Richmond News September 22 2022

It’s not the most egregious crime ever committed in Richmond, but it has clearly touched a nerve

Astrid Maria Secreve and Michel Jean Jacque Berthiaume, who said he now goes by Eric Berthiaume, are currently in Rich mond provincial court for allegedly pour ing coffee on a coffee shop floor, tossing an empty or almost empty cup at the baris ta and uttering racist slurs

According to the barista, this is all be cause she had asked them to adhere to COVID protocols

The physical nature of the confrontation is concerning throwing a coffee cup (be it empty or partially empty which is at issue in the trial) at someone ’ s face is not okay but what’s really stirring the pot are alleged comments directed at the Asian barista such as “Coronavirus is you ” and “F ing Chinese ”

It’s that racial component that has brought out anti Asian hate protesters standing with signs outside the courthouse It has also brought out local politicians wanting to be seen taking a stand against racism

In other words, the case has become big ger than a coffee shop scuffle and points to the reaction against the anti Asian hate incidents that we ’ ve seen bubble up, par ticularly since the start of the pandemic As one of the protest organizers said, the case is significant because it’s so rare for an anti Asian incident to make its way to court

And this is where we need to pause

I understand the frustration among those who believe incidents like these are too often dismissed and not taken seriously I agree racist incidents of all kinds should be met with impactful consequences

That said, something is twisted about the way this case is winding its way through the system Actually, it’s not just this case but many that we ’ ve reported on recently

First point of order in the coffee shop inci dent: the accused couple claim their legal

aid funding has run out and they can’t af ford a lawyer Hence, they are represent ing themselves

They asked the judge to appoint them a lawyer, but she said that wasn’t in her ju risdiction I don’t know why or what that means, but the result is a Gong show, or for those not of my era, a bizarre and te dious trial What we have now are two lay people trying to defend themselves and tak ing up an enormous amount of extremely expensive court time doing it because the judge has to repeatedly interrupt proceed ings to guide them through the process.

The case was expected to last two days but is now scheduled of an additional three This is to say nothing of how smart it is to have the alleged abuser cross exam ine the victim

Meanwhile, in last week’s paper, we ran a story about two roommates at UBC get ting into an argument at dinner The heated words led to some grabbing and slapping and broken dishes, but no injuries The case resulted in no charges, no sentencing,

just a one year peace bond, meaning the accused was to avoid the victim for that time This belongs in court?

And then there was the murder trial we also reported on (see page 6) where a judge, defence lawyers, prosecution, two accused, not to mention regular court staff including court reporter, sheriff, et al con vened only to learn that one of the lawyers hadn’t contacted someone about schedul ing to decide the next court date

How many thousands of dollars were spent on that complete non event?

I’m not the first to call out the expensive inefficiencies of the Canadian court system, but I still find it appalling And it’s not just about the money When we clog up the sys tem with lay people defending themselves, squabbles between roommates and care less organization, we wreak havoc with people’s lives in countless ways

I have no idea what the fix is, and what ever it is I’m sure it’s not easy, but this isn’t sustainable Perhaps it’s time the system it self was put on trial in court EEDMONDS@RICHMOND

LETTERS

We need to mourn

Dear Editor,

Re: “Schools closed for the Queen? Really?” Editor’s Column, Sept. 15.

I was saddened to read your opinion column because, in order to support the anti-monarchy (and thus anti-day-offschool) thesis of your column, you chose to belittle the act of mourning. “A day off to mourn the passing of Queen Elizabeth? Really?” was the column’s irreverent opening line.

It’s never been more important for people young and old in our society to see the grief process modelled. Openly By many

The grief process is unpleasant, it requires connectedness, and it

should not be skipped or done in shame.

With the passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, may we benefit from witnessing exemplars of decorum and reverence, and from pausing to acknowledge that it’s okay to feel a sense of loss that needs to be processed whenever any figure in our lives dies.

May those behaviours be catching to all the parents and children who spent the day with each other on Monday because there was a day off school to mourn the passing of the most revered person in the world Really

Nancy Loo RICHMOND

Dear Editor,

With all the negative reports on our health care system I would like to congratulate Richmond General Hospital on the excellent care I received on the morning of Sept. 6 when I went to the emergency department.

From the triage nurse to the all staff in the emergency department, I was treated efficiently with kindness and respect.

I was especially treated with thoughtfulness and a sense of humour from Dr Jesse Janssen Congratulations, Richmond Hospital, for a job well done.

Kerry Bucher RICHMOND

Dear Editor,

Despite the environmental movement’s efforts to reduce pollution and promote a green lifestyle, there has been a proliferation of loud noises and greenhouse gases.

According to the World Health Or ganization, noise pollution is second in harm to humans just behind air pollution

The culprits?

Gas-powered landscaping equipment such as leaf blowers, lawnmowers, chainsaws and other gas-powered garden tools.

I live in Steveston and there are plenty of condominiums that hire gardening services

The result: hours of loud industrial noise.

It sounds like the Hells Angels are touring the neighbourhood! When the gardeners finish one job, they move on to the next one.

Single-family homeowners also get

in on the act and hire lawn gardening services or use their own industrialgrade devices!

Besides producing noise pollution, these small two-stroke engines belch out a lot of toxic fumes.

But it’s not all doom and gloom.

The District of Oak Bay has taken the lead and is banning all gas-powered landscape equipment.

Users will have three years to phase out their gas-powered devices in favour of electric equipment.

These battery-operated devices are about one-third as noisy as their loud gas-powered cousins.

It’s time Richmond city council follows Oak Bay’s example and bans the polluters.

With a municipal election set for Oct.15, this could be an issue when it comes to deciding whom to vote for!

Eric Hanson RICHMOND Ban gas-powered tools

Alleged Steveston coffee shop racists face victim in court

Vikki Hui

A trial kicked off last week to deal with an alleged racist incident at a Steveston coffee shop last year.

Astrid Maria Secreve and Michel Jean Jacque Berthiaume appeared in person at Richmond Provincial Court to represent themselves in the trial after an incident at Rocanini Coffee Roasters 18 months ago

The couple is facing mischief charges for allegedly pouring coffee on the floor, mak ing racist comments and throwing a cup at a Chinese barista Both pleaded not guilty

More than a dozen protesters were out side the courthouse over the two days the trial was in court, holding signs that said, “End racism” and “Hate is a virus ”

Ally Wang, spokesperson for the Stop Anti Asian Hate Crimes advocacy group, said a conclusion is needed for the sake of justice, adding that the case is significant because not a lot of anti Asian incidents are tried in court

MP Parm Bains and city councillor Chak Au were in the courtroom on the first day “Racial, hate-motivated incident”

Crown counsel Darren Tam kicked off the trial by telling the court the incident was “racial and hate motivated ”

The court heard from Crown’s first wit ness, Nikki Tan, the manager of the cafe and the victim of the alleged incident

Tan told the court that Secreve and Berthi aume had ordered two extra hot mochas on March 29, 2021 and sat inside the

coffee shop despite being told there was no capacity and that they had to follow COVID 19 protocols

