Civic election profile: Richmond, Delta, White Rock

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RICHMOND/DELTA/WHITE ROCK (NEWS1130) – From Chinese-only signs to moving railways and saving farmland: there are some hot topics in the civic election races in Richmond, White Rock, and Delta.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie has had the top job in Richmond since 2001. He’s up against Richard Lee, who is running for a second time, as well as newcomer Cliff Lifeng Wei.

Brodie says he still has more work to do when it comes to energy use, affordable housing, and the controversial issue of Chinese-only signs in a city with a large Asian population.

“It would be very, very difficult to craft a bylaw which would withstand a challenge under the charter. What we need to do is find the owners of the Chinese signs and persuade them proactively that they need to get some English on to those signs,” he says.

Lee has experience as a Burnaby trustee and Merritt councillor, whereas Wei says he wants to get into office to tackle crime.

In White Rock, incumbent Wayne Baldwin will face newcomer David Bradshaw for the mayor’s chair.

Baldwin, who’s wrapping up one term as mayor, says he has some unfinished business.

“We’ve come to the resolution that we’re going to seek the relocation of the rails from White Rock and see if we can divert all of the rail traffic away and make our waterfront safer and make it more accessible to our residents.”

First-time candidate Bradshaw’s campaign focuses heavily on putting a stop to high-rise developments.

Over in Delta, five-term Mayor Lois Jackson doesn’t have any opposition. She wants to continue moving port expansion away from Delta in order to spare the rich agricultural land.

“Expansion of the port’s backup lands… We’re talking and have been talking for several years about an inland port up at Ashcroft. We’re hoping that this is going to service Canada well.”

Jackson, who was also the first woman elected as a councillor in Delta, says the corporation will be out of debt in a year.

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