There are 30 candidates for Richmond council, including incumbents Harold Steves, Bill McNulty, Derek Dang, Ken Johnston, Linda McPhail, Chak Au, Carol Day and Alexa Loo.

Name: Andy Chiang

Party: Independent

High School: Steveston

Post-secondary: UBC, SFU

Richmond resident since: 1984

Occupation: account manager

Bike/bus/car? Car

Why are you running for office? There’s only one place we can call our home at any given time, so let’s take care of it.

Role model: Bill Gates

Political role model: Barack Obama

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Driving Safety—It’s no secret that driving in Richmond has a certain negative stigma, but what have we done about it? I realize there are those who will scoff and say they aren’t part of the problem, but the truth is, we all are. Did you remember to use a turn signal each time you switched lanes? Did you remember to turn on your headlights when it’s dark? What about speed: are you at or below the speed limit? My point is this... we need to work together to make the roads safer and more efficient. We need to respect each other on the road. Most importantly, we need to remember that at the end of the day, everyone has the same goal, to go home—but let’s make sure we do it safely. I want to provide additional signage, re-educate drivers, and partner with local law enforcement to ensure we all make it home, safely.

• Housing and Commerce—With the recent residential boom in Richmond, there are more people here than ever, but commercial space has not grown at nearly the same rate. We need more goods and services available to the people of Richmond, and this means we need to help our local businesses grow and attract more businesses to open.

• Education—Another unfortunate by-product of the residential boom is the access to education has shifted. I see my elementary school in proposed closures every year, and my high school has already closed its doors. It’s sad to see old friends move away so that their children have access to schools. I don’t want to see schools close. I don’t want to see friends and neighbours move away. I want to ensure that our city has adequate and convenient access to education.

• Community Sense—It’s been a while since I’ve seen a lot of pride for our city. This is our home and we should be proud of it. This isn’t something one person can do, but together, we can instill that pride back into our community. By creating and participating in more events and activities, we can unite the city. At the end of the day, we can only call one place our home, and for those reading this, Richmond is our home. Let’s be kind, be patient, and be good to on another, because we are all neighbours here.

Name: Theresa Head

Party: Independent

High School: Downtown East Education Centre (DEEC)

Post-secondary: n/a

Richmond resident since: 1995

Occupation: part-time from home

Bike/bus/car? Public transit

Why are you running for office? To engage with City Hall about homelessness in Richmond.

Role model: My sister

Political role model: Rick Hansen/Sam Sullivan

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Affordable Housing—I am living in the only BC Housing in Richmond. More affordable housing, and accessible housing with services for those who need them is needed. (extra kitchen space, lower cupboards). PWD can’t afford the high cost of rent in Richmond, and neither the average working person. One bedroom in Richmond cost $2,180. PWD monthly check is approximately $1,110. (each person income is different). As the cost of food, housing prices, taxes, keep rising affordable housing is more important than ever. With the right attitude anything can happen, and must happen for those who need it most.

• Empty condominiums—By Better Dwelling website: Brighouse area of Richmond, a condo rich community known for its appeal to overseas buyers. The author determined that over 46 per cent of condo sales over the past year have been vacant for over a year. (These empty units could be used best for our homeless people that are living on the streets here in Richmond. Our local government should not allow this to be happening especially when the number of homelessness is on the rise in Richmond. Need I say anything more about the problem?)

• Supportive Housing—We need more Storeys because it provides people with a home, food, support, and decreases the use of hospitals, police, and fire services. Storeys is a success story because it has shown when people are given a second chance anything can happen, and is happening. This is why more (Storeys) are needed to get our people off the streets and a better life. Everybody deserves a better life! If a person’s situation doesn’t change then don’t expect a person to change. Anybody can change when given the chance, and the people living in Storey have proven that.

• Improved transit—People on low income need required transit to get around. We need free trans for children and youth and a sliding scale for low-income adults. For one bus ticket $2.95 might not seem a lot to most people but when buying groceries then getting on a bus with small children several times a week or days it can add up. This don’t count the cost of doctors’ appointments, to from school, or daycare. Transit need to be available to everyone not just the working class. We all need to pay our share but only pay based on each individual income.

