RICHMOND: A city that normally basks in a reputation for being the quiet student, sitting at the back of the Lower Mainland classroom; a conservative voice, but with disarming charm, often eclipsed by the constant arm-raising/attention seeking of its Vancouver and Surrey peers.
So does anyone else find it weird that a city with a nightlife resembling a cemetery with lights consistently sticks its neck out, hoping there's no axe waiting to slice down?
In recent years, Richmond stole the show from Burnaby when it won the right to host Olympic speed skating, meaning we had to build a $180 million arena and find new ways every year since to make it pay.
How can we forget the gem in 2010 to station a giant chrome head of a Bolshevik dictator slap bang in the middle of the city? And last year, Richmond again grabbed national headlines when it became the first Canadian city to ban the sale of dogs in stores.
They were back at it Monday night at city hall, when more than 250 people from across B.C. packed out council chambers to witness our bold councillors pass a resolution to become the first Lower Mainland municipality to oppose the use of genetically engineered (GE) crops.
Many feared our elected officials would fold and crumple like a cheap suit at the mere sight of agricultural colossus CropLife Canada honing into view.
Not a chance. Our civic leaders are made of sterner stuff than that. With banning GE-crops Richmond has moved itself to the front of the class - beware the quiet ones.
