Richmond News December 27 2018 by Richmond News

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27 2018

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

INSIDE

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NEWS Richmond says no to prop rep NEWS Substantial wage hike for city council NEWS London Drugs threatens Richmond axe COMMUNITY Empty kettles forcing Sally Anne cuts FEATURE Retired ﬁreﬁghter queries city’s PTSD pushback SPORTS Young Trojans are short on numbers, but big on talent

See you in the New Year Eve Edmonds RICHMOND NEWS

Well, we’re getting into holiday mode, so just a quick note to wish you a happy new year. But before launching into 2019, have a look at the year that was. 2018 saw some massive changes in Richmond — from the introduction of our ﬁrst temporary modular housing project, to the creation of new bylaws regarding mega homes on ALR land, to an election which saw a seismic shift in orientation.

And then there was Richmond’s biggest ﬁre ever. It didn’t destroy homes, but burned for days and was yet another reminder of the climate change we see around us. Another biggy, in our minds, was the passing of the Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) policy. The policy, which aims to ensure LGBTQ students are not discriminated against, passed, but only after some ﬁery school board meetings. So what lays ahead? I can’t say, but I can tell you whatever it is, the Richmond News will be there to cover it. We’ve got a great team, it’s going to be a great year. On behalf of everyone here, I wish you all the best.

7 21

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News

First in Canada drug program to launch in Downtown Eastside Mike Howell

mhowell@vancourier.com

A program believed to be the ﬁrst of its kind in Canada will launch in early January in the Downtown Eastside and allow 50 drug users to access a prescription painkiller tablet and inject it while in a monitored facility. Coco Culbertson, senior manager of programs for the PHS Community Services Society, said participants will be given hydromorphone tablets — a pain management opioid to reduce cravings for heroin — that they will be allowed to crush and inject inside one of the society’s overdose prevention sites. “Continuing to have people live in this prison of overdose-reverse-repeat is not good enough,” said Culbertson, after speaking to city council Dec. 20 on the need for more treatment options to reduce the number of drug deaths in Vancouver. “So we feel we are tasked with doing something better for our community.” Added Culbertson: “If we’re successful, I think it’s a game-changer.”

The site is located inside the Molson Bank building at 166 East Hastings, a location seen as ground zero for the ongoing overdose death crisis that has claimed more than 300 lives in Vancouver this year for the second consecutive year. The program is a partnership with Vancouver Coastal Health and will be evaluated by the B.C. Centre on Substance Abuse. Culbertson said the program is not considered illegal because it is a prescription-based program, which is staffed with a nurse and mental health worker. Culbertson stressed that program participants will not be allowed to take the tablets home. The PHS, which cooperates the Insite supervised drug injection site with Vancouver Coastal Health, already runs a program for drug users who rely on injectable hydromorphone. But having a program where drug users can crush the tablet form of the drug and use it in a monitored facility is a new initiative and believed to be the ﬁrst of its kind in Canada, she said, noting the practice is used

Drug users to get access to prescription painkillers to crush and inject in monitored facility. PHOTO DAN TOULGOET

widely on the streets, where the drug supply is contaminated with lethal fentanyl and continues to kill people. “We know that drug users on the street like Dilaudid tablets,” she said, referring to the brand name of hydromorphone. “Injection drug users love them. The street value can range between $10 [for a small tablet] to $30.” The program complements a variety of treatment measures and options for drug users in Vancouver, including the use of methadone,

buprenorphine-naloxone, morphine and diacetylmorphine, which is available to participants connected to the Crosstown Clinic in the Downtown Eastside. Culbertson didn’t disclose the budget for the program but said the hydromorphone tablets, which cost about 32 cents each when purchased in bulk, are cheaper and more available than expensive liquid hydromorphone. Culbertson cited many advantages to the program, including connecting drug

users to health care, reducing their need to commit crimes to feed their drug habits and, ultimately, preventing them from dying of a drug overdose. “We’re hoping to create a model that’s replicable across the country because it’s cost-[efﬁcient], it’s low barrier and it’s rapid response,” she said. Dr. Mark Tyndall, the executive director of the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, said the move by the PHS to launch the program is an important step to provide more options for drug users. He echoed Culbertson’s point that many drug users already crush and inject hydromorphone pills in the streets. “There’s still some pushback [from pharmacists] that people shouldn’t be crushing pills and injecting them, although we know that’s what most people do all the time,” he said. “I do think it’s an important step to say, ‘Look, this is what people do anyway, so we can do it in a relatively safe fashion.’” Tyndall said such a program may help push his initiative to set up dispensing machines stocked with

hydromorphone pills. He is currently pushing Health Canada and senior levels of government to allow such machines for drug users seeking clean alternatives to the contaminated drug supply. While discussions continue, Tyndall said he is working with the City of Vancouver to establish a storefront in the Downtown Eastside to connect drug users with hydromorphone pills. That storefront, he said, may eventually be the site for a dispensing machine. “We’re working on getting the machine ready but because of questions we’ve had, we’re going to be trying this model without the technology to start with,” he said, noting some housing providers have programs where pills are distributed. Users, he said, could be linked to that system. “So the storefront, initially, would be clinical space. I don’t want to give the message that this is going to be a storefront where we’re going to be actually giving out pills.” A longer version of this story is at vancourier.com. @Howellings

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

YEAR IN REVIEW

Bog ﬁre burned Election surprise Alan Campbell

Alan Campbell

RICHMOND NEWS

It wasn’t quite the seismic city council shift caused by the Terra Nova furor of the 1990s, but the 2018 municipal election heralded a signiﬁcant changing of the guard, nonetheless.

The summer of 2018 was one of the hottest ever recorded in B.C. and Friday, July 27 is a day that will live long in the memory of Richmond’s fire department. Early morning reports of smoke coming out of the peat woodland at the DND Lands, near Westminster Highway and Shell Road, quickly developed into a wildfire. It became one of the biggest fires ever in Richmond, ravaging 12.3 hectares of the 55-hectare forested parcel confined by No. 4 and Shell roads, Alderbridge Way and Westminster Highway. Scores of fire trucks and firefighters raced to the scene to tackle the blaze which, later that evening, had grown to eight hectares in size. Four

ﬁxed-winged

air-

planes, provided by BC Wildfire Services, and a chopper were also called in to try and douse the fire. The DND also provided more than a dozen personnel to help combat the blaze and Richmond Fire-Rescue brought in an excavator to create a path to the fire, which was largely inaccessible, with it being about 1,000 feet into the thick, peat woodland. Firefighters’ task to extin-

guish the blaze, which had grown to 12 hectares by the end of the weekend, was thwarted by the fact that, when you douse a peat bog fire on the surface, the flames go down into the peat and it pops up somewhere else. Firefighters had to dig out some of the peat in order to get to all of the fire source. Experts warned it could burn underground for years. The cause is still unknown.

Out went veteran incumbents Derek Dang and Ken Johnston and in came Steveston resident Kelly Greene and school teacher Michael Wolfe. Dang lost out for the eighth and ﬁnal seat on council by less than 100 votes, while Johnston’s re-election bid faded into 12th position. Many local political pundits saw the two in, two out ﬂip as voters showing their contempt for the development of the city, in particular the proliferation of socalled “mega-mansions” on Richmond farmland, which Greene and Wolfe had

RITE and RCA won big at the city hall elections, with newbies Michael Wolfe (left) and Kelly Greene (right) joining re-elected incumbents Harold Steves and Carol Day. campaigned against. For Wolfe, it was his 10th attempt at politics. He tried many with the Green Party, took four shots at city council, one at mayor and trustee and the rest at MLA and MP. Malcolm Brodie, once again, cruised to victory in the race for mayor, brushing aside his nearest challenger, Roy Sakata, with a more than 22,000-vote margin. A high-proﬁle contender

for the crown, local lawyer Hong Guo, could only scrape 2,940 votes. Although more low proﬁle, the race for school trustee was interesting in that almost all candidates who ran with anti-SOGI slates failed in their election bids. Indeed, most of the candidates who were pro-SOGI won their seats on the school board with a resounding number of votes.

