Richmond News January 12 2023

TAKEN TOO SOON

A Richmond family is mouring the loss of 36-year-old Curtis Tablotney (centre and inset), who died recently from a drug overdose. His mother, Debbie (left), who is Richmond School Board chair, spoke to the News about a system that failed to help her son with his mental-health issues.

Dear Editor, I was taking my usual walk along the boardwalk on Dec. 28 at midday, when suddenly I felt extremely ill and definitely could not get back home on my own

Two ladies stopped to ask if they could help me and I said yes after refusing prior help from others These ladies, including the arrival of my neighbour Yvonne, comforted me and stood by me until the paramedics arrived

The paramedics realised immediately that the situation was critical and drove me to Richmond Hospital Within 10 minutes I went into a code blue status and had to be shocked to be revived

I am much better now and wish to thank these ladies for their kindness and consideration

Without them and the work of the paramedics, I would not have survived It was an experience I would never forget It’s definitely true that Steveston residents care about their own I am so grateful for your help and hope to see you again in the future to thank you in person

Michel Sangollo RICHMOND

Leave Steveston Highway alone, just repair it

Dear Editor,

We are writing in regards to the proposed multi-use bike lane on Steveston Highway

As a resident of Richmond on Steveston Highway for more than 44 years, I feel our input has value

Over 30-plus years ago, the city expropriated the land and expanded Steveston Highway to four lanes It has been a racetrack ever since

It has an inadequate amount of crosswalks, especially given the number of multi-family homes and new townhouse complexes that have been popping up like multiplying rabbits

The main sidewalks on the north side of the highway are decrepit and not maintained in the least. For a person in a wheelchair or with a disability, it is almost impassable in many places

The letdowns between roads point out

into the highway instead of pointing to the next sidewalk

Hedges, trees, fences and weeds hang out forcing the user to dangerous angles and or forcing them onto the road

Grinding bumps and patch-filling is not maintenance, is not repair It is a temporary fix and should be properly fixed in a timely manner which has not happened

The expansion of this road will also destroy many trees, hedges and homes of many wildlife It will ruin many residents’ natural pollution/noise barriers and privacy with the destruction of their hedges with no promise of any help or protection from the city Hedges that were planted when the road was expanded and traffic got worse The last thing Richmond needs is less vegetation

The farmers will no longer have the safety of the ditches for flood drainage and to keep out thieves, which was a major problem when the first expansion happened Those farmers have had to put up fencing out of their own pocket and still have issues

To use more land to build the multipurpose path is insane

The multi-purpose lane on Westminster Highway went into disrepair for many years and was only recently finally repaired

There is a perfectly good bike lane on Williams Road that runs the length of the city and has much less traffic and speeding

Leave Steveston Highway as is and simply repair what is already there Karon Linley & family

RICHMOND

Murray kmurray@glaciermedia.ca 604.249.3353

Erin MacPherson Branch Manager

Drunk driver caught slumped over wheel in Steveston

Valerie Leung VLEUNG@RICHMOND-NEWS COM

A Richmond driver will not be able to drive for the next 90 days after an incident last Friday evening in Steveston

Richmond RCMP responded to a call that a man was “slumped over the steering wheel” of a car that was idling near Bayview Street and No 1 Road around 11 p m on Jan 6

The 48-year-old man was given a 90-day immediate roadside prohibition and a 30-day vehicle impoundment after police conducted an impaired driving investigation, according to Cpl Dennis Hwang, communications officer for the Richmond RCMP

This means the driver cannot drive for 90 days and his vehicle is also impounded for 30 days

“We are thankful that we have a connected and conscientious community,” said Hwang

“The call to us likely saved innocent lives as that driver was in no condition to be going anywhere, especially not in a vehicle ”

Heavily-armed police appeared to have arrested a man outside the 7-Eleven on Granville Avenue

Police with rifles make 7-11 arrest

Richmond residents are still wondering why there was a fully-armed tactical team in their neighbourhood on Sunday

According to reports on social media, gunfire could be heard in the area of the 7-Eleven store on Granville Avenue and St Alban’s Road

Officers in tactical uniforms, armed with rifles,

could be seen guarding the store’s parking lot, while one photo appeared to show one man under arrest