Name: Alexa Loo

Party: Independent

High School: McRoberts/ McNair

Post-secondary: UBC, CPA Canada, Royal Roads

Richmond resident since: 2 weeks old

Occupation: Executive coach

Bike/bus/car? All of the above

Why are you running for office? To continue to make Richmond a great place for people and families to thrive

Role model: Rick Hansen

Political role model: Dick Pound, Malcolm Brodie

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Affordability—Creating policies and approving developments that add to the affordable housing available to our residents. Partnering with the provincial and federal governments to leverage our funds and build affordable housing. Ensuring that our new market rental policy has strong enough incentives that more rental stock is actually built now! Supporting businesses so that residents have good jobs and are able to afford and thrive in Richmond.

• Congestion—Tackling congestion through workable policies and good partnerships with TransLink, the provincial and federal government to ensure that residents, goods, and workers can get where they need to go. We need to be the gateway to the pacific—not the bottleneck! Building better, safer bike lanes and supporting bikeshare programs and expanding “learn to ride” programs offered by the city.

• Community Harmony—Continuing to invest in recreation and sport facilities where residents can meet, play and spend quality time together. Ensure the Steveston Community Centre replacement is built for the future, on time and on budget. Invest in sports facilities like a Hugh Boyd field house to ensure our athletes and participants have great sports and recreation experiences and opportunities.

• Health and Safety—Keeping the pressure on the provincial government to build our much needed acute care tower at Richmond Hospital. Building a better and safer community by using technology and incorporating technology. Ensuring our police and fire are optimally hired, trained and equipped to ensure our safety. Ensuring good nutritious food is produced in Richmond by: connecting young agrarians to underutilized farmland, and continuing to partner with KPU Agriculture to grow its seed lab and develop urban farming as well as supporting pollinator projects that connect bees and pollinators to flowers.

Name: John Roston

Party: Independent

High School: Westmount High

Post-secondary: McGill

Richmond resident since: 2007

Occupation: Consultant and retired McGill administrator Adjunct Professor

Bike/bus/car? Electric car and bike

Why are you running for office? We need action on urgent issues based on facts and principles, rather than the current Council’s inaction based on politics.

Role model: Aspects of many people from Winston Churchill to Leonard Cohen

Political role model: No single person

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Affordable Housing—The housing crisis demands immediate bold action, but council has done little. Families, seniors with health problems and those working from home need multi-bedroom rental units, but the supply has not increased rapidly enough to bring rental rates down. Millennials who grew up in Richmond are forced to either continue living with parents or move away because they cannot afford to rent here. They need to share a multi-bedroom unit with roommates to make rent affordable. Developers prefer to build one-bedroom units that are more attractive to investors who often leave them vacant. Council only requires 40 per cent multi-bedroom units in new developments. It should be 80 per cent.

• Protecting Farmland—Growing more of our food locally will keep costs down especially as global warming lengthens our growing season. However, council is covering up the most fertile farmland in BC with mega mansions and taking entire farms out of production which only benefits farmland owners who make millions and investors seeking a safe haven. After our numerous presentations to council and meetings with individual councillors failed to convince them to limit farmland house size, some of us met with the Minister of Agriculture and the Leader of the Green Party to convince the province to act. Additional steps are now necessary to help young farmers secure long-term leases so they can make major investments in infrastructure like drainage. Farmland investors usually insist on one-year leases that allow them to sell the farmland quickly.

• Making Neighbourhoods Safer—Council has been spending millions on more RCMP officers which would be fine if they were also greatly expanding BlockWatch and similar programs. As a BlockWatch captain, I know it is neighbours calling police about suspicious activity that enables police to catch thieves in the act rather than arrive long after they are gone.

• More Value for Our Taxes—As Richmond Museum treasurer, I discovered how fortunate we are to have excellent city staff, but we must control costs by ensuring salaries match market rates and staff time is spent efficiently. Councillors frequently delay making decisions by asking staff for yet another report that will repeat information already available. The Onni Imperial Landing waterfront rezoning process dragged on for eleven years with countless staff reports and time wasted on endless meetings. As an independent councillor and experienced administrator, I can work collaboratively with all councillors to improve efficiency and reduce cost.

