It's finally time to reveal the annual Best of Richmond where we survey our readers and ask them to rank local businesses – everything from pizza joints to hair salons.
Along with businesses and organizations, we also love to highlight Richmondites who make a difference in the community and who make the city strong. Some you may have heard of, others maybe not. Either way, their contribution towards building a healthy, vibrant community has been invaluable. Each day this week, we will introduce three of these people to you.
Lisa Acosta
A born-and-raised Richmondite, high school teacher Lisa Acosta’s efforts to acknowledge the unique challenges of gender and sexual minority students preceded any likeminded policies at the Richmond Board of Education.
Acosta grew up in the East Cambie corridor during the 1980s and early 1990s, where thick fog from farmland rolled through neighbourhoods. One of her fondest childhood memories was when the Woodward's food floor gave out free cookies to kids. After starting her teaching career in the Bronx, she is proud to call this island home again.
While Acosta teaches science, math and computer studies at Steveston-London secondary, she makes waves supporting LGBTQ youth across the school district. A tireless advocate, she sponsors the SLSS Rainbow Club, whose students successfully petitioned the board in 2016 to implement a Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Policy. Then, she helped students navigate through opposition from some parents.
She and her students are currently involved in the creation of the SOGI policy, which she says has the goal of “creating diverse and inclusive learning environments, where every student feels safe and valued, as their authentic self.”
How do you stay healthy in Richmond?
Running around, trying to keep up with my 6 and 2 year old kids! Getting outdoors is key to keeping my brain sane. Our family has also been enjoying healthy and convenient, food delivery services like Fresh Prep, Jar Stars and Spud.
What’s your favourite Richmond park?
Terra Nova Park. Zip lines aren't just for kids. Nature Preschool was magical there for my oldest.
What’s top of your bucket list?
Travelling back to my favourite places and re-exploring them with my kids. Adventuring with my family to to new places like the Galapagos and Iceland.
What’s your favourite food?
My Mom's homemade Lumpia, which are Filipino Spring Rolls.
What do you like best about Richmond?
Richmond is an ideal place to raise a family. We have excellent recreation facilities and community services that are affordable and accessible. Richmond also has top-quality public schools...but maybe I am biased because I teach in one. :)
If Richmond was a celebrity, who would it be?
Chrissy Teigen - a beautiful mix of ethnicities and loves food!
What’s your favourite sports team?
Most definitely my kid's teams - Seafair Islanders and Richmond City Chuckers.
Best place to take an out-of-town guest?
Wandering my neighbourhood of Steveston Village.
What other city would you compare Richmond to?
I can't say that I have experienced any other city quite like Richmond!
Sarah Leamon
When it comes to giving her opinion, Richmond criminal defense lawyer Sarah Leamon is not backward at coming forward.
Often in the media spotlight – through her newspaper contributions and TV appearances – Leamon practises both criminal and administrative law out of her Cedarbridge Way office, a stone’s throw from Richmond Provincial Court.
However, it’s her work outside of court that’s also put Leamon on the map lately.
She’s extremely active in her community and has been key in establishing a number of important non-profit organizations and currently acts as board chair of the PACE Society, in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside.
In November, 2016, Leamon co-founded The Coven Club, a non-profit that focuses on social equality and the empowerment of women and girls.
And, more recently, she founded the Women's Association of Criminal Lawyers British Columbia (WACL-BC), which is a peer-driven organization dedicated to the advancement of women in criminal law.
In establishing WACL, Leamon drew attention to apparent sexism and discrimination against women in courtrooms across B.C.
She is fighting to make her profession more comfortable and more inclusive of women and, with many more women than men ditching criminal law as a career, hopes to have gender parity someday.
How do you stay healthy in Richmond?
I always watch what I eat, and make sure to get enough fruits & veggies. I love going to Kins Farm Market to check out their colorful, fresh produce. I also make sure to get at least half an hour of exercise in every day.
What’s your favourite Richmond park?
I love the Richmond Nature Trails. They are a great place to get lost in the great outdoors!
What’s top of your bucket list?
I always wanted to go swimming with the famous swimming pigs in Exuma, and just last month I was able to do that...so that's one major thing off my bucket list. Next up: travelling to India and seeing the Taj Mahal.
What’s your favourite food?
Ice cream!
What do you like best about Richmond?
I love all the delicious food and fantastic restaurants that you just can't find anywhere else.
What’s your favourite and least favourite court?
My least favorite court would be Chilliwack...but only because the drive from Richmond to Chilliwack is so long and it ends up costing so much in gas! Favorite court is Richmond, of course
If Richmond was a celebrity, who would it be?
Keanu Reeves
Best place to take an out-of-town guest?
I would take them to Steveston to get some fresh fish & chips and explore the area. There are so many cute shops & things to see!
What other city would you compare Richmond to?
Nothing compares to the uniqueness of Richmond!
Tony Wong-Hen
Tony Wong-Hen has been calling Richmond home since emigrating with his family from Mauritius when he was five.
Sports has been a huge part of this proud Steveston Packer alumni’s life — first as an athlete and now giving back as a volunteer coach and helping run one of the city’s most popular summer events.