Richmond RCMP told the News it was not their operation, nor was it the CSFEU gang unit The VPD and CBSA have been asked if it was theirs

Alan Campbell Richmond News

Driver smashes into Return-It depot, backs into cars

Richmond drivers appear to be having a rough start to the year after one motorist drove into a local bottle depot on Friday afternoon

A 59-year-old Richmond man drove his Lexus SUV into the Blundell Return-It storefront and then, according to police, “reversed into several unoccupied parked vehicles ”

The RCMP told the Richmond News that officers attended the scene shortly before 3 p m on Jan 6 after receiving the reports of the incident

No one was seriously injured, and some bystanders were treated for “minor cuts” from broken glass.

Police do not believe the collision was influenced by alcohol or drugs, and a medical assessment has been requested for the driver

The accident came less than a year after an electrical fire ripped through the neighbouring vitamin store

Return-It, and other surrounding stores, also suffered smoke damage and had to close for several months

Vikki Hui/Richmond News

Snow response questioned

Maria Rantanen MRANTANEN@RICHMOND-NEWS COM

One city councillor suggested Richmond crews plow the Steveston Highway overpass during snowstorms to alleviate congestion, even though it’s supposed to be done by the province.

The suggestion came from Coun. Kash Heed on Monday as city council was reviewing the city’s response to snowstorms that hit the region on Nov 29 and just before Christmas.

In a report to city council, the blame for not clearing the Steveston overpass was laid at the feet of the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure (MOTI) whose jurisdiction it is.

But Heed said it “just

makes no sense” to leave it unplowed, despite it being the province’s domain.

“We go down Steveston Highway with our plow, we lift the blade, go over the overpass, and put the blade back down?” Heed asked the city’s manager of roads, Larry Ford.

“Richmond residents don’t realize that’s (MOTI’s responsibility) they think it is still Richmond,” Heed said.

“For that short period of time, you know, shouldn’t we just be plowing that overpass?”

Ford, who was responding to questions from city council, replied to Heed “yes, we should.”

During this first big snowstorm of the year, cars were stuck in traffic for hours Icy conditions at the

standstill.

The report notes Richmond crews can be restricted from clearing roads “when the response for treatment of highways and infrastructure not managed by the City are insufficient.”

City staff recommended council ask the ministry to review its road de-icing protocols.

Snow removal expenses in 2022 went about $800,000 above budget, totalling $2.2 million in the end.

The snow and ice budget is budgeted at about $1.4 million for 2023.

www.rcrg.org

George Massey Tunnel and the Alex Fraser Bridge had a significant impact on Richmond roads, for example, bringing traffic on Steveston Highway to a virtual

Family loses son amid chaotic mental-health system

Rantanen

Debbie Tablotney, chair of the Richmond Board of Education, will be placing purple ribbons around the city.

She will be doing it in memory of her son, Curtis, who died on Dec. 14 from a drug overdose

Purple ribbons are the symbol created by “Moms Stop the Harm,” an advocacy group of mothers who have lost their children to drug overdoses and poisonings

Debbie told Curtis a few months before he passed away that she didn’t want to have a reason to wear such a ribbon Now she is donning one

Curtis was 36 when he passed away in his Richmond home and, last Friday, a packed house at Richmond Funeral Home attended his celebration of life to hear how much joy he had brought to his friends and family

Debbie told the Richmond News of her fond memories of her son, but she also ex-

pressed her frustration at the mental-health system that took years to diagnose his condition

She described navigating the mentalhealth system, trying to find help for Curtis, as a “comedy of errors ”

Curtis grew up in Richmond, attended Westwind elementary and graduated from Steveston secondary in 2004

He was an insurance broker and worked for the family’s insurance company

Despite his struggles with his mental health and addictions, Curtis was intelligent, caring, affectionate, adventurous and, above all, fun Debbie recalls how, when he

was young, he would make her laugh in church.

“It was chaos, but it was good chaos,” she said

Curtis would go out of his way to do things for other people, comforting friends, showing up when people needed help or creating fun activities in the neighbourhood.

