Dear Editor,
Re: “City approves gingerbread house permits at elementary school,” News, Dec 22
Wow, where to begin with the huzzahs and cheers for your story on the Gingerbread City project.
From concept to completion, the tale rings of understanding what teaching and learning, school and community involvement, and the desire of some Grade 1 and 2 children to learn and care, is all about
Well, I guess you start with Ms Cara Rogers for listening when her class discussed what made up a community. It took houses, of course, but it also had to look after the environment and the trees So Cara planned for the children to build gingerbread houses for Christmas, but included that the houses would have to be approved by the City of Richmond
Now, big applause for the manager of inspections and planning, Fred Tewfik, for providing the insight on the permits needed it took to build a house, then showing up with actual inspectors, in hard hats, to
make sure the houses were the right size
The picture of the inspector measuring the Graham wafer wall of the house with his tape measure is a classic Not to forget the students at Manoah Steves school for showing heart-warming concern over preserving trees and the environment; with young minds like this, Richmond has a grand future
This was a Christmas present which arrived early and was well received by all in our family Well done, everyone
Brian Cousneau RICHMONDDear Editor, Just wanted to weigh in on the recent weather and the lack of resources deal with it.
I was one of the thousands who had a flight cancelled or delayed at YVR I lost 28 hours over two days due to the snow.
The first day involved several hours lost due to the cancelled flight, including two hours deplaning while still at the gate.
Then there was another five hours to get back my luggage, all the while there was zero information on what to do next.
Oh, there was then the onehour wait at a taxi lineup in the blowing snow and not a sidewalk nor roadway cleared Getting home to my house in Richmond, which is on two major roads, was fun, with abso-
lutely no snow removal at all
Now back at home I decided to head back to airport again for another go.
The roads were still in bad shape but I got to airport for 2 p m The check-in took five hours with no direction, signage or human help
Some people even stood in wrong line for five hours! The flight finally took off.
I hope we never have a disaster because our airport and city are not prepared
The airport CEO and the mayor can spin it any way they want, but the truth is there needs to be a shakeup of resources so that this never happens again
Neil Bruce RICHMONDA man was arrested on Christmas Eve after he allegedly shot another man in Richmond Richmond RCMP and paramedics responded to the 8500 block of Greenfield Drive, near Francis and No 3 roads, after receiving a call about a shooting around 4:30 p m
A man was sent to Vancouver General Hospital in “serious condition,” according to B C Emergency Health Services
The man arrested at the scene was taken into custody but was later released, according to Staff Sgt Gene Hsieh, spokesperson of the Richmond RCMP Crime Unit
“While the investigation is in its initial stages, this appears to be an issue between fam-
Maria Rantanen MRANTANEN@R CHMOND-NEWS COM
Delivery and garbage trucks try to navigate a narrow laneway near the Olympic Oval while 1,000 cars go in and out every day
Photos and videos of the traffic chaos as well as anecdotes were part of the feedback at a recent public hearing, coming from residents living next to a proposed new residential/hotel/retail complex
The residents asked city councillors to figure out these traffic problems before approving the 356 new residential units and a 189-room hotel that will be built by Landa Oval, across from the Oval.
