Should Richmond, Canada's most Asian of cities have a bylaw requiring businesses to have English on storefront signs

Depending on whom you talk to that is a no-brainer or the answer is definitely yes or the response is why do we need a bylaw.

The issue was raised by the Richmond's Intercultural Advisory Committee in its 2004-2010 work plan.

The committee was set up in February 2002 to strengthen multiculturalism in Richmond where 59% of residents indicated in the last census that they were a visible minority with over 40 percent having an East Asian heritage.

One of the committee's "strategic directions" is to "consider establishing a city bylaw that would require all public stores and businesses to have some basic level of signage in English.

And there is nothing like the spectre of language police to trigger media frenzy.

Mayor Malcolm Brodie, taken aback by all the publicity after the recommendation went public, thinks there is no need for any such bylaw.

The few cases of signage problems, he says, have been solved without much problem.

"When you tell a store owner if you don't have English on your sign you're cutting out a great part of your potential market, it just makes sense that they want to have English on their sign, and they see that point," he said according to one media report.

Shashi Assanand from Richmond's Intercultural Advisory Committee suggested that a bylaw would be only a last resort adding that her committee's suggestion was to make sure "that everyone who comes to Richmond feels welcome."

This brings us to the businesses.

A random sampling of several businesses in Richmond by The Asian Pacific Post showed that none of the operators interviewed had a problem with having English on their signs.

In fact some went to the extent of suggesting that new laws, if enacted, restrict the use of Chinese characters or at least give English equal prominence on store front signage.

Language laws and signage bylaws always tend to create controversy.

In Quebec, the use of English is forbidden or limited on external business and store signs above a certain size as the provincial government strives to promote French as the primary language of work and retail life.

Richmond needs to take a cautious approach when going down this road.

A bylaw at this stage may seem unnecessary and an overkill.

But this issue is likely to be raised again as Richmond continues to draw Asians to its confines.

Richmond's Intercultural Advisory Committee was right to raise this issue and Mayor Brodie is pragmatic when it comes to the issue of the bylaw.

We can only hope that these cooler heads will prevail when it come to signage bylaws to prevent a recurrence of the language fiasco in Quebec.

The Asian Pacific Post wishes all its readers a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We thank you for all your support given to us in 2004 and look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2005. We will back on the stands in mid-January.

The Asian Pacific Post

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