During COVID, Curtis was always doing things for kids in the neighbourhood, be it an Easter egg hunt or Halloween celebrations, Debbie explained

Everyone in the neighbourhood loved him, she said, and, conversely, “he could always see the good side of everybody ”

But Debbie described how frustrating it was to get him help for his mental-health issues for years, he was hearing voices and had paranoia, but he was brushed off by countless doctors who put this down to him using drugs

Many times, the family would seek out help when things got rough, or take him to the hospital, but invariably he would be sent home, and there would be no followup nor any referral for further care

One psychiatrist even told Debbie he was “too complex” for her to treat.

Curtis also tried to go to treatment to stop using drugs, but invariably was tossed out if he relapsed even though addiction specialists say relapse is part of the recovery process or his anxiety would get the better of him and he would leave

Debbie told the News how he went to one treatment centre that didn’t want him necessarily taking medication for anxiety, but he then left because his anxiety was too high

He finally got an addictions doctor and psychiatrist and, last year, he was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and was getting treatment

For families and loved ones of people struggling with addiction and mental-health issues, Debbie’s advice is “don’t give up, ” keep advocating for them and help them advocate for themselves.

In addition to his mother Debbie and father Andrew, Curtis leaves behind two brothers, Trevor and Troy, and his long-time girlfriend Fernanda Sanchez as well as extended family and many friends

Curtis Tablotney died on Dec 14 from a drug overdose

Maria

Richmond residents have expressed their “relief” to a Richmond city councillor, as the federal government’s new travel restrictions for people coming from China kick in As of last week, air travellers two years and older from China, Macau and Hong Kong will need to present, on entry to Canada, a negative COVID-19 test two days before their departure date

When the news of the impending restrictions broke earlier this month, Coun Chak Au was contacted by multiple Richmond residents, who had been concerned about the “lack of screening for travellers” from the aforementioned areas

“The (new federal) announcement has made people feel more relief,” said Au.

“They were concerned because we don’t know what we ’ re letting into Canada with new variants in these Asian areas ”

The pre-entry tests can be either a PCR or antigen test with documentation that shows

the test was done while being monitored by a telehealth service, an accredited laboratory or testing provider, according to the Government of Canada

So far, Au has not received any negative feedback on the federal government’s latest travel requirement

However, the Chinese government is unhappy that Canada and other countries are creating new COVID-19 restrictions for people flying from China

At a press conference held in Beijing last week, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said some rules are based on politics instead of science, but she did not reference Canada specifically

“Some of these measures are disproportionate and simply unacceptable,” reads an official English transcript of Mao’s remarks

“We firmly reject using COVID measures for political purposes and will take corresponding measures in response ”

Mao added that COVID-19 response measures “need to be science-based and proportionate.”

“They should not be used for political manipulation, there should not be discriminatory measures against certain countries,” Mao said, adding that variants can emerge anywhere

Au told the Richmond News he couldn’t fathom what further “pushback” China would implement as the country already has COVID-19 restrictions in place for travellers entering the country

China currently requires a negative COVID-19 test for all travellers entering the country while Canada’s pre-screening policy only applies to people arriving from flights originating from mainland China, Hong Kong or Macau

“Why is the Canadian pre-screening unfair? China is regarded as a high-risk area right now, while Canada is considered a low-risk region That’s something I don’t understand,” said Au

However, Au didn’t disregard the idea that people from Chinese communities are concerned the temporary testing policy may set them up for discrimination and bias

“I hope people can make the distinction between what is happening in China and what is happening to the people of our local Chinese community,” he said

Au highlighted the Richmond community being one of the first cities to adopt wearing masks and social distancing in response to the initial virus outbreak almost three years ago

“I understand pre-screening cannot contain the spread of the variant, but we can prevent it from further spreading,” said Au

“In due time, when China’s COVID-19 case rates are not as high, we can then re-evaluate these travel requirements and drop them ”

China is regarded as a high-risk area right now...

COUN. CHAK AU

ea Covid-19 Safety protocols in place

i

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Notice of Public Hearing

Monday, January 23, 2023 – 7 p.m. Council Chambers, 1st Floor, Richmond City Hall 6911 No 3 Road, Richmond, BC V6Y 2C1 | www richmond ca

Location/s: 11431 Williams Road

Applicant/s: Lorraine S Tsoi

Purpose: To rezone the subject property from “Single Detached (RS1/E)” to “Compact Single Detached (RC2)”, to permit the creation of two single-family lots with vehicle access from the rear lane.