Tan said the couple ignored her when she suggested they move to another table, and when she asked them again Berthi aume stood up and poured coffee on the floor

She said that Secreve then followed suit and said in an “ angry ” and “loud” tone, “F*** you Chinese ” Secreve then alleg edly threw the coffee cup at Tan, which hit her on the side of her head, with some coffee splashing Tan in the face and on her hoodie

“I was shocked,” she said “This was my first time to meet people like that ”

Tan also acknowledged that she had thrown a towel she was holding because she was “ angry ” Although she said she didn’t realize the towel hit Secreve until she watched the security footage

Berthiaume was recorded telling Tan to “let it go ” because Secreve wasn’t

“well ” The video then showed him saying “f***ing Chinese” at least twice and the phrase “Coronavirus is you. ”

After the altercation, Tan said she called the police, who chased down the couple and brought them back to the coffee shop She also said that she closed the shop ear lier than usual

Finally, Tan told the court the experience was “traumatizing” and that she quit her job in July 2021 because she was “not comfortable” working there anymore Barista ‘lied a fair amount,’ accused suggests

During the second day of trial, the couple cross examined Tan, challenging some of her statements. Berthiaume said the police had not brought them back to the coffee shop Rather, they had returned on their own to fetch Secreve’s purse Secreve and Berthiaume conducted Tan’s cross examination themselves because their legal aid was used up by the time they got to court, and they could not af ford lawyers They had initially requested that the court appoint them a lawyer and adjourn the trial However, the judge re fused

“Not having legal representation cannot be a reason to delay a trial forever,” said Richmond provincial court Judge Diana Vandor She also noted that adjourning the trial would not change the couple’s sit uation because she didn’t have jurisdiction to appoint them a lawyer anyway

In further cross examination, Berthiaume challenged Tan’s claim that coffee had splashed her in the face by showing her a police photo and asking her whether it

showed any coffee on her face

When Tan pointed out that there were droplets on her nose, Secreve interjected, “Bad skin ”

Berthiaume also asked Tan if she thought the couple’s actions were “racially motivat ed, coronavirus motivated, or better yet, coronavirus related ”

Tan said she thought it was racially mo tivated

Berthiaume claimed Tan lied “ a fair amount,” noting that the store hours were not 8 a m to 6 p m as Tan had testified on Thursday afternoon, but 8 a m to 4 p m instead He also said the couple had gone back to the coffee shop on their own and they weren’t brought back by the po lice

He then suggested that Tan “didn’t even know” what he was saying due to her “ poor English,” but Vandor stopped him from asking Tan to respond to that state ment.

Turning to the events outside the coffee shop, where Tan had filmed the couple as they got into their car, Berthiaume said that Tan “didn’t seem to have much empa thy” as she would not “let it go ”

“We’re the victims here,” he added at one point

The trial has been adjourned for the time being and the parties met on Sept 20 to schedule three more days to continue pro ceedings

Secreve and Berthiaume are set to cross examine Wei (Raymond) Chan, who also worked at Rocanini on the day of the in cident

Astrid Secreve (right) and Michel Berthiaume arrive at court last week.

Sushi bar shooting case in court

Vikki Hui VHUI@RICHMOND

Four men charged in two separate Richmond cases made their first appearances before the B C Supreme Court last week following their direct in dictment

Richard (Ricky) Charles Reed and Yuexi Lei, were charged with first degree murder in the fatal Manzo sushi restau rant shooting of alleged money launderer Jian Jun Zhu and at tempted murder of Paul King Pao Jin

Lei also appeared for a sepa rate matter with co accused John Edward Bourassa and Li Fu Alex Ni involving the break ing and entering of a Broad moor residence and stealing firearms

According to prosecutor Mark Wolf, the purpose for both ap

pearances was to settle on a date for the following appear ance.

However, the judge dis agreed

“This should have been done in advance with scheduling,” said Justice Jeanne Watchuk She added that she was there to confirm dates, not to try to work them out

Watchuk also dismissed Wolf’s suggestion that they pause the case temporarily to allow time to determine scheduling

Rather, she directed counsel to return to court next week after choosing a date

“I’m hopeful that something actually productive will be done,” said Jamie Butler, coun sel for Ni, who also remarked that the case had been “moving very slowly ”

Butler had previously ex pressed his frustrations with Crown and the slow progress when the case was before Rich mond Provincial Court

Counsels for all the accused were present except for Bouras sa ’ s counsel Andrew James Coulthard When Bourassa asked if his counsel was pres ent, Watchuk said Coulthard is expected to appear when they meet again next week

“That’s what he says all the time, but he never shows up, ” said Bourassa

Both cases were adjourned un til Sept 21 at 2 p m

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Two women arrested after alleged mall spree

Two shoplifting suspects were ar rested near YVR, after an apparent “shoplifting spree ” worth thousands of dollars at McArthurGlen mall

Richmond RCMP reported how of ficers from the airport detachment were called by staff at one of the stores who were witnessing a theft in progress on Aug 31

Police say the store employee fol lowed the two suspects from a safe distance, keeping police informed of their movements

That’s when the Mounties moved in and arrested the two female sus pects, who were allegedly in pos session of three reusable shopping bags containing thousands of dol lars’ worth of clothing from multiple retail stores

“This is an excellent example of if you see something say something Without the employee making the call to police these suspects may have gotten away scot free,” said

Staff Sgt Major Shane Stovern, NCO in charge of RCMP Opera tions at YVR

“Being able to recover and return this amount of merchandise to the impacted retailers put a big smile on our officers’ faces We are here to serve the entire community of Sea Island and YVR We encourage anyone who has been a victim or witness to a potential crime to con tact police ”

The two woman were released on police undertakings with conditions that include a no go to the mall

This investigation remains active and on going

Anyone who may have witnessed, or has information regarding this incident, is asked to call Richmond RCMP at 604 278 1212 To remain anonymous, contact Crimestop pers by phone at 1 800 222 TIPS (8477)

Alan Campbell/News

Manzo sushi restaurant IHIT photo

Woman out $1,000 in Apple gift card scam

Valerie Leung VLEUNG@RICHMOND NEWS COM

“It’s like that image of $1,000 with little wings flying out the window.”

That’s how Richmond resident Susan Parsons described being a victim of an ongoing Apple gift card scam earlier this month.

What Parsons believed was an act of good faith turned into a nightmare and a hard lesson.

It all started when she received an email from “an acquaintance” from a local golf ing club asking for help.

The individual, whom Parsons knew but had never been in phone or email contact with before, had emailed Parsons asking for help to purchase a $1,000 Apple gift card as a gift for her niece.

“They’re not a close friend, but I’ve played golf on occasion with her and one day I got an email saying she was really sick and needed help,” Parsons ex

plained.

In the email, the presumed acquaintance said “her niece, who’s had health problems, had overcome them and was doing really well and she wanted to support her with a gift card for her birthday She had promised to pay me back too.”