In the end, it was sent back to staff to see if the laneway issue could be resolved
The laneway in question is just west of the Ora complex, which includes a T+T Supermarket, and runs from River Road to Elmbridge Way
rds about
30,000 entries per month into their complex via this current laneway
This is compounded by trucks using the laneway
Several Ora residents spoke of their concerns about even more traffic in the laneway once the new building and hotel are built
The proposal was to widen the laneway by 1.5 metres and add sidewalks on both sides City staff noted many of the service vehicles for the Ora complex like the garbage trucks aren’t supposed to be accessing the laneway, rather they should be using their own site
Coun Laura Gillanders brought up the fact residents at the Ora development have raised concerns about the traffic even before this new project was proposed and well before the public hearing
While city staff told council they had responded to complaints, Gillanders responded by saying this hasn’t cleared up the problems
“We’re at public hearing now and it seems like the people at Ora are desper-
ate that we hear their concerns, ” Gillanders said
Coun Kash Heed noted the laneway has been a problem since the Ora development was built, and cars “shoot down” the laneway to avoid the light at River Road and Hollybridge Way
“I am sure people who live there are frustrated from that,” he said, adding, however, he doesn’t think the garbage trucks would comply even if the laneway were widened
Heed, along with Couns Andy Hobbs and Alexa Loo, voted against the referral to look at the traffic issues
The Landa project passed first reading on Nov 15 and, therefore, fell under the old rules of only needing 10 per cent affordable housing units, instead of the current 15 per cent
Benefits to the city from the Landa development come in the way of a $6 million contribution to community amenities, 52 parking stalls for use by Oval patrons during special events something agreed upon before the current owner bought it and $330,000 for public art
A man has been charged in connection with a fatal crash in the George Massey Tunnel in 2020
Sundeep Singh Mann will be making his way through the Richmond Provincial Court to face six charges related to dangerous driving, including impaired operation and dangerous operation causing death and bodily harm
The Richmond News previously reported that a Richmond woman, 61, had died after her vehicle collided head-on with a southbound vehicle just after midnight on Sept 2,
The southbound vehicle had crossed the centre line inside the tunnel and collided with a northbound vehicle driven by the woman
The passenger in the woman ’ s vehicle, as well as the driver of the southbound vehicle, were taken to hospital with serious injuries
Police suggested at the time that alcohol “ may be a factor” though other possibilities were being considered as well.
Mann is scheduled to appear before the judicial case manager at Richmond Provincial Court on Feb 1, 2023 to fix a date for his next appearance
More photos of Tuesday’s Mitchell Island flood have emerged, showing the full extent of the chaos
The industrial swath of Richmond on the Fraser River between Richmond and Vancouver was shut off during yesterday’s king tide storm surge at around noon
Many workers were marooned on the island, some trapped in their vehicles due to them being partially submerged in the rising tide
One of the workers, who sent photos to the Richmond News, said it all happened in about 10 minutes, with the water levels rising to about two feet at Twigg Place on
In the photos, large containers can be seen floating around in the flood, with many vehicles stranded.
Mitchell Island finally re-opened
to traffic at around 6 p m , when the Fraser River tide started to recede
In a tweet, the City of Richmond said there were no reported injuries and that the exact cause of the “flooding is still under investigation ”
The tweet added that the city’s “ pump stations on the island have operated properly/well all day ”
The city’s flood defences at various coastal areas of Richmond appeared to stand up to the king tide storm surge, including the flood wall at Britannia Heritage Shipyards in Steveston
However, the tide did breach onto London Landing in Steveston, during its peak at around 9:30 a m on Tuesday
A one-way economy ticket back home to YVR would have allegedly cost him $6,620 if he had bought the ticket on Expedia.ca for Dec. 21, he explained
This was B C resident Wil Yuarata’s reaction last week after discovering a one-way flight ticket from Toronto to Vancouver was being sold for 10 times the price it would normally When Yuarata’s flight from Toronto Pearson International Airport to Vancouver International Airport (YVR) was cancelled due to the heavy snowfall in B C , he took to Expedia ca to look for new flights when he couldn’t reach his airline
What had his blood boiling was not the last-minute flight cancellation nor the three-hour wait for WestJet’s customer service, but one-way economy flight tickets being sold for more than $6,000 within Canada
Yuarata told the Richmond News his “jaw dropped” and he “almost lost (his) eyeballs” after seeing the price
“I felt like it should’ve been a crime for airlines to do that and try to take advantage of unfortunate travellers who are already going through a lot just trying to get home to their families,” said Yuarata
He added the government should step in to prevent airlines from allegedly “taking advantage of a situation that is already bad to begin with ”
An average economy plane ticket to fly between the two provinces during the holiday season can range from $750 to $1,000, not taking into ac-
On Dec 21, a quick search by the News saw the cheapest one-way economy ticket charging $5,243 for Dec 22 on Expedia ca and flights on Friday, Dec 23 and Dec 24 would cost around $1,399
and $1,413, respectively
Prices have since come down to a mere $1,000 for those looking to travel to Toronto for this New Years Eve weekend
“I’d rather book a flight to the Maldives for $6,000 and have fun in paradise,” said Yuarata “Pretty sure some rich person out there won’t have an issue paying that much just to get to their destination ”
Yuarata was scheduled to fly back to Vancouver on Dec 19 with WestJet, but his flight was cancelled and re-booked for the following day before he arrived at Toronto Pearson airport
The next day, his rescheduled flight was delayed every hour from 2 to 7:30 p m until the airline ultimately cancelled his flight a few minutes before boarding
“It was a bit frustrating having
to wait that long, but I know some people had it worse than me, ” he said, adding people were lining up at for answers at the airline kiosks.