City Contact: Alexander Costin, 604-276-4200, Planning and Development Division

• At City Hall: Copies of the proposed bylaw, supporting staff and Committee reports and other background material, are also available for inspection at the Planning and Development Division at City Hall, between the hours of 8:15 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, except statutory holidays, commencing January 13, 2023 and ending January 23, 2023, or upon the conclusion of the hearing.

• By FAX or Mail: Staff reports and the proposed bylaws may also be obtained by FAX or by standard mail, by calling 604-2764007 between the hours of 8:15 am and 5 pm, Monday through Friday, except statutory holidays, commencing January 13, 2023 and ending January 23, 2023

Participating in the Public Hearing process:

• The Public Hearing is open to all members of the public and that attendance may be done 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: http://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.

• Written comments may be submitted to the City Clerk’s Office by 4:00 pm on the date of the Public Hearing as follows:

• By E-mail: cityclerk@richmond.ca

• By Standard Mail: 6911 No.3 Road, Richmond, BC, V6Y 2C1, Attention: Director, City Clerk’s Office

• By Fax: 604-278-5139, Attention: Director, City Clerk’s Office

• Public Hearing Rules: For information on public hearing rules and procedures, please consult the City website at http://www.richmond.ca/cityhall/council/hearings/about.htm or call the City Clerk’s Office at 604-276-4007

• All submissions will form part of the record of the hearing. Once the Public Hearing has concluded, no further information or submissions can be considered by Council.

Claudia Jesson Director, City Clerk’s Office

The top 10 most expensive properties in Richmond are all in the Agricultural Land Reserve

While only two properties in Richmond made the top-500 most valued properties in the province many were in Vancouver, West Vancouver and Whistler Richmond’s most expensive ones are often megamansions found on properties that are supposed to be reserved for agriculture

One exception is 6980 No 9 Rd which appears to only have greenhouses and no residential buildings

Two of the properties have homes built in the late 1980s and range in size from about 3,400 square feet to about 6,000 square feet

Property assessments are arriving in the mail, and one Richmond property owner will see a 10-fold increase

in their assessment

A 38-acre parcel in the Agricultural Land Reserve, located at 12777 No 3 Rd , saw its value jump from $1 2 million in 2022 to $13 million this year This was the second highest assessed property in Richmond this year, second only to 11400 No 2 Rd , which was assessed at $13,852,000

A BC Assessment spokesperson

said the agency can’t comment on individual properties, but a big jump like this is sometimes attributed to losing farming status Farming status significantly lowers property values and therefore property taxes

Last year, the property owner paid $5,574 in taxes when the property was valued at $1 2 million In comparison, the property owner of 11400 No 2 Rd , the highest assessed property in Richmond paid about $56,000 in taxes last year

Top 10 Richmond properties

11400 No 2 Rd : $13,852,000

12777 No 3 Rd : $13,009,000 12911 No 3 Rd : $11,397,000 6980 No 9 Rd : $10,420,000 8340 Finn Rd : $9,001,000

12160 No 2 Rd : $8,997,000 8660 Finn Rd : $8,863,000 10751 Blundell Rd : $7,920,000 11511 Blundell Rd : $7,762,000 8511 No 6 Rd : $7,629,000

The Province is proposing to replace the existing four-lane George Massey Tunnel with a new, eight-lane immersed tube tunnel, and will decommission the existing tunnel once the new tunnel is in operation

A section of one of our power lines crosses the Fraser River through the existing George Massey Tunnel, so we need to relocate it before the tunnel is decommissioned. We’re studying three alternatives that include both overhead and underground lines for this project. We’re hosting

Gateway Theatre celebrating Lunar New Year with audio

Vikki Hui VHUI@RICHMOND-NEWS COM

Richmond’s Gateway Theatre will be celebrating Lunar New Year with both in-person and virtual festivities

A Year of Blessings: Bun Fun New Year, set to launch on Jan 21 at Gateway Theatre’s in-person Lunar New Year celebration, is the first in a new series of free audio plays designed to educate young audiences on traditional Chinese festivals

The title “Bun Fun” is a play on the Cantonese word for colourful and diverse, and the play tells the tale of twin bunnies Bunnifer and Bunnithy who learn the “true meaning of new year festivities” and interesting recipes while preparing for a Lunar New Year family feast

A Year of Blessings is created by the Five Blessings Collective, a group of Asian-Canadian artists including Nan-

cy Tam, Derek Chan, Jasmine Chen, Howard Dai and Amanda Sum.