Name: Manjit Singh

Party: Independent

High School: Northolt, London, U.K.

Post Secondary: Aberdeen, U.K.; St George’s University School of Medicine

Richmond resident since: 2001

Occupation: Owner/Instructor—Step Alive Emergency Training Center

Bike/bus/car? Car

Why are you running for office? I would like to see Richmond within the affordability of an average family’s earning be they housing, schooling, recreation or welcoming new immigrants to our society.

Role model: Nelson Mandela

Political role model: JFK

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Housing—Over the 18 years I have lived in Richmond I have seen the cost of housing skyrocketed. We all know about the price war in housing or increase in rentals. Ask yourself; the groceries you and I buy have not tripled, the wages paid out have not even doubled, why the house prices? The city council has stood by and watched it all and plays a blame game to foreign buyers. Well, who went abroad to bring these foreign buyers and now this housing freeze upon us. People of Richmond have stood by far too long to let it all happen. A change is a must. We don’t need construction of high rises with one bedroom hen houses at the cost of 3 bedroom house. It has been proven psychologically the highrises are detrimental to raising of safe neighbourhoods for our children to play and grow. Let us get wise and meet the Canadian dream that every immigrant or person born here grows up with; just a small house with a garden, that’s all.

• Traffic—This is quite evident to any body who has commuted to and from work. There are number of grid points, totally unnecessary; No. 3 and Westminister; Massey Tunnel; Arthur Laing Bridge; Cambie and No 5. The list goes on. The city designers need to re-think. The frustrations in people are real and sitting in traffic breathing exhaust of the other cars is not a healthy environment. We need new ideology at City Hall to bring this change.

• Diversity/ Senior Homes—I commend all communities living in Richmond for accepting each others cultures. However it breaks my heart to see when this happens on hot muggy days or cold wintery icing conditions in parks, at grocery stores or bus shelters. Don’t our seniors deserve dignity and respect to socialize in a safe, protected and comfort environment of indoors. A place where they can talk about their music, arts and native cultures. We need to strengthen the diversity by bringing people of Richmond together under one roof as otherwise I fear power in wrong hands can easily erode this very fabric, as evident in our southern neighbouring country. Only diversity can strengthen diversity and I urge you all to vote for Manjit Singh on 20th Oct to safeguard our diversity fabric and build Richmond a harmonious and great place to raise our children.

Name: Kerry Starchuk

Party: Independent

High School: Richmond High

Post-secondary: Life lessons

Richmond resident since: 1957 minus a few years

Occupation: dedicated full time advocate—casual contract work

Bike/bus/car? Car in Richmond, bus and SkyTrain to go downtown, bike pleasure

Why are you running for office?

As someone with a long history in Richmond, a love for this city and a personal investment in its continued health, I can be trusted to challenge policies and initiatives when necessary and be a voice advocating loudly and insistently for benefits and improvements in the lives of Richmond’s residents.

Role model: Oprah Winfrey

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• A longtime community volunteer and dedicated social activist, I have been at the forefront of efforts to encourage local, provincial and federal governments to amend policies related to challenging issues that affect the lives of all Richmond citizens. These issues include language on public display signage, the exploitative practice of birth tourism, illegal short term rentals and the gradual breakdown of the neighbourhoods. I believe firmly that neighbourhoods matter, individuals matter and that we have to be vigilant about protecting our community and enhancing the lives of Richmond’s residents. Progress to me is not how many condos or mega houses we build—especially if those have a negative effect on neighbourhoods. Progress to me is measured by an improvement in quality of life for a community’s residents, and our elected leaders should be dedicated to ensuring that changes are positive and beneficial to the community as a whole. As a community advocate and activist I’ve experienced the frustrations of not being heard. I will listen. As a city councillor, when faced with decisions that will have an impact on people’s lives, I will always ask myself the question: how will this decision affect the lives of our residents?

• I will use my role as councillor to encourage people to work together toward a common goal: ensuring our community is a healthy, happy, inclusive, and progressive place to live and work.

