Mayor Malcolm Brodie 2004 Annual Address
December 13, 2004
Richmond City Council Meeting
Richmond’s 125th Anniversary
2004 was an extraordinary, historic year for the City of Richmond. Our 125th anniversary has been a celebration of past, present and future.
We have been honoured to salute the many generations of pioneers who transformed Richmond from a small rural community into a major cosmopolitan centre that has become recognized as one of the best places in the world. Throughout this special anniversary year, the City and its partners have built upon our City’s reputation for outstanding service delivery as we sought to fulfil our vision for Richmond to be Canada’s most appealing, livable and well managed community. Our City has seized some tremendous opportunities that will deliver legacies for generations to come, providing Richmond’s citizens the highest possible quality of life.
Before discussing 2004 in more depth, I want to look a little farther back. In 1879, 25 Richmond settlers, mostly farmers, successfully petitioned BC’s Lieutenant Governor to create a new municipality at the mouth of the Fraser River. The first European settlers, like Hugh McRoberts, could have hardly imagined what Richmond would become.
Today, Richmond’s population is nearing 170,000. We have become a cosmopolitan city at the crossroads of the world. Richmond has also become Canada’s most ethnically diverse city, with about 60 per cent of our population made up of visible minorities. Our community takes great pride and enjoyment in celebrating that diversity at every opportunity. The rewards of these harmonious intercultural relations have enriched us tremendously.
Yes, those 25 pioneers who founded our municipality might be astounded by the Richmond of today. Yet I believe they would also say we have kept their trust by creating a community that is admired around the world.
2004 has seen a year-long celebration of our 125th anniversary. There have been dozens of events celebrating this milestone including those hosted by the City and those hosted by our partners in the community.
Just a few of the many events held to mark the anniversary include:
- the visit of the Japanese Tall Ship Kaiwo Maru, continuing our tradition of hosting the world’s great tall ships;
- Richmond Sunlight PlayDay at South Arm Park, which was a big hit with families;
- the popular Pioneer Tea held here at City Hall for our long time residents; and
- the World Junior Badminton Championships and the Canadian Wheelchair Curling Championships, both of which featured outstanding and exciting competition at the highest levels of their sports.
We have also had some notable achievements during the year. Richmond Public Library continued to raise the bar for excellence with the opening of its new Cambie branch. The new branch makes tremendous use of new technology and has broadened services to the many diverse cultures represented in our community. It has been a tremendous hit with its users. During 2004, we were also successful in obtaining federal-provincial infrastructure funding for major renovations to the library’s main Brighouse branch. Look for these upgrades in 2005.
Planning for the future has also been an important focus during our 125th year. Our Urban Development Division has developed a new Aircraft Noise Sensitive Development policy. This will provide increased options for smart, sensible growth within our City Centre, help to promote the continued economic viability of Vancouver International Airport and guarantee a high quality of life for new residents. The draft West Cambie Area Plan was also completed this year and is currently going through a public review and consultation process.
Indeed we have had much to celebrate. Our 125th anniversary year was also one of new challenges and opportunities. 2004 will be remembered as the year of RAV and the Richmond Olympic Oval.
Richmond Airport Vancouver Rapid Transit
Few projects will do more to shape the future development in our City than the Richmond-Airport-Vancouver rapid transit project (RAV). Throughout the year the RAV project went through many twists and turns. But we have persevered and we achieved final approval of the project just two weeks ago.
Finally. It took 30 years of Herculean and often frustrated efforts by successive Richmond councils and our community. It’s been a half century since Richmond last had a rapid transit service – the much lamented Interurban tram system. But we are finally back on track. SNC Lavalin has been selected to build the RAV Line. Construction will begin next year and the new line must operate by late 2009.
It cannot come too soon. The RAV Line is projected to eventually move 100,000 people per day with strong ridership all day in each direction. It is absolutely essential to keep people smoothly moving between Richmond and Vancouver, one of our region’s most important and heavily used transportation corridors. RAV will completely reshape our community, sparking development that will support a distinct and vibrant regional City Centre in Richmond.
It was extremely difficult to gain the consensus needed to build a project of this magnitude, within the available funding envelope. Though Richmond City Council pushed for the strongly preferred at-grade rapid transit line, we eventually agreed to accept an elevated system within Richmond. If we had not seized this opportunity, it could be decades before we would again achieve the level of support needed to move forward.
As the result of Council’s resolve, RAVCO and TransLink have agreed to consider the feasibility of running RAV along the Minoru corridor as an alternative to the elevated solution on No. 3 Road, our main commercial artery. The City is currently conducting an extensive public consultation process to discover our citizens’ preference for the RAV alignment. We will soon know the final route.