Without hesitating, Parsons said she would be glad to help.

Once Parsons bought the gift card, she offered to deliver it in-person to the individual, but they instructed her to take a photo of it with the card’s pin number instead.

Parsons told the Richmond News the scammer said they were “still sick” and didn’t want to get her sick as well.

All seemed fine, until the person on the other side of the email followed up with a message saying they received the gift card and then proceeded to ask for “another

favour” of $1,000 for their niece’s book fees for school.

“That’s when I smartened up.”

Parsons attempted to call the individual’s phone number that was listed on the golf club’s member list and figured that they were out of town as no one picked up or called back despite numer ous messages left.

“The email was the same as the list, but it wasn’t the same per son I knew.”

She was instructed by both her bank and the Apple store to report it to the RCMP, but by this point Par sons knew her $1,000 was gone.

“You just kind of feel stunned and

shocked. Like I can’t believe I did this, and I was that stupid,” said Parsons.

“I didn’t have any ill will or any bad feel ings about trying to help somebody out. That’s just who I am. But having something like this happen to you, you just feel sick.”

According to Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre statistics, 52,735 reports of internet frauds were reported as of July 2022.

In 2021, 33,302 victims reported fraud cases with an approximate loss of $381 million across Canada.

Parsons said she doesn’t know how the scammer accessed her fellow golfing colleague’s email.

And although she found it odd that the acquaintance reached out to her, considering they had never spoken over the phone or exchanged emails before, red flags didn’t go up until the scammer asked for the second $1,000.

“A lot of times people are too embar rassed to let others know that they’ve been victimized like that. I want to tell people to be more alert.”

Susan Parsons felt “stunned” after being scammed Photo submitted

7-foot sturgeon washed up

Maria Rantanen

MRANTANEN@R CHMOND NEWS COM

A Steveston beachcomber and artist, who makes art out of things he finds along the Fraser River, came across a dead sturgeon on one of his recent walkabouts

Steve LaRocca found the sturgeon measuring about seven feet in length on the riprap at the bottom of No 3 Road, close to “Bark Park,” the newly refurbished dog park

LaRocca said the white sturgeon was “absolutely majestic” although it was rotting and smelly and was disco loured

“I think it’s important to honour that kind of stuff,” he said of the sturgeon

LaRocca finds a few dead sturgeon every year while walking along the riverfront, but sometimes they’ve been severely damaged and chopped into pieces by, he surmised, propellors

For LaRocca, it’s important to docu

ment what he finds while beachcomb ing, but because he’s “not into gore, ” he doesn’t post photos of mutilated fish

LaRocca, who posts his art and photos of interesting objects he finds along the Steveston waterfront on the Twitter han dle @FraserRiverFind, posted a video of the sturgeon on TikTok

Sturgeon can live up to 100 years, and are considered dinosaur fish as fossil records show they’ve changed very little over millions of years

They are found in the watersheds of the Fraser, Columbia and Sacramento river basins

Over the past few weeks, 11 dead sturgeons were found in the Nechako, and scientists are trying to figure out how they died

Their bodies showed no visible ex ternal injuries and provincial scientists didn’t believe the deaths were caused by disease, chemical exposure, angling or gillnet fisheries, the Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship said With files from Canadian Press

29 vehicles taken off road

important to us as commercial vehicles can cross through multiple cities throughout the Lower Mainland in one day,” said Cpl Rob Park, NCO in charge of the RSU

A crackdown on unsafe commercial ve hicles on Richmond’s roads led to 62 viola tion tickets being issued, with 29 of them being taken off the road

A joint operation including Richmond RCMP’s Road Safety Unit (RSU) resulted in 33 commercial vehicles being inspected, of which 29 were “placed out of service,” which happens when the vehicle or load it’s carrying needs to be fixed immediately

“Being part of this initiative is extremely

“These vehicles are often carrying large and heavy loads which, if not properly se cured, pose a significant risk to the public ”

The operation included Richmond’s RSU, City of Richmond Bylaws, Delta Police, Burnaby RCMP and the City of Surrey’s Commercial Vehicle Inspection Unit

“Richmond is a major hub for commercial vehicle traffic and ensuring the safety of all motorists remains a top priority for Rich mond RCMP,” added Park.

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Alan Campbell ACAMPBELL@RICHMOND NEWS

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New home opens for at-risk residents

Valerie Leung VLEUNG@RICHMOND

A year and a half after being approved by city council, residents were moving into a second temporary modular home (TMH) in Richmond

On Tuesday, the complex, now named As ter Place, officially opened in the morning with dignitaries in attendance for a ribbon cutting ceremony

“Aster Place is another important compo nent of the city’s homelessness strategy and an example of how partnerships can result in housing for some of our most vulnerable residents,” said Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie at the official opening

People who have been staying at the tem porary Emergency Response Centre, which opened early in the pandemic, at Minoru Place will relocate to the new complex

Located at 2520 Smith St , just south of the Bridgeport Canada Line Station, the three storey apartment building has 40 self

contained units with on site staff providing around the clock care for the residents

Each unit includes a kitchenette and wash room with several units designed for peo ple with disabilities The ground floor has a commercial grade kitchen, a common amenity room, a meeting room, laundry facilities and a staff room

Residents will also have access to a small community garden and two covered picnic tables

The building is operated and staffed by Community Builders Group, a non profit and local provider of affordable and sup portive housing services

The TMH offers support services such as employment assistance, daily meals, life skills training and mental health and addic tion recovery services

The TMH includes a harm reduction room for residents who are actively using drugs

Julie Roberts, executive director of Com munity Builders Group, said the TMH proj ect will not only provide homes for people who are most vulnerable, but a way to help

them build hope and dignity in the com munity

“Our residents that move in … focus on settling in and learn about living (indoors) again Many people that we house have been homeless for months, years, and sometimes even decades, but once they set tle in, (community advisory groups) provide a chance for dignity and building a com munity outside of their home,” she said Community advisory groups will provide a chance for TMH residents to build their

relationships with neighbours and business es in the area and to give them opportuni ties “to be involved in giving back to their community,” Roberts added

The province, via BC Housing, provided about $9 5 million for the project while the City of Richmond contributed $250,000 and provided the land on a temporary ba sis

The permit for the Bridgeport building will be for three years with an option to renew for another three after that

PUBLIC SAFETY -維護公共安全

RITE will work to reduce crime d id t f l f

A new temporary modular home opened this Tuesday, about 18 months after it was first approved by Richmond city council

City of Richmond Notice

2023 City Grant Programs Open

Applications accepted until 5:00 p.m. on October 19, 2022. The City of Richmond supports a positive quality of life for all its residents.

City Council recognizes that one means of helping to achieve this goal is through City Grant Programs to support the work of community service groups. The City is currently accepting applications for the following grant programs: (1) Arts and Culture; (2) Child Care; (3) Health, Social and Safety; (4) Parks, Recreation and Community Events; and (5) Environmental To access the online application system, as well as Grant Program Guidelines, User Guides and City Staff contact information, please visit http://www.richmond.ca/citygrants. of wrinkles

Candidates renege on two-term limit

Maria Rantanen

MRANTANEN@R CHMOND ELECTION

It seems some incumbent politicians don’t seem to support term limits in the same way aspiring politicians do. Incumbent Richmond city Couns. Carol Day and Michael Wolfe say they no longer support two-term limits on council, despite advocating for this policy in the 2014 election.

