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Holiday 2025 Newsletter

  • Jan 23
  • 5 min read

It’s been an amazing year, and I want to share what the government and I have been doing. Going back to our community for the holidays, I’m looking forward to connecting with constituents to hear from you about your thoughts and ideas and attend the many amazing holiday events spreading cheer in our region!


We passed an incredible 19 government bills and 1 private member’s bill in the Legislature this fall, and are excited to hit the ground running when we return in February. From making it easier for child care centres to be on school grounds, protecting sick leave, creating jobs, and working on major infrastructure projects, we have many exciting things to share!


I look forward to seeing many of you over the holidays, and doing work in my community this winter.


In this newsletter:

  • Shopping and Eating Local

  • UBCM Panel

  • SFU Medical School

  • Transition Housing in Richmond

  • Intimate Images Protection Act

  • Richmond Hospital Redevelopment

  • Pride Walk

  • Improving Richmond Schools

  • Vaccines and Pharmacist’s Role

  • Traveling Safe During the Holidays


Shopping and Eating Local This Holiday Season

A highlight of the year is always the Steveston Farmers and Artisans market! I was delighted to connect with community members, small businesses and farmers.  

In this holiday season, I encourage you to buy local! There are so many excellent gifts that can be purchased locally from venders here in Richmond. From the small businesses across the city, Steveston Village, and craft fairs, Richmond is ready for the holiday season!

During the holidays, also keep an eye out for buying local food for your dinner entertaining. Buying from small businesses, or watching for BC products at your local grocery store benefits our local economy.

Find what’s in season here in British Columbia at: Home - Buy BC

If any small business in Richmond-Steveston would like one of our shop local signs, please get in touch and we will drop one off to your business. Email your request to: Kelly.Greene.MLA@leg.bc.ca.


UBCM Panel on Climate Hazards and Housing

It was great to join the panel on Climate Hazards and Housing: Risk, Resilience and Local action, and the roundtable on Climate Leadership, at the Union of BC Municipalities in September.

I enjoyed having conversations with leaders and experts in our communities on ways we can collaborate to keep people and communities safe. Thank you to all who joined these events, and to the organizers of the 2025 UBCM!


SFU Medical School

Training more family doctors to deliver healthcare services for British Columbians is one of our government’s top priorities.

We are working towards establishing the new medical school at Simon Fraser University (SFU), and the first class of 48 students are expected to start their studies in the summer of 2026.

This will be the first medical school to open in Western Canada in more than 55 years, and is an important step towards improving primary care across B.C.


Transition Housing In Richmond


Women and children at risk of or leaving violence have access to more safe, secure spaces as 229 new transition and second-stage housing units open on Vancouver Island and in Metro Vancouver. In Richmond, there are 25 second-stage units operated by Turning Pont Housing Society

Support staff will provide residents with a range of services, including emotional support and safety planning to make sure women and children receive the help they need during a difficult and stressful time.


Intimate Images Protection Act

Sharing intimate images without consent is sexualized violence and has no place in BC.

Minister Niki Sharma introduced Bill 17 – Intimate Images Protection Statues  Amendment Act. This piece of legislation is proposing amendments to the Act  that will substantially increase the value of damages that can be awarded by  the Civil Resolution Tribunal and continue to improve the options for victims  to see their cases resolved, while also protecting their privacy and reducing  the risk of further traumatization.



Richmond Hospital Redevelopment Project












The Richmond Hospital redevelopment will add 113 more hospital beds, increasing from 246 to 359 acute-care beds. Medical-care spaces will increase, including three more operating rooms bringing the total to 11. Emergency-department spaces will increase from 62 to 86, with three CT scanners added, along with another MRI for a total of two, and an additional interventional-radiology room will be added to the hospital in future.

This project meets the growing needs of Richmond, and is an important investment for the future.

Updates to the project and construction can be found here:


Pride Walk!

Thank you for everyone who joined us for the 3rd annual Richmond Pride Walk!

It was an amazing day to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community, and it was great to see the wonderful support and love that we have in Richmond.

The walk keeps growing, and we had our largest turnout of nearly 500 people this year. I want to thank our greeter from Musqueam Mack Paul, the speakers, the organizations that set up booths, and our lovely volunteers! We could not have done it without your support and dedication.

Save the date of July 25th, 2026 for 4th annual Pride Walk! Please email our office to get involved in planning this event. First meeting to take place early February, 2026.


Improving Richmond Schools

Over the past seven years, the provincial government has approved $245 million for Richmond School District seismic upgrades and school expansions to create more than 500 new student seats and more than 5,500 seismically safe seats. Schools impacted by this funding are: Whiteside, William Bridge, Dixon, Tomsett, Talmey, and DeBeck Elementary Schools.


Construction is underway at Tomsett elementary, adding 225 seats which will be serving our community starting in early 2026. R.C. Talmey Elementary in Richmond will get a six-classroom addition, adding 150 new seats. Prefabricated classrooms have opened in four schools over the past month, with more underway, adding more than 1,000 new student spaces in growing communities throughout B.C.


I am excited to know that we are providing safe spaces and more classrooms for the growing population of students, teachers, and school staff in the community.


Vaccines and Pharmacist’s Important Role

Ensure to stay up-to-date on vaccinations, and pharmacists are there to help!

This year, I had the pleasure of visiting local pharmacists and their teams at Wellness Pharmacy and Shoppers at Blundell, and learning about their work in the community.

As part of our initiative to continue to improve healthcare, we are giving Pharmacists expanded prescribing powers for minor and common ailments.

For getting your flu and Covid vaccinations, you can visit pharmacies across the city, by making an appointment or by walking-in.

To find out about vaccinations in B.C., and how to know what vaccines you might need, visit:


Remain Cautious and Travel Safe this Holiday Season


People traveling across the province should drive with caution as BC faces multiple weather warnings. Ensure to keep up-to-date with the most recent flood, evacuation and road closure information at EmergencyInfoBC.

For driving and road condition information, ensure to map out your route on drive BC.


Important Resources



Know a Chinese speaker who wants to read government news more easily? Refer them to the official BC government Weibo - @卑诗省府GovernmentofBC 的个人主页 - 微博 (weibo.com) 


For general BC vaccination info, visit this page.


To read and better prepare for household safety, visit PreparedBC webpage.

 
 
 

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I'm passionate about lifting up the voices of those who have not traditionally been heard. If you are a woman or gender diverse and interested in politics, please reach out.

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© 2024 by Kelly Greene, MLA Richmond-Steveston. All rights reserved.

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