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

YEAR IN REVIEW

Farmland home sizes on the shrink lar — Richmond Citizens’ Association and RITE — campaigned heavily on the promise of reducing home sizes.

Alyse Kotyk

The fact the two incumbents from the group got the most votes and two new candidates, one from RCA and one from RITE, managed to push out two incumbents galvanized the anti-mega home contingent.

RICHMOND NEWS

Mega mansions on farmland has been a hot topic in Richmond for years, but in 2018, for the ﬁrst time, city council voted to seriously reduce the size of homes in the Agricultural Land Reserve.

The day after the new council was sworn in, Coun. Harold Steves brought the matter back on the agenda, proposing that home sizes be limited to 500 square metres, or 5,382 square feet.

Throughout the year, residents on both sides of the issue packed council chambers to push their agenda. In the end, council voted to limit home size on ALR land by more than half.

Steves added a home plate size limit, which would prevent homes from sprawling across farm property.

For decades prior, farmland owners had little restrictions on the size of homes they could build and, as a result, mansions in excess of 20,000 square feet began sprouting up.

Richmond residents protested at city hall to restrict home sizes further on the Agricultural Land Reserve. Alyse Kotyk photo

In 2017, city council created a bylaw to limit these homes to 10,764 square feet on lots greater than 0.5 acres. While some called it a compromise, others saw it as a token gesture.

some farmland owners asked council to consider allowing secondary dwellings on their property for farm workers.

Then came 2018. In January, Lana Popham, agricultural minister announced that a nine-member committee would consider and put forward provincial recommendations on farmland house sizes.

Throughout these months of discussion, a vocal group of farmland owners expressed their frustration over home sizes being limited. In May, council voted to keep the status quo of ALR home sizes — at 10,764 — and voted to add in a secondary dwelling without needing a permit.

In February, a public consultation process took place and by March, the home size matter was back at a council meeting.

In the months that followed, however, ALR home sizes became a key election issue and two slates in particu-

However, the issue was referred back to city staff after

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That announcement was made Monday, Nov. 5. Just one week later, Coun. Chak Au proposed an amendment that would see ALR home sizes limited even further to 400 square metres, or around 4,300 square feet. That amendment passed, with Mayor Malcolm Brodie and Couns. Linda McPhail and Alexa Loo voting against the smaller home size. The matter came to a ﬁnal vote at a public hearing on Dec. 17 and passed 6-3, with the same three opposed.

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

YEAR IN REVIEW

SOGI sparked anger, impacted election

opposed the passing of the SOGI policy but voted in favour of it at the meeting “by mistake.”

Daisy Xiong

Supporters said they know students who have been bullied or harassed at school because of their sexual orientation, and that the SOGI policy is urgently needed in Richmond.

RICHMOND NEWS

Last year’s controversial SOGI policy debate cost some candidates a seat on the school board, while others got elected because of it.

But many parents opposed the policy claiming that it will privilege LGBTQ+ groups over others and promote “gender ﬂuidity” among children. Some have accused the school board of “taking away parental rights.”

In February 2017, the Richmond Board of Education voted in favour of drafting a special policy to increase their understanding of Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI), with the aim of creating a safe and acceptable environment for LGBTQ+ students in schools.

Trustee Donna Sargent and Nixon said parts of the community have been misinformed about the policy.

One year later, Sandra Nixon, the school board trustee who advocated for the policy, presented an updated timeline for its implementation. “The policy will be comprehensive and actionable, offering strong support for an inclusive environment in our schools,” said Nixon. “Currently, nine school districts in the Lower Mainland have LGBTQ and/or anti-homophobia policies, with Richmond a notable exception.” In April, the board approved a draft SOGI policy to send to the public for consultation and received around 900 pieces of feedback by June. The policy was expected to drill home a zero-tolerance attitude against such discrimination and bullying and recognize ways for schools to be more accepting of minority students. However, the policy, which notes students “have the right to access washrooms, locker rooms and changing facilities that correspond to their gender identity regardless of their legal

A few dozen people protested outside a school board meeting about the district’s SOGI policy. sex,” was controversial among parents. In June, around 20 parents gathered before a school board meeting to protest the SOGI policy. The protest was organized by Vancouver-based group Culture Guard and activist Laura-Lynn Thompson, who’ve been protesting province-wide. On June 27, the SOGI policy was passed by the Richmond Board of Education in a 6-1 decision after an intense, ﬁvehour discussion at Burnett secondary school where more than 600 people, including 90 speakers, attended. All trustees except Jonathan Ho voted for passing the policy. Ho said more time was needed for more consultations on SOGI given how many parents expressed their concerns. Alice. S. Wong, trustee at the time, later told the media she

Police appeared on the scene towards the end of the meeting when some trustees couldn’t speak due to persistent heckling by people opposed to the policy. After “feeling disappointed” with the school board’s decision, two parents who opposed the SOGI policy announced that they would run as trustees. They then formed the ‘Parents’ Slate’ with three other trustee candidates who questioned the policy, including Richard Lee, who won seats in the municipal elections. Meanwhile, seven candidates who support the SOGI policy, including incumbents Sandra Nixson, Ken Hamaguchi and Debbie Tablotney, formed the Richmond Education Party. Four of them were elected as trustees in the October election, with two topping the polls. Wong and Eric Yung lost their re-election bids. “(Yung) was a very good chair, but I think he got caught in the whole SOGI thing. He had a lot of pressure on him to take a strong stance against it, yet he supported it, so he was in a no-win situation,” Hamaguchi said.

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The results from the referendum on electoral reform were released on Dec. 20 and 61.3 per cent of British Columbians voted to keep the status quo. In the four Richmond ridings, the vote for ﬁrstpast-the-post ranged from just under 70 per cent to 74 per cent, with 37 per cent of voters casting a ballot.

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The two sides of the referendum campaign were split largely on party lines as the BC Liberals pushed to keep the current system and the BC NDP and the Green party advocated for proportional representation. In Richmond South-Centre, 74.3 per cent voted for ﬁrst-past-the-post, in Richmond North-Centre, this number was 73.4 per cent, in Richmond-Steveston, it was 71.3 per cent and in Richmond Queensborough, it was 69.9 per cent.

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Jas Johal, MLA for Richmond-Queensborough said Richmond residents and others across the province, after three referendums in 13 years, are “absolutely clear what system of voting they prefer.”

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The message was clear: British Columbians didn’t want to change how they elect their MLAs, but Richmond residents said it even louder, voting 10 per cent higher than others across the province to reject a proportional representation system.

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Richmond says ‘ no ‘ to PR

In the four Richmond ridings, a total of 50,228 voters cast a ballot in the referendum. The overall turnout in the province was 42.6 per cent, but in Richmond that ranged from about 35 per cent in Richmond South-Centre to about 44 per cent in Richmond-Steveston.