“One rep told us that they cannot do anything about Vancouver flights yet because at that moment YVR was not accepting any flights at all, and they didn’t know when the airport would open ”
With that, Yuarata stayed with his relatives a bit longer and looked for new flight tickets online while trying to get hold of WestJet airlines
He added the experience was “stressful” because he was supposed to return to work on Tuesday and wanted to be home for the holidays
While WestJet was able to rebook a return flight on Dec 25 for Yuarata, he said this was not the Christmas he was expecting this year
“It should be illegal ”
like it should have been
Help make the Richmond Christmas Fund’s 90th holiday season the most magical yet! Donate online at rcrg.org/Donate
For 90 years, the Richmond Christmas Fund has helped brighten the holidays for our neighbours in need. In all that time, one thing has remained constant: support from our community The Christmas Fund exists thanks to the dedication and generosity of countless volunteers and donors, to whom we offer our heartfelt gratitude. This year, once again, our Angel Donors are leading the way These caring companies and kind-hearted organizations have each given $10,000 or more, for the simple reason that, like us, they want everyone to share in the holiday spirit.
For 19 years, the Richmond Auto Mall Association has been the Christmas Fund’s biggest supporter, raising over $400,000 through its Windows of Hope campaign, including an incredible $37,500 in 2022. Led by Auto Mall General Manager Gail Terry, the campaign is a group effort, with dealerships, suppliers, and sponsors all making contributions. This year, the Auto Mall also played host to A Not So Silent Night Held December 7, at the new Porsche Centre Richmond, the gala reception and auction raised an additional $110,000 for the Christmas Fund - a huge boost during a busy year!
Richmond has the unenviable reputation across the region of having a disproportionate number of bizarre driving decisions
This year was no different, keeping our mantle intact at the summit of weird stuff happening on the roads
The Richmond News has delved into the archives to dig out the most “memorable” of 2022:
Feb 14: A Richmond Canada Line station entrance once again became a parking spot for a vehicle, and not for the first time
wasn’t close enough,
child embarrassed
Oct. 3: A group of Richmond residents pleaded with ICBC to change its driver testing route in the city because their quiet street was being plagued with learners
The reason for the swarm of novice drivers is the poorly kept secret that Dover Crescent is a well-trodden testing route for ICBC, possibly due to its speed limit
May
A
Aug
However, another witness said it was an accident that left the driver and her young
signage, kids playground and opportunities for parallel parking
Dec. 23: A woman working near Ironwood Plaza witnessed several incidents of vehicles losing control in icy and snow conditions, one of which involved a Range Rover slamming into the back of a truck
A Richmond Accessibility Advisory Committee is being created to respond to the municipal requirement of the new Accessible British Columbia Act. The City of Richmond is encouraging residents to submit an application to become a member of the new Richmond Accessibility Advisory Committee (RAAC) and serve for a two-year term. The RAAC will act as a resource and provide advice to City Council to support the advancement of accessibility in the city so people with disabilities are able to participate fully in all aspects of community life.
Committee members will include citizen representatives who are either persons with disabilities and/or their families and caregivers, or who are individuals who have made substantial contributions to advancing accessibility
Persons interested in this volunteer opportunity are invited to submit an application form and supporting resume by:
• email to cityclerk@richmond.ca
• in person/via mail to Attention: City Clerk, Richmond City Hall, 6911 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC, V6Y 2C1
The application deadline is 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, January 4, 2023.
Application forms are available:
• on the City’s website at www.richmond.ca/cityhall/council/boards/ advisory
• at the Customer Service Desk at Richmond City Hall
• by email request to cityclerk@richmond.ca
For further information, please contact the Office of the City Clerk at cityclerk@richmond.ca or 604-276-4007.
