Richmond, B.C. – Only a 30 minute ride from Vancouver on the Canada Line rapid transit system and home to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR), we hope you’ll visit us in nearby Richmond at some point throughout your stay or in the near future. A growing tourism destination with a rich history and strong multicultural roots, our thriving city of nearly 200,000 boasts plenty of unique and interesting stories.
DID YOU KNOW?
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We’re an Asian Mecca
With a population that is 65 per cent Asian (44 per cent of which are of Chinese descent), Richmond’s City Centre, dubbed the Golden Village, offers highly authentic Asian experiences. Now developed into a bustling commercial district, the Village is a modern mix of traditional Asian attractions and contemporary Western influences. Boasting some of the best Asian dining and shopping in North America, there are more than 300 shops and services including Hong Kong-inspired malls, Asian specialty grocery stores, jewelry stores, art galleries and the latest Asian designer fashions, not to mention the over 200 Asian eateries on Alexandra Road or "Food Street". On this little-known stretch lined with mini-malls, traditionally trained chefs from Asia create authentic dim sum dumplings and regional cuisine with a West Coast twist using fresh local ingredients. A must, while in Richmond, is a visit to the Summer Night Market (recently declared one of the world’s top night markets by
Travel and Leisure magazine) which is a free, culturally diverse event open weekends May to September. Hundreds of vendors showcase unique and quirky merchandise, delicious multicultural street-cuisines and exotic drinks while onstage multicultural performances entertain nightly crowds of over 20,000. And don’t forget to visit one of our stunning Buddhist temples – the International Buddhist Temple, modeled after Beijing’s Forbidden City, is one of the largest in North America and the Thrangu Monastery is one of the few traditional Tibetan temples on the continent.
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We’re the largest commercial fishing hub in Canada and the world’s largest source of salmon
Cradled in a picturesque corner of Richmond where the mighty Fraser River and the Pacific Ocean meet, Steveston was established in the early 1800s during the fishing cannery boom. The now Historic Fishing Village of Steveston is a lively destination for West Coast shopping, dining and exploring. It’s still a thriving home to the largest commercial fishing fleet in Canada and two National Historic Sites, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and Britannia Shipyards. Stroll Fisherman’s Wharf and watch as locals pick up the catch of the day including fresh salmon, crab, halibut and shrimp. Go on a whale-watching adventure between April and October, shop at the unique boutiques sprinkled throughout the village or savour the temptations at one of the award-winning dock side restaurants.
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We’re Canada’s fittest, healthiest city
With over 90 parks and green spaces, Richmond offers a plethora of leisure activities and is the healthiest city in Canada with the longest life expectancy. According to a study released from the Public Health Agency of Canada earlier this year, Richmond has the lowest rate of obesity in the country - only 5.3 per cent of the city’s population is obese, compared to a national average of about 25 per cent. Our healthy status has been attributed directly to the mild climate and strong fitness lifestyle component of the city as well as to the availability of clean air and green space: There are over 80 km of connecting trails that virtually encircle Richmond and these are flat and accessible to all walkers and cyclists.
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We’re an agricultural hot spot
Home to 247 farms and where 37.4 per cent of the land is part of the Agricultural Land Reserve, Richmond’s agricultural community is always booming. From road-side stalls laden with freshly-picked goodies to the popular seaside Steveston Farmers and Artisans Market, there’s plenty to touch and taste around town.Richmond is the largest producer of cranberries in Canada and much of the tart fruit harvested here can be found on grocery store shelves in Ocean Spray’s popular juice and Craisin products. Drive out to the city’s cranberry bogs in autumn and watch as fields full of the bright red berries are flooded and gathered. In the summer, Richmond’s U-Pick farms give the term ‘picky eater’ a whole new meaning –you’ll find U-Pick blueberries, raspberries, and pumpkins, as well as eggs, honey, and vegetables available at the sites for purchase. And be sure to visit Terra Nova Rural Park, where the community gardens feature homesteads, trails, boardwalks and a farm centre. The City of Richmond’s Terra Nova Schoolyard Project, run by Chef Ian Lai, connects Richmond elementary and high school students with the earth, the community around and agriculture at large. Students learn to grow, monitor, harvest and eat nutritiously under his tutelage. Letting nothing go to waste, Lai creates everything from dandelion wine to his own wheat-ground bread onsite. The local food bank grows produce here and some of Richmond’s most acclaimed restaurants maintain plots at Terra Nova and create their menus using the fresh herbs and veggies grown there.
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Our Olympic legacy has propelled us to new heights
The 2010 Olympic Winter Games were a transformative milestone for the city and put Richmond on the world's map. This vibrant multicultural centre is now a city of nearly 200,000 people with its own unique vibe and distinctive culture - part Asian and part West Coast heritage. Add to that the $800 million in recent residential construction, $8.5 million spent on waterfront development and the shiny new Canada Line rapid transit system which has already far surpassed the ridership levels that were set for 2013. The city's crowning jewel is the $178 million Richmond Olympic Oval multi-purpose international centre for health which has become the cornerstone of the new River Green urban waterfront development (think stylish, upscale living). The 2010 Games also left a lasting legacy on the arts and cultural scene - big, bold and sometimes provocative art pieces are thoughtfully woven throughout the city. Looking to buy property in Richmond? According to the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver, the estimated sales price of a typical Richmond house has now soared past the $1 million mark and prices have risen over 225 per cent in the last 10 years. And earlier this year, the City of Richmond was ranked within the top 10 in the first “American Cities of the Future” list compiled by
fDi Magazine. Richmond was selected for its combination of strategic location, strong business climate and local business-friendly policies, creating a vibrant economic structure recognizable across the continent.
AND TO SWEETEN THE DEAL…
Tourism Richmond Travel Writer Contest
Tourism Richmond has launched a unique contest just for North American travel writers. Visit and submit your feature story on Richmond, British Columbia, Canada in the coming months, and you’ll have a shot at snagging one of two $1,000 cash prizes – one for best culinary story and one for best overall destination story. The contest runs from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2012 and all articles must be published during this time. All contest entries must be submitted to Tourism Richmond by June 1, 2012. An independent qualified panel will review all applications and a winner in each category will be announced in November 2012. Visit
tourismrichmond.com/media to view detailed contest rules and be sure to follow us on Twitter
@RichmondMedia for regular story suggestions and contest updates.
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For more information or to schedule your Richmond media visit, contact:
