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Debate over Chinese only signs back before Richmond City Council
VANCOUVER/CKNW(AM980)
Laura Baziuk | Email news tips to laura.baziuk@corusent.com
3/15/2013

A Richmond City Councillor says he's open to hearing from two residents who are concerned about the amount of Chinese signage in the city.
 
Chak Au says council could revist the issue -- as two women, armed with a petition, are set to make a presentation on Monday saying there is too much Chinese-only signage.
 
"I'm open on this one because I think if we have one sector of the community feeling not comfortable when they go to certain parts of our city, and feel overwhelmed by some Chinese signs, I think we have to address it."

 He says if necessary, he will help refer it to staff for a report.  
 
Fellow Councillor Derek Dang says a committee has looked at the issue before and found no reason to changes, but adds he's also open to hearing from the two presenters.

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  • 43
  1. Ken280 posted on 03/15/2013 08:21 PM
    This is very funny, after the liberals get caught with their hands in the cookie jar!This comes forth, not in 2001 but right after the Liberals were caught screwing the taxpayers! Sound very targeted to me,now someone wants a language war! Go NDP G0
    1. RichardF_4221 posted on 03/15/2013 08:54 PM
      @Ken280 it's all about the timing.
    2. Chuck M posted on 03/15/2013 09:38 PM
      @Ken280 OMG!
      Now Kenny is grasping at straws to stir anything up that he can! Look in the mirror Mr NDP. With your comments attacking indivuals and placing spins on anything you can grasp shows all of us that you dont really think the NDP can win at all! Look back at all of your detrimental posts. They have become detrimental to the very thing you espouse to support, the Provincial NDP! Way to go pal!
      Go Libs Go!
    show more replies
  2. mindcastings posted on 03/15/2013 09:09 PM
    Where do I sign? Drive out to Richmond Ken, and you'll see what these ladies are talking about. Everything from bank signage to signage in Price Smart are in Chinese. I support the Liberal party and there is no conspiracy theory here. It's not about feeling uncomfortable that is the issue, it's when a language other then one of the official two languages in Canada has dominated the landscape, then we should look into it. It doesn't hurt to take an ESL course, my spouse did it when she immigrated here from Asia. If we could get everyone here to adapt to one of the two official languages then we could save a lot of taxpayers money by not producing everything in multiple languages.
    1. RichardF_4221 posted on 03/15/2013 09:54 PM
      @mindcastings Felt a little out of place a couple times there. Definitely the true chinatown.
      Worst part is, most immigrants can speak english. It is the international language for most professions. Ever meet a pilot for a major airline that can't speak english? No, but I've met a couple that pretended they couldn't.
      It's a little racist (okay a lot racist) but as Andrew Dice Clay said..."if you can't speak the language..."
      I am all for immigration, but I am also for the ideal that you are now a Canadian before all else. You are not an Italian Canadian, or an Scottish Canadian, you are a CANADIAN scot / italian / korean / francophone / metis. If you put your origin before your chosen country, why did you come here? If your country of origin was so good, stay there.
      I'm not okay with feeling like a foreigner in my own country. I was not born here but I am a Canadian and that is what I will tell anyone who asks.
    2. Ken280 posted on 03/16/2013 12:45 AM
      @mindcastings I am not defending the signs I just said it is a good way to deflect the heat off the Liberals at this time and anyone with a right eye ball and an as*h*le can see this! My wife speaks a second language and is Chinese but she does not think this is the time just during this ethnic gate is good timing!She came to Canada well prepared as an English teacher,she studied at an all English univercity and can speak like any English speaker, you say you support Liberal party and there is no conspiracy,can I take your word for it, did you get it from your leader of the liberal party, if so I can take that to the bank and watch it bounce! Go NDP Go
    show more replies
  3. lindsaym_7673 posted on 03/15/2013 09:16 PM
    यह समय की एक पागल बर्बादी है.
    1. RichardF_4221 posted on 03/15/2013 09:58 PM
      @lindsaym_7673 yes it is.
    2. MichaelD_10 posted on 03/16/2013 12:14 PM
      @lindsaym_7673 Well said. :p)
    show more replies
  4. RichardF_4221 posted on 03/15/2013 11:37 PM
    As good a place as any to post this link...

    supposedly a North Korean propaganda film...

    I guess the evils of living in a democracy, or is it showing the deceit of socialism. As bad as anyone thinks of the other parties in this upcoming election, I hope you enjoy this.