Another incumbent, Chak Au, who also pledged two elections ago to only run for two terms, is running for a third, saying he feels he has a “duty” to help the next generation get into politics.

He noted many of his slate’s candidates are ethnic minorities and might need some guidance.

In a joint email, Day and Wolfe, running as RITE Richmond candidates, said they felt, before getting elected, “you do not belong on council” if you can’t get the job done in two terms.

However, since elected, they’ve noticed bigger issues are harder to accomplish because city council is “hamstrung” by other levels of government and agencies, such as the federal and provincial governments as well as TransLink and BC Ambulance.

These groups need to be “lobbied for any real change and their policies are

often set in stone,” they said in a joint statement

Day is currently running for a third term on city council, while Wolfe is running for a second term.

RITE council candidate Jerome Dickey, who initiated the two-term conversation during the 2014 election, said he still supports two-term limits.

He pointed out this is not a RITE policy as each candidate has their own viewpoint on issues.

Dickey said two terms on council is “appropriate” for someone whose goal is to serve the public.

“It is public service not career building,” Dickey told the News

He added that it “offends” him when politicians don’t stick to their word, saying it “makes other politicians look bad.”

Despite running for a third term, Au said he does like the idea of “building in change” into municipal government so as not to always have the “same old, same old” people making decisions in council chambers.

But this change should come from the provincial government, he added.

But having made the pledge in 2014, Au said he “struggles” and feels “uneasy” about running for third term.

I was living with my Sister May, sadly she passed away in 2011. I started to look for a new place to live. One of the Congregation at my Church recommended The Maples. My Sister Dora and I booked a tour. We came to have a look, I liked the surroundings. I decided it was a good, well run place. The Residents and Staff are wonderful. As a matter of fact my Sister Dora moved into the Maples in June 2020. “The Maples is a great place to live Independently”. I’m very happy here.

Jame’s Story The Maples is a great place to independently” Chatham 604-277-4519

Resident since 2012

“I hope voters can accept me and see the reason why I’m running again,” Au said.

ELECTION

Trans photos from candidate startle teacher

him the messages, Reid’s “best guess ” is that it’s because he’s “ a teacher, gay, and [values] inclusion ”

screenshot from Instagram, and Billings told the News that he does not know where the image came from

Richmond Board of Education candidat Dean Billings sent unsolicited photos of trans people to a teacher, according to tweets that surfaced on Saturday morning

According to teacher Mark Reid, he re ceived photos of a pre and post op trans youth from Billings at 12:31 a m on Friday night, Sept 16 “without warning, context, or prior interaction ”

The photos were followed by the messag es, “Hi there You may not realize it, but here is an image of what you ’ re support ing,” and “In BC Now ”

Billings followed the Richmond based teacher on Twitter around a week ago but did not interact with him until last night

“It’s literally how he introduced himself to me, ” Reid said

Reid said he felt “startled and confused” when he received the messages “What made him think I needed to receive this?”

While he has “ no idea” why Billings sent

In a statement to the Rich mond News, Billings said his direct message was in response to a tweet Reid had tagged him in on Fri day morning, as well as the “broader conversation that tweet was part of ” The tweet Billings referred to did not tag Billings directly, but instead was Reid’s reply to a tweet that had tagged Bill ings

“I have sent direct mes sages to others with differ ent views than my own and have had conversations where we find out that we are closer to the centre than we thought,” Billings said

MARK REID

“The internet is replete with celebratory before and after pics of top surgery, ” he add ed

‘Awareness’ about gender affirming care an issue, says candidate Billings told the News most Richmondites “frankly have no idea that minors can con sent to gender affirming care and what it really entails,” and “ awareness ” was an is sue

eral public sees what we are doing, I pre dict that we will understand that Gender Af firming Care is a euphemism for expensive and irreversible medical interventions and follow the path of Sweden and Finland to move away from it,” he said

The News, however, chose not to show the graphic picture Billings was referring to because the origin and authenticity of the picture as well as whether the subject of the picture had consented to its distribution were not known

He clarified he didn’t send images, but instead, it was a link to a tweet by activ ist Chloe Cole (@ChoooCole on Twitter) The image in the tweet appears to be a

He also claims that “legacy decency standards” prevent the media from accurately re porting on the story “by (not) including graphic details such as the results of gender reaffirming care or the graphic content in school libraries in Canada ”

“Like the burning of Vietnamese villages or videos of George Floyd, once the gen

According to the Provincial Health Servic es Authority’s (PHSA), minors (those under 19 years old) can consent to gender affirm ing care as long as they understand “the nature and consequences and the reason ably foreseeable benefits and risks of the health care ”

The News previously reported on Bill ings’ desire to revisit the Richmond School District’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity (SOGI) policy and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) committee’s recommen dations

Thank you to the 39th Service Battalion for appointing me as your Honorary Lieutenant Colonel. I am humbled and grateful for your confidence in me. I look forward to serving.

What made him think that I needed to receive this?

Real estate prices might be cooling in some markets, but mega mansions in Richmond’s farmland still seem to be turning a tidy profit

A 14,000 square foot mansion on Finn Road sold in Au gust for $13 5 million, according to searchhomelistings ca almost $6 million higher than what it sold for just two years ago

The seven bedroom home with a swimming pool and ten nis court, built in 2012, sold in September 2020 for $7 8 million, according to BC Assessment

The property is in the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR), which is protected for farming by provincial law However, for years, there was no house size limit on ALR proper ties, and mega mansions proliferated on farms across Rich mond

While the Finn Road property sold for $13 5 million, its assessed value is only about $6 15 million, and city records show the owners pay about $25,000 in annual taxes The land alone, at 8731 Finn Rd , is assessed at just under $1 6 million, whereas the home is assessed at about $4 57 million

In 2018, the province limited the size of homes in the ALR to about 5,300 square feet, but Richmond city coun cil imposed a bylaw limiting homes within its municipal boundaries to about 4,300 square feet

Maria Rantanen/Richmond News

In accordance with the provisions of Section 647 of the Local Government Act, the following properties with delinquent taxes will be offered for sale by public auction at the City of Richmond’s Council Chambers. The sale will commence at 10:00 a.m on September 26, 2022 for all properties with delinquent taxes and interest outstanding at that time.

Take notice that the purchaser of a tax sale property is subject to tax under the “Property Purchase Tax Act” on the fair market value of the property The City makes no representation express or implied as to title or the condition or quality of the properties being offered for sale. Prospective purchasers are urged to research the properties to determine the existence of any bylaws, restrictions, charges or other conditions which may affect the value of the properties.

