Candidate Replies – Richmond Mayor

Campaign website: RobHowardforMayor.ca

1. When did you last visit a Richmond museum or heritage site, and what stayed with you?

Several times over the past few months… at the museum I saw a red plank skate board with metal wheels that was identical to my first skateboard. Growing up on General Currie Road which was an asphalt and pebble road, would almost shake your teeth loose … great memories! … Have visited the Britannia shipyards several times to watch the progress of the restoration of the Crystal S. This is a very meaningful project and it represents what the Britannia Shipyards can continue to do. This is a great example of Pacific. Authentic.

2. Do you see heritage as part of Richmond’s economic strategy, or mainly as a cost? Why?

It is definitely an economic benefit and a significant part of our strategy, in my view. Tourism Richmond is doing a good job promoting Pacific. Authentic. We need to make sure the actual experience lives up to the promise. Richmond and particularly Steveston has such a rich and deep connection to our City’s history, we can do more to celebrate our history and our waterfront.

3. Richmond relies on volunteer-founded societies to run several heritage sites on the City’s behalf. What do you see as the City’s obligations to those organizations, and how should it judge whether that partnership is working?

I think partnerships need to be measured and reported. Each organization will have its own measurables. Clear, understandable and measurable… I’m not a fan of the one year grant system, we need to move to a 3-5 year cycle so organizations can spend more time providing the services they are contracted for and less time worried about next years funding.

4. Steveston’s history includes Musqueam presence long before settlement, Japanese Canadian fishing families and their 1942 dispossession, and Chinese Canadian cannery labour. How should the City support telling those histories, including the difficult parts?

I’ve always been a fan of a mix of documented histories and recorded oral history’s… this is a very engaging way to present historical facts… and paint a clear picture of our collective history… we should not attempt to erase history, some of it is unpleasant but it happened. We should not white wash the truth. The oral stories can be very powerful, but we need to focus on them now, as a priority… as time passes it gets more difficult or impossible.

5. Do you support keeping heritage review, including Heritage Alteration Permits, as a meaningful step rather than a formality?

I find this question a little confusing, but the easier we can make it for restoration permits the more likely we will have more applications and therefore more people willing to preserve our built history. Streamlining the process is a win win, in my view.

Campaign website: Happymayor.ca

1. When did you last visit a Richmond museum or heritage site, and what stayed with you?

1. Every year, I take visiting friends to Richmond’s museums and heritage sites. My favourite is London Heritage Farm, where I often go for walks. This year, I also attended the Steveston Salmon Festival in July and the Cherry Blossom Festival at Garry Point Park. What stays with me is how these places and events bring Richmond’s history, natural beauty, and community spirit together.

2. Do you see heritage as part of Richmond’s economic strategy, or mainly as a cost? Why?

2. I see heritage as part of Richmond’s economic strategy. A city’s cultural heritage is its soul. It deserves to be preserved, passed on to each generation, and shared with visitors. Heritage sites can attract tourists and support local restaurants, shops, and businesses while strengthening residents’ sense of belonging.

3. Richmond relies on volunteer-founded societies to run several heritage sites on the City’s behalf. What do you see as the City’s obligations to those organizations, and how should it judge whether that partnership is working?

3. The City should contribute to maintenance costs and support and recognize the societies and volunteers who care for these sites. A designated City staff member should coordinate with these organizations, assess their needs, and follow up on outstanding issues. The partnership should be judged by how well the sites are maintained, how accessible they are to the public, and whether the organizations have the support they need.

4. Steveston’s history includes Musqueam presence long before settlement, Japanese Canadian fishing families and their 1942 dispossession, and Chinese Canadian cannery labour. How should the City support telling those histories, including the difficult parts?

4. The City should support accurate and respectful storytelling based on historical facts, including the painful parts of our history. It should work closely with Musqueam and Japanese Canadian and Chinese Canadian communities, listening to their perspectives and ensuring their experiences are represented fairly. Preserving records, sharing personal stories, and supporting public education can help future generations understand both these communities’ contributions and the injustices they experienced.

5. Do you support keeping heritage review, including Heritage Alteration Permits, as a meaningful step rather than a formality?

5. Yes. Heritage review, including Heritage Alteration Permits, should be a meaningful step in protecting Richmond’s history. Decisions should receive careful consideration, with clear standards and a transparent process.