Trust is the key issue here. As someone with a long history in Richmond, a love for this city and a personal investment in its continued health, I can be trusted to challenge policies and initiatives when necessary and be a voice advocating loudly and insistently for benefits and improvements in the lives of Richmond’s residents.

Name: Chak Au

Party: Richmond Community Coalition

High School: YMCA College, Hong Kong

Post-secondary: University of Hong Kong

Richmond resident since: 1991

Occupation: Family therapist

Bike/bus/car?: Car, public transit, and walking with my two feet

Why are you running for office? In my 20 years of public service my objective has always been building up a harmonious community in Richmond that everybody can call home.

Role model: My father, who fought in the Second World War, and taught me the true meaning of service above duty, sacrifice, integrity, and helping other people.

Political role model: Nelson Mandela

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Housing affordability: a) increase rental housing supply by 100 per cent; b) develop rental-only zoning; c) encourage “gentle density” development; d) curb illegal short-term rentals.

• Traffic: a) improve the flow of traffic in city centre area by 50 per cent; b) urge the provincial government to take immediate action on the George Massey Tunnel choke point (the Ironwood area is a nightmare in the late afternoon); c) better public transit connections.

• Vision for Long-term Development: a) comprehensive economic development plan; b) smart city development (residences and jobs in local areas); c) support agriculture and preserve farmlands; d) increase and stabilize funding for social services; e) more seniors’ housing and activity centres.

• Community Safety: a) better policing in Hamilton (East Richmond) area; b) improve police and fire department response times, c) support neighbourhood safety initiatives.

Name: Parm Bains

Party: Richmond Community Coalition

High School: Richmond High

Post-secondary: BCIT and Royal Roads University

Richmond resident since: 1976

Occupation: Applied communications instructor, Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Bike/bus/car? Car and SkyTrain

Why are you running for office? To keep families together and stop young professionals from leaving our city.

Role model: Parents

Political role model: My father

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Housing Affordability—I support a gentle density plan that moves away from big home development and creates smaller home options in-and-around our neighbourhood schools. This will provide options for young professionals and existing families to remain closely-knit, and it will also attract other working families who will help increase K-12 student enrolment. The number of aging parents, who need care, is increasing rapidly and families need to be able to live close to one-another. Young children also benefit in their development by having grandparents nearby to help provide care and assistance.

• Transportation Infrastructure—We desperately need a bridge crossing to replace the worst traffic bottleneck in BC, the George Massey Tunnel. I support a forward-looking crossing project, which would include HOV lanes, pedestrian walk-ways, bike lanes and a SkyTrain line for future implementation. The crossing project should also include Hwy 99 roadway improvements to assist with diverting traffic to various exit points. Increased transit frequency is needed for several congested areas around our city, including the Steveston Highway corridor.

• Tax increases—I support a lesser tax burden imposed on Richmond residents and businesses.

• Divided Community—I support healthy community consultation with residents on all issues important to Richmond.

Name: Jonathan Ho

Party: Richmond Community Coalition

High School: Christian Alliance College

Post-secondary: Hong Kong Polytechnic

Richmond resident since: 1997

Occupation: Banker and Richmond school trustee

Bike/bus/car? Car and bus

Why are you running for office? Giving back to the city I have called home after I immigrating to Canada is my passion.

Role model: Jonathan Livingston Seagull

Political role model: Dr. Yat-sen Sun, the founding father of modern China

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Housing affordability–Many people today are talking about the affordability of housing. Paradoxically, we do not want housing prices to fall sharply. The fact is, whether you like it or not, many people’s wealth, retirement income, jobs, and many economic activities can be directly or indirectly related to the real estate market. However, many of our young families have been driven away for they just aren‘t able to afford it. I advocate that we learn from some of the success stories in Asia in handling this problem, such as the British Hong Kong government’s Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) and also the Housing and Development Board (HDB) Flats of the Singaporean government to see if it can be applied here to address this problem. Stop the tax hikes: The city already receives more property taxes due to the current densification process. However, it seems that we still haven‘t benefit from it. Our property taxes increase almost 3 per cent per year and it seems to be a norm. Besides, our city is currently sitting on $900 million reserve. I believe our city needs to spend those reserves wisely on roads, infrastructure, etc rather than have funds sitting on a huge reserve and increase our taxes annually. We should conduct a full spending review of the City to ensure value for our tax money. To keep Richmond affordable, we must start with keeping property taxes affordable.

