Richmond City Council is maintaining the status quo by encouraging, but not forcing, business owners to include English on their signs.
Councillors voted unanimously to formalize in writing a policy that had city officials consult with business owners to encourage signage that is at least 50 per cent English.
Globalnews.ca coverage of signage in Richmond
Staff reported next to no issues with the approach, which has been in effect since 2014, so council decided to stick with it.
The decision comes after a controversial vote in June that would’ve mandated 50 per cent English on commercial signage.
Census data for the Metro Vancouver municipality shows the mother tongue of more than 40 per cent of Richmond residents is either Cantonese or Mandarin, compared with 33 per cent of those who say their first language is English.
Some council members have pushed in the past for strict regulations and the hiring of a sign enforcement officer, only to back down in the face of possible charter challenges around freedom of expression.
Rob Akimow, head of the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, applauds the city’s decision and says he hopes the move will finally put the long-standing issue to rest.
– With files from The Canadian Press
Comments