utility, but the entire community as it will reduce greenhouse gas emissions by an estimated one million tonnes when completed. District energy is a key pillar for achieving Richmond’s short- and long-term community greenhouse gas emission reduction goals as well as the delivery of efficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly energy for the community.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie, City of Richmond

…

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