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city in British Columbia, Canada
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Richmond is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It occupies almost the entirety of Lulu Island (excluding Queensborough), the adjacent Sea Island (where the Vancouver International Airport is located) and several other smaller islands and uninhabited islets to its north and south. Across the two estuarine distributaries of the Fraser River, it neighbours Vancouver and Burnaby on the Burrard Peninsula to the north, New Westminster and Annacis Island to the east, Delta to the south, and the Strait of Georgia to the west.
The indigenous Coast Salish peoples were the first people to inhabit the area of modern-day Richmond, with the Musqueam Band naming the site near Terra Nova "spələkʷəqs" or "boiling point". As of the 2021 Canadian census, East Asian Canadians make up a majority of Richmond's population at 57.1%. The broader Asian Canadian population, which includes Southeast Asian Canadians and South Asian Canadians, comprises 73.4% of the city's total population.
The city is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver. It is composed of sixteen areas: City Centre, Steveston, Broadmoor, Blundell, Seafair, Thompson, Shellmont, West Cambie, East Cambie, Hamilton, Bridgeport, East Richmond, Sea Island, Gilmore, Fraser Lands, and the South Arm Islands. As of 2023, the city has an estimated population of 229,781 people.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Richmond Olympic Oval was a venue for long track speed skating events.
Coast Salish bands had temporary camps on the island, to fish and collect berries, which were scattered and moved from year to year. Certain Coast Salish summer camps were located at Garry Point, and Woodward's Landing, along with the site of the Terra Nova cannery, which had at one time been a Musqueam village.
There is no definitive historical account as to how Richmond was named. There are several possibilities that have been proposed, including:
The Township of Richmond, British Columbia was incorporated on 10 November 1879. The Township of Richmond was modelled after Ontario's political townships – an incorporated municipality, consisting of communities that are united as a single entity with a single municipal administration. Each community was represented on the municipal council through a ward electoral system with five wards until 1946 when the ward electoral system was replaced with the at large electoral system that is currently in place.
On 3 December 1990, Richmond was designated as a City.
The first Town Hall, the Agricultural Hall and the Methodist Church (now Minoru Chapel), were built at the corner of No. 17 (River) Rd and No. 20 (Cambie) Rd near the main settlement on the northwestern tip of Lulu Island at North Arm.
The old fishing village of Steveston on the southwestern tip of Lulu Island is now home to several museums and heritage sites, as well as a working harbour for fishing boats. Currently, London Heritage Farm, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and the Britannia Shipyard National Historic Site in Steveston highlight these parts of Richmond's diverse history.
Richmond is made up of most of the islands in the Fraser River delta, the largest and most populated island being Lulu Island. The city of Richmond includes all but a small portion of Lulu Island (the Queensborough neighbourhood at the far eastern tip is part of the city of New Westminster). The next largest island, Sea Island, is home to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). In addition to Lulu and Sea Islands, 15 smaller islands make up the city's 128.87 square kilometres (49.76 sq mi) land area, including:
The city also includes the fishing village of Steveston, located in the far southwest corner of the city, and Burkeville, which shares Sea Island with the airport. Both Steveston and Burkeville were independent villages until they were annexed by Richmond.
Since all of Richmond occupies islands in a river delta, the city has plenty of rich, alluvial soil for agriculture, and was one of the first areas in British Columbia to be farmed by Europeans in the 19th century. The drawback of Richmond's geographical location was that since all the land averages just one metre above sea level, it was prone to flooding, especially during high tide. As a result, all the major islands are now surrounded by a system of dykes, which, although not as massive as those in the Netherlands or the levees of New Orleans, serve to protect the city from anticipated sources of flooding. There is a possibility that, during an earthquake, the dykes could rupture, and the alluvial soil may liquefy, causing extensive damage. Richmond is also at risk of a major flood if the Fraser River has an unusually high spring freshet. Recreational trails run along the tops of many of the dykes, and Richmond also supports about 1,400 acres (5.7 km2) of parkland.
Because of the high groundwater table, very few houses in Richmond have basements and until the late 1980s, very few buildings were above 3 storeys high. Also, because of proximity to the airport, current building codes limit the height of buildings to 150 feet (46 m).
Richmond has an oceanic climate (Cfb). Because it is not as close to the mountains, it actually receives 30% less rain than neighbouring Vancouver. It rarely snows in winter, and the summer temperatures are mild to warm. Richmond is also very cloudy in the cooler months.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Richmond had a population of 209,937 living in 81,080 of its 85,035 total private dwellings, a change of 5.9% from its 2016 population of 198,309. The average age of the population was 43.3 years old, and the median age of the population was 43.6. Of the population, 13.3 per cent was 0 to 14 years of age, 20 per cent was 65 years and over, 2.4 per cent was 85 years and over, and 66.7 per cent was the age 15 to 64 years old. Richmond's 2021 population of 209,937 makes it the fourth-largest city in British Columbia, after Vancouver (662,248), Surrey (568,322) and Burnaby (249,125).