The ﬁnal voter turnout in Richmond NorthCentre was 35.8 per cent, in RichmondQueensborough, 34.3 per cent, in Richmond South-Centre, 33.4 per cent and in RichmondSteveston, 44.4 per cent. Across the province, 1,403,358 ballots were cast in the referendum.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

NEWS

Council salaries see large jump Mayor claims take-home pay will remain same after federal government cancels tax break Kelly Greene put forward a motion to cancel salary increases for council members, but it was defeated. File photo

Maria Rantanen RICHMOND NEWS

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie’s salary will go up between $35,000 and $39,000 in 2019 to compensate for losing a federal tax exemption for one-third of his salary. A motion by Coun. Kelly Greene to cancel large pay increases for mayor and council was defeated at last Wednesday’s council meeting but another motion to allow councillors to waive their increase passed. Staff is recommending the increase to the mayor’s salary as well as an increase between $9,000 and $12,000 for councillors after their federal tax exemption of one-third of their salary was cancelled. Brodie called the decision by the federal government to cut the one-third tax exemption, a subsidy to municipalities, “regrettable.” He added that the previous salary levels were based on having the tax exemption, and this is a salary “adjustment,” not a “raise.” “Is it fair that mayor and councillors should have to take a very substantial pay cut when you consider take-home pay?” he said. But Greene thinks she and her colleagues should forgo the increase, saying council needs to show an example of ﬁnancial responsibility. “It’s going to be a really, really substantial salary increase and on top of that we’re facing a lot of cost pressures this year,” Greene said.

Greene said staff is suggesting that the large increase will ensure the mayor’s and councillors’ net pay stays the same, but, she pointed out, what taxpayers pay goes up to compensate for the loss of tax exemptions. “I know it’s not a large budgetary item but it really speaks to… being able to understand where our constituents come from — if our constituents’ costs go up, they can’t go to their employer or they can’t go back to where they’re getting their pension from and (say) it’s not enough, I want more because my bottom line has change — they don’t have that privilege,” Greene said. Greene said, before she was elected, she wasn’t aware council members didn’t pay taxes on one-third of their salaries – she assumed that the salaries listed in the ﬁnancial documents were taxed like everyone else’s salaries. “I don’t think anybody knew that we had a one-third tax exemption — I’m a very

City spokesperson Ted Townsend explained the city received advice based on labour law and standard compensation practises that they have an obligation to offset the loss.

informed person - I didn’t know there was a one-third tax exemption (for) municipal elected ofﬁcials,” she said. Greene’s motion was only supported by Coun. Chak Au. A subsequent motion, though, whereby councillors can waive the salary increase passed and Au said this is what he plans to do. Au disagreed with the increase even though the change came because of federal taxation change.

Richmond council will ask the provincial government to place a moratorium on growing pot on farmland and to allow each municipality to decide whether cannabis can be grown within its jurisdiction.

Police cordoned off Lansdowne Mall on Friday morning after a shooting. Megan Devlin photo Station. In a news release, Mounties said a section of the parking lot had been cordoned off beginning at HomeSense and extending to the north end of the mall.

The section of mall in question was re-opened shortly after 3 p.m. Anyone who witnessed the shooting should call Richmond RCMP at 604278-1212 and cite ﬁle 2018-41056.

CHAK AU

Greene said the city is facing some “cost pressures” — the city is growing and it’s starting to catch up, for example, the low number of emergency personnel.

Brodie said the Federation of Canadian Municipalities and the Union of B.C. Municipalities have been making efforts to get it changed back.

City frowns on ALR pot growth

RICHMOND NEWS

BC Emergency Health Services spokesperson Shannon Miller said they received a call at 7:33 a.m., and paramedics arrived on scene by 7:44 a.m.

called loss of income to taxpayers.

Au thinks the federal tax exemption be-

RICHMOND NEWS

Police vehicles and ambulances descended on Lansdowne Centre last Friday after a morning shooting.

“The budget impact of us getting a big salary increase is extremely minimal – our salaries are so small in the scope of how much money the city spends but we need to demonstrate we’re responsible line item, We can`t down- even atthe every ones that personally affect us,” Greene load our sosaid.

“I don’t think it’s the right thing to do – we can’t download our so-called loss of income to taxpayers,” he said. “I don’t think there are many people who have that privilege.”

Maria Rantanen

Megan Devlin

An area outside the Liquor Depot was behind police tape while Mounties investigated. At least eight police vehicles were on scene, and ofﬁcers were also present at Lansdowne

In 2018, the mayor received a base salary of $135,263, and councillors’ base salary was $67,612 as well as beneﬁts.

Greene thinks council needs to set an example in their own ﬁnances, even if it’s a small item in the grand scheme.

Man shot at mall

They found a man suffering from gunshot wounds, who was transported to hospital in serious condition.

longs to the past, saying it’s an “old-school way of thinking.” Elected ofﬁcials shouldn’t have “special status,” he said – there are many others who serve the community, like volunteers.

Richmond Coun. Harold Steves said banning cannabis cultivation in the Agricultural Land Reserve is “essential.” The topic is on the province’s radar and this letter from Richmond is meant to “augment” that discussion, Steves said. Currently, only 43 per cent of leafy greens are locally grown, and that’s expected to go down to 21 per cent by 2030, Steves said. “We’re in dire straits with climate change and we

have to return 227,000 acres of alienated farmland to growing vegetables,” Steves said, adding this should include land currently used for horse farms, golf courses and nurseries. In addition, planting cannabis is “totally contrary” to protecting the ALR. Because cannabis cultivation is done in greenhouses on large concrete slabs, if done in the ALR, it will cover large swaths of soil. “The last thing we need is more greenhouses with concrete ﬂoors built on good food-producing land, which means it can never produce food again,” Steves said. A Richmond city staff report from early December outlined concerns saying the legislation leaves ALR land “open to substantial risk of development” and could result in the loss of farmland by letting food-

based crops be displaced by cannabis crops. An interim report from the agricultural ministry cites “signiﬁcant concerns” with growing cannabis in the ALR and further said it was a “common and urgent concern” the committee heard. The city got its knuckles rapped last spring after halting the construction of a greenhouse in east Richmond because the city suspected it was being built for the cultivation of cannabis. The courts found Richmond’s 2003 zoning bylaw to forbid medical cannabis production in the ALR was inconsistent with provincial ALR rules that came into effect in 2015. The provincial law allows cannabis production in a ﬁeld, in a building with a soil base, or in an existing building or one under construction meant for crops.

A10 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

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The head of London Drugs, which employs almost 900 people at its B.C. base in Ironwood, said he’s going to consider other options for its hub, due to lack of movement on replacing the ageing tube under the Fraser River. The previous B.C. Liberal government started preliminary work in 2017 on a $3.5 billion, 10-lane bridge to replace the 59-year-old tunnel, but the newly elected NDP government cancelled the project. Earlier this week, the province announced it was going to keep studying the project options and wouldn’t make a ﬁnal decision until 2020.

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One of Richmond’s biggest employers is threatening to pull its headquarters out of the city after the latest delay to replacing the Massey Tunnel.

“We are very disappointed the provincial government has delayed decisions on resolving the movement of goods and people around the George Massey crossing,” Mahlman said in a statement.

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Affordable townhomes planned for Hamilton Six affordable family-sized homes will be part of a townhouse complex on Thompson Road in the Hamilton area of east Richmond. Council approved a housing agreement earlier this month with the developer, Parc Thompson, to deliver the units. The townhouse rezoning application originally included a cash-in-lieu contribution to the city’s Affordable Housing Reserve Fund, but the planning committee asked in February for rental units instead. The affordable units will be one or two storey three-bedroom townhouses whose maximum rent will be $1,480 per month. Household income cannot exceed $58,050 for renters of these units.

