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Train trip for a tyke
Birds fly at oval
Spencer Painter-Jun, who has muscular dystrophy, loves trains. The seven-year-old boy is going on a Great Escape on the Rocky Mountaineer train to Whistler.
The inaugural Yonex Canada Open Badminton Championships at the Richmond Olympic Oval attracted more than 800 spectators a day to see top international players.
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Population set to explode Richmond will need another 26,000 suites, report says BY ALAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
STATISTICS
Crime rate takes a dip in Richmond But the RCMP had to deal with massive 184 per cent spike in extortion in 2009 BY A LAN CAMPBELL
acampbell@richmond-news.com
The number of reported crimes in Richmond has fallen — according to the latest figures released by Statistics Canada. As is the case across Canada — where reported crimes fell by three per cent — the number of known incidents in Richmond dropped in 2009, falling four per cent from 14,865 to 14,627.
Violent crimes are also down in the city to 1,881 — a two per cent drop per head of population. In fact, the vast majority of crime categories enjoyed an appreciative dip in reports, in line with the rest of the country. However, it wasn’t all good news for Richmondites and there were a few blips along the way, with the city experiencing five murders last year, compared to two in 2008.
And sexual assaults in the city was another one of the categories that bucked the general downward trend, with a small 13 per cent spike. Particularly worrying among the sexual assault figures was the 100 per cent rise in sexual violations against children — up to 22 incidents from 11. Matters of extortion showed the biggest year on year increase in the city, up a massive 184 per cent to 58 reports from just 20.
Forcible confinement or kidnapping jumped by 63 per cent from 12 incidents to 20. Assaults with a weapon went up seven per cent and attacks on peace officers also rose, this time by 37 per cent to 28 incidents. Indecent acts rose sharply by 64 per cent, from 31 reports to 52 in 2009. Thankfully, the use of firearms in Richmond was significantly down, 69 per cent, from see Robberies page 2
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Under the watchful eye of painting instructor Liza Visagie, student Bella Sherman (in yellow) practises en plein air, or painting outside, near Iona Beach under the sun on Tuesday, July 13.
Richmond’s population is set to spiral in the next 30 years by almost 50 per cent to 280,000. And the city will need to have another 26,000 apartments — a rise of 120 per cent — if it wants to accommodate the people explosion by the year 2041. The two forecasts were among a plethora of trend-based predictions made by consultants Urban Futures, who were hired by the City of Richmond to help with the 2041 OCP Update. The study is part of a long-term process to enable the city to plan ahead of time with the infrastructure and facilities it will need to cope with an expanding populous. Another highlight from the report, which was presented to city council’s planning committee this week, included Richmond employing almost 180,000 people by 2041 (an increase of 33 per cent). The forecasts were even broken down to specific neighbourhoods, with the city centre set to more than double its population to top the 100,000 mark. To cope with such massive growth, the city centre’s complement of 15,000 apartments will have to multiply by 139 per cent to 35,000 units. ❚ North Richmond is next on the list of expanding populations, with an expected 40 per cent rise by 2041 to around 30,000. ❚ East Richmond will have to prepare for a 37 per cent increase in population, coupled with a 23 per cent rise in employment. ❚ Steveston will enjoy a more modest 10 per cent rise in population, but a 27 per cent rise in employment to 5,400 and a 62 per cent spike in the number of apartments. see Airport page 3