Richmond has a land area of 128.87 km2 (49.76 sq mi) and a population density of 1,629.1/km2 (4,219.2/sq mi) in 2021. The average size of a household in Richmond is 2.6 persons. Most households have a household size of 2 persons, and the least households have 5 or more persons. Apartment buildings are the most common structural type of dwellings, made up of 18,590 apartment in a building that has fewer than five storeys, 15,475 apartment in a building that has five or more storeys, and 4,990 apartment or flat in a duplex. Single-detached houses are also popular with 24,435 single-detached houses located in Richmond. Other types of buildings include 1,585, semi-detached houses 15,945 row houses, 20 other single-attached houses, and 45 movable dwellings.
The average price of a detached home in Richmond is $1,581,600.
Richmond has an immigrant population of 60 per cent, the highest in Canada.
Richmond is also home to two of the largest Buddhist temples in North America, the International Buddhist Temple and the Ling Yen Mountain Temple.
Approximately half of Richmond residents identify as having Chinese ancestry with the BBC calling it "North America's most Asian city" in 2012. East Asian Canadians make up a majority of Richmond's population, many of whom immigrated in the late 1980s, mostly from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China on top of the Japanese Canadian community who immigrated to Canada nearly a century earlier. Almost three quarters of city's population is of Continental Asian descent, where other Continental Asian Canadians communities residing in Richmond include Indo-Canadians and Filipino Canadians.
The largest ethnicities in Richmond as per the 2021 census are Chinese (47.9%), Filipino (7.6%), English (5.8%), Hong Konger (4.7%), Scottish (4.7%), Indian (4.5%), Irish (3.7%), Taiwanese (3.2%), and German (3%).
Richmond's Japanese community has a long history in Steveston dating back to the 1800s. Following Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the Anti-Japanese sentiment grew, and this community was devastated as residents of Japanese descent were relocated to internment camps in the BC Interior and Alberta and their property sold at auction.
The 2021 census found that English was spoken as mother tongue by 37.1% of the population. The next most common mother tongue language was Cantonese, spoken by 23.3% of the population, followed by Mandarin at 22.7%.
According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Richmond included:
Richmond supports about 100,000 jobs in various areas, including services, retailing, tourism, light manufacturing, airport services and aviation, agriculture, fishing, and government. Richmond is also a leading centre in the region for high-technology companies, including Norsat and Sierra Wireless.
Before its dissolution, Canadian Airlines operated an office in Richmond. Before it merged into Air Canada Jazz, regional airline Air BC was headquartered in Richmond. Prior to its dissolution, Harmony Airways, Pacific Western Airlines and Canadian Pacific Air Lines were all headquartered in Richmond.
The first McDonald's restaurant outside of the United States was opened in Richmond in June 1967.
The Agricultural Land Reserve preserves 4,916 hectares within the city as farmland, an area that makes up most of east Richmond. Of this area, 3,012 hectares are farmed by 247 farms; the rest is either vacant or occupied by non-farm uses. Cranberries and blueberries are the dominant crops grown. Other crops grown include strawberries, corn, and potatoes. In 2001, Richmond had approximately 47% of BC's cranberry acreage.
Richmond Centre, Lansdowne Centre, McArthurGlen Vancouver, Parker Place, Aberdeen Centre, and Central at Garden City are some of the most prominent malls in Richmond. The success of these malls has created significant economic growth in Richmond. In 2023, Richmond Centre was ranked 4th in Canada for shopping centres by sales per square foot. Offices, apartment buildings, and transportation hubs have sprung up around the mall. While McArthurGlen Vancouver has been given the Best Outlet Centre 2015 award at MAPIC.
Richmond is also home to many Chinese-oriented shopping malls, most of them along No. 3 Road from Alderbridge Way to Capstan Way. This area is officially termed as the "Golden Village" by Tourism Richmond and includes malls such as Aberdeen Centre, Continental Centre, Union Square, President Plaza, Parker Place, and Yaohan Centre. The strip malls located on Alexandra Road are famous for their restaurants, and the area is more commonly known as "food street".
Neighbourhood shopping centres are distributed throughout Richmond's residential areas, serving as central gathering points for their surrounding communities. These centres provide essential services such as grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and pharmacies. Examples include Garden City Shopping Centre, Blundell Centre, Broadmoor Village, Ironwood Plaza, Terra Nova Village, Cambie Plaza, and Seafair Shopping Centre.
Street-facing retail and dining establishments are also prevalent in the city, particularly concentrated in the City Centre and Steveston Village.
Richmond city planners are one year into their update of its official plan, passed in fall 2019, for the city centre. The plan is anchored by the Canada Line and includes the development of nine transit-oriented village centres. The population of the area is expected to grow from about 40,000 to 120,000 residents.
According to a senior planner for the city, the goal of the plan is to "turn the middle arm of the Fraser River into a focus instead of an edge." A Richmond parks manager said that for "too long residents have felt contained by the river, seen it as being to their backs. Now, they want people to face the river and embrace the waterfront."
Text from the Wikipedia article “Richmond, British Columbia”, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.