City will push English signs

[LolaB]

Another great example how this province disregards our simple rights to be able to read everything in our own language. Are we selling our language with the properties to Asians??? If the Europeans will start to do the same thing they would be stopped in a hurry and asked to use an official language of this country. Last I checked we have only TWO official languages - ENGLISH and FRENCH. Foreign people making Canada their home need to learn at least basic English (or French) to function and to be a part of Canada, not a separate society with whatever language they decide to use. One thing is to keep your language within your family and maybe your friends, but not PUSHING it onto the rest of us.

The number of white people in Richmond is simply astonishing ... 33%???????!!!! And we are labeled as the racists and horrible people... letting everyone to do whatever they please to do, not respecting our laws, rules, regulations... nothing...

[Bsuds]

Link = https://www.castanet.net/news/BC/206406 ... lish-signs

I don't much care as I will probably never shop there but they should have English/French as well as their Chinese.

[gman313]

I think its a good rule, must be at least 50% English the rest who cares

I still can't translate happy endings from mandarin anyway

[maryjane48]

there is no law going on any books. the city of richmond is going to suggest english . but facts are the bclibs let the chinese and hong kongers move in to get party donations that this is what you end up with. why would a store have english ads when 90 percent the folks looking speak a form of chinese .

[Hassel99]

there is no law going on any books. the city of richmond is going to suggest english . but facts are the bclibs let the chinese and hong kongers move in to get party donations that this is what you end up with. why would a store have english ads when 90 percent the folks looking speak a form of chinese .

Tell us more how you think the Provincial government has control over immigration in Canada.

[maryjane48]

who let asians from china and hong kong play our realestate market to launder money ?
who let false creek be developed by hong kong billionaires ? who started advertising for ubc and bcit to attract asians with money ? it wasnt harper . it wasnt the pm before him .

[36Drew]

who let asians from china and hong kong play our realestate market to launder money ?
who let false creek be developed by hong kong billionaires ? who started advertising for ubc and bcit to attract asians with money ? it wasnt harper . it wasnt the pm before him .

You do know that the large Asian population in Richmond isn't a new thing, right? The growth in Chinese-Canadians started in the 80's and the group swelled in the 90's.

[Walking Wounded]

who let asians from china and hong kong play our realestate market to launder money ?
who let false creek be developed by hong kong billionaires ? who started advertising for ubc and bcit to attract asians with money ? it wasnt harper . it wasnt the pm before him .

You do know that the large Asian population in Richmond isn't a new thing, right? The growth in Chinese-Canadians started in the 80's and the group swelled in the 90's.

Don't confuse people with facts that they will just ignore because they don't match up with their own hatred for the previous government in BC

[maryjane48]

it started the day jimmy patterson made his lil deal for the expo site. i lived in richmond in the 80s the change to vancouver after expo was night and day . . but on topic richmond wont enact laws . all they will do is suggest. theres to many non english speaking chinese there now. what is intrresting is almost all the syrians could speak english

[36Drew]

Don't confuse people with facts that they will just ignore because they don't match up with their own hatred for the previous government in BC

Many on here are busy arguing about the lower mainland (and areas thereof) and have probably never set foot in the region. MJ is obviously one of, and has zero knowledge of the history of Richmond, or the rich (in the cultural sense, not the monetary sense) heritage of Asian culture in both Richmond and Vancouver.

Heaven forbid should she study any history on Sikh immigration into BC.

[36Drew]

it started the day jimmy patterson made his lil deal for the expo site. i lived in richmond in the 80s the change to vancouver after expo was night and day . . but on topic richmond wont enact laws . all they will do is suggest. theres to many non english speaking chinese there now. what is intrresting is almost all the syrians could speak english

That's right - Chinatown in downtown Vancouver didn't exist until 1986. We didn't import any Chinese immigrant labour into the British Empire to add to our workforce. It most certainly didn't have anything to do with Canada having a ban on Chinese immigrants until the late 60's.

In 1981, Richmond was a dinky drop-in city on the mouth of the fraser river. It had a large amount of farmland. It also had a large amount of crappy swampy land. The population was less than that of Kelowna today. Steveston was an incredibly industrial area. The highway ran through it, and the airport was there. Yay. It was pretty much a craphole.

Today it's roughly twice the population (less than 200,000). Steveston is a rather picturesque little suburb (just watch Once Upon a Time - Storybrook is Steveston). The rich farmland is still there. The airport has grown immensely. The highway still runs through there. Yes, Asians moved in from Hong Kong and Taiwan. It had more to do with Hong Kong reverting to rule and less to do with the Expo site being built.

[maryjane48]

lol i lived in richmond in the 80s till the 2000s. we arent talking about china town . we are dealing with the topic which is richmond . before 1987 richmond had a small chinese community with next to zero signs in chinese . after 1986 that started to change. at first wasnt a big deal but soon folks started to complain because going into a store sometimes meant having to bring a translator to know what you might want to buy is .


the last time i went back there there was lots of advertisments in just chinese which i can understand if you dont speak it you wont know what it says but there is such a large chinese community in richmond now that the city isnt really going to do anything about it . its to late . and most are rich .


everytime i went to chinatown in vancouver i could get service in english . in richmond good luck

[36Drew]

lol i lived in richmond in the 80s till the 2000s. we arent talking about china town . we are dealing with the topic which is richmond .

Sure - but it's related. There was a pre-existing asian population within the lower mainland. Some stayed in Vancouver. Many moved off to Richmond as they prefer the climate. They decided to bring their families over. People from Hong Kong opted to come over before they were relegated back to Chinese rule. There's multiple factors as to why Richmond has a large asian population.

before 1987 richmond had a small chinese community with next to zero signs in chinese . after 1986 that started to change. at first wasnt a big deal but soon folks started to complain because going into a store sometimes meant having to bring a translator to know what you might want to buy is .

There's no requirement for private businesses or individuals to carry on business or communications in English or French. If the vast majority of your customer base speaks mandarin, it makes sense to serve them. If less than 10% of your customer base speaks English, and you have no means to support that customer base in English, it makes no sense to attempt to do so.

If you, as a consumer, are *bleep* because you can't speak or read the language, then you're welcome to go find service with someone who speaks English.

everytime i went to chinatown in vancouver i could get service in english . in richmond good luck

Or maybe they're just ignoring you. Perhaps they see you as just a gweilo.