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NEWS

40 childcare spaces on the way Alyse Kotyk RICHMOND NEWS

Richmond families will soon have access to 40 new licensed childcare spaces, thanks to $250,000 in funding from the provincial government. Kids & Company Corporate Child Care Services, located near Cambie and Shell roads, is in the process of renovating its Richmond space to create 40 new spots. Sixteen of these spaces will be for children aged 30 months to school age, while the other 24 will be for infants and toddlers. “We are so grateful to the Childcare BC New Spaces Fund for supporting our expansion,” said Sue Purser, chief administration ofﬁcer, Kids & Company, in a press release. “New families are looking forward to the proprietary programming we offer, the nutritious menus planned and prepared by our Kidco Kitchen, and our ﬂexible schedules that will be available early 2019.” After construction, Kids & Company also plans to offer additional services, such as free community events, seminars for parents and special programs for Indigenous families. The facility will also be accessible, with exterior ramps and a barrier-free washroom.

Inclusion is an important part of our Childcare BC plan... KATRINE CONROY

“Inclusion is an important part of our Childcare BC plan and a key consideration under the New Spaces Fund,” said Katrine Conroy, Minister of Children and Family Development. “These new licensed spaces give families access to quality supports and services that meet their needs.” Over 1,000 new licensed child care spaces have been approved throughout the province. More new spaces will be announced as they’re approved.

BOXING WEEK SALE ALL Watches 20% off ALL Silver Jewellery 30% off ALL Gold Jewellery 20% off In stock items only. Sale ends Dec 29th. 220-7997 Westminster Hwy (@ No. 3 Rd Upstairs next to London Drugs) Richmond (604) 278-2725 • Tues. to Sat. 10:30 AM - 4:30 PM

A11

A12 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

BusinessReport Business R I C H M O N D

C H A M B E R

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M O N T H L Y

N E W S L E T T E R

SUITE 202 - SOUTH TOWER, 5811 COONEY, RICHMOND. BC. V6X 3M1 | T. 604.278.2822 | F. 604.278.2972 | richmondchamber.ca

Richmond business community reacts to delay in George Massey project

Upcoming Events

he Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Claire Trevena released the independent review of the George Massey corridor project on Monday, Dec. 17, and announced that a ﬁnal decision for the corridor wouldn’t be made until the end of 2020. The Richmond business community is expressing its disappointment with the delay, with some businesses contemplating their future in Richmond. “We have been strong supporters of moving this development forward since 2016, based on very clear feedback we received from our members,” said Barbara Tinson, chair of Richmond Chamber of Commerce. “There are people losing hours of their lives waiting in trafﬁc on Hwy 99 every day. That’s time away from their kids, from their families. Richmond is a net importer of jobs and a lot of these workers are coming from the more affordable housing south of the Fraser. Employers in Richmond are losing good people, because the commute just isn’t worth it anymore.” Tinson continued, “We had hoped that Minister Trevena would have decided on a solution, based on this review, which emphasized the urgency of im-

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proving this crossing. Instead, we are offered more study and more delays. And we fear that whatever is ﬁnally built will be at or near capacity when it opens.” The Province has stated in a press release that it will reopen community consultation in 2019, an undertaking the previous project team conducted from 2012-2013. However, the chamber said two of the options highlighted by the province, a six- or eight-lane bridge, will likely return peak hours’ congestion to levels similar to today by 2045. Clint Mahlman, president and chief operating ofﬁcer of London

Drugs, shared that the company is now forced to consider relocation of their head ofﬁce and distribution centre, which represents more than jobs in Richmond. “We are very disappointed the provincial government has delayed decisions on resolving the movement of goods and people around the George Massey crossing,” said Mahlman. “With this announcement, we have no choice but to consider all options for locating our head ofﬁce and distribution centre. “As one of Richmond and BC’s largest employers and businesses, this is frustrating and disappointing to be put in this position once

again after years of providing feedback and ideas to the City of Richmond and to the provincial governments in the past.” In an interview with CBC News Vancouver, Connor Williams of the Ashton Service Group shared the band-aid solution his company is using until permanent improvements are made. “We have a job that’s on the other side of the tunnel and, depending on which way the counterﬂow is going, I’ll have to grab an employee from inside the ofﬁce and we’ll drive in the HOV lane, just to get through to the other side.”

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The Richmond Chamber of Commerce has been “Proudly serving our community since 1925.” In partnership with local media the Chamber produces the Business Report once per month. The statements and views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher. The publication’s intent is to keep Chamber members, and prospective members, informed on important information, events, and educational items. The Richmond Chamber of Commerce is located at Suite 202 - North Tower - 5811 Cooney Road, Richmond, BC, V6X 3M1. For more information and to reserve tickets for the events, please call 604-278-2811, email rcc@richmondchamber.ca, or see us online at: richmondchamber.ca .

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A13

A14 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

Minoru Place News

Minoru Place Activity Centre

7660 Minoru Gate, Richmond, BC Phone: 604-238-8450 • Fax: 604-718-8462 email: seniors@richmond.ca www.richmond.ca/seniors

JANUARY 2019

Hours of Operation:

Monday to Friday: 8:30 am – 9:00 pm Saturday: 8:45 am – 4:00 pm Sunday: Noon to 4:00 pm Call for holiday hour changes

COME VISIT US AT MINORU PLACE ACTIVITY CENTRE (MPAC)

CLOSED: January 1 New Years Day

activity groups that meet regularly. Complimentary honorary memberships are available to those 90+ years of age. Spouses of members are welcome and encouraged to join in the fun even if under the age of 55. Come and experience the beneﬁts of recreation! For more information • Drop by and pick up a copy of the Minoru Place Newsletter from the Minoru Place front desk to ﬁnd out about special events, upcoming trips and the latest news • Call 604-238-8450 • Visit www.richmond.ca/seniors Located at the corner of Minoru Boulevard and Granville Avenue, across the plaza from the Brighouse Library and Richmond Cultural Centre, MPAC offers an inviting, active and friendly environment for those 55 years and older. This one level, fully accessible facility is set in beautiful Minoru Park and is near many other City facilities.

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

Minoru Place has a number of multipurpose rooms, a large hall with a stage, billiards room, cafeteria and an excellent woodworking shop.

Minoru Place Activity Centre Facility Passes

The annual fees cover participation in fabulous activities including dancing, singing, weekly biking and walking groups, a variety of card games and Activities include registered programs, out more along with members pricing in the trips, special events and support groups. cafeteria. Passes are valid one year from Plus, with an annual Facility Pass you can date of purchase. choose to join any of the 35 different

Facility Pass (for 55+ years) Annual Pass...................................... $23 (Free for 90+ years) Additional Passes (Annual Pass must be purchased in addition) Woodworking Pass.......................... $36 Table Tennis Pass ............................. $36 Woodcarving Pass ........................... $36 Billiards Pass..................................... $36

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

CHURCH DIRECTORY

Richmond United Church 8711 Cambie Rd. (near Garden City Rd.) 604-278-5622 Come for 10am Sunday Worship and Children’s Sunday School and after-service coffee and fellowship.

Rev. Dr. Warren McKinnon

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St. Alban

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Services at 8:30 and 10:00 am Reverend Paula Porter Leggett

7260 St. Albans Road, Richmond 604-278-2770 • www.stalbansrichmond.org

ST. ANNE’S ANGLICAN CHURCH - STEVESTON Our multicultural community welcomes you to worship 4071 Francis Road, Richmond BC

Sunday 8:30 am Eucharist and 10:00 am Family Eucharist with Church School Wednesday 10:00 am Eucharist with Bible Study at 11:00 am The Reverend Brian Vickers, Rector www.stannessteveston.ca • 604-277-9626

STEVESTON UNITED CHURCH 3720 Broadway Street (at 2nd Ave.)

