[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":351},["ShallowReactive",2],{"news-list":3,"article-\u002Fnews\u002Fmassey-tunnel-bridge-richmond-november-2026":166,"article-people-\u002Fnews\u002Fmassey-tunnel-bridge-richmond-november-2026":350},[4,22,32,43,55,70,83,93,106,117,131,143,155],{"path":5,"title":6,"description":7,"date":8,"publishedAt":9,"author":10,"category":11,"tags":12,"image":17,"imageAlt":18,"imageCredit":19,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Fmassey-tunnel-bridge-richmond-november-2026","The Fraser River crossing question: what replacing the George Massey Tunnel means for Richmond","BC's incoming Conservative government has promised to cancel the $8.5 billion tunnel replacement and build a bridge instead. Experts say switching now would waste hundreds of millions already spent.","2026-11-08","2026-11-08T07:40:00-07:00","voche.me editors","Long read",[13,14,15,16],"Transportation","George Massey Tunnel","Highway 99","Infrastructure","\u002Fimages\u002Fnews\u002Fbc-richmond-2026\u002Fai\u002Fmassey-tunnel-bridge-richmond-november-2026.webp","Illustration of a highway crossing a wide river delta, with flat farmland and distant mountains","Illustration made with AI for voche.me",null,false,{"path":23,"title":24,"description":25,"date":8,"publishedAt":26,"author":10,"category":27,"tags":28,"image":20,"imageAlt":31,"imageCredit":20,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Fremembrance-day-richmond-cenotaph-november-2026","Road closures around City Hall as Richmond holds its Remembrance Day ceremony on November 11","No. 3 Road and Granville Avenue close near the cenotaph from 8 am to 1:30 pm. The ceremony starts at 10:40 am and the public is welcome.","2026-11-08T08:10:00-07:00","Events",[29,27,30],"Remembrance Day","Road Closures","Illustration of a stone cenotaph with poppy wreaths in front of a civic building on a grey morning",{"path":33,"title":34,"description":35,"date":36,"publishedAt":37,"author":10,"category":11,"tags":38,"image":20,"imageAlt":42,"imageCredit":20,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-council-consumption-site-vote-november-2026","Richmond City Council to vote Monday on declaring no supervised consumption site","Richmond City Council will hold a final vote on November 9 on a declaration that it will not explore a supervised consumption site in the city, after an earlier committee meeting advanced the motion over one councillor's request for a delay.","2026-11-07","2026-11-07T08:40:00-07:00",[39,40,41],"Richmond City Council","public safety","supervised consumption site","Illustration of an empty city council chamber",{"path":44,"title":45,"description":46,"date":36,"publishedAt":47,"author":10,"category":48,"tags":49,"image":53,"imageAlt":54,"imageCredit":19,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-school-district-pay-transparency-november-2026","Richmond School District report shows women earn 8 per cent less per hour than men","The Richmond School District's 2025\u002F2026 Pay Transparency Report shows women earn 8 per cent less per hour than men on average, with larger gaps in overtime pay.","2026-11-07T08:44:00-07:00","Election news",[50,51,52],"Richmond Board of Education","pay equity","Richmond School District","\u002Fimages\u002Fnews\u002Fbc-richmond-2026\u002Fai\u002Frichmond-school-district-pay-transparency-november-2026.webp","Illustration of a school building exterior",{"path":56,"title":57,"description":58,"date":59,"publishedAt":60,"author":10,"category":11,"tags":61,"image":20,"imageAlt":69,"imageCredit":20,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-board-of-education-inaugural-meeting-november-2026","Richmond Board of Education holds inaugural meeting, elects Rod Belleza as new chair","Trustees took their oaths on November 4, elected new leadership, and face an eight per cent gender pay gap across school district staff revealed by a new provincial report.","2026-11-06","2026-11-06T07:41:00-07:00",[50,62,63,64,65,66,67,68],"School District 38","rod-belleza","dean-billings","ken-hamaguchi","heather-larson","donna-sargent","alice-wong","Illustration of an empty school board meeting room with name plaques on a long table",{"path":71,"title":72,"description":73,"date":59,"publishedAt":74,"author":10,"category":48,"tags":75,"image":81,"imageAlt":82,"imageCredit":19,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-lulu-design-awards-november-2026","City of Richmond gives out 2026 Lulu Awards for urban design","Four projects received Lulu