The Community Charter requires that City Council adopt a 5 Year Financial Plan each year prior to the adoption of the Annual Property Tax Rates Bylaw, which must be adopted by May 15, 2023. The proposed Consolidated 5 Year Financial Plan (2023-2027) Bylaw No 10429 is currently available via:
• the City’s online public engagement website at www.LetsTalkRichmond.ca
• the City’s website at www.richmond.ca/5YFP
• email request to finance@richmond.ca
• pick up a copy from the Information Counter at City Hall
The City is required by the Community Charter to undertake a process of public consultation before the bylaw is adopted by City Council. Please submit your feedback by Sunday, January 8, 2023 by:
• commenting on www.LetsTalkRichmond.ca
• emailing finance@richmond.ca
• written submissions to the Finance Department, Richmond City Hall, 6911 No. 3 Road, Richmond, V6Y 2C1
It is anticipated that Bylaw No. 10429 will be considered by City Council for adoption at the Regular Council Meeting on Monday, January 30, 2023 at 7:00 p.m. in the Richmond City Hall Council Chambers. Public delegations at the Council Meeting are permitted with regard to this bylaw either in-person or remotely by teleconference. Advanced registration is required for individuals attending remotely and early registration is encouraged Registration closes at 1:00 p.m. on the date of the meeting. Information on how to register is available on the City website: https://citycouncil.richmond.ca/meetings/phone-participation.htm Please note that advanced registration is not required for in-person attendance and members of the public are welcome to submit written comments in advance of the meeting.
City of Richmond | 6911 No. 3 Rd. Richmond BC V6Y 2C1 | Tel: 604-276-4000
www.richmond.ca
So, what were the top stories in Richmond in 2022?
That might depend on how you count them by their impact on the community, how they reflected problems affecting Richmondites, or what were the most read stories at Richmond-News com
We’ve compiled a highly subjective list that is a combination of the above You may agree or disagree, but here are our picks
Mountie killed in line of duty, Oct 20
The story that brought international attention (apart from chaos at the airport) was the tragic death of RCMP Const Shaelyn Yang
A full regimental funeral held at the Olympic Oval brought thousands of mourners to Richmond to remember the young officer killed while on duty
Yang had been an RCMP officer for less than three years, and she was checking on a man living in a tent in Burnaby park when she was allegedly stabbed to death in October
The front line, Dec 1 and 8, 2022
While this stabbing took place in Burnaby, the issue of homelessness is also on the rise in Richmond A story we felt was important was that of an outreach workers warning us that “The situation is really bad right now and is getting worse by the month It’s about to blow up in our faces ”
That was Salvation Army outreach worker Hugh Freiberg, who is on the streets of
Richmond six nights at week delivering meals to those who are without homes
Poverty tends to be hidden in Richmond, but our story described people sleeping out in the open with nothing but a golf umbrella to protect them from the elements while a community of people living in old RVs have gathered in an industrial area of East Richmond
The electoral results were hardly a shakeup with all incumbents being re-elected, but two new faces, Kash Heed and Laura Gillanders, replaced the retiring Harold Steves and Linda McPhail
Birth tourist sues hospital, doctors and birth hotel, Dec. 22
Voter turnout dips down to 25%, Oct. 20
On the topic of housing, Richmond saw a municipal election in 2022 where much of the discussion centred around the housing crisis Many candidates recognized the need for provincial and federal governments to do more to provide affordable housing while others pushed the “ more supply needed” narrative
The issue of birth tourism has been a hot one in the past The practice of pregnant women from abroad coming to Canada to secure Canadian citizenship for their babies born here is technically legal, but highly controversial COVID-19 travel restrictions damped down the practice, however, our recent story about a man suing Richmond Hospital and the birthing house where his wife stayed clearly struck a nerve It was one of our best read stories of the year
While we saw far fewer COVID-19 stories in the news in 2022 compared to the prior years, what followed in its wake was news of other respiratory illnesses that seemed to hit children particularly hard