Please join us for 10am Worship Service and Sunday School Rev. Brenda Miller 604-277-0508 • www.stevestonunitedchurch.ca A caring and friendly village church

TRADITIONAL ANGLICAN CHURCH

SAINT SAVIOUR’S PARISH celebrates the HOLY EUCHARIST this Sunday at 1:45 p.m.

at Richmond Presbyterian Church, 7111 Number 2 Road, Richmond. This coming Sunday: THE SUNDAY AFTER CHRISTMAS DAY Biblical Christian Faith and Traditional Anglican Worship according to the Book of Common Prayer. www.traditionalanglicanvancouver.ca • 604.275.7422

To advertise in the Church Directory, please call 604-249-3335.

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MINORU PLACE ACTIVITY CENTRE Parking Passes

2019 parking stickers are now available for purchase. Please note the criteria change for 2019: • Eligibility is 65+ years old • Seniors parking is reserved Monday to Friday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm in the MPAC lot for current members with a valid parking hanger displayed • When Minoru Centre for Active Living opens, the designated seniors parking will be relocated closer to the new facility • Available while quantities last • $11.00 for a calendar year

Cafeteria

A hidden gem in the heart of Richmond, come experience an affordable, delicious meal prepared by our professional chef team. MPAC has a great eatery that features delicious and nutritious meals six days a week with member discounts. Join us for a hot meal or stop in for coffee and some delicious baked goods. Homemade soups are featured daily. View menus online: www.richmond.ca/parksrec/ seniors/minoruplace/minoru.htm The cafeteria accepts cash only. Hours of Operation Mon – Thu........................................ 8:30 am – 4:00 pm Fri .................................................... 8:30 am – 7:00 pm Sat ................................................. 10:00 am – 2:00 pm Sun .................................................................... Closed Hot Lunch Entree Service: 11:30 am–1:30 pm (Mon–Fri only) Friday Night Dinner: 4:30 – 6:00 pm (*Meal reservations strongly encouraged) Saturdays: Soup and assorted sandwiches Hot Lunch Entrees Members .................................................................$6* Non-Members.....................................................$8.50* Friday Night Dinner Members .................................................................$8* Non-Members........................................................$11* * plus 5% GST

SHOPPING BUS SERVICE

This service offers access to local shopping at reasonable rates with pick ups and drop offs at nine different independent seniors housing locations. Mondays ............... Lansdowne Mall ($2 per round trip) Walmart, Garden City ($2 per round trip) Thursdays ..................Seafair Centre ($2 per round trip) Only purchases that can be carried are accepted as bus storage is limited. For a full schedule of designated pick up locations and times, call 604-238-8456.

MINORU WELLNESS FREE

Wellness Clinics

Have your blood pressure checked by a retired volunteer nurse and pick up information on programs, services and support available to seniors in the community. Holistic health appointments, manicures and pedicures are available for a fee. The clinic is offered the third Wednesday of each month. Call 604-238-8450 to book an appointment. Wed, Jan 16 ................................... 9:00 am – 12:00 pm

FREE

Hearing Clinic

Starting in January, Hearing Clinics are offered on the 4th Monday of each month. Call 604-238-8450 to make a hearing test appointment. Mon, Jan 28 ........................................... 2:20 – 4:20 pm

SOCIAL

Phone: 604-251-2121 Email: okaban@telus.net www.kabanprotective.com

Social activities can enhance mood and improve cognitive function while reducing loneliness and isolation. There are a variety of social activities offered at Minoru Place Activity Centre with many of them included in the Annual Facility Pass. Stop in to speak with a staff member about all of the opportunities available.

A15

Don’t look a gift horse in the mouth (It could be a horse of a different color!) Under our current law, any person can gift money or other assets to another person. It is only legally necessary that the gifting person has the intention, the recipient accepts the gift, and the transfer of the asset gifted actually takes place. In the last few years, though, our law of gifts in B.C. has changed significantly in special circumstances. The most important thing to know is that where an adult adds (or transfers) an asset to their (adult) child, the old presumption of advancement (where the transfer was considered an irrevocable gift) no longer applies. Instead, the presumption is that the adult child holds the asset in Trust for the parent’s Estate. If the child is challenged on the gift and wants to This is nottheir a variation of Elizabeth s famous keepdiscussion the asset after parent dies, the childBrowning’ has to prove that poem. It is about the tragedy their parent intended a gift. described in the case Brown

How important are relationships – let me count the ways!

v. Pearce Estate (whose reasons for judgment were recently released). case isfor a claim for variation of a mother’ by Last week,The reasons judgment were released by thes Will Supreme her son,ofthe Plaintiff. Court B.C. in a case called Grosseth Estate v. Grosseth. In this case the deceased, a bachelor with no children of his own, died in Background 2011. What he did with his modest Estate is worth a look. The deceased died in late-2012. She had married twice and had aThe common law relationship. In her first marriage, she had two background children, one of whom the Plaintiff. That marriage ended in The deceased was born was in Alberta and lived most of his life in the divorce, andpart in 1973, deceased Northeast of thethe province. Heremarried. worked on various farms. At age 86, he moved to B.C. live with a Nephew in Nanaimo. Her second husband hadtoa child from a previous relationship. That child, a daughter, died tragically in a car accident in 1989. The Nephew, ultimately a defendant in the case, had a family. He After that incident, the deceased’s second marriage eventually was married ended in 1995.with two children. The family had a self-contained basement suite in their house which was good for the deceased In 1999, the deceased relationship which wasahappy, and he lived there theentered last ten ayears of his life. He had pleasant until the husband diedand unexpectedly in 2004. After that life with his nephew the family. He was included in all their relationship, declined and activities, ateshe dinner with into themdepression daily and and evenalcoholism, went on holidays died at age 68. with them. He paid no “rent” but did give the family several Her eldestdollars child, the Plaintiff, was born in 1965 and married in hundred monthly to assist with household costs. 1990. That marriage ended in 1993. In 1995, he started living with Thesecond deceased Will in 2001 leaving hishad Estate to 11 nieces his wifemade (theyamarried in 2001). They a daughter who and nephews, including That the one with whom never met the deceased. marriage endedheaslived well.in Nanaimo. The with his mother poor,was though The Plaintiff’ nephew’ss relationship wife was a professional and was in 2003 looking seemingly not as described hisfound evidence. He testified for a building in poor whichasto practice.inShe a building which towas an priced abusiveatrelationship, including notThe having enough food to approximately $180,000. deceased wanted when he was$100,000 young and never the being appreciated. contribute towards purchase price, even though the relationship nephew did seemed not needtoit. The attempted to talk the The end in nephew 1995, when the deceased deceased gift but the her deceased and The had a Bank moved outout of of herthe house to end secondinsisted marriage. draft made, andthe thenPlaintiff gave it to It was used purchase deceased asked tothe helpnephew. her, and when he to arrived atthetheproperty. house, he started moving things out onto the front lawn, embarrassing the deceased. After, the deceased continued to live in the house and made no The ensuing fight seemed cause considerable further contribution to thetohousehold expenses. frustration He was alsoonnot both sides, and the Plaintiff seemed to have lost interest in their asked to contribute. relationship. There was only sporadic contact afterward, which caused the deceased sadness. Four years later, in considerable 2007 the nephew’s mortgage came due for renewal.2005, The deceased stepped again Around the deceased soldforward her home andand gaveoffered the to pay out the ssmall due mortgage. Plaintiff’ sisterbalance $200,000 of on thethe proceeds. She Again did notthe givenephew the tried to talk him out of in it but deceased refused to $10,000. hear of it.The He Plaintiff anything and, herthe Will, bequeathed him paid outsought the balance, of her $57,000. Plaintiff to vary Will. Court’s decision The deceased died a few years later. Under his Will, the Executor made inquiries discovered twowitnesses, transfers ofseveral funds.of Hewhom then The Court heardand evidence fromthe eight requested thethe nephew repay the funds to the Estate, whichwho after contradicted Plaintiff’ s evidence -- including his sister, the two that gifts they made, was small about after testified observed no(only shortage of$60,000 food in remained the household. the two gifts were made). The Court analyzed the law of Wills Variation, referring to the most important Court’s analysiscase and (Tataryn decision v. Tataryn Estate) and subsequent cases, discussed obligations of a Willfirst. maker with respect Courtand considered thethe famous Pecore decision It was surprising tobecause their legal children. that and case moral appliesduties the gifttoward presumption to parents and their adult children. This case an uncle and aendured, nephew. and I hadthe not The Court considered theinvolves abuse the deceased before heard of theunwillingness Pecore decision to that relationship. Plaintiff’ s apparent toapplying have a relationship with her Nonetheless, the Court found that the funds advanced in the two over some years. situations In addition, Court for found evidence The Court were held gifts. that the deceased’the s reasons notno leaving the of incapacity. The deceased was freely able to choose to make the Plaintiff a more generous bequest were valid and rational. Since gifts estrangement he did to a hospitable There was no evidence their was the family. Plaintiff’ s fault, heralso bequest was notof undue influence or duress. the him case was and held “unjust or inequitable, ” andThe herCourt moraldismissed duty toward that the gifts stood. s claim was dismissed, and the Will stood. negated. The Plaintiff’ Summary Summary It isCourt unclear to me why this case was brought by the Executor. The delivered a thorough and thoughtful analysis of a This Executor knew the deceased andevidence, may have surprised family’ s tragic circumstances. On the thebeen Plaintiff by thenot giftstobut surprise isn’t enough to bringwith forward a lawsuit. In chose have or rekindle a relationship his now addition, mother. I don’t think the Court to relyclear, on the deceased The reasons areneeded not wholly butPecore are line of case law in deciding the case. In my opinion, this was a case of a probably complex. person with capacity making gifts to a person who accepted them. I The Will gave reasons for the modest bequest, and due to the am not sure that Pecore strictly speaking applies to this nature of the relationship, the Plaintiff had a difficult case.toEvents happen regularly families case meet,such and as hethis failed. In these cases,inand in and when do, gift recipients need to takefactor care to many ways,they relationships are an important for ensure theingifts will withstand the Court deciding whetheratochallenge. vary a Will. Visit our website (www.WillPowerLaw.com) or call us at (604)233-7001 to discuss your Wills, Estates and Seniors’ questions.

