Fettered or bad faith?

In response to the previous “Bumps in the road” post, I received a two-segment follow-up question about the Garden City Lands:
1.      Hasn’t the City made an agreement to rezone half of the Lands?
2.      Won’t council be acting in bad faith if it decides not to rezone?
It’s an important question—so important that the Garden City Lands [...]

Bumps in the road

I’m asked, “What if the Agricultural Land Commission removes the Garden City lands from the ALR?”
That decision might be just a bump in the road to a green future. But we’ll need a council that knows the issue, listens, plans, and acts with courage.
Keep in mind that the property is currently protected by both [...]

All-candidates meetings for BC local elections

All B.C. residents, please attend one or more all-candidates meetings.
For Richmond details, visit the Richmond All Candidates Meetings page. The next event is on Thursday, Nov. 6, at the Best Western Richmond Hotel and Convention Centre at 7 p.m. We need capable council members who will heed the public, demonstrate both a commitment to save [...]

To the ALC re the federal election

This message has been sent to the Agricultural Land Commission panel addressing the Garden City Lands ALR-exclusion application.
        I’m writing to share a Garden City Lands Coalition perspective on the ways the recent federal election results have affected the application to exclude the Garden City Lands from the ALR. The main effect of the election [...]

Congratulation, John and Alice, worthy MPs!

Contratulations to two federal politicians who have dedicated many hours to saving the Garden City Lands. In the October 14, 2008, Canadian election, John Cummins retained his Delta-Richmond East seat in his usual landslide. Meanwhile, Alice Wong was winning the Richmond seat in a stunning landslide, replacing incumbent Raymond Chan, who brought in the deal [...]

Bulletin – Ming Pao re Michael Wolfe

Update: Michael Wolfe contacted Ming Pao. They published a correction. Unfortunately, newspaper corrections rarely offset errors, especially when the errors occur in front page stories.
 
On its front page on Sunday, October 12, Ming Pao incorrectly reported that Michael Wolfe, a federal Green candidate in the Richmond riding, wanted the Liberals (Raymond Chan) to win in that riding. [...]

Vetting the M.P. candidates | Richmond Riding

I want to keep the Garden City Lands green for ALR-appropriate uses that benefit the community, and I’ve been thinking about how much help can be expected from each Richmond Riding MP candidate if elected to Parliament. Here is my informed opinion.
Note: The indented quotations are from the candidates’ own words in the Oct. 8 Richmond News.
 
Raymond Chan, Liberal
Raymond [...]

Vetting the M.P. candidates | Delta-Richmond East

Four people are applying for the job of member of parliament for Delta-Richmond East. I want the successful applicant to be someone who is ready, willing, and able to keep the Garden City Lands green for ALR-appropriate uses that benefit the community. Here is my informed opinion about them.
Note: The indented quotations are from the [...]

Further delay in the ALR-exclusion decision

At the end of the August 14 meeting with the Garden City Lands applicants in Richmond, Agricultural Land Commission chair Erik Karlsen said to expect a decision on the ALR-exclusion application within four to six weeks, i.e., Sept. 11–25. The decision was not made in that period, but the Commission did then provide an indication [...]

Thanksgiving with the Lands’ extended family

 The Garden City Lands, 136 acres of green wetland farmland besieged by land speculators, are a gift of nature in the midst of the Richmond, B.C., community. For many who live or work in Richmond, they are a daily visual reminder of what we need to value and pass on. But some of us have never [...]