Girl, 6, loses life after flu complications, Dec. 8
The community was shaken at news of the death of a six-year-old Richmond girl, Danielle Mei Cabana The girl had developed the flu, like her sister, around Remembrance Day and but died a few weeks later due to complications
System strained, new GPs reject private practice, May 12
The triple threat this fall of RSV, the flu and lingering COVID-19 cases has highlighted the fragility of our health-care system and, in particular, the shortage of family doctors
There might be some relief in the new year after the province started to move away from the fee-for-service model and significantly bumped up compensation for family doctors, from $250,000 to $385,000 After the announcement in November, Rich-
mond family doctor Sharon Dodd said it finally felt “like we can breathe and stay in practice ”
There is no word to describe the loss of a child, Aug. 25
While the impact of the pandemic continues to reverberate on our health-care system, so too does the toxic drug crisis We have done numerous stories on the number of people killed by a poisoned supply, but none touched our Richmond News family as profoundly as a column written by one
of our own reporters about the death of her son due to toxic drugs If we, as journalists, have one resolution for the New Year, it is to find a better way to tell those stories to honour Michael, and all the other Michaels, hold power to account, and help us all see the way out
A story that was both disturbing and inspiring was that of a “drag storytime” where a drag queen was hired by the Richmond library to read stories to children and their families in a neighbourhood park
Protesters showed up to the reading with rainbow swastikas and threatened the story teller, but members of the audience quickly formed a barrier to protect her
Family steps up during snowfall chaos, Nov. 30
Also on the theme of stepping up, many families and neighbours took to the streets to provide necessities to people stuck in their cars during November’s bridge closures amid the first snowfall of the season. The Johal family handed out hot water, tea, food and even power banks to people who needed them.
criminal record for couple in racist coffee shop case, Nov. 10
The story of a couple dumping coffee on the floor of a Steveston coffee shop and throwing the mainly empty cup in the face of a staff member concluded when the couple were convicted of mischief
The judge found their actions were at least partially “motivated by bias, prejudice or hate” against the Chinese community
Anti-Asian-hate advocates told the News they felt justice had finally been served after the couple received a one-year suspended sentence in November, a year and a half after the incident
What is Richmond if we don’t talk about the new and unique foodie favourites that have emerged in the city this year?
Here are five of the food spots that have caught the attention of Richmond News readers this year:
Remix Restaurant and Bar
A new interactive and immersive dining experience restaurant opened in Richmond’s Union Square Shopping Centre Asian fusion dishes such as salted duck with egg yolks, crabs and barbecue skewers are on Remix Restaurant and Bar’s menu.
The restaurant has LED and interactive displays along its walls and ground.
7-Inch Waffle
The global penis-waffle trend arrived in Richmond in April this year The store, 7-Inch Waffle House, features phallusshaped waffles dipped in chocolate and toppings. Owners of the store are reminding people with an overall message that “every inch counts.”
A Japanese twist to the
classic hotdog resulted in a sushi hotdog in Richmond. Kiraku Sushi, on No. 3 Road, created the item by deep-frying the “hotdog bun,” made of sushi rice and seaweed, and topped it with raw fish and avocado, cucumber and tobiko. Other items such as taco and burrito sushi were also on the menu
Car’s Dessert Richmond’s food court scene has many hidden gems including a popular mango mochi dessert. One such eatery is Car’s
Dessert, a mom-and-pop shop tucked in the corner of Pacific Plaza’s food court Mango dessert is what the closet-like shop is known for, including mango and baked-sago puddings
Milko Coconut Dessert
Richmond’s first coconut milk pudding store opened quietly at the end of the year Tucked away in a plaza across from the Richmond Public Market, the dessert shop offers glass jars of coconut milk pudding with different toppings such as strawberries, mango, durian and purple yam.
