Richmond Votes: Five new faces join Richmond city council

Richmond city council will have four new members: Advance Richmond candidates Gary Law, Sheldon Starrett and Kevin Lai, and former member of Parliament Kenny Chiu of the Common Sense slate. They will join newly elected Mayor Rob Howard and returning councillors Carol Day, Laura Gillanders and Michael Wolfe of RITE Richmond, and Andy Hobbs of Richmond United.

Former RCMP officer Law won a close race with 15,759 votes, 207 more than Day, who has served three terms on council. He credited his team, particularly its social media tactics, for his success. Law said he is fairly well known in Richmond, especially in the Asian community, and that social media provided an added advantage. He said he was “so lucky” to be elected and intends to fulfil his promises, with public safety among his priorities. He listed senior safety, cybercrime, home safety, school safety and road safety.

Law told the Richmond News that raising taxes would not be “the best option” for adding more police officers. He hopes to speak with the Richmond RCMP Officer-in-Charge about increasing the number of auxiliary constables. Because they are not paid officers, Law said, the cost would be limited to training and uniforms. He said this could reduce officers’ non-enforcement duties, allowing them to focus on investigations and enforcement and improve the quality of investigations. His short-term goals also include a pilot CCTV project in the city’s high-crime areas and regular meetings involving the mayor, a councillor, the Richmond RCMP Officer-in-Charge and citizen representatives.

Law called a council with four incumbents and four “new blood” a “good combination.” He said city hall needs experience and that it would not be a good idea for all new candidates to win. Law has policing and military experience, but no experience as a city councillor. He said he has no problem working with incumbents, citing his people skills and ability to communicate and get things done.

**Starrett wants to remove Alderbridge supportive housing**

Starrett also used social media during his campaign. Before the election, he posted videos of people experiencing homelessness or struggling with addiction and vowed to “end the drug sites,” referring to the temporary modular homes at Alderbridge and Aster Place. After his election was confirmed, Starrett said his first agenda item would be to rescind a council motion that he described as “not just studying, but also implementing, the (drug) consumption site at Richmond Hospital.”

In 2024, council voted 7-2 to ask Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) to assess whether a safe consumption site was needed in the Richmond Hospital precinct. The vote prompted large protests at city hall and two nights of public hearings, where people spoke both for and against the motion. VCH said immediately after the vote that Richmond did not need a drug consumption site. Starrett said he wanted the motion rescinded because it remained in place and the provincial government might bring the idea back in the future; he said removing it would make the position clear.

Starrett’s other priorities include ending the Alderbridge modular supportive housing, working with VCH to explore a “secure detox and treatment centre,” and developing a “more comprehensive homelessness policy.” Three of Advance Richmond’s seven city council candidates won seats. Starrett called that a “big success” for a slate that was “brand new to the scene” and advocating for change many Richmond residents wanted.

For the new council, Starrett proposed working with Ottawa and B.C. to establish a trade centre in Richmond. He said Vancouver International Airport’s location in the city makes Richmond “the front door of Canada in Asia Pacific.” He sees opportunities to use Richmond’s mix of cultures to unite people and attract visitors from across North America. He wants Richmond to become a destination locally, provincially, federally and internationally. As one of four newcomers, he anticipates “some challenges” with some RITE Richmond incumbents on council, but said members could still find common ground when they disagree.

Lai, also elected with Advance Richmond, said his first order of business would be to look at speeding up the building permit process. He does residential and commercial renovations and said approval for a simple renovation can sometimes take more than three to six months. The costs incurred during that period, he said, ultimately fall to end users.

Despite winning a seat, Lai told the Richmond News he felt “a little bit sad.” He said Advance Richmond was built gradually and that each candidate brought a specialty and value to the team. Losing even one member, he said, was “like losing a limb for a body.” Lai hopes the new council will bridge residents and government, improve communication and keep residents’ opinions in mind. He said the group began protests and rallies because members felt their needs had not been met or heard by the current council. The Richmond News has contacted Chiu for comment on his election.