Richmond is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It occupies almost the entirety of Lulu Island (excluding Queensborough), the adjacent Sea Island (where the Vancouver International Airport is located) and several other smaller islands and uninhabited islets to its north and south. Across the two estuarine distributaries of the Fraser River, it neighbours Vancouver and Burnaby on the Burrard Peninsula to the north, New Westminster and Annacis Island to the east, Delta to the south, and the Strait of Georgia to the west.
The indigenous Coast Salish peoples were the first people to inhabit the area of modern-day Richmond, with the Musqueam Band naming the site near Terra Nova "" or "boiling point". As of the 2021 Canadian census, East Asian Canadians make up a majority of Richmond's population at 57.1%. The broader Asian Canadian population, which includes Southeast Asian Canadians and South Asian Canadians, comprises 73.4% of the city's total population.
The city is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver. It is composed of sixteen areas: City Centre, Steveston, Broadmoor, Blundell, Seafair, Thompson, Shellmont, West Cambie, East Cambie, Hamilton, Bridgeport, East Richmond, Sea Island, Gilmore, Fraser Lands, and the South Arm Islands. As of 2023, the city has an estimated population of 229,781 people.
During the 2010 Winter Olympics, the Richmond Olympic Oval was a venue for long track speed skating events.
History Coast Salish bands had temporary camps on the island, to fish and collect berries, which were scattered and moved from year to year. Certain Coast Salish summer camps were located at Garry Point, and Woodward's Landing, along with the site of the Terra Nova cannery, which had at one time been a Musqueam village.Wayne Suttles, "Names of Places and Peoples" from Musqueam Reference Grammar (Vancouver: UBC Press, 2004), 566–76.
There is no definitive historical account as to how Richmond was named. There are several possibilities that have been proposed, including: The first family to settle in Richmond, that of Hugh McRoberts, had formerly lived in Australia. Their home there was called "Richmond View", and that is what they named their homestead in Richmond. W.D. Ferris drafted the original petition for the incorporation of The Township of Richmond. He was originally from Richmond, Surrey, England. Another early settler was Hugh Boyd. He was also the first Reeve of the township. His wife had been born in Richmond, North Yorkshire, England.
The Township of Richmond, British Columbia was incorporated on 10 November 1879. The Township of Richmond was modelled after Ontario's political townships – an incorporated municipality, consisting of communities that are united as a single entity with a single municipal administration. Each community was represented on the municipal council through a ward electoral system with five wards until 1946 when the ward electoral system was replaced with the at large electoral system that is currently in place.
On 3 December 1990, Richmond was designated as a City.
The first Town Hall, the Agricultural Hall and the Methodist Church (now Minoru Chapel), were built at the corner of No. 17 (River) Rd and No. 20 (Cambie) Rd near the main settlement on the northwestern tip of Lulu Island at North Arm.
The old fishing village of Steveston on the southwestern tip of Lulu Island is now home to several museums and heritage sites, as well as a working harbour for fishing boats. Currently, London Heritage Farm, the Gulf of Georgia Cannery and the Britannia Shipyard National Historic Site in Steveston highlight these parts of Richmond's diverse history.
Geography Richmond is made up of most of the islands in the Fraser River delta, the largest and most populated island being Lulu Island. The city of Richmond includes all but a small portion of Lulu Island (the Queensborough neighbourhood at the far eastern tip is part of the city of New Westminster). The next largest island, Sea Island, is home to the Vancouver International Airport (YVR). In addition to Lulu and Sea Islands, 15 smaller islands make up the city's land area, including: Mitchell Island, an industrial island accessed via the Knight Street Bridge, a bridge which connects Richmond and Vancouver. Richmond Island, a former sand bar that has been turned into a peninsula that can only be reached from Vancouver, but technically is within Richmond's city limits. Shady Island, an uninhabited island covered with trees, which can be reached over land by foot at low tide from near Steveston.
The city also includes the fishing village of Steveston, located in the far southwest corner of the city, and Burkeville, which shares Sea Island with the airport. Both Steveston and Burkeville were independent villages until they were annexed by Richmond.
Since all of Richmond occupies islands in a river delta, the city has plenty of rich, alluvial soil for agriculture, and was one of the first areas in British Columbia to be farmed by Europeans in the 19th century. The drawback of Richmond's geographical location was that since all the land averages just one metre above sea level, it was prone to flooding, especially during high tide. As a result, all the major islands are now surrounded by a system of dykes, which, although not as massive as those in the Netherlands or the levees of New Orleans, serve to protect the city from anticipated sources of flooding. There is a possibility that, during an earthquake, the dykes could rupture, and the alluvial soil may liquefy, causing extensive damage. Richmond is also at risk of a major flood if the Fraser River has an unusually high spring freshet. Recreational trails run along the tops of many of the dykes, and Richmond also supports about of parkland.
Because of the high groundwater table, very few houses in Richmond have basements and until the late 1980s, very few buildings were above 3 storeys high. Also, because of proximity to the airport, current building codes limit the height of buildings to .
Climate Richmond has an oceanic climate (Cfb). Because it is not as close to the mountains, it actually receives 30% less rain than neighbouring Vancouver. It rarely snows in winter, and the summer temperatures are mild to warm. Richmond is also very cloudy in the cooler months.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Richmond had a population of 209,937 living in 81,080 of its 85,035 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 198,309. The average age of the population was 43.3 years old, and the median age of the population was 43.6. Of the population, 13.3 per cent was 0 to 14 years of age, 20 per cent was 65 years and over, 2.4 per cent was 85 years and over, and 66.7 per cent was the age 15 to 64 years old. Richmond's 2021 population of 209,937 makes it the fourth-largest city in British Columbia, after Vancouver (662,248), Surrey (568,322) and Burnaby (249,125).