Vikki Hui & Valerie Leung/News
2022 was a year of reset and recovery at Richmond City Hall
COVID-19 brought with it shutdowns of some city facilities, working from home, Zoom calls and streaming of city hall public meetings as the public wasn’t allowed to attend
So, this year, as things return to a more normal state, it was time to reflect on lessons learned during the pandemic, explained long-time Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie Some permanent changes are live-streamed council meetings including committee meetings and a more hybrid office/home working situation for city staff
City hall also saw a shift in leadership with its long-time chief administrative officer retiring. George Duncan retired in June and was replaced by an internal hire, namely, Serena Lusk, after a national search “George was a big believer in succes-
sion planning,” Brodie said, adding Lusk is a product of his mentorship While their leadership styles might be different, Brodie said he feels good about the choice
While Brodie was confident in city hall operations, a challenge to a mandatory vaccination policy by three city unions was a “low point” for the city
City council brought in a mandatory vaccination policy for its workers and for council itself but this was grieved late last year by 36 city staff members, including nine fire fighters, who were put on unpaid leave for refusing to show their vaccination status The city ended up having to give backpay to the unionized workers Brodie was also perplexed by the low
voter turnout during the October municipal election about 25 per cent of Richmond’s eligible voters cast a ballot, compared to 36 per cent in the 2018 municipal election
He said it feels like there was a “general malaise” around the election
He wondered what more the city could have done to encourage voter turnout, noting COVID-19 precautions were in place and there were three ways to vote in-person, at advance polls and by mail
“Nobody had an excuse really from that point of view, in my mind, not to vote, they just didn’t,” Brodie said
elected are Couns Laura Gillanders and Kash Heed
Almost two months into their mandate, Brodie said the new council is starting to “gel ”
Looking forward to 2023, city hall will launch a review of the plan that guides all development in the city the Official Community Plan (OCP)
MALCOLM BRODIETwo long-time city councillors didn’t run for re-election, Linda McPhail and Harold Steves Historically, incumbents have a better chance of being re-elected, and this time all six incumbents and the incumbent mayor, Brodie, were re-elected Newly
As for what is missing from Richmond, Brodie joked the city could do with some hills But, on a more serious note, he said he wishes there was a memorial garden for Richmondites who pass away, something that’s been discussed over the years but has never materialized
“It’s something we need for a complete city,” Brodie said
Nobody had an excuse really... not to vote.Malcolm Brodie Search Highs and lows for full story at Richmond-News.com
SENIORS CENTRE AT MINORU CENTRE FOR ACTIVE LIVING
7191 Granville Avenue, Richmond, BC Phone: 604-238-8450 • Fax: 604-718-8462 email: seniors@richmond ca www richmond ca/seniors www.minorucentre.ca
Hours of Operation: Monday to Friday: 8:00am–9:00pm Saturday, Sunday & Stat Holidays: 8:00am–5:00pm
The Seniors Centre at Minoru Centre for Active Living is now open for registered programs, Seniors Facility Pass programs and visits Come by in-person to update your membership and to find out details about your favourite programs!
Located at the corner of Gilbert Road and Granville Avenue, this bright and spacious facility offers an inviting, active and friendly environment for those 55 years and older This fully accessible facility is set in beautiful Minoru Park and is near many other City facilities including the Richmond Museum, Richmond Art Gallery and Main Library.
Activities currently being offered include registered programs, out trips, special events and support groups Plus, with an annual Seniors Facility Pass you can choose to join in any of the 35+ 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!
The Seniors Facility Pass is $36.00 per year and supports the Minoru Seniors Society Passes are valid one year from date of purchase View the Minoru Seniors Facility Pass Programs brochure at www.richmond.ca/ schedules or pick up a paper copy at Minoru Centre for Active Living
Seniors Facility Pass benefits:
• Special pricing in the Seniors Centre Cafeteria
• Access to 35+ weekly drop-in activities
• Voting privileges at the Annual General Meeting
Additional Passes: ($36.00 Seniors Facility Pass must be purchased in addition)
*Available for Registered Visits only at this time
Billiards Pass $48.00/year Woodworking Pass $48.00/year Wood Carving Pass $42.00/year
Additional Fees:
Ballroom Dancing
$2.00/Drop-in Chinese Calligraphy $2.00/Drop-in Mahjong $2.00/Drop-in Model Walkers $2.00/Drop-in Minoru Community Line Dancers $2.00/Drop-in Multicultural Dance $2.00/Drop-in Tai Chi ..................................................................$2.00/Drop-in Ukulele Circle $2.00/Drop-in Yuanji Dance $2.00/Drop-in
This door-to-door transportation service for seniors offers easy access to local businesses including grocery stores, banks, doctor's offices and the Seniors Centre at Minoru Centre for Active Living This service operates Mondays and Thursdays from 9:45am to 1:30pm with the exception of statutory holidays.