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A16 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

FREE

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Develop a base of strength while improving cardio, balance and agility in this unique total body workout not offered anywhere else in Richmond. Drop-in available if space permits. Tue, Jan 8 – Feb 26 ............ 5:15 – 6:15 pm $34.40/8 sess or $5.65/Drop-in (#2726181) Sat, Jan 5 – Feb 23........... 9:30 – 10:30 am $34.40/8 sess or $5.65/Drop-in (#2726182)

GENERAL INTEREST Conditioning Through Dance

Improve overall health and body conditioning through a combination of ballet techniques and jazz dancing that focuses on core strength, posture, ﬂexibility and increasing cardio health. No dance experience required. Mon, Jan 14 – Mar 10 ..... 12:00 – 1:00 pm $42.90/8 sess (#2719397)

Come for dinner, stay for the fun. Enjoy local community performances and a variety of activities. Call 604-238-8450 or visit the centre for more details. No Painting: Basics session Dec 28. Pick up a brush and start creating Fri, 6:00 – 8:00 pm ...................$2/Drop-in through step-by-step and supportive instruction that develops the ability and confidence to paint simple subjects A range of registered and drop-in fitness including still life images. Wed, Jan 16 – Mar 13 classes are offered at MPAC for seniors ................................10:00 am – 12:00 pm of all ages and fitness and skill levels. $91.35/8 sess (#2719339) Find a full list of all fitness activities:

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Drawing: Basics

Capture on paper simple objects, images and still life’s while learning basic Dance and Tone concepts and techniques to eventually Shake, sway and shimmy to popular progress to drawing from imagination dance music followed by resistance with improved understanding and training for an overall body shape up. conﬁdence. Drop-in available if space permits. Mon, Jan 7–Feb 25 ........... 6:30 – 7:30 pm Wed, Jan 16 – Mar 13...... 12:30 – 2:30 pm $35.60/7 sess or $6.40/Drop-in (#2726180) $91.35/8 sess (#2719400)

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Singing: Beginner

Improve vocal range, develop breathing techniques and learn some of the foundations to become a better singer by exploring pop, Jazz, folk and musical theatre. Thu, Jan 24 – Mar 17 ......... 1:30 – 2:45 pm $53.60/8 sess (#2719404)

OUT TRIPS

Register for one or more leisurely day trips throughout Metro Vancouver, featuring ﬁne dining, live theatre, festivals and more. Spaces are limited, so register early. Find a full list of trips and tours by visiting the centre or viewing the Parks, Recreation and Culture Guide: www.richmond.ca/guide

Pink Peppercorn Dinner Trip

Choose from fresh seafood appetizers and entrees that include Nova Scotia lobster, wild salmon, Louisiana-style catﬁsh and more at this one-of-a-kind Vancouver restaurant. Price includes transportation only. Tue, Jan 29 ....................... 4:30 – 8:00 pm $20.25/1 sess (#2720304)

Piva Modern Italian restaurant Trip

Experience the tradition, history and delicious food at this New Westminster ﬁne dining establishment, a 2018 Diners' Choice Award recipient. Price includes transportation only. Tue, Feb 19....................... 4:30 – 8:00 pm $20.25/1 sess (#2720306)

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Stanley Theatre Trip: The Matchmaker

Experience the pandemonium of this classic production that embraces the unexpected in a truly modern way. Price includes transportation and admission to this popular Vancouver theatre. Wed, Feb 13 ................... 6:15 – 11:00 pm $66.40/1 sess (#2720644)

HEALTH & WELLNESS

Do you have positive energy and love being around a kitchen? Help brighten up lunch service in Minoru’s Café! Serve hot lunch entrees and/or help with cash Combine deep breathing techniques, handling during lunch service from 10:45 guided meditation and gentle stretches am to 1:45 pm once a week. A good in this class that works on ways to better command of the English language and manage stress, reduce worries and improve being able to stand for three hours is inner peace, health and quality of life. required. Food Safe training is provided, Tue, Jan 15–Mar 19 .......... 5:30 – 7:00 pm conditions apply. $60.00/1 sess (#2719233)

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Learn about accessing residential care, facility considerations and strategies for a smoother transition for a loved one with dementia. This workshop is presented by the Alzheimer Society of BC and is for caregivers only. Registration required. Thu, Feb 21 ... 6:00 – 9:00 pm (#2720767)

Learn ways to improve visits with a person with dementia living in residential care along with strategies for working more effectively with a care team and acting as patient advocate. This workshop is presented by the Alzheimer Society of BC and is for caregivers only. Registration required. Thu, Feb 28 ... 6:00 – 9:00 pm (#2720770)

The Winter 2019 Parks, Recreation and Culture Guide is available online (www.richmond.ca/guide) with paper copies available for pick up in all City facilities.