All bidders must:

1. Pre-register between 8:15–9:30 a.m at City Hall.

2. Pay $175 non-refundable registration fee by debit card.

3 Provide a certified cheque or bank draft made out to the City of Richmond for the maximum amount they will be spending at the auction.

If a bidder was unsuccessful at the auction, the certified cheque will be returned to the bidder

If a bidder was successful in purchasing a property or properties, the successful bid price(s) will be deducted from the certified cheque and a refund of the balance will be available to the bidder within 2 business days

CITY OF RICHMOND NOTICE OF TAX SALECity Board

Folio Civic BCA Short Legal 011-585-006 23441 GILLEY RD LT 126 SEC 36 BLK 5N RGE 4W NWD PL 45449 035-022-053 2280 NO 6 RD LT 15 SEC 21 BLK 5N RGE 5W NWD PL 3820 041-901-011 273 13986 CAMBIE RD LT 11 SEC 32 BLK 5N RGE 5W NWD PL NWS3091 056-690-094 309 8400 ACKROYD RD LT 94 SEC 4 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL NWS1682 056-797-030 215 8651 ACKROYD RD LT 30 SEC 4 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL NWS2926 057-202-109 502 5028 KWANTLEN ST LT 9 SEC 4 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL BCS1861 057-205-289 410 8871 LANSDOWNE RD LT 289 SEC 4 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL NWS3459 057-600-217 1602 7488 LANSDOWNE RD LT 207 SEC 5 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL EPS3676 057-612-005 5333 NO 3 RD LT 1 SEC 5 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL EPP86098 057-620-026 707 7555 ALDERBRIDGE WAY LT 26 SEC 5 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL BCS2497 057-902-291 1101 5171 BRIGHOUSE WAY LT 91 SEC 6 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL EPS1416 057-902-295 1205 5171 BRIGHOUSE WAY LT 95 SEC 6 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL EPS1416 059-678-206 1702 6068 NO 3 RD LT 106 SEC 9 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL BCS2610 059-679-112 202 8033 SABA RD LT 12 SEC 9 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL BCS3856 059-905-103 1306 6611 COONEY RD LT 103 SEC 9 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL LMS2845 060-380-189 322 9371 HEMLOCK DR LT 189 SEC 10 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL BCS3091 060-498-106 6 6331 NO 4 RD LT 6 SEC 10 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL EPS2991 064-023-119 601 8288 GRANVILLE AVE LT 19 SEC 16 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL EPS2639 064-023-170 1108 8288 GRANVILLE AVE LT 70 SEC 16 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL EPS2639 064-362-263 308 8600 JONES RD LT 263 SEC 16 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL LMS500 064-624-070 225 7297 MOFFATT RD LT 70 SEC 17 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL NWS1902 064-762-005 103 7520 MOFFATT RD LT 5 SEC 17 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL NWS3081 064-957-017 301 7660 MINORU BLVD LT 17 SEC 17 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL NWS2361 064-985-045 41 7400 MINORU BLVD LT 45 SEC 17 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL NWS2349 066-431-004 7366 LUCAS RD LT 452 SEC 20 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL 56960 067-425-020 8120 HEATHER ST LT 2 SEC 22 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL BCP49044 067-691-029 9420 MCBURNEY DR LT 461 SEC 22 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL 59170 070-870-000 9140 FRANCIS RD LT 261 SEC 27 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL 35222 071-962-000 9771 BATES RD LT 149 SEC 29 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL 37110 072-242-000 7200 AFTON DR LT 8 SEC 29 BLK 4N RGE 6W NWD PL 16786 072-271-000 9631 DEAGLE RD LT 1 SEC 29 BLK 4N RGE 072-938-000 6391 WILLIAMS 075-812-000 10695 AINTREE 078-445-116 885 079-958-110 110 11800 rises cultural Land Reserve, on Finn Road sold for $6 million more than it did two years ago YouTube screenshots

Sign

NOTICE OF ELECTION

Richmond Election2022

On Saturday, October 15, 2022, eligible voters in Richmond will be electing one Mayor, eight Councillors, and seven School Trustees. Those elected in October 2022 will serve in office for four years.

Are you eligible to vote?

You may vote as a resident elector if you:

• are a Canadian citizen

• are at least 18 years old on General Voting Day (Saturday, October 15, 2022)

• are a resident of Richmond

• have lived in British Columbia fo at least six months before registering to vote

• are not disqualified from voting by law

Non-Resident Property Elector

If you own property in Richmond, but do not live in the City you may be eligib e to vote in the 2022 Richmond Election. Visit richmond.ca/elections to find out mo e information.

When and where can you vote?

There are three ways you can vote:

1 General Voting Day

General Voting Day is on Saturday October 15 2022 from 8:00 a.m to 8:00 p.m. Voting divisions will be used on General Voting Day, which means that you must vote at your designated neighbourhood voting place for your division If you’re a non-resident property elector voting on October 15 you must vote at the designated neighbourhood voting place for the division in which your property is located

Reg stered vo ers wil receive a voter card in the ma l that w l ind cate your des gnated vot ng place for October 15 A voter card s not necessary to vote f you d d not rece ve a voter card, you may find out whe e to vote at ichmond ca/e ect ons down oad he R chmond Elect on app (ava lable on App e and Andro d dev ces) or contact the R chmond Elect ons Office Samp e voter card

Richmond Election 2022 2022 A.M. 8:00 P.M.

RICHMOND CENTRE (RC)

RC01 Spul’u’kwuks Elementary School: 5999 Blansha d Dr

RC02 Quilchena Elementary School: 3760 Mo esby Dr

RC03 Gilmore Elementary School: 8380 Elsmore Rd

RC04 Graue Elementary School: 4440 Blundell Rd

RC05 Bu nett Secondary School: 5011 Granville Avenue

RC06 McKay Elementary School: 7360 Lombard Rd

RC07 Brighouse Elementary School: 6800 Azure Rd

RC08 Kiwanis Towers: 7378 Gollner Avenue

RC09 Richmond Cultura Centre 7700 Minoru Gate

RC10 Talmey Elementary School: 9500 Kilby Dr

RC11 Tomsett Elementary School: 9671 Odlin Rd

RC12 Anderson Elementary School: 9460 Alberta Rd

RC13 Sea Island Community Centre 7140 Miller Road

RC14 MacNeill Secondary School: 6611 No 4 Rd

RC15 Kwan en Po ytechn c Un vers ty 8771 Lansdowne Rd

RC16 C ty Cent e Commun ty Cen re 5900 M noru B vd

RICHMOND EAST (RE)

RE01 Genera Cur e E ementary Schoo 8220 General Cu r e Rd

RE02 Palmer Secondary School: 8160 St. Albans Rd

RE03 Walter Lee Elementary School: 9491 Ash St

RE04 Debeck Elementary School: 8600 Ash S

RE05 Tait Elementary School: 10071 Finlayson Dr

RE06 Kate McNeely E ementary Schoo 12440 Woodhead Rd

RE07 Kingswood Elementary School: 11511 King Rd

RE08 McRoberts Secondary School: 8980 Williams Rd

RE09 McNair Secondary School: 9500 No 4 Rd

RE10 Woodward Elementary School: 10300 Seacote Rd

RE11 Hamilton Elementary School: 5180 Smith Dr

RICHMOND SOUTH (RS)

