March 10, 2026 - Minutes

Date:

Tuesday, March 10, 2026

Place:

Anderson Room
Richmond City Hall

Present:

Councillor Alexa Loo, Chair
Councillor Andy Hobbs
Councillor Laura Gillanders
Councillor Kash Heed
Councillor Bill McNulty

Also Present:

Councillor Carol Day
Councillor Michael Wolfe (by teleconference)

Call to Order:

The Chair called the meeting to order at 4:00 p.m.

AGENDA ADDITION

It was moved and seconded

That “Update on the Ministry of Transportation and Transit Unsheltered Sites” be added as item 6A.

CARRIED

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on February 10, 2026, be adopted.

CARRIED

DELEGATIONS

1.

Captain Kylie MacDonald, Fire and Life Safety Educator, Richmond Fire-Rescue (RFR), with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation (attached to and forming part of these minutes as Schedule 1), provided a brief overview and update on education and outreach initiatives the RFR team has delivered to the community over the past four years, including some of the unique topics and areas of positive response.

LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION

2.

Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report – January 2026

(File Ref. No. 12-8375-02) (REDMS No. 8315728)

A brief discussion ensued with respect to the City’s regulations related to  Boulevard Maintenance Regulation Bylaw No. 7174.  Staff advised they will follow up with information on when that bylaw was created and noted further the Regulation of Highways and Material on Highways Bylaw No. 10226, created within the last two years, where there is cross-over as well where artificial turf would be constituted unauthorized.

Staff noted Dog License renewals were sent out later this year as a result of delays experienced with Canada Post.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled “Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report – January 2026”, dated February 10, 2026, from the Director, Community Bylaws & Licencing, be received for information.

CARRIED

In response to a query from Committee with respect to an article published in the Richmond News on March 9, 2026, regarding a BC firm on Mitchell Island that was penalized for releasing effluent filled with toxic metals and compounds into the Fraser River, staff noted (i) the City was not informed of the penalty issued by the Ministry of Environment and Parks in advance of the news article, (ii) staff have opened an investigation and will be making efforts to reach out directly to the Ministry of Environment and Parks, and investigate potential business license violations.

3.

Richmond Fire-Rescue Monthly Activity Report – January 2026

(File Ref. No. 09-5140-01) (REDMS No. 8316072)

In response to queries from Committee, Fire Chief Wishlove noted (i) the average on-scene time for crew is 29 minutes for emergency calls and does not include travel time or preparation/clean up time, (ii) all Richmond firehalls are rated to withstand major disasters, (iii) the oldest firehall, No. 6 and Westminster Highway, is currently undergoing a renovation, the second oldest firehall, 9400 No. 4 Road, underwent renovations several years ago to bring it up to extreme post disaster standards, (iv) the Sea Island Community Centre was deemed not suitable as a reception centre or group lodging facility during an emergency due to the low accessibility factor as a result of there being a number of stairs required to access the largest rooms located upstairs, and (v) with respect to calls for service for overdoses, the calls for service resulting from the usage of alcohol, inhaled products and prescription misuse are typically higher than for opioid use as they are more readily available.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled “Richmond Fire-Rescue Monthly Activity Report – January 2026”, dated February 13, 2026, from the Fire Chief, be received for information.

CARRIED

4.

FIRE CHIEF BRIEFING
(Verbal Report)

Chief Wishlove reported the posting for replacement firefighters went out in January for just over two weeks in anticipation of any known and pending retirements.  Onboarding and internal training of the successful applicants will take place in August.

5.

RCMP MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORT – JANUARY 2026

(File Ref. No. 09-5030-01) (REDMS No. 8295225)

In response to queries from Committee, Chief Supt. Chauhan noted (i) the reduction in the number of residential and commercial break and enters, robberies and theft from automobiles is a direct result of the sustained collective efforts through monthly crime reduction initiatives, where every member unit assumes ownership in addressing crime, (ii) most of the drug seizures that are handled are reported at the airport, (iii) 166 mental health calls is the lowest number the Richmond RCMP have recorded since January 2019, some can be attributed to certain individuals previously generating in excess of 30+ calls per month who are in different care facilities now, and (iv) customers have reported being defrauded by travel agency Vegas Vacations, for which the Economic Crime Unit has taken conduct of the investigation. Richmond RCMP staff will update Council on the results of the investigation.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled “RCMP Monthly Activity Report – January 2026”, dated February 11, 2026, from the Officer in Charge, be received for information.

CARRIED

6.

RCMP/OIC BRIEFING
(Verbal Report)

(i)

Fraud and Distraction Theft

Chief Supt. Chauhan noted the recent reports of fraud and distraction theft targeting elderly citizens and advised that, with over 35 languages spoken by Richmond RCMP members and recognizing the importance of language and cultural connection, efforts are being made to engage with the community in their native languages to provide safety messages and educate them on the steps they can take to ensure they remain protected from these types of crimes through print/social media and community/business outreach (e.g. Cantonese television, Punjabi radio and visits to temples),

(ii)

5^th Annual Richmond RCMP Youth Academy

Chief Supt. Chauhan reported the 5^th Annual Richmond RCMP Youth Academy is currently in the planning stages to take place in August.  32 students from grades 10 through 12 will have the opportunity to undergo an immersive five-day training camp, learning first-hand experience in policing through real-world scenarios modelling police training in a safe and controlled environment.  Application information will be available on the Richmond RCMP and Richmond School District No. 38 websites.

6A.

Update on Ministry of Transportation and Transit Unsheltered Sites

Staff provided an update on the two unsheltered sites located on Ministry of Transportation and Transit (MOTT) lands beneath the Oak Street Bridge and in the area east of No. 5 Road, noting there has been some progress on the Oak Street site.  In particular, it was noted (i) the Oak Street site is attended weekly (at minimum) as part of the joint operations team with community partners, (ii) most recently there were only two individuals residing under the Oak Street Bridge, which present a more challenging case, and every opportunity is being afforded to assist them in taking advantage of the available services, and (iii) there has been some progress on the site located on No. 5 Road and Westminster Highway, which has four individuals at that location and staff are hopeful there will be a positive update shortly.

7.

MANAGER’S REPORT

(i)

Response Regarding the Committee’s Request for Information on Overdoses and Deaths from Overdoses

Staff reported they had met with Dr. Meena Dawar, Medical Health Officer, Vancouver Coastal Health, to follow up on the City’s written request to receive a heat map of the general proximity (not specific addresses) relating to overdoses and deaths from overdoses in Richmond, to append to the monthly report to Committee, for which there was no assurance given as staff were advised the request would disclose personal information.

It was moved and seconded

That Dr. Meena Dawar be invited to attend a meeting of the Community Safety Committee to specifically address the City’s request for the receipt of information relating to the overdoes and deaths from overdoses in Richmond.

CARRIED

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (5:32 p.m.).

CARRIED

Certified a true and correct copy of the Minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee of the Council of the City of Richmond held on Tuesday, March 10, 2026.

_________________________________

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Councillor Alexa Loo
Chair

Lorraine Anderson
Legislative Services Associate