• Keep Traffic Moving—Highrise buildings are everywhere in the city centre and in the north, but there is no proper transportation plan to cope with it. Traffic condition is becoming worse particularly in that area. Also, we desperately need a new bridge to replace our aged George Massey Tunnel. Aging of our city due to the departure of young families This issue is in fact of vital importance to the long term healthy development of our city. I will strive to take advantage of our geographical advantages, such as our proximity to the airport, seaport, and close ties with Asia to attract more foreign investment, promote more economic activities so that our young people can have more and better development opportunities in Richmond.

Name: Ken Johnston

Party: Richmond Community Coalition

High School: Killarney

Post-secondary: UBC

Richmond resident since: 1976

Occupation: Councillor

Bike/bus/car? Car, Canada Line.

Why are you running for office? I care about our community and want to contribute to making it even better.

Role Model: Father

Political Role Model: Jean Charest

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Affordable Housing and rental

availability—We need to work with the housing industry to develop more affordable housing and rental stock, using incentives and partnerships with government and private providers. I would support a Empty Homes Tax to help fund the affordable housing fund and create more rental stock. We need to redefine our housing policies to allow gentle density such duplexes, fourplexes and multiple smaller homes on large lots.

• Transportation—We need to expedite improving the road network in the downtown core to develop better flow. Living in the 5 and Steveston area I am reminded daily we need an immediate solution to the George Massey tunnel fiasco. More capacity on the Canada line.

• Protecting the environment—Continue being a leader in sustainable practices including water quality, energy delivery, solar power, green fleet and addressing all aspects of climate change. Enhance our parks and dykes.

• Crime and safety—Increase resources to our RCMP detachment in terms of officers and support staff. Increase resources to Richmond Fire Rescue to ensure top level service to our growing Community. To reduce response times for both Police and Fire.

Name: Melissa Zhang

Party: Richmond Community Coalition

High School: Baoding Seventeenth High School

Post-secondary: Hebei University, University of International Business Economics

Richmond resident since : 2005

Occupation: Financial advisor

Bike/bus/car? Car

Why are you running for office? To bridge between all of our communities and to bridge between our residents and local government.

Political Role Model: Abraham Lincoln

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Traffic—Rapid population growth require more efficient and well planned traffic system

• Safety—Enhance Block Watch, offer more grant to encourage residents to take care of each other, organize seniors, to help with crime prevention

• City development—need a forward-looking plan to catch up with population growth and keep the uniqueness of our city

• Interaction between council and school board—work together for a better planning for a city centre school.

Name: Carol Day

Party: RITE

High School: Richmond High

Post-secondary: College

Richmond resident since: 1962

Occupation: Business owner for 43 years, community activist for 25 years

Bike/bus/car? I love my bike. Own a Honda Fit, and take the Canada Line to Vancouver.

Why are you running for office? Richmondites need a voice at city hall and I work every day, all day for them. It is my honour and pleasure to give back to my city and my people.

Role model: Oprah Winfrey

Political role model: Sue Halsey-Brandt

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Mega Mansion on Farm land—I have worked for four years to reduce the size of house to save our farm land from destruction, I made a motion for a moratorium on new permits but only Harold Steves supported it. The increase in size of Mega Mansions has turned class one farm land into speculation properties and we need to reverse the bylaw now that allows for 10,974 sq ft houses. But I need help. Please vote them all out.

• Vacancy tax—We must lobby the province to allow all cities in BC to have the ability to deal with empty houses and condos. I feel the proceeds of a vacancy tax should go towards affordable housing. A vacancy tax would better control housing prices and rents because speculators will be forced to sell or rent out their units which will lower the prices for buyers and renters through more supply. We cannot build our way out of the problem but we can make better use of the units that already exist.

• Code of Ethics for Councillors—The Local Government Management Association code of ethics states that managers working for all BC cities may not deal in property directly or indirectly within the municipality that they serve in, other than their personal property. These rules should apply to councillors. It is unfair that councillors have access to information that they can financially benefit from and yet they are not prohibited from using that information to buy and develop properties.