Additional information:
• Walkers can be accommodated on the bus with support by the driver to safely stow and retrieve items upon pick-up and at destination drop-offs
• Only purchases that can be carried are accepted as bus storage is limited
• While no longer mandatory, masks are recommended while onboard the bus
• Stop times are estimated
• Arrive 5 minutes before the scheduled departure time and have fare ($2 00) ready before boarding
• Call 604-238-8450 to sign up for Service Alerts (e.g. schedule changes and cancellations).
Upon request, the Shopping Bus can pick-up at the following locations:
• Wisteria Place
• Granville Gardens
• Thompson Community Centre
• Panorama Place
• Oak Tree House
• Park Towers
• Kiwanis Towers
• along Minoru Boulevard and Moffatt Road
Call 604-238-8456 to request pick-up from one of the locations listed above
I can’t recall a year where so much happened that affected so many So many celebrities died, the War started, interest rates are rising (so are loan defaults, not surprisingly), Covid is not really in our rear view mirrors yet and December has been maybe our coldest month in years. The ability to predict what might happen next year is fantasy Still it is useful to take a look at some of this years ’ events and speculate a little for 2023.
Earlier this year, I wrote about Ms. Heche’s untimely death in the summer and the ensuing battle over her Estate Her young son, Homer Lafoon, sought control over the Estate (Ms. Heche died without a Will). Her former partner James Tupper (a Canadian) also sought control Well, a Court decided, in early December, to grant Administrator status to Homer The Estate value is unknown, as acting royalties are still being received bytheEstateandMs.HechesbookisscheduledtobereleasedinJanuary It will generate some income
Otherwise, the existing assets are not of particularly high value
In addition, the owner of the house damaged by Ms., Heche’s vehicle in the accident that lead to her death, has now sued the Estate for the damages. The claim is for $2 million.
Homer will now control the Estate but it will likely be some years before the Estate is resolved
The law in this area continues to change and remains controversial
When the law was first introduced (in 2016), a person had to be of full capacity in order to end their life The permissible reasons for ending life were narrow and few
In 2021, the law was changed Persons whose deaths were not reasonably foreseeable now had eligibility to seek an assisted death.
Additionally persons suffering from a mental illness remain ineligible to seek an assisted death but that is set to change in March, 2023. Persons with a mental illness will be able to apply for Medical Assistance to die
Two clinicians will determine their eligibility This is the controversial area and I wonder whether a Court challenge will yet occur before the March deadline I am sure many will follow these important events in 2023.
Lecanemab, the apparent wonder drug, may slow the progression of Alzheimer’s. Recent studies show promise There are known side effects, so for any person, these will need to be weighed but in the best case scenario, this drug will help millions across the world
The status of such assets has been a source of confusion for some years now and I continue to hear expressions of surprise when the issue arises.
In B.C., legally speaking, if an asset is jointly owned, the most common assumption is that if one of two registered owners dies, the surviving person receives the asset via the Right of Survivorship
This assumption is no longer always correct. It can happen, but planning is really important, in order to ensure it does happen. A recent case provides an example of the legal treatment of a jointly held bank account between a deceased Mother and her Daughter
Reasons for judgment were released earlier this month in the case known as Young v Veselic. In this case, the daughter was a joint account holder with her Mother After her Mother died, she sought Court direction with respect to the accounts. Her brother opposed the joint status of the accounts. He sought a declaration that the funds in the accounts belonged instead to their late Mother’s Estate
Where an adult child is added by a parent to a Bank account, the Court will first presume that the funds are held on a Resulting Trust, which means that when the parent dies, the funds are held in Trust by the surviving adult child, for the Estate The surviving child, to prove that he or she instead is entitled to the funds, needs to prove that the parent intended a gift of those funds to the child, when setting up the joint account.
In this case, the Court held that the daughter could not prove a gift The evidence seemed to establish that the joint account was set up primarily tofacilitatepaymentsoftheMother’sbills.Nodocumentswereproduced showing any intention to gift the account to the daughter The daughter had even deposited some funds into the account as she felt she needed to (torepaysomefundstoherMother),whichworksagainstapresumption of gift Also, the daughter, after the Mother’s death, distributed some funds to herself and her brother, which the Court felt also showed an intention not to gift the account to the daughter Consequently, the Court ordered that the funds in the account be transferred to the Estate
In the coming years, this kind of situation will arise regularly It is essential to put plans of joint ownership into writing in order to avoid disputes such as this.