RS01 Dixon Elementary School: 9331 Diamond Rd

RS02 Manoah Steves E ementa y Schoo 10111 Fou th Ave

RS03 Lord Byng Elementary School: 3711 Georgia St

RS04 Diefenbaker Elementary School: 4511 Hermitage Dr

RS05 Homma Elementary School: 5100 Brunswick Dr

RS06 Wowk Elementary School: 5380 Woodwards Rd

RS07 Steveston London Seconda y Schoo : 6600 W ams Rd

RS08 Westwind Elementary School: 11371 Kingfishe Dr

RS09 Blundell Elementary School: 6480 Blundell Rd

RS10 Maple Lane Elementary School: 7671 Alouette Dr

RS11 McMath Secondary School: 4251 Garry St

Saturday, October 8

Richmond City Hall: 6911 No. 3 Rd

Burnett Secondary School: 5011 Granville Ave

Cambie Secondary School: 4151 Jacombs Rd

McMath Secondary School: 4251 Garry St

McRoberts Secondary School 8980 W l ams Rd e to request a ma l ba ot package The mai ba lot package w nc ude inst uct ons on how to comp ete and return the ma ba ot App icat ons for a ma ba ot w l be avai ab e onl ne beg nn ng Wednesday Septembe 7 unt

Fr day October 7, 2022, 3:00 p m After this date ma l ba lot packages can be reques ed over he phone Ma ba lot packages w l be sen out v a Canada Post unt October 5 2022 After th s date vote s wil be asked to pick up the r ma bal ot packages at R chmond C ty Ha

F nd out how to request a mai bal ot package at richmond.ca/elections, download the Richmond Election app when available or contact he Richmond Elections Office.

How do you register to vote?

First, find out if you are already registered to vote in the 2022 Richmond Election by visiting richmond.ca elections, checking the Richmond Election app or contacting the Elections Office.

You can eg ster to vote at your voting place Please br ng at least two val d IDs ident fication documents) w th you

If you are a non-resident property elector, please contact the Richmond Elections Office.

Examples of acceptable ID (not limited to these):

• BC Driver’s Licence

• BC Identification card issued by ICBC

• BC Services Card (includes both non-photo BC Services Card or photo BC Services Card)

• Owner’s Certificate of Insurance and Vehicle Licence issued by ICBC

• BC CareCard or BC Gold CareCard

• Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction Request for Continued Assistance Form SDES8 “Monthly Form EA181”)

• Socia Insurance Number card

What are the options for accessible voting?

If you are a person who has a disability; illness; and/or injury that may affect your ability to vote, you may:

• Br ng a riend or fam ly member to ass st you w th read ng or mark ng your ba ot

• Request to vote by mail.

• Request to use an accessible ballot-marking device available at Richmond City Hall on advance voting dates. Through this option, you may mark your ballot independent y using a ouchscreen, B ai e, rocker padd e dev ce sip and puff dev ce and/or descr pt ve aud o

• Request to have curb-side voting at the voting place. Call the Richmond Elections Office at 604-276-4100 right before you arrive at your voting place

We strive to ensure that voting locations are accessible for people who use wheelchairs, walkers and mobility scooters; however some locations are not fully accessible We will ensure curb-side voting is well signed at locations that are not fully accessible

What if you need help with translation?

If you need help with translation, you may:

• Bring a friend or family member who will translate for you when you vote

• Use the translated voting instructions at your voting place available in French, Simplified Chinese, Traditiona Chinese and Punjabi.

• Read voting information in the Voter’s Guides translated in French, Simplified Chinese Traditional Chinese and Punjabi available at richmond.ca/ elections.

Ballots are only available in English.

How do you mark your ballot?

To vote fill in the ova beside your choice(s).

OFFICE OF MAYOR

THE BALLOT

Richmond City Hall: 6911 No.

Richmond City Hall: 6911 No. 3

Thursday, October

Richmond City Hall: 6911 No. 3 Rd

Kwantlen Polytechnic University: 8771 Lansdowne Rd

Friday, October 7

Richmond City Hall: 6911 No. 3 Rd

• Canadian Citizenship Card

• Property tax notice

• Credit card or debit card

• Utility bill including electricity natural gas, water telephone services, cable services)

• Birth Cert ficate

• Canadian Passport

• A Ce tificate of Indian Status

• Old Age Security Identification card

• Canadian Forces Photo ID

Contact the Richmond Elections Office

Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (weekdays by closed on (use hash tag #rmdelxn)

@CityofRichmondBC (use hashtag #rmdelxn)

Visit richmond.ca/elections or download the 2022 Richmond Election app (available on Apple and Android devices).

Vote for not more than One (1)

Malcolm BRODIE RICHMOND

Wei Ping CHEN RICHMOND

RITE Richmond John ROSTON RICHMOND

OFFICE OF SCHOOL TRUSTEE

Vote for not more than Seven (7)

RCCA–Richmond Community Coalition Rod BELLEZA RICHMOND

Dean BILLINGS RICHMOND

Richmond Education Party Chris DINNELL RICHMOND

Kay HALE RICHMOND

Richmond Education Party Ken HAMAGUCHI RICHMOND

Richmond Education Party Heather LARSON RICHMOND

Richard LEE VANCOUVER

RCCA–Richmond Community Coalition Linda LI RICHMOND

RCCA–Richmond Community Coalition Rachel LING RICHMOND

Rajan PAUL RICHMOND

Richmond United Donna SARGENT RICHMOND

Richmond Education Party Andrew SCALLION RICHMOND

Richmond Education Party Debbie TABLOTNEY RICHMOND

RCCA–Richmond Community Coalition Alice WONG RICHMOND

Richmond Education Party David YANG RICHMOND

OFFICE OF COUNCILLOR

Vote for not more than Eight (8)

RCCA—Richmond Community Coalition Chak AU RICHMOND

Adil AWAN RICHMOND

Chai CHUNG RICHMOND

Richmond RISE Derek DANG RICHMOND

RITE Richmond Carol DAY RICHMOND

RITE Richmond Jerome DICKEY RICHMOND

Evan DUNFEE RICHMOND

Mohamud Ali FARAH RICHMOND

RITE Richmond Laura GILLANDERS RICHMOND

Bill HAN RICHMOND

Richmond RISE Kash HEED RICHMOND Sunny HO RICHMOND

Richmond United Andy HOBBS RICHMOND

Richmond Citizens (RCA) Mark LEE RICHMOND

ONE Richmond Alexa LOO RICHMOND

ONE Richmond Bill McNULTY RICHMOND

RCCA—Richmond Community Coalition Rahim OTHMAN RICHMOND

Dennis PAGE RICHMOND

Richmond Citizens (RCA) Keefer PELECH RICHMOND

Jasmine PIAO RICHMOND

RCCA Richmond Community Coalition Sheldon STARRETT RICHMOND

Richmond Citizens (RCA) Jack TROVATO RICHMOND

RITE Richmond Michael WOLFE RICHMOND

Elsa WONG RICHMOND

Richmond Citizens (RCA) Fipe WONG RICHMOND

Richmond United Eric YUNG RICHMOND

Richmond United Melissa ZHANG RICHMOND

THIS

NFORMATION

There are selfless acts and there are ges tures you hear about that simply stop you in your tracks

