Richmond Signage challenge

Note: Canada has two official languages - English and French - and like most countries (including China) individuals are free to study and use as many different languages as they want to (only certain government departments are obliged to provide service in both official languages; this does not apply to private businesses). This is a non-coercive policy that I agree with because, in addition to being consistent with section 2 of our Charter of Rights and Freedoms, by knowing more languages people also benefit by having access to more information.

Interesting videos

These are videos of interest that are specifically relevant to this controversy.

2015-Nov-06: Signs of Divide: A Content Analysis of Richmond BC's "Foreign Language Sign Debate" -- presented by Kira Hogarth-Davis (Criminology, KPU) at the Fifth Annual Sociology and Criminology Undergraduate Student Conference at Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Surrey, B.C. (8 minutes 37 seconds)

Notable media coverage

Following the mostly quiet and uneventful 2015 summer months in the Richmond Signage arena, a new discussion about anti-clutter bylaw changes entered the foray as a possible option to circumvent our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms by implicitly mis-classifying non-English signage as "clutter." The problem with this manipulative tactic is that it attempts to be the ultimate arbiter of which langauge arts qualify as "acceptable" and "unacceptable" for display on private property. Not only is that a restriction of freedom of expression (which is protected in Section 2 of our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms), but it also effectively robs Canadians of the opportunity to make up our own minds about what others - regardless of which languages are used in their presentations - have elected to share on a public stage that just so happens in this case to be comprised of the streets and storefronts in Richmond, B.C.

Everyone has the right to express themselves freely, and this Canadian right is protected as fundamental by our Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Imposing compulsions or restrictions upon any of these freedoms is a form of short-sighted oppression that inhibits the willful free exchange of ideas, and ultimately fosters an exclusionary atmosphere by inhibiting an honest inclusion of the larger variety of perspectives. In addition to being inappropriate for any anti-clutter bylaw to prescribe or proscribe language selection, it is also unacceptable for our Charter-protected rights to be violated systematically or otherwise.

2015-Oct-20: Richmond News - Mandating English on signs would violate Charter, but...
- Since it violates the Charter, such a bylaw must not be enacted in the first place. Violations of our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms are unethical, and are simply not acceptable.
2015-Sep-26: The Vancouver Sun - Chinese-only signage still prevalent in Richmond despite education blitz by Graeme Wood
- Prevalent? No, because a mere 13 out of approximately 2,000 businesses is less than 1% (source of statistics are depicted in "Figure 2: Inspection Summary from 2014-Dec-17 to 2015-May-01" which is included in the Richmond "Report to Committee" dated 2015-May-14, file number "03-0900-01/2014-Vol 01").

Media coverage

Once the initial rush of questions completed (on 2013-Mar-18), members of the press started asking other attendees for short interviews, and approximately half of them interviewed me. Although most of the press represented local media companies, there were a few from other countries, including China (who also interviewed me). It was an interesting experience (the press were all professional and polite, contrary to what is often depicted in television dramas), particularly reading, watching, and listening to the wide variety of published perspectives and reporting afterwards (the printed news was generally more detailed than radio and television, just like how books tend to be more detailed than movies and audio books). Here is a reverse-chronological list of links to many of these news articles:

2018

2017

2016

2015

2015-Dec-16: The Vancouver Sun - Douglas Todd: Richmond toughens stance on Chinese-language signs
2015-Dec-15: Global News - City of Richmond looking for inspector to encourage businesses to add English to their signs
2015-Dec-10: Richmond News - Chinese sign 'cop' can expect abuse: City of Richmond to hire Chinese-speaking bylaw enforcement officer to 'educate' businesses
2015-Sep-28: Richmond News - Letter: Racist tones thinly veiled
2015-Sep-23: The Province - Chinese-only signage still prevalent in Richmond despite education blitz
2015-Jul-26: The Vancouver Sun - Chinese-sign dispute: Individual rights trump community concerns, says BCCLA
- This article includes a particularly important interview with the BC Civil Liberties Association wherein the BCCLA emphasizes the importance of freedom as well as providing a comparative analysis of Quebec's violation of Canadian Charter Rights.
2015-Jul-24: The Vancouver Sun - Any language on Richmond signs seen as individual right - B.C. Civil Liberties Association executive director explains why Richmond issue is all about freedom of expression
2015-May-25: CBC News - Richmond won't pursue bylaw on English-only signs
2015-Apr-09: The Tyee - Richmond Flooded with Chinese-only Signs? Not Really - The Tyee's intern from China asks local merchants to weigh in on the debate
2015-Mar-13: Global News - Chinese-only signs in Richmond subject of a public debate
2015-Feb-16: News 1130 - Richmond takes more steps to get rid of Chinese only signs

2014

2013

Links & Resources

If you'd like to contact me to share your perspective, I'd be delighted regardless of whether you agree with me. My contact information is available on my contact page.