Finally, I suggest everyone try their best to stay informed of these important developments, or at least ask us if you have questions.
A Merry Christmas, happy holiday and a healthy, enjoyable new year
Access legal help from Seniors First BC with this service for older adults not able to access legal help elsewhere due to low income or other barriers Clinics offered the fourth Thursday of each month
Call Seniors First BC at 604-688-1927 ext 258 to make an appointment for a 30 minute legal consultation
Thu, Jan 26 10:00am–12:00pm FREE/1 sess
Learn about support options and planning for the future in this introductory session that covers information about Alzheimer's disease and other dementias along with the challenges encountered when first receiving a diagnosis Those with dementia, care partners and family members supporting a person with dementia are welcome Presented by the Alzheimer Society of BC. Registration required
Thu, Jan 26 1:30–3:30pm FREE/1 sess (#189148)
Winter registration is now open! Popular programs fill up quickly, register today!
www.richmond.ca/register
BRIDGE – BEGINNER –LEVEL 2
Build on the basics of Contract Bridge, learn techniques for playing with partners and gain confidence through hands-on experience Pre-requisite: Bridge–Beginner Level 1 or previous Bridge experience
Thu, Jan 12............................ 3:15–4:45pm
$86.65/11 sess (#190913)
Get fit while having fun in this upbeat class designed for new and experienced dancers Music ranges from popular jazz, Motown, disco and pop for learning and building dance skills while making lots of social connections
Wed, Jan 11 11:00am–12:00pm $30.20/5 sess. (#193397)
4th , 6th, 7th Ave, Broadway St, Chatham St, Richmond St 1410002 11491 7th Ave (Mariners Village)....................................... 1410003 11291 / 11391 7th Ave (Mariners Village).......................... 1410004 4th Ave, 6th Ave, 7th Ave, Georgia St, Pleasant St.............. 1410005 2nd Ave, 3rd Ave, 4th Ave, Garry St, Georgia St, Pleasant St, Richmond St.................................................. 1410019 2nd Ave, Garry St, Georgia St, No. 1 Rd, Richmond St, Garry St................................................................ 1410022 2nd Ave, 4th Ave, No. 1 Rd, Pleasant St, Regent St............ 1410024 4th Ave, 6th Ave, 7th Ave, Garry St, Georgia St, Richmond St................................................................ 1410026 11020 - 11500 No. 1 Rd, Regent St (Townhouse route)..... 1420102 Fortune Ave, Gander Crt, Dr, St. Brides Crt Pl, St. Johns Crt, Pl, St. Vincents Crt Pl, Williams Rd................ 1420103 Cornerbrook Cres, Fortune Ave, Freshwater Dr, Williams Rd............................................................... 1420108 Sable Ave, Sceptre Crs, Skagit Dr, Sorrel Dr 1420109 Springfield Crt, Dr, Springthorne Cres................................ 1420203 Geal Rd, Groat Ave , Williams Rd........................................ 1420204 Pendelton Gate, Dr, Waller Crt, Dr, Williams Rd................... 1420208 Desmond Ave, Rd, Diamond Rd, Earlmond Ave, Elkmond Rd, Lamond Ave, No 1 Rd, Williams Rd................ 1420209 Barmond Ave, Desmond Rd, Diamond Rd, Francis Rd, Newmond Rd, Osmond Ave, Raymond Ave........................ 1420210 Diamond Rd, Oakmond Rd, Raymond Ave, Rosamond Ave 1420212 No. 1 Rd, Pendlebury Rd, Peterson Dr, Pickering Dr, Waller Dr, Williams Rd....................................................... 1420215 Barmond Ave, Diamond Ave, Francis Rd, Newmond Rd, Oakmond Rd............................................................... 1430104 Hollymount Dr, Gate, Railway Ave, Steveston Hwy 1430111 Addison St, Defoe St, Goldensmith Dr, No. 2 Rd, Swift, Williams Rd............................................................... 1430113 Gilbert Rd, Williams Rd......................................................