Two other plays will follow, including Little Shrimp, a musical adventure about the Qing Ming festival (the tomb-sweeping holiday), and a final play about the Dragon Boat Festival All episodes will be available online

Community members can catch two live readings of Bun Fun New Year, learn how to dance like a bunny and enjoy family-friendly festive crafts, on Jan 21 in Studio B at the theatre

Tickets are $8 per person and two different time slots can be booked online. The event is free for ages two and under.

Gateway Theatre has also released details for the rest of its programming this year, which include Prophecy Fog, a performance by award-winning Indigenous artist Jani Lauzon, and Hey Viola!, a musical production about Canadian civil rights activist Viola Desmond

LUNAR NEW YEAR

Library asks for second line of Chinese couplet

Maria Rantanen MRANTANEN@RICHMOND-NEWS COM

“The fierce tiger returns to the mountain to prepare for his next term…”

What would be the second line for the beginning of this couplet?

That’s what the Richmond Public Library is asking their patrons to write in their annual Couplet Contest in anticipation of Lunar New Year and the Year of the Rabbit.

Last year was the Year of the Tiger, so this first line tells how the tiger is retreating back to the mountains for 12 years, while the anticipation of the rabbit coming out should be the second line in the couplet.

The couplet challenge is bilingual, with the first line given in both English and Chinese and the second one can be written in either language

A Chinese couplet is a two-line poem

where the second line complements the first one.

Both lines have to have the same number of characters and the meaning of both lines must be complementary

The couplet, however, doesn’t have to rhyme.

There are five judges, including two poets and a children’s writer, who will pick the winners. The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony

The top three winners will each receive a trophy, certificate, a gift and a copy of the couplet, including their own second line written in Chinese by a local calligrapher

Other submissions will also be recognized with honourable mentions and encouragement awards.

The deadline for the couplet contest is Jan. 20. To submit a couplet, go to YourLibrary.ca and search for “couplet contest” in “events.”

LUNAR NEW YEAR

Rabbit charity seeks anti-racism funding

Hui VHUI@RICHMOND-NEWS COM

A local rabbit rescue wants to dispel anti-East Asian stereotypes, and it’s hoping to get some help from the community

To celebrate the upcoming Year of the Rabbit, Rabbitats is planning to launch a campaign to debunk hurt-

“We’ve also had some rabbit fans questioning whether Asian families will provide the best pet homes.”

Volunteers are also no strangers to “old and tired” jokes about “bunny stew,” and such ignorant stereotypes are “aggravating,” Saidman added

She is hoping that a grant from the Richmond Community Foundation will help fund the campaign, but Rabbitats will be needing more help before that

“We need a cultural partner to weigh in and guide us, ” she said, as the rescue wants to better express the message and inform the general public Local organizations that wish to find out more about Rabbitats’ anti-racism initiative are asked to email info@ rabbitats org

In the meantime, Rabbitats will be holding two major Lunar New Year events a 10-day education booth at Aberdeen Centre’s flower fair from Jan 13 to 22, and a two-day “Meet n ’ Treats” event at International Village Mall from Jan 21 to 22

The rescue has also noticed a “ surge ” in unwanted and abandoned rabbit reports across the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island in recent times To help expand its operations, it is currently holding a fundraiser to purchase part of a co-housing property in Langley.

Lunar New Year scotch engraving

For those wanting to celebrate the Lunar New Year with a wee dram, BC Liquor Stores has a couple of interesting events coming up.

