It's finally time to reveal the annual Best of Richmond where we survey our readers and ask them to rank local businesses – everything from pizza joints to hair salons.
Along with businesses and organizations, we also love to highlight Richmondites who make a difference in the community and who make the city strong. Some you may have heard of, others maybe not. Either way, their contribution towards building a healthy, vibrant community has been invaluable. Each day this week, we will introduce three of these people to you.
Krystal Grimm
Krystal Grimm, quite literally, lives and breathes bunnies.
The born and raised Richmondite is the director and co-founder of the Bandaids for Bunnies (BFB) Society, a rabbit rescue that she’s been running for the last six years in her own backyard, along with the help of family and friends.
Grimm takes in sick, injured and at-risk bunnies, gets them medical attention, spays/neuters them and finds them foster or forever homes.
Animals, says Grimm, have been her passion for as long as she can remember, although, not surprisingly, she especially loved bunnies.
However, it wasn't until she worked at a vet clinic that worked with the local shelter that she realized what struggles the bunnies living on our streets had.
Grimm wanted to try to help and give them a better chance at life and thus started BFB, which is currently fundraising to build new cages and to help with its $5,000 vet bill.
As such, she is urging everyone to get in contact with BFB’s Facebook page or email them at [email protected].
How do you stay healthy in Richmond?
Walking on the dyke or cleaning rabbit cages
What’s your favourite Richmond park?
Lots of parks in Richmond are dump sites for bunnies, so it’s sometimes sad for me to visit those parks as I want to take them all home. If I had to choose, I’d say Garry Point.
What’s top of your bucket list?
See the Northern Lights
What’s your favourite food?
Grilled asparagus
What do you like best about Richmond?
The dykes
Best place to take an out-of-town guest?
Steveston
What other city would you compare Richmond to?
I think we are one of a kind; there is nowhere I've been that can compare
Lily Yuan
Lily Yuan is probably one of the fittest moms in Richmond.
Her personal trainer said she has a great muscle grouping and should try body building, so Yuan, a mom of two and owner of an art studio, found herself another passion.
When she is preparing for a show, she spends one and a half hours on weight training every day plus more than one hour on a step machine, while her meal consists of plain boiled chicken or fish with vegetables and no seasoning.
Yuan won fourth place at the B.C. Amateur Body Building Competition last November, which qualifies her to be a finalist in the Quebec national competition in July.
“It really brings my confidence to a whole different level. My body is in better shape and I’m always full of energy. Everyone can become a body builder and shine on the stage if they want to,” said Yuan.
Yuan has been busy helping out her husband’s lumber business and raising her daughters since they moved to Canada from China. After both her daughters went to primary school, she decided to follow her own interest in bodybuilding.
Apart from bodybuilding, she also has her own art studio teaching children how to paint, and a non-profit children’s choir, which performs a lot in the community. Last year, a Disney children’s musical “Aladdin Jr.” she produced at the Gateway Theatre was a big success.
How do you stay healthy in Richmond?
Buy local fresh vegetables for farm market. Fresh beef and chicken at Safeway.
What’s your favourite Richmond park?
Minoru Park
What’s top of your bucket list?
Vacation
What’s your favourite food?
Steak
What do you like best about Richmond?
It’s home.
What’s your favourite place to exercise?
Steves Nash fitness world, Richmond fitness club
What’s your favourite sports team?
It has to be Vancouver Canucks
Best place to take an out-of-town guest?
Chef tony, Alaska king crab
What other city would you compare Richmond to?
Ladner
Linda Li
Originally from China, Linda Li is best known in the community as being the president of the Richmond Chinese Community Society (RCCS).
Since the departure earlier this year of the society’s much-loved executive director Henry Beh, Li has become the face of the RCCS.
She moved to Canada in 1996 and has been living in Richmond for 20 years, working as licensed managing broker and agent at Selmak Realty.
Li has been in real estate business for more than 10 years and, at the same time, has been involved in managing volunteer work across multiple groups in the community.
As well as her presidential role at RCCS, she works as the group treasurer in the Sea Dragon Sea Scouts Group and plays an active role in many Lions Club events.
Li was also a member of the Richmond Sunset Rotary Club In 2011 and joined the City of Richmond Early Child Care Advisory Committee in 2012.
She earned her BA in Chinese Language and Literature in Hunan Teachers College in 1990, and a postgraduate diploma in Business Administration from Shen Zhen University in 1992.
How do you stay healthy in Richmond?
By staying active in the community and helping others.
What is your favourite Richmond Park?
Minoru Park
What is top of your bucket list?
Traveling around the world
What is your favourite food?
Spicy food
What do like best about Richmond?
The peace and diversity in culture in our community.
If Richmond was a celebrity, who would it be?
Rick Hanson
Best place to take an out-of-town guest?
Steveston Village
What other city would you compare Richmond to?
Kyoto, Japan
Along with these profiles, more than 6,000 people ranked companies in four categories: Food & Entertainment, Shopping, Services and Health & Fitness this year. Here are the winners for:
See the full, digital version of our special Best of Richmond edition here.
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