Richmond (British Columbia)

Richmond (British Columbia), city, part of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located on the Strait of Georgia, south of Vancouver. The city is made up of Sea Island, Lulu Island, and smaller islands in the Fraser River delta. It is a residential community, but it is also a center for aerospace, communications, and other high-tech industries, as well as light manufacturing. Tourism had grown as an industry by the end of the 20th century. The city is served by Vancouver International Airport, which is located on Sea Island.

Richmond’s Library Cultural Centre is the site of an art gallery and a museum. Richmond is home to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery National Historic Site and the Britannia Heritage Shipyard National Historic Site. Among its many parks are Garry Point Park; the Richmond Nature Park; and Minoru Park, which is the site of the Minoru Chapel. Watermania, an aquatic center, is located in the Riverport Entertainment Complex. Annual events include a salmon festival in July, the fall Cranberry Harvest Festival, and the Winterfest.

The Coast Salish peoples originally inhabited the area, and European Canadians later settled there. Richmond incorporated as a municipality in 1879, and the community grew as a fishing and farming center. It was linked first by bridge and then by railway to the mainland. Richmond incorporated as a city in 1990 and experienced substantial growth in the early part of that decade.

Richmond covers a land area of 124.2 sq km (48 sq mi). Population 126,624 (1991); 164,345 (2001).