• Traffic congestion—We need to make smarter choices in regards to new developments because traffic grid lock has become a big problem. It is critical we vote for smarter developments that allow for street widening, and other traffic improvements rather than allowing variances that crowd more people into a smaller and smaller spaces. This is a quality of life issue and the time is now to be more critical of future developments.

Name: Niti Sharma

Party: RITE

High school: Holy Child Senior Secondary School, Delhi, India.

Post-secondary: Delhi University, Eastern Michigan University

Richmond resident since: 2003

Occupation: Part-time writing teacher

Bike/bus/car? Bus, in my initial years in Canada. Mostly car now or walking.

Why are you running for office? As a resident, I am concerned about the growing unaffordability in Richmond; and, as a councillor I would like to remind each of us that our individual choices affect others and this planet, so that together we can make more compassionate and sustainable choices to build a Richmond that does not leave so many people behind.

Role model: Jane Jacobs

Political role model: Mahatma Gandhi

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Housing—Richmond needs to put housing policies and bylaws that prevent and curtail housing speculation. We need to build more modest two and three bedrooms for families and seniors and others. We urgently need an empty-homes list and tax, so that existing homes are used for living and do not stay empty. Short-term rentals should not be allowed when the home is not the principal residence of the owner. Building norms should allow for true co-existence between older and newer housing stock. I think multi-family construction needs to use more human scale and gentle density and pay better attention to community amenities such as space for childcare and a city centre school instead of cramming as many homes as possible in a small space. We need to mix social and market housing to ensure income diversity and long term health and vibrancy of the community. I would also like to see a renters’ advisory committee in Richmond and for the city to invest in building more co-op housing.

• Protecting Richmond’s ALR for food production—In my opinion, the trend of building and selling mansions has distorted the incentive for owning farmland in Richmond. Reducing the size of farmland houses to the provincial guidelines is much needed as the first step to prevent the loss of the best farmland in BC. A majority (74 per cent) of Richmond’s farm lots are small sized and provide a great opportunity for small family farms and new farmers to build upon

Richmond’s farming legacy and to promote healthier and local food systems in the context of climate change.

• Community engagement and dialogue—I think the city needs to create avenues for respectful and honest collaboration and dialogue, especially around issues of conflict so that residents can carve out common ground. This applies to seeking common ground not just between intercultural/faith groups and between existing and incoming residents; but, also between residents and developers, renters and landlords and other stakeholders that seem to be pitted against each other in shaping development in the city.

• Better transparency and accountability of elected officials:

The city should have an independent ombudsman and mechanism for filing complaints against misuse of power by elected officials. Checks and balances on power ensure that public interest stays the prime mover of the city ‘s decisions around development, land-use and city resources.

Name: Michael Wolfe

Party: RITE

High School: Cambie

Post-secondary: UBC

Richmond resident since: 1982

Occupation: Science teacher

Bike/bus/car? Old pickup truck with 400,000 km and an even older bike

Why are you running for office? I’ve been a candidate in over ten elections in Richmond and have gained a better understanding of how the three levels of government can best serve Richmond, and I am ready to be an educated leader on city council.

Role model: David Suzuki

Political role model: Adriane Carr

What are the top four issues in this election and explain your position?

• Leadership—As a well-educated, youthful, environmentally-conscious candidate, I have the distinction of providing a voice for many people in our community who need someone that represents their lifestyle and long-term future planning. In my view, city councillors should not be permitted to profit from large-scale developments in the city they work in, and so I offer myself as an alternative to those councillors. I represent the product of four generations of Richmond residents and I am proud to continue a legacy of contributing to the community.

• Education—As a teacher, I am well equipped at being a life-long learner and I will nurture a continuously collaborative relationship between our Richmond School District and the city. Public education is the key to many of the barriers and challenges we face in our communities and I will be the strongest advocate encouraging meaningful progress, while improving the city services we use day to day. I’m a recent graduate with a Master’s Degree in Education for Sustainability and I am excited to share my passion with citizens, city staff, and the elected officials after the Oct. 20 election.

• Health—As a person living with a chronic disease, I am well aware of the potential challenges we fac