Case in point being an incredible offer made by one stranger to another, from one mom to another, 1,100 kilometres apart

Despite having no connection other than both being moms and both being el ementary school teachers Rachel Eller, of Smithers, near Terrace, agreed to have a baby for Katya Ballos, of Richmond

And after just a few weeks of phone calls and Facetimes and a ton of research and questions the pair entered into a contract of body and mind, with 37 year old Eller becoming a surrogate for Ballos and her husband, Jason Trigg

The Smithers mom of two said she was touched last year by Ballos’ appeal on Ins tagram for a surrogate

In that post, Ballos explained how she wasn’t able to fulfil her family’s dream of

having a second child, due to having che motherapy in 2019 for cervical cancer

Having recently lost a close cousin to cancer, Eller said her interest was instantly piqued, before discussing the possibility a few days later with her admittedly “ sur prised” husband

Her subsequent offer left Ballos speech less, but the two families are now well acquainted, having shared the ultrasound of the baby and spent part of the summer camping together up north near Smithers

The baby, a boy, is due in a couple of weeks and this weekend Ballos, her hus band and their four year old son, Oscar, are flying to Smithers to make sure they don’t miss a moment

“There are no words It’s surreal I know this is happening, but it’s still quite hard to believe it’s happening,” Ballos told the Richmond News on Monday

“There’s a baby coming and it’s going to change our whole life If it happens tomor row, we ’ re getting on a flight tomorrow ” Ballos told how she cried in the car when Eller first called

“My son was there and I tried to explain to him about happy tears and what surro gacy was, ” said Ballos, who had her eggs removed prior to receiving chemotherapy “I told my husband and he was like, ‘ we haven’t even met her ’ He was amazed she was going to do this having not met us ”

Eller, meanwhile, who has two daughters age nine and seven, admitted to the News that being a surrogate was not something

she had remotely considered, before now She said that, once she had done her re search and gotten to know Ballos, she was keen to get the ball rolling, so to speak “I thought, if I’m going to do this, I want to do it now, I don’t want it to take a year or longer,” said Eller

“My cousin was 39 when she was diag nosed. She had two kids and I watched what she went through She passed away last November I was able to tell her what I was doing, before she passed

“When I read Katya’s story, I couldn’t help but connect with it and wanted to help in some way ”

And despite the last nine months or so being a “tough pregnancy, ” complete with severe bouts of nausea, Eller said she has not once harboured a second thought.

“I don’t regret it at all this has been a gift for my children, in terms of learning about selfless acts and giving without get ting anything in return.”

Katya Ballos (far right) with (from right) her husband Jason Trigg and Rachel and Jordan Eller

Search

As a 14 year old girl, Diane Grant and her mom were about to drive away from Steveston Harbour when she looked back at her fisherman dad, Don Grant, on the boat he owned and skippered

She recalled seeing the lights on in the galley of his gillnetter, Mardi II named after her mom, Marge, and herself and remembered how cozy it looked that day in May, 1970

That was the last time Grant saw her dad

Just a few days later, the Mardi II went down in stormy seas off the northwestern tip of Vancouver Island, with Grant, 55, and his two crew members, Vancouver’s John Piatocha and his son Morley Piato cha, missing, presumed drowned

Like many of their fellow fishers who have perished at sea, the Piatocha father and son were memorialized on the Fishermen’s Needle at Garry Point Park in Steveston

But, for reasons unknown, Grant’s name

has been conspicuous by its absence

That was until Barb Hallgren, a niece of Diane whose last name is now Grant Renwick contacted the City of Richmond about getting Grant’s name on the memo rial

And just a few weeks ago, Diane went down to Garry Point Park to see “Donald Grant” etched onto the Needle, 52 years after he and his crew were lost at sea

“It made me cry when I first saw it The

sense of loss is still very much there That will never go away, ” Diane told the Rich mond News

“But I do feel so honoured that he has now been remembered And it’s nice to have somewhere to go to talk to him “I’ve been down several times already ” Diane said she has no idea why her dad’s name was missing from the memorial, an oversight that she first noticed about 10 years ago while visiting Steveston She said she and family members had talked about getting it corrected, but it was only when her niece Hallgren, who is a Richmond resident, got to work on it this year that the ball got rolling “I didn’t know where to start so Barb (Hall gren) did all the work on that, which as just wonderful,” added Diane

She also recalled a touching coincidence a couple of years ago when her daughter, Courtney a nurse at Nanaimo General Hospital was treating an elderly patient in some form of medical distress

“Afterwards, this patient mentioned he was a fisherman, to which Courtney said,

‘oh, my grandfather was a fisherman,’” said Diane

“He asked what her grandfather’s name was, and when she told him, he said, ‘ you ’ re Don Grant’s granddaughter?’”

The patient that night was a member of the rescue party out looking for the missing Mardi II that fateful day in May, 1970

“He said he remembered it like yester day,” said Diane

“We spoke on the phone and he told me about the whole search and rescue

“He said ‘who would have known Don Grant’s granddaughter saved my life!’ I lost my dad at 14 and never knew much about that day So it helped with some closure

“My father had salt water in his veins, not blood, I swear There was nowhere he would rather be than on that boat

“I am so grateful to the city for this beauti ful memorial What is profound to me when I read the inscriptions is, if you look deep er many (names) are the same It’s not just one family member who has been lost, it’s fathers and sons and daughters and wives Fishing is a family affair ”

Don Grant’s gillnetter sank in 1970 but he was never remembered on the Fishermen’s Memorial until now

COMMUNITY

Mapping Richmond, in Lego

Alan Campbell

ACAMPBELL@RICHMOND NEWS COM

Richmond’s “Lego Man” has been hard at it again.

This time, Lego Man, aka Richmond resident Peter Grant, has recreated a map of his home city, using the famous toy bricks.

Grant showed off a miniature version of the map for which he used 14,000 pieces at the recent Family Farm Day at London Farm.

In the completed larger project, Grant even placed yellow dots, in Lego of course, of the sites where he has already replicated some of the city’s historic buildings.

The Richmond News has shared many of Grant’s creations with our read

ers in the past, including the likes of Abercrombie House, which was built in 1895 on the south dyke, Goldie Harris house on No. 4 Road, which was built in 1912, and Eldstrom house, which was built around 1912 on Finn Road by settlers from Finland.

Of a less noble nature,

but still historic, Grant recreated Canada’s first McDonald’s, which is still open today on No. 3 Road, just south of Granville Avenue.

