Sometimes, the news is hard to take.
This year, the top stories at the Richmond News ranged from the harassment of a dog owner to a fiery death under the Oak Street Bridge to the on-going devastation of the opioid crisis on families and a family's holiday from hell.
As we report on the news, we try to give in-depth context to our stories and treat those struggling with daily life with compassion.
Do you remember these stories from 2023?
1. Hugo is fine
Hugo the dog is fine – this was the message sent out by the city and RCMP after a very public campaign incorrectly accused its owner of neglect and abuse.
In June, posters were plastered around the city and on social media with the claims of neglect - and the posters included the address where Hugo lived.
This resulted in relentless harassment of the owner. Eventually, RCMP were stationed outside the home to ward off people driving by to check on Hugo and, at times, hurling abuse at the owner.
Although police identified a “person of interest” in the harassment case, they told the Richmond News in December there wasn’t enough evidence to press charges.
2. Tesla plunges through restaurant window
The Chung Chun Rice Hotdog shop is still boarded up, two months after a Tesla with an N sticker crashed into it, pinning a person under the counter. This person was sent to hospital in critical condition after the crash at Westminster Highway and No. 3 Road.
3. Death under the Oak Street Bridge
The death of a man living in a tent under the Oak Street Bridge in a fire encapsulated the struggles face by the unhoused and vulnerable population in Richmond. The man, Moe, who died left behind a grieving girlfriend and those who knew him in shock.
Since then, it seems like more and more people are having to live "rough" in Richmond, with some pitching tents in Brighouse Park across from Richmond City Hall. City staff claim the occupants say this encampment is a "political statement."
4. 91-year-old in 'inhumanely hot' hospital room
The family of a 91-year-old Richmond woman contacted the Richmond News after the temperature in her hospital room hit almost 30 C in July.
Mary Ramage’s elderly mother was admitted to Richmond Hospital after a terrible fall and was placed in a west-facing room on the fourth floor of the North Tower on July 19. However, by Friday, July 21, Ramage described the room as “inhumanely hot” and recorded a temperature of 29.4 C inside the room where windows were allegedly “nailed” shut, which she said hospital staff cited as a safety precaution for patients.
Although Vancouver Coastal Health initially told the News that all rooms in the hospital have “functioning air conditioning,” the “windows can be opened” and patients and families can ask for standing fans, they later said that was "incorrect," apologized to the family for "any distress caused by our response."
5. Opioid crisis devastates Richmond families
The drug poisoning and overdose crisis continues to claim lives in Richmond. As of the end of October, 20 people had died of a suspected drug poisonings in Richmond this year. Across B.C., six to seven people die every day.
Richmondites held vigils and awareness events throughout the city to help the public understand the crisis and to call on government to do more.
Trevor Tablotney (pictured above), spent a day at his brother's memorial bench on the one-year anniversary of his death, talking to people who passed by about the toxic drug crisis.
6. Richmond holds its first-ever Pride Walk
“We’re (celebrating) the people because love is love,” said one participant at Richmond's first-ever Pride Walk, held in July in Steveston.
Hundreds of people gathered at the event, which was initiated by Richmond-Steveston MLA Kelly Greene, and they were joined by Premier David Eby.
7. Holiday from hell
A Richmond family had planned a vacation to the Rockies, but the car they rented turned their dream trip into a holiday from hell.
On the way to the Rockies, the Chaudhary family pulled over on the highway 58 kilometres outside of Valemount, B.C. - there was a small fire and smoke coming out of the car. The car had experienced a mechanical breakdown. There they were, stranded without internet or telephone service. They ended up huddling on an island on the side of the highway. Fortunately, some fellow travellers came to their rescue.
They eventually made it to Valemount, but they couldn't get another car and ended up taking a 21-hour train ride back to Vancouver - that cost them $1,000 - cutting their vacation short.
8. World class pumpkin
Richmond’s Dave Chan had broken B.C. records before, but this October he realized a dream when his giant pumpkin weighed in at an incredible 2,212 pounds, making it the biggest in North America.
Chan, who has been growing the giant gourds for 40 years from his east Richmond backyard, won the title at the Hard Rock Casino National Weigh Off in in Sacramento, Calif.
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