Of course growing tomatoes, cucumbers and the like is a legitimate use of agricultural land. After all, the Agricultural Land Reserve was created to do just that. Right? Hmm, well kinda. The fact is tomatoes et al tend to be grown in greenhouses and those greenhouses are built by covering acres of prime agricultural land with slabs of concrete, which are then enclosed and outfitted with elaborate lighting, heating and watering systems. In fact, they're more warehouse than they are farm. [continues 418 words]
Richmond MP Kerry-Lynne Findlay will be speaking in the House of Commons today (Wednesday) detailing the Tories' new comprehensive crime bill. "I certainly feel like I'm in the thick of it," said Findlay, talking to the News just hours after the bill was tabled Tuesday. Findlay, who was practicing law before being elected to represent Delta-Richmond East last May, currently holds the position of parliamentary secretary for Justice Minister Robert Nicholson. The Safe Streets and Communities Act is actually comprised of nine bills that had been introduced earlier, but failed to make it through the last parliament. [continues 410 words]
Cops, city, school district, Scouts team up for anti-drug project In a show of unity, representatives from the RCMP, the City of Richmond, the Richmond School District and Scout Canada showed support for a new initiative aimed at helping kids stay off drugs. The Canadian Youth Drug-Free Project, the brain child of the Integrated Youth Services Society (IYSS), will see a group of students from Hong Kong visit Grade 8 and 9 students in Richmond to talk about drugs. [continues 413 words]
Pilot program results show inspectors shutting down nearly five times more operations than police Nineteen marijuana grow-ops were shut down in August, thanks to the new electrical and fire safety inspection program, said Geoff Lake, Richmond's Fire-Rescue's deputy chief. "We did 33 inspections in August -- seven in multi-family units and 26 in single-family residences. Out of the 33, 19 showed evidence of a grow-op," said Lake. "These are the first month's statistic, but there's no reason to think they will change," Lake added. [continues 536 words]
Richmond should not be a haven for older guys trolling for young girls, said Coun. Evelina Halsey-Brandt, who supports a proposed bylaw to ban raves. "The mix has changed. Before a rave was a place for young people to dance; now there are a lot of older men hanging out there, trolling for young girls and hitting on them," said the chair of the city's community safety committee. The committee will vote on the recommendation tonight. Cpl. Scott Rintoul, an RCMP officer with "E" Division's drug awareness service, agrees the wider age range has "opened the door to sexual predators." [continues 502 words]
Richmond police used unlawful tactics, such as sleep deprivation, an implied benefit and denial of legal counsel, to coerce a statement from a suspected drug dealer, the man's lawyer argued in Richmond provincial court Wednesday. They also contravened Patrick Chang's charter rights by failing to secure a warrant before searching his car and a storage locker, said David Tarnow. Although drugs were found in both locations, that evidence should be deemed inadmissible as it was secured unlawfully, he argued. [continues 491 words]
The smoke had barely cleared from a local park before cellphones lit up with crew members looking for more weapons and ammunition, as well as bullet-proof vests, according to a source. "Already there were calls around the street for ammunition to be bought. The minute it happened my cellphone and other cellphones lit up. This crew is gearing up for another round," said the man, who used to be involved in gangs and claims to know two of the three men who were shot. [continues 691 words]
Just as Al Capone was brought down on tax laws, the city of Richmond aims to stamp out criminal drug operators with an electrical safety bylaw. "This will give another weapon to the RCMP. Give us a little more teeth to bite these guys with," said Coun. Derek Dang during Wednesday's Community Safety Committee meeting. While it might seem like hunting grizzly with a fly swatter, an Electrical Fire Safety Inspection project has proven remarkably effective in Surrey, according to a staff report that recommended the committee initiate a pilot project in Richmond. [continues 563 words]
The city of Richmond aims to stamp out criminal drug operators with an electrical safety bylaw. "This will give another weapon to the RCMP. Give us a little more teeth to bite these guys with," says Coun. Derek Dang. An electrical fire safety inspection project has proven remarkably effective in Surrey, according to a staff report that recommended the committee initiate a pilot project in Richmond. The initiative is an alternative, administrative approach intended to complement, not replace, the criminal system, according to Surrey fire chief Len Garis. [continues 108 words]
Crack deals going down in the hallways, people screaming as they trip out on crystal meth, squatters leaving their trash in the apartment next door - this is what Kaila Chandler, 24, has put up with for the last three years in her Waterstone complex at 8031 Colonial Dr. But when her apartment was broken into earlier this week - her laptop, DVD collection and even her phone gone - she decided it was time to tell the world that yes, Virginia, Richmond has a ghetto and it's right here at Railway Avenue and Blundell Road. [continues 698 words]