The RAV project could not have proceeded without tremendous public support. We are grateful to all stakeholders, particularly those in the local and regional business community, who worked hard to build political support across the region, the province and the country. Our City staff have also worked tirelessly with City Council to find workable solutions and provide leadership that kept RAV on track. Construction should start soon on this long-overdue project.
Richmond Olympic Oval
In any other year, securing the RAV Line would be an unparalleled feat. But 2004 is also the year Richmond became an Olympic City, securing the rights to host the long track speed skating competition for the 2010 Olympics.
The Richmond Olympic Oval is an extraordinary project that will comprise BC’s premier indoor sports facility, located within a major new waterfront park. It is scheduled to open in late 2007. With $60 million in capital funding from the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee and other external revenue sources, our City will be able to design and build the oval without raising taxes or borrowing externally.
A multipurpose facility, the Oval will primarily be a training and competition centre for a wide variety of summer and winter sports. The main activity floor can be reconfigured for a wide variety of uses from various ice and dry surface sports to special events, festivals, and trade and exhibition uses. The Oval should also include a fitness centre, community wellness centre, sports medicine and related services, a high performance sports development centre and other community services. It will promote physical activity, wellness and sports excellence throughout Richmond, building on our record as one of the healthiest communities in Canada.
The Oval will fulfil many of the City’s long-held objectives for sport and recreation facilities. A visionary presentation to our City Council in 1986 by the Richmond Sports Council highlighted:
The massive benefits that would accrue to Richmond as a result of the development of the centralized, multi-purpose sports complex site, that could respond to the needs of not only existing sports and leisure community groups, but other community organizations, groups and business enterprises.
The Oval is part of a 29-acre site on River Road owned by the City. The facility will occupy about one-third of that site, leaving approximately 20 acres. This property will become the site of a new mixed-use development in time that will extend our City Centre through to the waterfront, a major objective in our plans to improve the vibrancy and livability of our downtown core.
As an Olympic venue host City, Richmond will enjoy a higher international profile and millions of dollars in economic benefits. Spinoffs from the construction of the Oval will be immediate as site work will begin next year on the $155 million project. Over the long-term the Oval will generate millions of dollars in new tourism and economic gains for the City through increased tourist visits and spending.
The Oval will also give the City a new landmark. Situated on the waterfront directly across from the airport, the Oval will be seen by more than 20 million arriving and departing passengers a year. Thanks to the Olympics, it will be an instantly recognizable feature of our region’s skyline and promises to be the single biggest drawing card in our community’s history.
To win the Oval, the City had to move very quickly. The project came together in three months in order to meet deadlines imposed by the Vancouver Organizing Committee. The result was a Gold Medal effort. Our City Council is gratified by the strong community support and excitement that has been generated by the Oval project. We are committed to working closely with the community as we complete the plans for the Oval to be the greatest community and sports legacy of the 2010 Games.
DFO Lands/First Nations Treaty Negotiations
Throughout 2004, our City also continued to pursue a third major legacy objective - seeking shared control with the Musqueam First Nation of the 55-hectare site commonly known as the DFO Lands at Garden City and Westminster Highway. For decades the City has sought to obtain this prominent land parcel for community use.
The land has been declared as surplus by the federal government. Last year, the federal government announced its intentions to transfer ownership of the land to the City of Richmond and Musqueam First Nation for our mutual benefit. Unfortunately, legal issues have held up that transfer. However, the City and Musqueam have now signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together to secure the lands for our mutual benefit. Negotiations have resumed together with Ottawa in an effort to conclude the transfer. We are confident that we will be able to resolve the issues and complete the transfer in due course.
However, the delay has caused Richmond to lose the International Broadcast Centre for the 2010 Olympics, previously slated to be located on the DFO site. While this was very unfortunate Richmond still stands to gain a major community asset once the status of the land is resolved.
At the same time, Council is concerned with the latest developments in treaty negotiations with the Tsawwassen First Nations and other groups. Because the current proposed treaty could have far-reaching impacts on the City of Richmond and local governments in general, City Council is insisting on having a better understanding of the treaty’s ramifications and voicing our concerns before any final agreements are reached.
Growth
The excitement of the past year has been reflected in Richmond’s growth. Investment in our community is again on the rise. In the past three years, the construction value of building permits issued has been close to $1 billion.