It was soon after graduating Wong-Hen and his high school basketball teammates and good friends Bruce Watson, Bira Bindra and TJ Johal launched the Dolphin Park Classic. The 33rd edition of the outdoor tournament is slated for July.
Growing up, he also played football, rugby, volleyball and participated in track and field. Wong-Hen earned a National Karate Association black belt in Goju Ryu Karate (Sebu-Kai) where I spent over a decade a volunteer karate instructor.
After graduating college, he worked in the environmental engineering industry as senior project and account manager for nearly 20 years and since has transitioned into the safety and emergency management field.
He has been a volunteer coach with the McMath senior boys basketball team and now his assisting the football program at his older “junior high” — Hugh Boyd. Yet, it doesn’t matter where he is helping out, Wong-Hen’s first and foremost interest is seeing all teams and sports thrive in his hometown.
His proudest accomplishment is as a father of Seth, who is currently enrolled at UVic in Engineering and Nora who is attending McMath.
How do you stay healthy in Richmond?
There are so many options in Richmond; but what I really enjoy is playing tennis and being a member of the unsanctioned Steveston Tennis Club.
What’s your favourite Richmond park?
My favourite Park is Minoru Park. It’s a bit of a loaded answer as there is so much to do at Minoru. When I was young, I ran track and field there. I also watched Seth play hockey for Seafair at the Minoru Arena and now watch Nora play field hockey. Both Nora and Seth participated in Track and field for Kajaks and when they were toddlers, I spent many days walking around the Minoru Duck pond adjacent to the hospital. I believe that Minoru is the heart of Richmond and the growing sports facility is amazing.
What’s top of your bucket list?
Travel and more travel. I have been all over the world and we are heading to Sydney in the summer of 2018 and next year to Mauritius.
What’s your favourite food?
I love all foods. In Richmond, you can’t go wrong with Chinese food. Having said this, in Richmond there are incredible international flavours including Vietnamese, Indian, Mexican and Italian foods.
What do you like best about Richmond?
You can’t pick a single thing that’s best about Richmond. It’s like asking; what’s your favourite organ? I feel that Richmond is so alive and has shaped me into who I am today.
But, if I had to choose, I feel that the best thing about Richmond are the people. Whenever I travel around Richmond, I’m lucky enough to run into folks that I either met through sports or have grown up with.
If Richmond was a celebrity, who would it be?
If Richmond was a celebrity, it would be Jackie Chan; dynamic, multi-talented, recognized worldwide and Asian…
What’s your favourite sports team?
Right now it’s the Richmond Field Hockey Association’s U15 Flickers (Nora’s Field Hockey team coached by Rob Pasut and Dakota Chan). For Professional teams, it’s the Toronto Raptors and Seattle Seahawks.
Best place to take an out-of-town guest?
Steveston. I’m biased but Steveston is such a beautiful and great little community within Richmond. It has a small town feel, incredible views and when walking around, the locals make eye contact, smile and often greet you.
What other city would you compare Richmond to?
There is no single city in the world that I’ve been to that compares to Richmond. If you take the best pieces from many other cities, it may make up Richmond. I feel that Richmond is an all-star group of cities.
Nan Baardsen
Nan Baardsen has had a wonderful, and blessed, nine decades — here’s to the tenth.
As the director of the Minoru Seniors Glee Club, a 40 member-strong group that performs at care homes and seniors’ residences throughout the year, Baardsen has always had her little suitcase in tow filled with sheet music, concert programs and rehearsal schedules.
Born on March 1, 1926 in Clydebank, Scotland as the eighth of nine children, Baardsen’s teen years were notably overshadowed by World War II. But at the same time, her parents indulged her musical passion and vocal abilities, and launched her into her lifelong love-affair with music.
Baardsen worked in the civil service and performed regularly in local musicals for 27 years in the UK, before she immigrated to Vancouver in 1969.
Here, she started working in the insurance industry and continued being active in the musical scene and various local choirs, before settling in Richmond in 2003 and joining the Glee Club, becoming its director in 2011.
Baardsen, 92, is also an active volunteer for many city events and served at the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics.
She attributes a healthy and happy life to a positive take on life — and her sense of humour.
“I see humour in everything,” said Baardsen. “If you handle things with humour, you get much better reactions than bullying and yelling.”
How do you keep healthy in Richmond?
Moderation in everything (except cheese cake!)
What’s your favourite Richmond park?
Garry Point.
What’s top on your bucket list?
Dancing at my 100th birthday bash.
What’s your favourite food?
Fresh salmon off the boats — preferably baked.
What do you like best about Richmond?
The abundance of natural beauty that surrounds us.
If Richmond was a celebrity, who would it be?
Martha Stewart — Richmond is kept so clean and tidy.
What’s your favourite sports team?
Have to say Canucks — or my grandkids won’t talk to me.
Best place to take an out-of-town guest?
Steveston for history, scenery and food
What other city would you compare Richmond to?
None can compare — White Rock doesn’t really come close.
What’s your favourite song?
“It’s a wonderful world.”
Along with these profiles, more than 6,000 people ranked companies in four categories: Food & Entertainment, Shopping, Services and Health & Fitness this year. Here are the winners for:
See the full, digital version of our special Best of Richmond edition here.