Drug court: It's an idea whose time has come - and not just for the big cities but Richmond as well, according to Coun. Linda Barnes. "It's certainly something I would support," said Barnes, who until recently was city council's liaison person to the Substance Abuse Task Force, which is looking into the concept. "We're interested in seeing if this can work in Richmond," said Vince Battistelli, manager of Richmond Addiction Services and chair of the task force. [continues 949 words]
It's time the city revisits its policy of hosting raves, said Coun. Rob Howard, chair of the public safety committee. "If we are one of only two municipalities in the whole Lower Mainland that allows these, then we have to be concerned about becoming a catch-all." Howard was responding to a police report about a rave held Saturday at Riverside Banquet Hall. The event, which drew 1,500 partygoers, resulted in charges of trafficking and possession of ecstasy and crystal meth. [continues 152 words]
A man who once denounced the establishment of a drug recovery house on his street for fear it would devalue the neighbourhood is listed as the owner of a rental property on that same street where a marijuana grow-op was busted. Six years ago, Multiple Realty agent Satya Lal was a vocal opponent of establishing Turning Point, a residential detox centre, on Odlin Road. At the time, the secretary of the Richmond Residents Homeowners Association told the Richmond News that recovering addicts were unwelcome, adding that property values will plummet, thanks to the recovery house. [continues 502 words]
Women "screaming and crying" and dogs going "haywire" is how a witness describes the scene during a grow-rip gone wrong. Ralph Brett took the stand in the trial of three men, Steven Keall, Kristopher Kinghorn and Michael Medaric, charged in the April 9 invasion of an East Richmond home, which housed a marijuana growing operation. Crown prosecutor Joanna Ferguson said that over the next five days the court will hear testimony from various witnesses, including some of the six to eight people who were in the home at the time of the invasion. [continues 352 words]
Parents tend to spend a lot of time lecturing their kids about the dangers of tobacco, drugs and alcohol, but in the Jensen home the tables have turned. Mads Jensen has just graduated from the D.A.R.E. program at Brighouse elementary. The Grade 5 student is now riding his parents hard about the evils of tobacco, drugs and alcohol laughs his mother. "He's lecturing us a lot," said Mette Jensen. In fact, that cigarette she had with a friend last summer has come back to haunt her more than once. [continues 348 words]
Nothing titillates students, panics parents and galvanizes staff like word of illicit drugs in schools. But drugs are not the issue, Rob Inrig told the Richmond school board Monday night; resiliency is. Inrig, curriculum co-ordinator for the district's counselling programs, presented a report on addictions prevention and intervention to trustees. The report outlined the current state of affairs regarding illegal drugs and what schools are doing about them. "The 'just say no' approach has not gotten a receptive audience," said Inrig. Instead, the district has worked on building "assets," life skills that enable young people to make smart choices in all aspects of their lives. [continues 342 words]
One of the three men charged in a marijuana grow rip was denied bail in Richmond provincial court Tuesday. Steven Keall, 22, was charged with break and entry, using a firearm to commit robbery and unlawful confinement. The other two men charged, Kristopher Kinghorne and Michael Medaric, will appear in court Wednesday and April 26 respectively. According to Richmond RCMP, the three suspects allegedly forced their way into 23241 Gilley Rd. Saturday around 11:30 p.m. where they held six occupants - three men and three women - at gunpoint. [continues 382 words]
Double the amount of heroin and triple the amount of cocaine was seized at the Vancouver International Airport this year over last, according to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) 2004 statistic released Tuesday. The statistics cover 43 land, air and marine ports of entry throughout the pacific region. The report found that 617 drug seizures were made at the airport. That included 15 kg of heroin, 21 kg of opium, 100 kg of steroids, 11 kg of cocaine, 10,000 doses of ecstasy and 39 kg marijuana. However, that still only made up a fraction of the total 2,174 drug seizures CBSA made over the year at other Canadian entry points. [continues 55 words]
Date-rape drugging has more than doubled in the last five years in Richmond, Vancouver and the North Shore, according to Janet Ericksen, co-author of a new study that appeared in the Canadian Journal of Public Health. And not only are rates rising, the sharpest increase has been among girls age 15 to 19. "This used to be seen as a college or university phenomena, but it's happening among high school kids as well," said Ericksen, a co-author of the study and a nurse with the sexual assault unit at Vancouver General Hospital. [continues 596 words]