This year alone, the value of issued building permits is expected to near $350 million, the highest in past six years, and up about 30 per cent. This growth has been led by a number of significant new projects such as the new Aberdeen Centre and River Rock Casino, along with substantial new residential development in the City Centre, the McLennan area and Imperial Landing in Steveston.
Year to date housing starts and development applications are up about 16 per cent and 40 per cent, respectively. Development cost charges, the source of funds for new infrastructure and amenities that support our community’s growth, are up by more than 70 per cent.
Our City Centre is now among the fastest growing residential neighbourhoods in the region. Richmond’s population is expected to reach 212,000 by 2021. With the development interest fueled by RAV and the Olympic Oval, we expect growth to accelerate in the coming years. The economic spinoffs of this growth will create new jobs for our residents and new opportunities for our businesses. All these factors will support a bright future for Richmond so long as we also strengthen our liveability.
Infrastructure Expansion/Renewal
While we have had a strong focus on the past and the future in 2004, we have not neglected the present. We have made many improvements in the current year to our civic services, our infrastructure and in the way we do business.
Richmond has a clear advantage over its rivals in the field of transportation. Our land, sea and air connections are among the best of any city in Canada. As mobility is vital to our community’s economic success as well as its quality of life, we continually focus on improving our transportation network.
In 2004, we extended the Garden City road corridor all the way to River Road. We also completed an extension of Leslie Road, secured the land for an extension of Browngate Road and confirmed access for an extension of Lansdowne Road from Alderbridge to Gilbert. All of these steps are part of the City’s long-term plan to create a new ring road network around our City Centre, thus taking pressure off of No. 3 Road and providing alternatives routes into and around our downtown core.
While we have placed much focus on RAV, it is only one part of an integrated public transit system. Again in 2004, we have been successful in having TransLink add thousands of hours of new transit service for Richmond. This includes introduction of the new Crestwood and Williams Road shuttles, increased B-Line and UBC service, as well as expanded new service to the Tsawwassen Ferry Terminal, Newton Exchange in Surrey and Metrotown in Burnaby.
The City also completed improvements to our cycling network on Westminster Highway, Garden City Way and the Oak Street Bridge. As a further part of our transportation strategy, we continue to form partnerships to maximize the City’s investment. In 2004 we secured approximately $2 million in external funding for various local transportation improvements.
The development of the Fraser Port lands in East Richmond is the largest industrial development now under way in Richmond. This 800 acre waterfront site is one of the last areas in our region that offers large lot industrial development with road, rail and water connections. As a centre for multi-modal distribution, the businesses in this area will eventually employ thousands of people and move millions of goods annually through our City. This project is critical, not just for Richmond, but for the entire region. With our dwindling stock of industrial land within the GVRD and the growing congestion facing regional goods movement, we need this project to sustain economic growth throughout greater Vancouver.
Better transportation connections are keys to the success of this project in Southeast Richmond. The solution is an extension of Blundell Road and construction of a new Blundell Interchange at Highway 99. As a result, Richmond has been working with the provincial Ministry of Transportation and Highways for a new Highway 99 interchange at Blundell. The City is pushing hard to make this project a reality before the end of the decade.
Outside of transportation, other notable improvements to our other municipal infrastructure include the extensive undergrounding of civic utilities along Westminster Highway. The City has also secured $450,000 in funding from BC Hydro for additional utility undergrounding along Lansdowne Road.
Infrastructure renewal is also important and the City introduced a major Leak Detection Program to identify faults in our water system. By tracking down and correcting leaks we were able to save more than 13 million gallons of water this year, a significant cost and environmental benefit. Interestingly, the GVRD has now made leak detection a top priority across the region.
Community Livability
Many of our infrastructure improvements result directly in making our City more livable. In 2004, we completed design of McLennan South Park and began construction on the park trail system. Work will continue through 2005.
Last year, significant work was completed on the new Birch and Katsura Parks. A second Community Garden was opened at south end of No. 3 Road. The City and School Board also agreed to build a new artificial turf field at Richmond Senior Secondary. This will be Richmond’s second artificial field and will further expand all-weather opportunities for local sports groups.
Another important step was completion of the Terra Nova Natural Area Plan. This plan will preserve the unique rural landscape character of the Terra Nova North West Quadrant Park. It will carefully balance agricultural heritage, wildlife conservation, and recreational uses of this community treasure. The City also initiated negotiations to determine the future of Shady Island to ensure this environmentally-important area is protected for the good of our community.
Culture plays an essential role in building and sustaining a diverse urban community that is socially and economically healthy. In August, City Council endorsed the Richmond Arts Strategy with a vision and five strategic goals for the next ten years. These will start the process of development of arts policy and initiatives to encourage the arts to flourish both creatively and economically in our community.
