City of Richmond staff will be asked to come up with a plan to tackle perceived problems with too much Chinese language on public signs.
The above motion will be one of the first requests made by prospective city councillors Carol Day and Michael Wolfe, should they be elected after Nov. 15’s municipal election.
Day and Wolfe, part of the RITE slate, announced Thursday that, if elected to city council, they will submit the following motion to the mayor and council to address the Chinese sign issue:
“Whereas the City of Richmond is a diverse city with 60 per cent citizens of Asian descent, and
Whereas the city has seen an extreme increase in Chinese-only signs,
Be it resolved that staff study the implications, and recommend to council potential steps to address the issue."
Day, who has tried and failed in the past to get elected to council and as an MLA, and Wolfe say they’re “committed to helping Richmond become a more inclusive city that welcomes everyone.”
“So we are pledging that we will address the Chinese-only signs issue and work to implement a plan that will bring people of various ethnic backgrounds together,” said Day in a press release.
Day cited the policy at Aberdeen Centre, where signage is at least 70 per cent English.
Aberdeen Centre’s policy “could be a useful tool to the City of Richmond because it demonstrates a successful model for the City to follow,” added Day.
Last year, Richmond City Council dismissed a citizen-led petition and proposal asking for a bylaw that demands a significant portion of English on public signs.
Only Coun. Chak Au wanted the issue to be investigated by city staff.
“The real question is why would the Mayor and City Council be so reluctant to not even commit to discussing the issue?” said Day.
“This is a prime example of City Council’s inability to be brave enough to tackle the tough problems we face.”
