Richmond Needs Calm Leadership—Not Division—As Land Title Fears Rise

Over the past several months, Richmond has felt increasingly unsettled. The Cowichan Tribes land title ruling—one of the most significant in British Columbia’s history—has stirred up confusion, fear, and uncertainty across our city. For some residents, especially those living within or near the affected area, the ruling raises legitimate questions about the future of their property. For others, especially those unfamiliar with Indigenous land rights or the legal complexities involved, the ruling has sparked anxiety, mistrust, and—in some cases—racialized rhetoric and division.

In moments like these, fear can spread faster than facts. And when fear spreads, it often lands hardest on communities that already carry memories of discrimination. As a city with a long and painful history of racial injustice, Richmond must meet this moment with clarity, compassion, and leadership—not silence or division.

Our history should guide us—not be forgotten.

Richmond is home to communities whose histories include deep wounds:

We remember the Chinese head tax.

We remember the internment of Japanese Canadians—neighbours who were forced from their homes, their property seized, their citizenship denied.

We remember the Komagata Maru incident, when hundreds of South Asian passengers—primarily Sikh, Muslim, and Hindu migrants—were turned away by racist exclusion laws.

We continue to see racism experienced by our Filipino, Black, Muslim, and other minority communities. And we must remember, always, the generations of Indigenous peoples whose land we now share—people whose rights, sovereignty, and dignity were denied for more than 150 years.

These stories are not historical footnotes. They are living memory. And today, they should guide how we respond to fear and uncertainty.

Fear is understandable. Division is not inevitable.

The Cowichan title ruling is complex. It touches on colonial history, reconciliation, land stewardship, property law, and the future of how Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities share this land. Most people, through no fault of their own, don't fully understand these systems. When information is incomplete or inaccessible—especially in a multilingual city like ours—rumours fill the gap. Anxiety grows. Stereotypes resurface. Some begin to look for someone to blame.

But fear does not justify scapegoating Indigenous communities.

Fear does not justify spreading misinformation.

Fear does not justify turning neighbours into adversaries.

This is a moment that requires leadership—not the kind that exploits fear, but the kind that calms it. Not the kind that divides people, but the kind that brings them together.

Richmond needs calm, steady leadership—community leadership.

I’m running for Richmond City Council because I believe our city deserves leaders who bring calm in a storm, who prioritize unity, and who engage residents with respect and honesty. And I’ve seen firsthand what true community leadership looks like.

Recently, I attended Cooking for Connections: Recipe of Life, a remarkable community event facilitated by Fr. Bill Mok (https://frbillmok.ca/). It was more than a cooking session—it was a gathering of hearts. People from different backgrounds, cultures, and generations cooked together, learned together, and shared stories together.

Fr. Mok’s work is a model of the Richmond we all want to build:a Richmond where we see each other, learn from each other, and celebrate each other.His leadership shows how food, culture, faith, and community can bridge differences and build belonging. He is, in every sense, a wonderful role model for what compassionate, inclusive leadership can look like at a local level.

This spirit is exactly what Richmond needs right now.

As fears rise around the land title ruling, we need leaders who will:

• Speak honestly about what we know—and what we don’t.

• Demand that senior governments act quickly to bring clarity, launch negotiations, and reduce uncertainty for affected homeowners.

• Provide accessible information in English, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Punjabi, Tagalog, and more.

• Counter misinformation with facts—not fuel divisive narratives.

• Create spaces for dialogue between Indigenous Nations, Chinese-speaking residents, immigrant communities, and long-time Richmond families.

• Stand firmly against racism in all forms.

Richmond’s diversity is one of its greatest strengths—but in moments like this, diversity requires leadership. Not performative leadership. Not partisan leadership. Community leadership.

A call for unity—and courage.

The story of Richmond is not the story of one community; it is the story of many. The defining moments in our history—the moments that shaped who we are—were the moments when we stood together through fear, disruption, and uncertainty.

Today’s moment is one of those defining tests. We can choose fear, suspicion, and division or we can choose understanding, dialogue, and unity.

I believe Richmond will choose unity—because we always have and if elected to Council, I will work every day to help us navigate this moment with clarity, humility, and courage.

Leadership is not about amplifying fear.

It is about calming it.

Leadership is not about dividing people.

It is about bringing people together.

This is the work Richmond needs now and I am ready to do my part.

By Jerome Dickey, Richmond City Council Candidate