Charlie Smith speaks out on issues of concern in Richmond-Bridgeport
Evidence-based public policies are required if we're going to tackle the toxic-drug crisis, global heating, the housing shortage, and airborne transmission of COVID-19
I am still trying to secure signatures of enough registered voters in Richmond-Bridgeport so I can run as an independent candidate in the October 19 B.C. provincial election. If you live in Richmond-Bridgeport and want to help, email me at charliesmithvancouver@gmail.com.
I want to give Richmond-Bridgeport voters the option of voting for evidence-based public policies to save lives. These policies are needed in response to a wide range of issues, including the toxic-drug crisis, global heating, airborne transmission of COVID-19, and the housing shortage.
In Richmond, life-saving services for drug users have been sacrificed for political expediency. The premier’s office directed Vancouver Coastal Health to tell the public that there would be no stand-alone episodic overdose prevention service near Richmond Hospital. As a result, residents of Richmond-Bridgeport face a higher likelihood of succumbing unnecessarily from toxic drugs than if such a service existed.
Last year, 26 Richmond residents died as a result of the poisoned illicit-drug supply.
Meanwhile, the BC NDP government continues encouraging more LNG projects fueled by fracked gas, even as Canada is warming at an alarming rate. Fracking gas requires huge amounts of water in an area of the province devastated by drought.
Moreover, fracking emits massive amounts of methane, which is 85 times more potent as a greenhouse gas in the first 20 years than carbon dioxide. This comes as Richmond has upgraded dikes due to rising sea levels.
The cost of redeveloping Richmond Hospital has nearly doubled. A new 90-unit supportive housing project has been put on hold in Richmond-Bridgeport.
For their part, the B.C. Conservatives continue pandering to anti-science zealots with their head-in-the-sand approach to the climate crisis. The same holds true of B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad’s responses to heartbreaking toxic-drug carnage, the housing shortage, and COVID-19 vaccinations. I don’t know how any reasonably educated, middle-of-the-road voter can take the B.C. Conservatives seriously.
As for housing, the City of Richmond is resisting densification of Burkeville even though tenants across the region are desperately searching for homes. The B.C. Green candidate in Richmond-Bridgeport is president of the Sea Island Community Association. It has led opposition to eight-storey residential buildings in Burkeville.
According to the last census, there were 819 people living in Burkeville, which is just over the Arthur Laing Bridge from Vancouver. That’s up from 814 residents in 2016. More people should be living in Burkeville, which is within cycling distance of a Canada Line station. We as a society can’t afford to be NIMBYs anymore. It’s imposing too high a cost on the next generation.
Richmond-Bridgeport voters deserve evidence-based policies that will save lives, alleviate poverty, put a roof over someone’s head, promote environmental and racial justice, and respect taxpayers.
My credentials as a candidate
I have worked as a B.C. journalist for more than 30 years in television, radio, newspapers, and magazines. I’ve devoted a significant part of my working life to advancing understanding about public policies. Along the way, I have won two Western Magazine Awards for business writing and twice been nominated for Jack Webster Awards (for science writing and business writing).
I was the news editor of the Georgia Straight for nearly 11 years and then worked another 17 years as editor until 2022. I also worked for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for more than a decade.
As a journalist, I have consistently worked to advance understanding about diverse communities and countered racism against people of Asian ancestry, as well as Black and Indigenous people and the Muslim and Jewish communities. I have won a Community Builder Award from the Vancouver Asian Heritage Month Society. I won a Medal of Honour from Radical Desi and I’ve received Spice Radio’s annual Anti-Racism Award. In addition, I have been honoured by Vancouver TAIWANfest.
For seven years, I mentored journalism students at Kwantlen University College (now Kwantlen Polytechnic University) in Richmond. I taught investigative reporting to students who have gone on to work for the Globe and Mail, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, and many other media outlets. But I didn’t only teach investigative reporting. I also saw a need to educate my students on how to become journalists in an increasingly diverse society. This explains why I included content in my courses about the Chinese head tax, the incarceration of Japanese Canadians, the diversity of diasporic populations, and the history of colonial subjugation of First Nations.
I co-founded and currently edit two media websites supporting underrepresented artists. This work reflects my belief that if we’re going to survive in the 21st century, we need to transform the economy from mass consumption of goods to an economy more rooted in experiences, including arts and culture. It’s why I have written and edited many articles over the years raising awareness about Richmond cultural festivals and letting the public know about events at Gateway Theatre and exhibitions at the Richmond Art Gallery. I would like Richmond to become an even greater cultural hub. I support arts and culture as an important pillar of a truly sustainable economy.
Throughout my career as a journalist, I've worked hard to elevate understanding about Canada's cultural mosaic—rather than stigmatize people on the basis of their race, religion, gender expression or national origin. I pledge to continue doing this if elected to the B.C. legislature. I support a woman’s right to make healthcare decisions about her own body and I’ve consistently supported equality for LGBTQ+ and nonbinary people. I have also written many articles over the years educating readers about a range of issues affecting people with disabilities.
Quotes from supporters
"I've known Charlie Smith since he was a teenager. Voters in Richmond-Bridgeport can count on Charlie Smith to advance evidence-based solutions in response to the toxic-drug crisis, which has claimed so many lives in British Columbia and across Canada."
— Peter Stein, former Chairman of the Alcohol and Drug Commission of B.C. and the last living commissioner on the Le Dain Commission into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs
"Charlie brings a perspective and experience that will be sorely needed in culturally diverse Richmond. He understands the challenges faced by the diverse Chinese communities at a time when they are hurting from both the ordeal of Sinophobia and Sinofascism. His track record, first as the editor of the Georgia Straight (2005 to 2022), and now with his new outlet, speaks of an exceptional individual who is totally at ease working in a multicultural and diverse environment. He is tuned in to the sensitivities of the numerous ethnic groups living side by side in Canada."
— Ng Weng Hoong, B.C. journalist focused on China and Chinese issues
"I’ve heard it said that 'ally is a verb, not a title'. That’s how I would describe Charlie: a genuine ally, in practice and in principle. Over the years, he has been a fearless champion for clear-eyed, science-based initiatives, and demonstrated genuine support for responsible policies for climate change. Now, more than ever, we need smart, thoughtful leaders who can guide us through the quagmire of misinformation and disinformation. In my eyes, Charlie’s integrity and commitment to the truth make him a first-class candidate."
— Ziya Tong, Award-winning Science Broadcaster and Author