On Jan 19, from 4 p m to 9 p m at the Ironwood store, you can get a bottle of Chivas, ranging from $59 to $89, engraved for yourself or as a gift

Chivas will be bringing their bottle engraving station to the store so you can customize your bottle of Chivas You will also receive a red bag to finish off your gift

And on Jan 21, from noon to 4 p m at the Brighouse branch on Ackroyd Road, you can get a very special bottle of Dalmore single malt scotch personally engraved courtesy of Vancouver calligrapher artist Vivi Lettering.

The Dalmore ranges in price from $109 to $440

Rabbitats is applying for funding to help break stereotypes about Asians and animals

Alan Campbell

ACAMPBELL@RICHMOND-NEWS COM

Vikki

Valerie Leung VLEUNG@RICHMOND-NEWS COM

When it comes to buying lucky decorations, clothes, food and, of course, flowers for Lunar New Year celebrations, a flower market is the one-stop-shop for everything A Lunar New Year flower market, also known as a Lunar New Year fair, is where people purchase everything they need for their home to begin the new year

And like every year, Richmond’s Aberdeen Centre is once again hosting the city’s largest Lunar New Year flower market, starting Jan 14

In the past, flower markets were held only on Lunar New Year’s Eve, where families would visit after enjoying a large dinner

As years passed, the fair has been extended to one week prior to Lunar New Year to allow more time for people to prepare However, this varies in different countries

This year, Aberdeen Centre’s flower market is featuring 30 booths ranging from fa-

mous dragon beard candy to decorations in all shades of red and gold

A variety of traditional New Year flowers such as peach blossoms, pussy willows and lucky bamboos will no doubt be available as well

“Flowers are an important part of the market... that’s why it’s called a flower market,” said Tiffany Ho, senior vice-president of Fairchild Developments, which operates Aberdeen Centre

“Many families believe that flowers are a symbol of growth in a family, to see the next generation bloom ”

Everyone, she added, always has flowers in their home to begin the New Year

Aberdeen’s last flower market was held in 2020, just before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down all festivities

“The flower market is known to bring people good luck even just by walking through it together with your family,” said Ho

The market will be open from Jan 13 to Jan 22 on Aberdeen’s first and second floors

COMMUNITY

Photos: Annual treechipping raises funds

Richmondites came together to chip in for a good cause at Garry Point Park, despite the drizzling rain

Volunteers and community members of all ages were spotted at the park on Saturday morning for Richmond Firefighter Chari-

table Society’s annual Tree Chip event, and more than 50 trees were collected in less than three hours

“So far, today has been spectacular,” Richmond Fire-Rescue Chief Jim Wishlove told the Richmond News

Dozens of residents rolled up last weekend for the firefighters’ tree-chipping event Vikki Hui photos

REMEMBRANCES

obItuarIeS

February 16, 1931 January 2, 2023

Gracious, kind, ever loving dear wife and dear mother Geneviève passed away peacefully at her home after a short illness. Predeceased by her daughter Brigitte, she will be lovingly remembered by her devoted husband, John (Jean), married 69 years to the day; children Dominique (Molly), Eric, Antoine (Paola) and Christine (Thierry); grandchildren Stephanie, Patrick and Christopher; Shai and Robin; Daniel, David and Raquel; Jacque, Laure and Adèle; eleven great grandchildren; sister Christiane; sister in law Mimi; numerous cousins, nieces and nephews in France and the United States and many dear friends. With much concern for others, she graced our lives until her very last day. We hold her in our hearts until we meet again. Her mass and burial have already been held. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Union Gospel Mission in honour of Geneviève would be appreciated.

November 6, 1941 - January 6, 2023

Reg passed away peacefuly, after a short battle with cancer, wth his famly by his side

He s survved by hs wife of 55 years Margaret, Sons Craig (Stacey), and Jason (Meez), Granddaughters Presey, Jameson, Sophe and Stela and his Sister Laverne He was pre-deceased by his Father Setaro, his Mother Shizuko and Sister Lnda

Reg was very proud of being a true Stevestonite, being born in the Steveston Japanese Fishermans Hosptal

The family woud ike the thank Dr Cheryl Ho and Dr Erc Berthelet from BC Cancer and the Richmond Home Care Team for their support At his request, there wll be no Service and he asked that there be no flowers or Koden

MASSOT, Geneviève

MATSUMURA, Reginald Mitsuo

DERRICK, Margaret L