Richmond has a land area of and a population density of in 2021. The average size of a household in Richmond is 2.6 persons. Most households have a household size of 2 persons, and the least households have 5 or more persons. Apartment buildings are the most common structural type of dwellings, made up of 18,590 apartment in a building that has fewer than five storeys, 15,475 apartment in a building that has five or more storeys, and 4,990 apartment or flat in a duplex. Single-detached houses are also popular with 24,435 single-detached houses located in Richmond. Other types of buildings include 1,585, semi-detached houses 15,945 row houses, 20 other single-attached houses, and 45 movable dwellings.
The average price of a detached home in Richmond is $1,581,600.
Richmond has an immigrant population of 60 per cent, the highest in Canada.
Richmond is also home to two of the largest Buddhist temples in North America, the International Buddhist Temple and the Ling Yen Mountain Temple.
Ethnicity Approximately half of Richmond residents identify as having Chinese ancestry with the BBC calling it "North America's most Asian city" in 2012. East Asian Canadians make up a majority of Richmond's population, many of whom immigrated in the late 1980s, mostly from Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Mainland China on top of the Japanese Canadian community who immigrated to Canada nearly a century earlier. Almost three quarters of city's population is of Continental Asian descent, where other Continental Asian Canadians communities residing in Richmond include Indo-Canadians and Filipino Canadians.
Richmond's Japanese community has a long history in Steveston dating back to the 1800s. Following Japan's 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor, the Anti-Japanese sentiment grew, and this community was devastated as residents of Japanese descent were relocated to internment camps in the BC Interior and Alberta and their property sold at auction.
Panethnic groups in the City of Richmond (2001−2021)Panethnic group20212016201120062001 East Asian 118,980 109,415 94,180 80,245 68,785 European 39,465 45,050 54,050 59,335 65,845 Southeast Asian 18,435 15,530 14,820 11,035 8,445 South Asian 15,370 14,360 14,515 13,860 12,120 Middle Eastern 3,875 2,715 2,205 2,115 2,030 Indigenous 1,540 1,595 1,935 1,275 1,165 Latin American 2,155 1,585 1,680 1,265 1,165 Black African 1,775 1,270 1,245 1,390 1,470 Other/multiracial 6,800 5,155 4,675 3,040 2,380 Total responses 208,400 196,660 189,305 173,565 163,395 Total population 209,937 198,309 190,473 174,461 164,345
Languages The 2021 census found that English was spoken as mother tongue by 37.1% of the population. The next most common mother tongue language was Cantonese, spoken by 23.3% of the population, followed by Mandarin at 22.7%.
Mother tongue languages in Richmond (2001–2021)Mother tongue2021 Canadian census2016 Canadian census2011 Canadian census2006 Canadian census2001 Canadian census English 77,485 73,155 75,575 70,485 75,670 Cantonese 48,710 45,365 44,040 42,490 41,125 Mandarin 47,400 40,580 33,940 22,695 15,965 Tagalog 10,340 9,385 8,670 6,010 4,530 Punjabi 5,720 5,730 6,235 6,775 4,515 Min Nan 3,285 2,665 1,935 880 Japanese 2,435 2,320 2,220 1,810 1,890 Spanish 2,330 1,960 2,020 1,840 1,655 Russian 2,075 2,105 2,185 1,700 1,370 Arabic 1,850 1,395 1,085 855 780 Korean 1,615 1,175 905 1,090 790 French 1,610 1,490 1,630 1,350 1,810 Hindi 1,570 1,320 1,265 1,170 1,190 Vietnamese 1,245 865 820 680 725 Urdu 1,210 1,020 965 685 515 Persian 1,205 1,095 1,210 1,110 920 German 1,125 1,415 1,720 2,055 2,095 Portuguese 790 415 355 405 400 Polish 325 360 455 520 565 Dutch 290 390 465 525 660 Total responses209,040197,250189,740173,565163,395Total population209,937198,309190,473174,461164,345
Religion According to the 2021 census, religious groups in Richmond included: Irreligion (111,140 persons or 53.3%) Christianity (64,405 persons or 30.9%) Buddhism (11,590 persons or 5.6%) Islam (7,630 persons or 3.7%) Sikhism (6,985 persons or 3.4%) Hinduism (2,605 persons or 1.3%) Judaism (2,515 persons or 1.2%) Indigenous spirituality (40 persons or <0.1%)
Economy
Richmond supports about 100,000 jobs in various areas, including services, retailing, tourism, light manufacturing, airport services and aviation, agriculture, fishing, and government. Richmond is also a leading centre in the region for high-technology companies, including Norsat and Sierra Wireless.
Before its dissolution, Canadian Airlines operated an office in Richmond. Before it merged into Air Canada Jazz, regional airline Air BC was headquartered in Richmond."World Airline Directory." Flight International. 30 March 1985. "34" . Retrieved 17 June 2009. Prior to its dissolution, Harmony Airways, Pacific Western Airlines and Canadian Pacific Air Lines were all headquartered in Richmond.World Airline Directory. Flight International. 20 March 1975. "497" ."World Airline Directory." Flight International. 30 March 1985. "71" . Retrieved 17 June 2009.