A number of public art projects also moved forward including unveiling of the Lions and Garden Gate artworks. Future public art projects were approved for the new Hamilton and Sea Island fire halls and the West Richmond Community Centre.
Building on our status as one of Canada’s healthiest communities, the City partnered with Richmond Health Services on the opening of the Garratt Wellness Centre. The partners plan to address chronic disease prevention and self-management by using the benefits of physical activity.
One of our fastest growing communities is East Richmond thus emphasizing the need for community services. In addition to the new Cambie Library, a number of initiatives have been launched in that area including establishment of the East Richmond Community Health Clinic and the East Richmond Farmers Market and Agricultural Festival. The community also started the process of planning for the East Richmond Community Gathering Place Project. To be located in the west side of King George Park, this artistically-inspired, open-aired structure will offer a place for neighbours to “bump” into one another, to connect, to enjoy community events, and to enhance community identity, pride, and safety.
Richmond is proud of its diversity. The City’s Intercultural Advisory Committee has been extremely active in promoting community harmony, including developing a 2004-2010 Richmond Intercultural Strategic Plan and hosting a forum on Approaches to Intercultural Education.
Key components to community livability are our services to youth. In 2004, the City was involved in a number of programs that increased or improved our youth services. These include new programming for youth with disabilities, intergenerational programming linking youth and seniors as well as outreach for South Asian youth.
The Richmond RCMP have also been very active. Local officers established Team Izzat to work in their spare time with the South Asian community, particularly youth. The RCMP also developed the Onside program to bring youth and police together outside the police environment. Richmond has become a national leader in promoting Asset Building Development, which helps give youth the skills they need to lead healthy, productive lives.
Customer Service Improvements
While new programs and amenities are valued, the efficient and effective delivery of civic services is fundamental to the day-to-day work of good local government. The City undertook a number of measures to improve customer service in 2004.
The Voluntary Water Metering Program was launched with more than 2,100 new signups. These customers will now gain control over their utility bills by only paying for the water they use, rather than paying a flat rate. This not only reduces their costs, but promotes water conservation and reduces strain on our civic and regional infrastructure.
A number of improvements were introduced for developers and others requiring permits and approvals from the City. To speed the approval process, a fast-tracking option was introduced for minor rezoning and development permit applications. A new monitoring system makes sure developments do not become bottlenecked. City Hall’s Front of House area was redesigned to improve the direct delivery of service to our customers.
Community Safety
An important element of local government service is to ensure we have a safe community. Through continual improvement, Richmond continues to be one of the safest communities in Canada.
Design and site preparation work was launched for the new Sea Island and Hamilton Fire Halls. Tenders for those projects have been issued and construction is expected to begin in 2005.
Richmond Fire Rescue successfully completed the transition of its dispatch function to E-Comm, providing state-of-the-art communications. Richmond’s public safety agencies have also taken a leading role in using the technology capabilities offered by E-Comm to improve interagency cooperation. Richmond RCMP fully launched the PRIME integrated dispatch system after taking the lead in BC in piloting this innovative technology. This system helps police officers be more productive and mobile.
The highly successful bait car program was expanded to Richmond this year. This valuable anti-theft program also proved its worth in another way just last month when a nationally-sought fugitive was captured inside a bait car here in our City.
Richmond RCMP continues to expand its voluntary auxiliary program. An additional 16 new auxiliary RCMP officers graduated in 2004 and will provide important community service assistance to the local detachment.
Finally, the City was proud to collaborate with a wide number of our community groups to form the Safe Community Alliance. Richmond is now one of 45 designated Safe Communities in Canada and was one of the first two cities in BC to receive this prestigious designation. The Alliance will work to ensure that community safety is recognized as everyone’s responsibility, thus ensuring that the entire community will be focussed on this important task.
Conclusion
In the past 125 years, we have undergone phenomenal growth as a community. As we look towards the next few years the opportunities are unparalleled. Richmond is ready for the challenge. We have a solid foundation of an active, engaged community and sound local government. Richmond will continue to work with senior levels of government and other agencies, such as the GVRD where Councillor Kumagai was recently elected to be the Vice-Chair, the UBCM with your Mayor on its executive, the Lower Mainland Municipal Association with Councillor Howard on its executive, as well as TransLink and Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, to achieve our goals. Our City has the vision and the commitment to act. Richmond Council looks forward to working with all our community partners and citizens to seize available opportunities as we move into our next 125 years.