Grant often spends months sourcing tiny pieces of Lego from around the globe to make sure his creations are as close to the actual design as possible.

FREEWORKSHOPS, COACHING, PROGRAMS, & GROUPS IN RICHMOND

Cook new recipes, learn to budget, meet friends, & more.

Find out where & when at fsgv.ca/events

BILINGUAL (MANDARIN/ENGLISH) REPORTER

Do you have a passion for breaking news and finding compelling local stories? Are you good at developing contacts within the community telling stories that resonate? Are you interested in social media and new ways of reaching audiences?

If the answer is yes, this could be a great opportunity for you.

The Richmond News is looking to immediately hire a bilingual (Mandarin/English) reporter to join our award-winning team. We are a dynamic community oriented newsroom with a robust online presence and a weekly print product.

For more information, go to: www.glaciermedia.ca/careers

Please submit your resume to eedmonds@richmond-news.com

Include RESUME in the subject line

BILINGUAL MEDIA SALES CONSULTANT MANDARIN/CANTONESE

Do you have an entrepreneurial mindset? Do you consider yourself self-motivated with a positive attitude? Do you have a passion for digital? Are you fluent in Mandarin or Cantonese?

If you answered yes to all of the above, this might be the career for you! The Richmond News is looking for an experienced Media Sales Consultant. This is a role requiring experience in sales, media, strong interpersonal skills, and a keen desire to win.

Please submit your resume to achow@glaciermedia.ca by Friday October 7, 2022

Peter Grant’s latest creation is a map of his home city

Scientists tackle blueberry disease

Maria Rantanen

MRANTANEN@RICHMOND NEWS COM

A mystery disease might be causing damage to blueberry bushes. But scientists are on the case, with funding from Genome BC to identify and fight this new scourge.

As blueberries account for one-quarter of Richmond’s crop total, a new virus could be a concern for local blueberry farmers.

There are already two well-known viruses that can infect blueberry plants, the shock virus and the scorch virus.

However, when some visibly sick plants were tested, the results came up negative for these already-known viruses.

David Charest, project manager with the not-for-profit organization Genome BC, said now is the time to tackle this new disease, to genetically identify it and find the right “tools” to combat it

The research being undertaken, funded by Genome BC, is to identify the pathogen causing unhealthy blueberry plants to figure out whether it’s a new virus or a variant of already-identified ones so scientists and farmers can have better tools to handle it.

Currently, the research team is doing DNA sequencing on the pathogen.

But part of the work is to also determine how the virus spreads, for example, is it spreading by wind, pollen or insects,

Charest said.

Viruses in blueberry plants pose no health threat to humans, but they can impact crop yield.

The concern is if the new pathogen spreads, yields will be lower or some bushes might not even bear fruit, Charest explained.

“The time is right to have new tools to manage this better going forward and reduce the impact on blueberry production in B.C. and abroad,” Charest said.

The lead researcher on the project is Jim Mattsson, associate professor at SFU’s Department of Biological Sciences.

Initial lab results have confirmed two strains of a new blueberry virus and a new strain of blueberry shock virus never previously detected in the province

Not all viruses affect plant health, so it’s too early to tell whether these new strains contribute to crop damage, and further research is required.

Once the cause is found, B.C.-based Phyto Diagnostics, a third-party lab that B.C. farmers use to test for the shock and scorch viruses, will develop a diagnostic test for the new virus using the genomic information.

According to the BC Blueberry Council, B.C. produces 77 million kilograms of berries annually

In 2019, $273 million in blueberries were exported to 20 markets, making blueberries one of the top agricultural exports in the province

Volunteers removed blackberry bushes, Scotch broom as well as litter from Garry Point Park on Sunday, a cleanup event organized by the Lower Mainland Green Team They removed 29 cubic metres of invasive plants in order to allow native plants to thrive Photo submitted

GRANT, Kevin “The Dude” Earl November 17, 1953 Halifax, N S September 14, 2022 Richmond, B C you

Kevin was the champon of always gettng back up after being knocked down many times He was knocked down one ast time, batted to the end, passng away peacefuly, hs oved ones al around him Predeceased by hs mom and dad Doris and George; son Jeromy

Loving him forever is his beautiful partner Sandi Aso left here are chidren and grandchidren Jennifer, Ray, Amanda, Hannah, Brandon, Jayde, Kat, Toba, Troy, Chelsea, Koszima, Monty, Maya, Lllyan, Jasper, Luke; brother n law and sster in aw Ngel and Bette; mother in law Mary; hs sister Sharon

OLAFSON, Ernie Allen

July 22, 1932 September 07, 2022

Steveston born and Cariboo rased, Ernie passed away quiety of Covid complicatons on Wednesday September 07, 2022 He was born in Dr Graves home/office on Gary Street n Steveston One of the few that has Steveston as his place of brth on hs Birth Certificate

His parents Hugh and Anne (nee Bair) Oafson moved him and hs 5 siblngs to Horse Lake, B C a few year’s later He is predeceased by both his parents and brothers, Bll and Orval, sisters, Kay, May and Irene He s survved by his oving wfe Lois (Kennedy), hs 3 chidren Eieen, Gen (Genie), Lyle (Cindy), grandchildren Kris (Emly) and Nicole Sster n law Nada Neces and nephews and grand nieces and grand nephews through B C , Alberta and beyond to Engand

He returned to Steveston as a young man First working for The Gulf of Georgia Cannery, where his pcture hangs on the museum’s wal He was eventually co owner of the Blue Pacific (Seiner) and owned The Star Venture The Star Venture was the first auminum Troller/Gilnetter Acan bult in 1968 for the West Coast fishing ndustry

For over 60 years he fished the coast of B C from Alaska to Washington State Los and Ernie were married 69 years When they retred to Abbotsford he enjoyed walking his beoved dog Buddy there, and spending summers at their cabin on Drewry Lake in the Carboo, fishng

He was proud of the pioneerng familes he came from ( Icelandc and Irish ), and of the town he was born in Ernie was a simpe country boy at heart

He was much loved and wil be truly missed by his famly and the frends he made through his 90 years of adventures

Memories and condoences can be sent to www arbormemoral ca/valeyvew Valey Vew Funera Home 604 596 8866

1420103 Cornerbrook Cres,

1420108 Sable Ave, Sceptre Skagit

1420109 Springfield

1420203 Geal Rd, Groat

1420204 Pendelton Gate, Waller

1420208 Desmond Ave, Rd, Diamond Rd, Earlmond Ave, Elkmond Rd, Lamond Ave, No 1 Rd, Williams

1420209 Barmond Ave, Desmond Rd, Diamond Rd, Francis Rd, Newmond Rd, Osmond Ave, Raymond Diamond Rd, Oakmond Rd, Raymond Ave, Rosamond

1420212 No. 1 Rd, Pendlebury Rd, Peterson Dr, Pickering Waller Dr, Williams

1420215 Barmond Ave, Diamond Ave, Francis Rd, Newmond Rd, Oakmond

1430104 Hollymount