July 14, 2026 - Minutes

Date:

Tuesday, July 14, 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 (entered the meeting at 4:05 p.m.)

Councillor Michael Wolfe

Call to Order:

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

MINUTES

It was moved and seconded

That the minutes of the meeting of the Community Safety Committee held on June 9, 2026, be adopted.

CARRIED

LAW AND COMMUNITY SAFETY DIVISION

1.

Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report – May 2026

(File Ref. No. 12-8375-02) (REDMS No. 8445929)

In response to a query from Committee regarding the reason for the stop work order on soil issued on River Road, staff advised that additional details would be provided in future.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled “Community Bylaws Monthly Activity Report – May 2026”, dated June 22, 2026, from the General Manager, Law and Community Safety, be received for information.

CARRIED

2.

Business Licence Activity Report - First Quarter 2026

(File Ref. No. 12-8375-03) (REDMS No. 8446343)

Discussion ensued with respect to (i) a boat charter incident in Richmond resulting in loss of life, and whether business licences for vessels are adequately vetted against their actual use, and (ii) public awareness of substances, such as peptides, that may be sold without an appropriate business licence.

Councillor Day joined the meeting (4:05 p.m.).

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) staff sometimes become aware of concerns through media coverage, and where sales of controlled substances are suspected, coordination occurs with other agencies, including Health Canada, and (ii) Health Canada has been consulted on other matters and can be approached on whether this is an issue of concern.

Discussion ensued on whether licences could be reviewed where a vessel is licensed for one use but operated for another, such as chartering.

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) vessel ownership changes are not always reflected in updated licensing information, making ownership difficult to track, (ii) regulation of vessels falls under Federal jurisdiction, though the City works with other agencies when information is requested, and (iii) staff conduct proactive open-source searches, including of social media and advertised services, in addition to investigating public complaints, to identify businesses operating without a licence.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled “Business Licence Activity Report – First Quarter 2026” dated May 26, 2026, from the Director, Community Bylaws and Licencing, be received for information.

CARRIED

3.

RICHMOND FIRE-RESCUE MONTHLY ACTIVITY REPORT – MAY 2026

(File Ref. No. 09-5140-01) (REDMS No. 8435199)

Discussion ensued with respect to (i) measures to protect properties on Mitchell Island from large-scale fires involving hazardous materials, including the potential for firefighting water to enter the Fraser River, (ii) the availability of aerial apparatus capable of reaching greater heights, (iii) whether the structure fire referenced in the report involved a working smoke detector, and (iv) confirmation that the reported spike in overdose calls reflected May data only.

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) Richmond Fire-Rescue (RFR) coordinates with Public Works during firefighting operations to manage wastewater discharge, an established practice used for several large fires, including on Mitchell Island, (ii) a task force involving Community Bylaws, the RCMP, and motor vehicle licencing was previously formed to address a concentration of fires on Mitchell Island, and routine inspection of salvage operations continues, and (iii) the reported overdose figures reflect May 2026 data only.

In response to a further query, staff advised that fire extinguisher demonstrations are typically provided on request, including to strata corporations and seniors' centres, with information available on the City's website.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled “Richmond Fire-Rescue Activity Report – May 2026”, dated June 12, 2026, from the General Manager, Law and Community Safety, be received for information.

CARRIED

4.

FIRE CHIEF BRIEFING
(Verbal Report)

Fire Chief Jim Wishlove provided an update on Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) activations in support of Richmond Celebrates Soccer and FIFA activities, noting 21 total activations to date, with eight events held in the city and two remaining. RFR staff have participated in six FIFA games alongside the Vancouver EOC, with 37 staff involved in EOC activations overall. Coordination between YVR, Richmond, and Vancouver EOCs was noted as effective, including an instance in which intelligence shared with the RCMP and Transit Police helped avoid incidents as attendees left Richmond stations following a FIFA game.

Fire Chief Wishlove also advised that RFR and the Royal Canadian Marine Search and Rescue recently responded to an abandoned beach fire on Shady Island, with the Search and Rescue team transporting crews to the island to extinguish the fire; the Fire Chief indicated plans to attend the team's upcoming training evening to extend thanks.

5.

RCMP Monthly Activity Report – May 2026

(File Ref. No. 09-5030-01) (REDMS No. 8418753)

In response to a query from Committee regarding a fatality involving an e-bike/e-scooter in Vancouver, and helmet requirements upon rental, staff advised that (i) Richmond's e-scooter/e-bike pilot project includes mandatory training standards and helmet requirements for renters, (ii) that other motorized devices available for purchase can exceed the program's 25-30 km/h range, and (iii) that a recent RCMP media release addressed a recovered e-bike. Enforcement and education efforts continue, and enforcement outcomes will be reflected in future community media releases.

It was moved and seconded

That the report titled “RCMP Monthly Activity Report – May 2026”, dated June 10, 2026, from the Officer in Charge, be received for information.

CARRIED

6.

RCMP/OIC BRIEFING
(Verbal Report)

Chief Supt. Chauhan advised that the Emergency Operations Centre remained active throughout the FIFA/Richmond Celebrates Soccer games hosted in the city, with no significant issues encountered; call volumes were lower than in prior years, and increased traffic at YVR was managed well.

Chief Supt. Chauhan further advised that the Canada Day event proceeded according to a well-executed operational plan, with the Steveston Community Police Office serving as the command centre.

Discussion ensued with respect to (i) commendation of the positive public reception of policing efforts during Canada Day; and (ii) the RCMP's use of social media platforms beyond X.

In response to queries from Committee, staff advised that (i) the RCMP does not currently use social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram, though the matter has been raised at operations meetings and staff are working with Communications to identify additional platforms, alongside existing use of X, media releases, member-produced videos, and radio and television; and (ii) staff would explore opportunities to work with the media department to expand the RCMP's presence on additional platforms.

Chief Supt. Chauhan also briefed Committee on a multi-jurisdictional fraud investigation involving an individual from Montreal who targeted elderly victims, defrauding one victim of $150,000; several individuals were arrested and charged, and the principal individual was convicted and sentenced to three years.

7.

MANAGER’S REPORT

None.

ADJOURNMENT

It was moved and seconded

That the meeting adjourn (4:24 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, July 14, 2026.

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Councillor Alexa Loo
Chair

Rae Ratslef
Recording Secretary