Richmond mayoral candidates Alexa Loo, Rob Howard, Kash Heed and Dickens Cheung offer different approaches to homelessness, addiction and public safety. With election day a week away, those issues are at the centre of the campaign, particularly the debate over a proposed supervised consumption site near Richmond Hospital that sparked a major public backlash in 2024. All four candidates say Richmond needs a different approach to the challenges facing people struggling with addiction and those living without stable housing. Loo calls for housing and safer public spaces Alexa Loo, who has served on Richmond city council for 12 years, says residents are ready for change. Loo says she is hearing calls for improvements to transportation and infrastructure, as well as a more active and vibrant city. Public safety and street disorder are also concerns she wants to address. She argues Richmond needs to reconsider how supportive housing and services are delivered, saying some programs have not lived up to expectations. “We don’t need a safe injection site here. What we need are housing for people,” Loo said. Loo says the city should focus on providing housing and ensuring people receive appropriate support, while keeping parks and other public spaces clean and safe. She also wants to work with the provincial government on issues such as enforcement and access to treatment. Howard wants mandatory care beds and spending review Rob Howard says public safety, crime, homelessness and supervised consumption sites are among the main concerns he hears from residents. His position on a proposed site is firm. “No more experiments. No more studies. No more injection sites,” Howard said. Howard says he would push the provincial government to provide mandatory care beds for people struggling with addiction and mental health issues. He argues the city should not have to sacrifice parks and public spaces while waiting for solutions. Howard says his first priority as mayor would be a value-for-dollar review of city spending, examining how money is being used and whether services are worth their cost. Heed explains his role in the 2024 motion Kash Heed, a former B.C. public safety minister and solicitor general, and more recently a city councillor, is campaigning on public safety, transparency, accountability and government spending. Heed was among the councillors who co-sponsored the 2024 motion to explore the potential benefits and challenges of a supervised consumption site near Richmond Hospital. He says the intention was to examine ways to get people experiencing addiction-related crises out of public spaces and into care. Heed explained the motion was misunderstood and became politicized. He says he supports secure care for people experiencing severe addiction and mental health challenges and would now advocate to the provincial government for that approach. Asked whether he would move forward with opening a supervised consumption site if elected mayor, Heed said: “No. Absolutely not.” Heed says he wants people to receive treatment while addressing the public safety concerns associated with street disorder. Cheung puts treatment and homelessness first Dickens Cheung also opposes a supervised consumption site, arguing that treatment should be the first option explored for people struggling with addiction. “Treatment. Yes, definitely. That should be the first option that we should explore,” Cheung said. Cheung says the opioid crisis has contributed to concerns about public safety and that Richmond should work with the provincial government to address the problem. He also says homelessness should take priority in the city. “I think the priority would be to address the homelessness issue,” Cheung said, adding that resources should be directed toward people struggling to meet basic needs. A proposal that sparked protests The debate over a supervised consumption site intensified in February 2024, when Richmond city council voted 7-2 to ask staff to examine the potential benefits and challenges of implementing one near Richmond Hospital. The review was intended to consider public safety, health-care costs and community perceptions. The vote prompted a backlash. Hundreds of residents filled council chambers to voice their opposition, while thousands signed a petition against the proposal. The demonstrations continued with a rally at Minoru Park on Family Day, followed by a march to city hall. The issue became increasingly contentious, with residents raising concerns about crime, community safety and the effect a site could have on children and families. Vancouver Coastal Health later said a supervised consumption site was not “the most appropriate” service for Richmond. At the time, then-B.C. Health Minister Adrian Dix defended the evidence supporting supervised consumption sites, saying they save lives and can make communities safer. At the time, numbers showed toxic drugs killed 2,511 people in British Columbia in 2023, including 26 in Richmond. The controversy has continued to shape the mayoral campaign, and now voters will choose their next mayor on Oct. 17. The full list of candidates includes Goldentiger King, Dennet “The Cat Guy” Lee, Mei Kang, Dickens Chueng, Kash Heed, Rob Howard and Alexa Loo.