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A17

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A18 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

A19

COMMUNITY

Students make Empty Kettles in dire environment need of salvation documentary Daisy Xiong RICHMOND NEWS

A group of students from Richmond Secondary and Churchill secondary in Vancouver have produced a documentary promoting environmental sustainability. The 50-minute documentary, named “This is Not Earth”, was the joint effort of 10 Grade 12 students who are connected through the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Program. “As a requirement of the program, we got to choose what sector of society we

“But by talking to these people, we learned that each small action does make a difference, no matter how old you are and what your position is in society, everyone can make a difference.” David Holcer, one of the cinematographers for the project, said their experience showed that anyone can get their messages across today if they’d like to. “We have the tools we need – our phones in our pocket, all the resources are accessible to us, like YouTube. Nothing will really prevent you from spreading your message. Anyone can do it,” he said.

Alan Campbell RICHMOND NEWS

Frontline services are facing the axe at the Salvation Army in Richmond, unless there’s a massive inﬂux of donations at the end of its annual Kettle Campaign. Across Canada, the charity is way under its annual budget, with Richmond sitting at about $40,000 shy of its target and B.C. about $1 million short. Fears have been expressed in recent years, as donations have steadily dropped off — donations were down $17,000 in 2016. Last year, Major Kathie Chiu, of the Richmond branch of the Salvation Army, was able to keep the damage to a bare minimum, by cutting some staff hours and doubling up on duties. But with a few days left until Christmas, Chiu warned programs, emer-

gency assistance and camp sponsorships are in dire trouble.

seen before — but there are also a lot of names missing that we usually see.

“This year…will mean signiﬁcant staff cuts and that means there is no one to run the programs,” Chiu told the Richmond News via email.

“At this point I’ve no explanation for that. However, times are tough, property costs are high and many are cash poor.”

“However, if we can’t ﬁnd other ways to access funding it may also mean cuts to direct services.

Despite the grave situation, Chiu said the organization will “do everything we can to continue to help people who need the assistance. It is our joy and privilege to be able to serve others.

“This past year we saw an increase in requests for assistance, so the demand for our services is significant. “Of course, overhead costs are increasing...and we have to find creative ways to cover our property costs.” Chiu said her branch does its best to “make use of volunteers who want to contribute services, et cetera, but it takes a lot of time and energy to find the resources we need.” There’s still time, however, to make some of that up and “the push is on,” added Chiu. “I’m encouraged there are quite a few names on the receipts I’ve never

“(We have) been serving the community since the 1940s and we will always ﬁnd a way to carry on.” As of Dec. 20, the Salvation Army’s Kettle Campaign has raised $15.7 million in donations nationwide, which is $5.3 million behind its $21-million national fundraising goal to keep running its programs, which include community meals, clothing and shelter. Beyond donating to the Salvation Army’s Christmas kettles, donations can be made online at SalvationArmyRichmond.org.

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Project members (from top left, clockwise) Ben Du, Carol Shen, David Holcer, Vedanshi Vala and Sandra Radic. Daisy Xiong photo wanted to make an impact on and to do a creative project. For us we are all very passionate about the environment,” said Vedanshi Vala, who lives in Richmond.

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“A lot of kids ﬁnd themselves on YouTube these days, so it’s an easy way to communicate and get across to our generation this message about environmental sustainability through video.”

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RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

A21

OUR FEATURE

Retired ﬁreﬁghter questions city digging in over PTSD claims City obliged to review injury claims: Townsend

Megan Devlin RICHMOND NEWS

eo van den Boogaard can’t watch his grandkids while they swim. He’s hypervigilant, attuned to every possible danger surrounding the pool.

The 60-year-old retired battalion chief says it’s because of his post-traumatic stress disorder. Twenty-eight years ago, when he was a much younger firefighter, he responded to a drowning call. The motionless toddler who had jumped into a backyard pool was the spitting image of his then-three-yearold daughter. Over the years, he’s responded to other traumatic calls that have left lasting scars. When the late Const. Jimmy Ng was hit by a street racer, van den Boogaard was one of the first on scene. He performed CPR. “Your brain takes trauma and files it. Files it until that file container is full,” van den Boogaard said. “When your file box gets so full, you can’t shut it (your mind) off when you leave (work).” That led to isolating himself from his family, suicidal thoughts and panic attacks at work that sent him to the emergency room.

But even though research shows firefighters are more at risk for mental illnesses like PTSD, the city of Richmond has challenged workplace mental health injury claims by its firefighters, even after presumptive legislation was introduced this year. Presumptive legislation means a first responder doesn’t have to prove their mental illness is work-related — that is simply presumed to be the case. However, van den Boogaard said getting WorkSafe and the city to accept his PTSD was work-related was “a fight from the word go.” He went off work from 2013 to 2015, and after months of back-and-forth negotiations, WorkSafeBC accepted his PTSD claim. Therapy gave van den Boogaard coping mechanisms, and he felt ready to return to work in 2016.

But 10 months after that, his symptoms worsened. Van den Boogaard left work again, and tried to re-open his WorkSafeBC claim. The city sent him to a doctor for an independent psychiatric evaluation in the summer of 2017, after he’d been off work for six months. Such is standard practice in van den Boogaard’s collective agreement. Like two independent medical evaluators before, this doctor found van den Boogaard suffered from PTSD and depression. The doctor cautioned that a return to work would likely “increase the frequency of symptoms.” Then, documents came from the city’s law firm Harris & Company LLP, arguing the symptoms were not directly caused by his work, and so the claim should not be reopened. Van den Boogaard was astonished the city would pay the large, downtown Vancouver law firm to argue that symptoms outlined in the $5,000 medical report the city itself had commissioned were not caused by his firefighting job. Statement of Financial Information documents for the city of Richmond indicate the municipality spent hundreds of thousands of dollars retaining the workplace law firm every year for the past three years. They spent $356,739 in 2017, $287,822 in 2016 and $395,918 in 2015. It’s unclear how much of that went toward challenging mental health claims by firefighters, and city spokesperson Ted Townsend declined to elaborate, saying the information was confidential. “The city cannot comment on specific matters pertaining to personnel issues as we have a legal obligation to protect

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the privacy of employees, regardless of whether or not they choose to share such information,” Townsend wrote in an email. During the latest WorkSafeBC proceedings, Van den Boogaard represented himself. “I felt intimidated. Personally, I didn’t think I had a chance. So I thought why am I going to waste money on a lawyer?” Instead, he wrote an impassioned letter arguing why his PTSD was work-related and not due to family stressors, as the city was arguing. It’s unclear why van den Boogaard’s union didn’t provide a lawyer for the 2017-2018 proceedings, although it did help him with his initial claim. The Richmond News has reached out to the union representative, but didn’t hear back before press time. Regardless, WorkSafeBC ruled in van den Boogaard’s favour in June 2018, accepting that his PTSD and depression were a permanent disability as a result of his previous work-related injury. He was allowed to re-open his claim. The city responded by asking for a review of the decision. According to a labour lawyer, a review is the ﬁrst level of an appeal within the workers’ compensation system, and can result in a decision being reversed. However, the city said it is obliged to conduct a review. “The city has an obligation to conduct due diligence in reviewing all injury claims to ensure that both the employee and employer’s interests are dealt with 22 fairly and appropriately,” Townsend said. Visit us online at mmmeatshops.com

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These illnesses are more common in first responders than the general population, partly because they’re exposed to horrific scenes more frequently. A 2017 study found that 45.5 per cent of nearly 6,000 Canadian public safety personnel surveyed screened positive for clinically significant symptoms of a mental illness.

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He was diagnosed with PTSD and major depression in 2013.

