Dickens Cheung, running for mayor with We Are Richmond, outlines positions on public safety resourcing, housing options, reconciliation and cannabis retail in a municipal candidates questionnaire published by the Richmond News.
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Richmond mayoral hopeful Dickens Cheung is among the municipal candidates answering a questionnaire intended to introduce candidates to voters ahead of the 2026 civic election. The Richmond News says all municipal candidates were given the opportunity to respond and that the responses will be published online from Sept. 28 to Oct. 8.
Cheung, who lists his home neighbourhood as Brighouse/City Centre and his profession as a business owner/entrepreneur, said he is running “for my children, and for their generation,” adding that he believes Richmond has been governed by the “same insiders for 25 years.” He also pointed to voter turnout in 2022 of about 24 per cent, arguing that “too many residents have stopped believing city hall works for them.”
In his responses, Cheung described himself as “not a career politician,” framing his mayoral role as one focused on honesty, accountability and transparency, and on guiding council’s priorities and spending. He said he would serve residents rather than “insiders,” and described his approach to the mayoralty as leading with “honesty, accountability and transparency” while also acting as Richmond’s advocate to senior governments.
On public safety, Cheung said Richmond is a safe place to live, work and play, and addressed whether he would increase taxes to fund more police officers and firefighters. He said he would ensure Richmond RCMP and Fire-Rescue have the people they need, noting that the RCMP requested eight new officers, while council added four “genuinely new ones” and covered the remainder by shifting gaming-funded positions. Cheung also said he supports expanding round-the-clock mental-health crisis response and pairing officers with health professionals, arguing this approach can direct people to appropriate care and may reduce costs compared with relying only on armed responders.
Cheung also answered questions that connect to reconciliation and governance issues. He said he would continue the city’s appeal of the Cowichan Tribes ruling, and said he supports increased reconciliation efforts with First Nations.
On housing, Cheung said new small-scale multi-unit housing (SSMUH) developments are fitting into Richmond, and he supports lowering fees for developers to support faster housing development. He also indicated support for the city allowing more City-owned land to be used for affordable housing and for continuing temporary modular housing contracts, while adding conditions tied to site operations.
Cheung’s modular housing position included a specific requirement for staffing and services. He said continuation should come with “proper operation,” including “24/7 staffing, wraparound mental-health and addiction services, active management, and genuine consultation with the surrounding neighbourhood.” He said residents’ concerns about safety and disorder at poorly run sites should be taken seriously and argued that communities should not be asked to accept “neglect” around temporary housing locations.
The questionnaire responses also addressed mobility and transportation. Cheung said he supports adding more bike lanes in Richmond, and he said the city needs to reduce traffic congestion and add more buses.
On taxes and city services, Cheung said he supports lower property taxes and more recreational facilities, along with increased funding for arts programming. He also said Richmond should have more taxpayer-funded free community events.
Cheung’s responses included questions about the level of support from other governments. He said Richmond does not get enough support from senior governments for housing, health and transportation, while he said he does not support reducing environmentally sensitive areas (ESAs) on private property.
Cheung also answered questions related to local business policy and development on the Fraser River. He said he does not support allowing retail cannabis stores in Richmond. On industrial or commercial development along the Fraser River waterfront, he said he values Richmond’s working waterfront for jobs and the local economy, but described the Fraser River as an ecological treasure and noted that much of the waterfront is under federal jurisdiction. His stance was described as seeking balance through “rigorous environmental review,” “genuine community consultation” and “clear public benefit,” and he said he would oppose projects that do not meet that standard.
Cheung also said he supports the city creating more low-cost or subsidized commercial space for local entrepreneurs and startups. Finally, he said Richmond should hold more public consultations before major infrastructure decisions.
The questionnaire format, as described alongside the responses, asked candidates to provide yes/no answers to a series of questions, with the option to answer three questions using up to 150 words. Cheung’s entry includes narrative answers on topics including public safety resourcing, housing—particularly temporary modular housing—and development along the Fraser River waterfront, along with yes/no positions on other policy questions included in the questionnaire.
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