    http://video.ca.msn.com/watch/video/north-korea-exposes-life-in-the-usa/2j1236nb?from=en-ca-infopane
    1. LeonW posted on 03/16/2013 10:51 AM
      @RichardF_4221 Uh..... how about life in North Korea?
  5. BY_7463 posted on 03/16/2013 09:38 AM
    As I commented a few years ago on The Province or The Vancouver Sun web site. A lady that had a home buisiness in Vancouver, was visited by the language police and basicaly forced to shut down because a lot of her homemade stuff didn't have french on the lable. My comment at the time was to go out to richmond and do something about this nonsense. But of course they were to chickenpoop to do anything lest we offen "NEW CANADIANS" who have absolutly no intension of assimilating into main stream CANADA!!!!!!! And now look at this. Why have we as CANADIANS let this happen!!!!! I'm 65 now. I'm sure glad that I am not just starting out in life. Shure hate to think what we have left our great grand children. And no, I am not talking about GLOW BULL SHI- warming!!!!!!!!!!!
    1. Ken280 posted on 03/16/2013 10:34 AM
      @BY_7463 I know what we left them we might as well have little pockets of people like the Vatican city state, countries with in a country.Sad that some people do not like Canada and want this country to be just like the one they left! I do know when i speak about my long heritage as a proud Canadian,I get flak with unbelief that people could claim that their heritage goes back 300-400 years mixed in with Native blood in Canada.They talk like they are the only people with a long history in Canada and everything is their right.I say go to the East coast or Quebec and start wailing this statement around.where many families are from some of the first white families to settle in Canada.Mine, proudly to claim with a family tree and all goes back to 1625 and there are thousand of descendants all over Canada now ! Then with the blood could be infinity.I am just a Canadian,that speaks only English and I like it that way! I can get by in the lower mainland most of the time!
    2. AnneH_4 posted on 03/16/2013 02:06 PM
      @BY_7463 I,m with you and just one year behind you - I could not deal with the bs going on today - no common sense - no thinking etc
  6. opq posted on 03/16/2013 10:36 AM
    I hate to say it, but blame the immigration policy put forward. If Canada didn't want the immigration, they should have put a big disclaimer up saying "IF YOU BECOME CANADIAN, WE WILL STRIP YOU OF YOUR ASSETS IF YOU GET CAUGHT SPEAKING ANYTHING OTHER THAN ENGLISH/FRENCH". But that's too late.

    It's the reality of immigration guys. You can't have the benefits of it without the other part of it. Look at Spanish and the US. One could argue English and French was imposed on the First Nation languages.
    1. LeonW posted on 03/16/2013 10:50 AM
      @opq What are you babbling about? And since when did the US become overrun by people from Spain?
    2. AnneH_4 posted on 03/16/2013 02:08 PM
      @opq not only the immigration - it is the multi-culturalism bureaucracy that gives money to newcomers to help them continue their culture

      Are you aware that Toronto has a subdivision that allows only Muslims? Well they are considering this in Calgary as well
    show more replies
  7. LeonW posted on 03/16/2013 10:49 AM
    This sentence alone proves people are forgetting how to speak English.

    "Fellow Councillor Derek Dang says a committee has looked at the issue before and found no reason to changes, but adds he's also open to hearing from the two presenters."
  8. speakup posted on 03/16/2013 11:59 AM
    It is NOT ONLY Rishhhmond that this is an issue!
    ENGLISH ONLY SIGNAGE SHOULD BE THE LAW!!!!

    The issues in Richmond go wayyyyyyy beyond signage!!
    If we DO NOT STOP this CRAP NOW
    it will ONLY get worse!!

    AND you can think whatever you want - BUT I was not born in Canada and my family's 1st language was not English - BUT it certainly is now -
    WHY????? becasue we live in CANADA!!

    Save CANADA Forever
    Speak English! (and French)
    1. AnneH_4 posted on 03/16/2013 02:10 PM
      @speakup Sad but it is too late to save Canada ---Just speak with the younger generation up to age 35 and you will understand why.....
    2. LeonW posted on 03/16/2013 03:41 PM
      @speakup I'm far more offended by French being forced on us. Vancouver is traditionally more Chinese going back a hundred years than it is french, and no Mallardville doesn't count. It's eastern imperialism.
    show more replies
  9. speakup posted on 03/16/2013 12:01 PM
    NEXt? how do you STOP employers from hiring specific languages in freakin CANADA - especially when they hire people that CANNOT EVEN speak freakin ENGLISH!!!!

    How can this be LEGAL in CANADA!!!
    What are we doing?
    WHO will SAVE us?

    This is far worse crime committed by legitimate?? businesses than some criminals sitting behind bars have done!!
    1. commonsense posted on 03/16/2013 12:14 PM
      @speakup Ever gone to Tim Horton's? There are tons that I have been to and half are not speaking English.
    show more replies
  10. Vancouver Sucks posted on 03/16/2013 01:26 PM
    I used to work for an ESL school downtown. The #1 complaint from OTHER Asian students was "There are too many Chinese here" when asked why, they said "To much Chinese language on everything makes people lazy and gives no reason for learning English". I agree 100% with these students as often they could speak better English than people who have been living here for 20 years. THAT is a disgrace! I agree there is too much NON English signs, not only in Richmond, but in Coquitlam as well among the Korean community which is taking over business areas. There is NO need to have 5 languages in a bank! It should be English or French. PERIOD. If you can't communicate, then GO TO SCHOOL, like many others do, and show some appreciation and respect to the new country you are now in. If you don't like it. Seriously, go back to wherever you came from. Simple as that. Canada is the biggest pushover of a country in the whole world!! This is not racists, it is common sense and needed for unity of ALL people.
  11. joes_2868 posted on 03/17/2013 12:34 PM
    Ken280: The readers consultant, a man with a briefcase 50 miles away from home.
    Do you really think the readers do listen to you?
  12. BOBF_5970 posted on 03/17/2013 04:14 PM
    i will gladly have the signage in richmond than be FORCED to have french on my corn flake box. can you imagine how much extra that must cost we consumers.
    1. speakup posted on 03/18/2013 11:14 AM
      @BOBF_5970 MUCH MUCH LESS than the takeover of Canada (as we use to know it) is costing us each and every day.......never mind the future
showing all comments

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