Chinese only signs alienate residents
The town of Richmond British Columbia has grown exponentially in the past few decades.
From what had been a relatively sleepy area decades ago of mostly “white” Canadians, some 78.000 in 1981, with a tiny minority of Chinese, and other South Asians, the city population grew rapidly and changed even more rapidly.
![Richmond is now a major urban city, part of the greater Vancouver area.](http://img.src.ca/2017/06/08/635x357/170608_1j8b3_rci-m-richmon-locate_sn635.jpg)
In the 2011 census, the white population had decreased to 56,000 while the Chinese population had ballooned to 89,000, and other South Asians added another 14,500.
Indeed the majority of residents , some 6 out of 10, were not born in Canada.
This influx has created tensions, not the least of which have focused on business signs.
![On Monday, Richmond council voted to reconsider a bylaw mandating that any new signage in the city *require a minimum of 50 per cent of one of Canada’s official languages.](http://img.src.ca/2017/06/08/635x357/170608_gv8dt_rci-m-ch-sign_sn635.jpg)
Many original residents say they feel like outsiders in their own community and country because too many signs are in Chinese only.
The issue first boiled over in 2012, when a petition was sent to city hall to force businesses to include English on signs.
![](http://img.src.ca/2017/06/08/635x357/170608_f56xz_rci-m-graff-richmond_sn635.jpg)
Another request for a bylaw change was rejected again a few years later. On both occasions, council said they’d prefer to work with business owners to modify signs, and lawyers suggested such a law would invite a Charter of Rights legal challenge.
A city consultation in 2016 showed a strong desire for signage regulation which required English.
Sign motion passed
This week a sign bylaw modification was proposed by council.
This however was to reduce signage clutter in the city, but with no language regulation. However a last minute amendment to require all future signs carry at least 50 per cent English.
![Richmond council has been trying to encourage owners to include English on signs. The Mayor says he prefers this approach over that of enacting laws.](http://img.src.ca/2017/06/08/635x357/170608_ks2bu_rci-m-foodstore_sn635.jpg)
The motion passed 5 to 4 with Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie voting against it.
Mayor Brodie was quoted in the CBC saying, “”There’s the issue of community harmony: you can either lay down bylaws … or you can work with your community”.
Legal opinions are now being gathered towards a possible language segment to the city bylaws ahead of another council meeting set for June 12
Mayor Brodie said such a bylaw would take some time in any case as exact wording would need approval, then go through a council vote, and then go to a public hearing.
Additional information-sources
- Richmond City website- signage issue
- CBC: L Britten: Jun 7/17
- Richmond News: A.Campbell: Jun 7/17: English signs coming?
- The Province: C Chan/I Austin: Oct 19/14: Charter violation?
- Vancouver Sun: D Todd: Jun 16/16; Pt 1 of 3 Richmond demographic
- Canadian Press-Global TV: Mar 13/13: petition for English
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