The recent civic election in Richmond wasnt just good news for the elected mayor and eight councillors it was also a victory for the Garden City Lands Coalition.
Thats according to the organizations president Jim Wright, who, along with his fellow coalition directors, experienced a post-election epiphany when they realized the make-up of the new council.
It only occurred to our directors here after the election that all of the people elected, except for one, had agreed with our goal of keeping the lands in the ALR (Agricultural Land Reserve), said Wright.
And looking forward, they are committed to the stewardship of the lands for recreation uses and for community wellness.
Wright not only sees the election results as a cause for celebration among he and his coalition cohorts who have fought for years to keep the lands locked in the ALR.
Its a victory for everyone who was positive about keeping the Garden City Lands (GCL) in the ALR, he said.
Its a victory because weve been working to save the lands for a long time now and theyre now as safe as they possibly can be.
The canvassing of the civic election candidates as to their future intentions for the controversial lands was done prior to the election, where lots of information was distributed to all candidates at meetings and as part of an online survey.
The one candidate who did not respond and was re-elected was Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt, who has had a long-running verbal feud with Wright over her supposed position on the Garden City lands.
The friction rose to the surface again last week in a letter penned by Wright and published in a local paper.
Halsey-Brandt described the recent letter as one of hate and said she couldnt possibly consider taking part in a pre-election survey organized by someone who has a personal vendetta.
She said her past and present intentions for the lands have always been for the good of the Richmond community and she didnt take part in any pre-election surveys or sign any petitions.
To help people gain firsthand knowledge of the lands, expert guide Michael Wolfe leads a free eco-tour of the area at 2 p.m. this Sunday, Dec. 4, starting at the Garden City Road entrance, 100 metres south of Lansdowne Road.
The lands are still locked in a legal wrangle between the city and the Musqueam First Nation, which had part ownership of the parcel.
Last year, just nine days after the Musqueam accepted the citys offer of $60 million for the 55-hectare lot, the band launched a lawsuit against the city. The band claimed it had no alternative but to accept the citys offer, since the land remained locked in the ALR, and blamed the city for not doing enough to have it removed.