Campaign websites: facebook.com/people/Dennet-Lee/511560470 · dennetlee.com

1. When did you last visit a Richmond museum or heritage site, and what stayed with you?

I last visited Minoru Chapel about a month ago. I have also been there for both my sister’s wedding and my cousin’s wedding. I spend a lot of time in the Minoru area, regularly visiting Minoru Park and the Minoru Centre for Active Living, as well as going to the Seniors Centre with my mother. The chapel is therefore a familiar and special part of the area for me.

It is a very special and well-maintained place. What stayed with me is how a heritage site can become part of our own personal and family history. We often think of heritage as something from the past, but places like Minoru Chapel continue to create memories for families and the community today.

2. Do you see heritage as part of Richmond’s economic strategy, or mainly as a cost? Why?

I see heritage as part of Richmond’s identity and its economic strategy, not simply as a cost. Richmond must balance evolution while maintaining its heritage. Our history gives our community character and helps make Richmond a place people want to visit, experience and remember. This is one of the reasons I choose to stay in this city.

Heritage and economic development do not have to compete with each other. When we preserve what makes Richmond unique while allowing the city to evolve, we can respect our past while creating opportunities for the future.

3. Richmond relies on volunteer-founded societies to run several heritage sites on the City’s behalf. What do you see as the City’s obligations to those organizations, and how should it judge whether that partnership is working?

The City needs to treat these organizations as partners, not simply as volunteers providing a service. Their time, experience and dedication to preserving Richmond’s heritage need to be respected and appreciated.

The City’s obligations are to listen, communicate openly and provide the support needed for the partnership to work.

Success should not be measured by numbers alone. It should also be measured by whether our history is being preserved, whether people are learning from it and whether these organizations feel heard, respected and valued.

A partnership works when both sides listen to each other, give credit where it is due and work together for the benefit of Richmond.

4. Steveston’s history includes Musqueam presence long before settlement, Japanese Canadian fishing families and their 1942 dispossession, and Chinese Canadian cannery labour. How should the City support telling those histories, including the difficult parts?

Richmond should tell its history as it happened, including the parts that make us proud and the difficult parts.

The City should support the people and organizations that preserve these stories and, most importantly, listen to the communities whose histories are being told. Their voices and life experiences need to be part of how Richmond remembers and shares its past.

We cannot change what happened, but we can learn from it. Remembering the difficult parts of our history is not about blaming people today for what happened in the past. It is about understanding where we came from, recognizing the people who helped build our community and making sure their stories are not forgotten.

Richmond must balance evolution while maintaining its heritage, and that means preserving the whole story.

5. Do you support keeping heritage review, including Heritage Alteration Permits, as a meaningful step rather than a formality?

Yes. A heritage review process needs to have meaning. It should not simply be another box to check before a decision has already been made.

At the same time, meaningful review should not mean unnecessary delays. The process should be clear and reasonable, and it should give everyone involved an opportunity to understand what is being protected and why.

Richmond must balance evolution while maintaining its heritage. That means being open to change while making sure we do not lose something important simply because we failed to stop, listen and consider what cannot be replaced.

Campaign website: Richmondstrong.ca

1. When did you last visit a Richmond museum or heritage site, and what stayed with you?

I was at the 50th Anniversary for the Steveston Heritage Society. I was struck by the passion of the members and volunteers.

2. Do you see heritage as part of Richmond’s economic strategy, or mainly as a cost? Why?

Heritage is part of our economic strategy to bring people into Richmond to learn about and experience our heritage.

3. Richmond relies on volunteer-founded societies to run several heritage sites on the City’s behalf. What do you see as the City’s obligations to those organizations, and how should it judge whether that partnership is working?

The City is responsible for supporting the volunteers to deliver the best programs. We can compare to other cities how the program is running and evaluate.

4. Steveston’s history includes Musqueam presence long before settlement, Japanese Canadian fishing families and their 1942 dispossession, and Chinese Canadian cannery labour. How should the City support telling those histories, including the difficult parts?

The City should finish the Indigenous Bunkhouse and support the story.

5. Do you support keeping heritage review, including Heritage Alteration Permits, as a meaningful step rather than a formality?

The Heritage Alteration Permit is a slow process that does a good job of protecting heritage. There must be a more efficient way to do this and I am keen to see that.