Leo van den Boogaard, a retired battalion chief with Richmond Fire-Rescue, responded to his fair share of traumatic calls over his 37-year career. Now he’s questioning why it was such a battle to get his PTSD claim accepted. (Below, left) van den Boogaard is pictured with his son who is a Vancouver fire fighter. Megan Devlin photo (above)

A22 THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

OUR FEATURE

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Townsend added the city and Richmond Fire-Rescue take issues surrounding PTSD very seriously. He said ﬁreﬁghters participate in Critical Incident Stress Management sessions after responding to graphic calls, and take part in mental health training sessions.

The Richmond News previously reported on those initiatives in a feature story on a retired ﬁreﬁghter’s suicide.

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As for van den Boogaard’s case, it’s unclear why the city asked for a review in June, a month after presumptive PTSD legislation had already been introduced. Conrad Margolis, a Richmond lawyer who works with WorkSafeBC claims, suggested van den Boogaard’s case could have been complicated because he was reopening an existing claim and because his injury occurred before the presumptive changes came into effect. The saga only ended when van den Boogaard turned 60 in September, the mandatory retirement age for Richmond firefighters. After he submitted his intent to retire, the city withdrew its request for review. Van den Boogaard considers that timing lucky. Others, though, aren’t as fortunate. One current firefighter told the News on condition of anonymity that he is still struggling with the city and with WorkSafe to get his PTSD claim accepted. Margolis said it’s not uncommon for larger employers like municipalities to challenge decisions from the WorkSafeBC that favour injured workers. Although it’s disheartening to employees, Margolis said “economics drive their (employers’) decisions, not humanity or empathy for injured workers.” “It may be as simple as their (insurance) premiums go up when the amount of money paid out on WorkSafeBC goes up,” Margolis explained. Van den Boogaard said it makes him angry when the city says it takes firefighter mental health seriously, given how hard it was for him to get his PTSD claim accept-

Jody Copple 604.818.7957 j y pp jodycopple.com

Leo van den Boogaard hopes younger fire fighters will have an easier time getting mental health support. Photo submitted

ed. But he does acknowledge the situation is getting better for young firefighters. “The difference is they deal with it right away … You’re going to a mandatory eight sessions with a psychologist. That’s what I needed 25 years ago.” The shift away from a “macho” culture with a “suck it up attitude” is what makes him confident his son, who’s a Vancouver firefighter, will get the mental health help he needs. Van den Boogaard said he loved his job because he loved helping people. He’s just sorry it was such a battle to show it caused his PTSD. “I don’t know if I would have become a firefighter if they’d said ‘oh … 35 years from now you’re going to have PTSD. You’re going to be suicidal and it’s going to be terrible. I don’t know if I would have taken the job.”

RICHMOND-NEWS.COM

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2018

SPORTS

SANDHU LEADS UBC online at Richmond-News.com

Small in numbers & big in talent Trojans are a contender even with just 36 Grade 9 girls in entire school RICHMOND NEWS

Three provincial tournamentbound teams in a hotly-contested battle for the 2022 city senior girls basketball championship. It’s a scenario that has a good chance of unfolding thanks to a bumper crop of up-and-coming hoop talent at a trio of Richmond schools. The McMath Wildcats are poised to continue their excellent run with a senior team loaded with young players and a juvenile squad that was third at the Grade 8 provincials last year. The Steveston-London Sharks won the B.C. Grade 9 championship last spring and the entire squad has aged up to play senior this season. Poised to join the mix are the Hugh Boyd Trojans who have deﬁed the odds to be among the top juvenile teams in the province. They opened the season with a third place ﬁnish at a tournament at Capilano College then were second at Burnaby South, highlighted by a come-from-behind win over Handsworth. A 4-0 start to league play includes a 34-27 win over defending champion McMath. Their 10-player roster amazingly represents 25 percent of the school’s 36 Grade 9 female students. Grade 8 standout Quincy Hinds, who played on the Richmond Youth Basketball League’s U13 provincial championship team last spring, along at the club level with VK Basketball, has also aged up. Most of them also thrive on the

They make it all possible thanks to their work ethic and dedication. The girls are guided by three outside coaches — parent community coaches Eric Stolberg and Suzanne Tuazon-Cabido, along with parent coach Seleema Remtula. “Boyd hasn’t been known for producing really good teams. We are trying to build on the quality of ladies here and give them the opportunity,” said Stolberg. “There was an open announcement about the team and these are the girls that showed up. No one is cut (at this school).”

“A lot of us are soccer parents so we know their schedule and to adjust the practice times so they have fresh legs (for both sports),” explained Tuazon-Cabido. “But there are days where they go right from the gym (to the Boyd) soccer ﬁeld and are here until 9 p.m. “Practising with the senior team has been great. The girls are get-

PACIFIC JUNIOR HOCKEY LEAGUE

T OTL PTS 0 0 52 2 3 45 2 1 43 0 0 38 1 1 38 0 3 35 1 0 35 0 1 33 0 0 24 0 2 24 0 3 19 0 1 3

GP W L Pts 4 4 0 8 4 3 1 6 4 3 1 6 4 3 1 6 2 2 0 4 3 2 1 2 5 2 3 4 2 1 1 2 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0 4 0

MacNeill Richmond High Cambie McMath Steveston-London Boyd McRoberts McNair Burnett Palmer Richmond Christian

SENIOR GIRLS BASKETBALL

The roster features two other players — Christina Soﬁkitis and Samantha Stolberg — who are also playing club ball.

Parent coaches at least are aware of the potential conﬂicts with soccer and plan accordingly.

NUMBERS

SENIOR BOYS BASKETBALL

The goal is to get to the Grade 9 Provincial Championships come March. Last year the Trojans came agonizingly one point short of the showcase tournament after falling 37-36 to Burnaby South in the Vancouver and District Championship.

Pushing the girls at practice is the opportunity to scrimmage against the school’s senior team that is also among the best in the city.

BY THE

Overall Standings W L North Van 26 6 Delta 20 6 Richmond 20 7 Grandview 19 12 Abbotsford 18 9 R. Meadows 16 11 Aldergrove 17 16 Langley 16 14 Port Moody 12 18 White Rock 11 17 Mission City 8 21 Surrey 1 30

soccer pitch with four being members of the U15 Richmond Strikers metro team that captured the Coastal “A” Cup last May.

Christina Soﬁkitis & Hugh Boyd Trojans are taking aim at a berth into the Grade 9 Provincials. Photo by Mark Booth ting a chance to look up to their peers and learning moves off them as well. It’s become a great program.” The potential senior rivalry with the Wildcats and Sharks would end in the city playoffs with Boyd’s school size taking them the 2A playoff route. Whatever happens over the next couple of seasons, it will be 10 young girls determining their des-

tiny. “The credit goes to them and how they manage their time so well,” added Remulta. “They come out onto the court and put their heart and soul into it everytime.” The rest of the Trojans roster features Janelle Tuazon-Cabido , Zoe Balback, Mahara Remtula, Yoki Chan, Jenna Gabriel, Chloe Lau and Sara Bursac who in her ﬁrst year of organized basketball.

DECEMBER

LIZ KENNEDY

Liz Kennedy literally stepped right off the ﬁeld hockey pitch and into expanded duties with the McMath Wildcats senior girls basketball team. After helping the Steveston school advance to the ﬁeld hockey provincials, Liz jumped into the hoop season and a new position at guard. The Grade 11 standout has thrived in a scoring role, draining 31 points in a comeback win over Hugh Boyd then adding 21 more in an upset of South Kamloops last week. She is already in her fourth season of senior ball and will be looking to help the Wildcats earn a provincial berth in the new year. The News is proud to recognize Liz as athlete of the month for December.