Two Richmond councillors ask for focus on 'Canadian values'

Two Richmond councillors talked about remembering “Canadian values” as they looked at a draft Cultural Harmony Plan for the city.

Coun. Bill McNulty questioned why there wasn’t a mention of “Canadian values” and “how we got here.” This was echoed by Coun. Chak Au, saying cultural harmony includes more than just holidays and celebrations, but also  there should be more focus on adopting Canadian values.

“Newcomers have to understand what Canada stands for,” he said.

Council was looking at a draft of the plan at committee this week, which emphasizes intercultural connections, collaboration and partnerships but also staff training and professional development and community engagement. Long-term goals include recruiting staff and volunteers who “reflect Richmond’s diversity” and getting more input from “under-represented and hard-to-reach communities.”

Feedback from the public added a few elements, for example, bringing together diverse groups with inter-cultural activities and emphasizing the arts for building bridges between cultures.

McNulty questioned, however, the emphasis on the arts and not on history, culture and sports.

“The best friendship in the world is on the soccer field,” he said. “We play against each other, then we shake hands.”