Awards at a City council meeting on October 26, including a trail over a historic ditch and a Brighouse riverside complex.","2026-11-06T07:44:00-07:00",[76,77,78,79,80],"City of Richmond","urban design","Richmond city council","Brighouse","Oval Precinct","\u002Fimages\u002Fnews\u002Fbc-richmond-2026\u002Fai\u002Frichmond-lulu-design-awards-november-2026.webp","Illustration of a pathway bridge over an urban ditch surrounded by trees",{"path":84,"title":85,"description":86,"date":87,"publishedAt":88,"author":10,"category":48,"tags":89,"image":20,"imageAlt":92,"imageCredit":20,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-schools-track-field-ribbons-2026-11-05","Richmond School District restores competitive track meets with placement ribbons for spring 2027","The Richmond School District will bring back placement ribbons and separate boys' and girls' events for elementary school track meets in spring 2027, after 87 per cent of students surveyed said they wanted ribbons restored.","2026-11-05","2026-11-05T07:29:00-07:00",[50,90,91],"Schools","Community","Illustration of colourful placement ribbons on a table in a school gym",{"path":94,"title":95,"description":96,"date":87,"publishedAt":97,"author":10,"category":11,"tags":98,"image":103,"imageAlt":104,"imageCredit":105,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frob-howard-richmond-inauguration-priorities-november-2026","Rob Howard sworn in as Richmond's new mayor with plan for trade centre, spending review and housing","Mayor Rob Howard outlined his priorities for the 2026-2030 term at Richmond City Hall on November 2: a trade and exhibition centre, an independent spending review, housing for seniors, and a council vote on supervised injection sites.","2026-11-05T07:25:00-07:00",[99,39,100,101,102],"Mayor","Housing","Public safety","Taxes and spending","https:\u002F\u002Fimages-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F11\u002Frichmond-mayor-rob-howard-inauguration-nov-2-2026-f.jpg?format=auto","Mayor Rob Howard speaking at his inauguration at Richmond City Hall on November 2, 2026","City of Richmond \u002F Daily Hive",{"path":107,"title":108,"description":109,"date":87,"publishedAt":110,"author":10,"category":48,"tags":111,"image":114,"imageAlt":115,"imageCredit":116,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Ftourism-richmond-launchpad-program-november-2026","Tourism Richmond opens applications for mentorship program to build new local experiences","Tourism Richmond is accepting applications for its Pacific. Authentic. Experiences Launchpad program, which will give three selected participants eight months of mentorship and $5,000 to launch tourism experiences in the city. Applications close November 27.","2026-11-05T07:33:00-07:00",[112,113,91],"Tourism","Business","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.vmcdn.ca\u002Ff\u002Ffiles\u002Frichmondnews\u002Fimages\u002Ftourism\u002Fnancy_headshot.jpg","Tourism Richmond CEO Nancy Small","Richmond News",{"path":118,"title":119,"description":120,"date":121,"publishedAt":122,"author":10,"category":11,"tags":123,"image":129,"imageAlt":130,"imageCredit":105,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-new-council-first-week-november-2026","Richmond's new council sets its first priorities in its opening week","Mayor Rob Howard outlined plans for a trade and exhibition centre, an arts centre and a city spending review. Councillor Laura Gillanders brought a motion saying Richmond will not pursue a supervised consumption site.","2026-11-04","2026-11-04T08:25:00-07:00",[99,124,125,126,127,101,128],"City Council","Rob Howard","Laura Gillanders","Richmond City Hall","Arts and culture","https:\u002F\u002Fimages-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F11\u002Frichmond-mayor-rob-howard-inauguration-nov-2-2026-f.jpg","Mayor Rob Howard speaking at his inauguration ceremony at Richmond City Hall on November 2, 2026",{"path":132,"title":133,"description":134,"date":135,"publishedAt":136,"author":10,"category":48,"tags":137,"image":141,"imageAlt":142,"imageCredit":19,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Fsenior-link-society-board-richmond-november-2026","Richmond society serving isolated seniors is looking for new board members","Senior Link Society, which has served lonely Richmond seniors for 26 years, is recruiting board members after its president announced they are leaving.","2026-11-01","2026-11-01T08:22:00-07:00",[138,139,140],"community","seniors","Richmond","\u002Fimages\u002Fnews\u002Fbc-richmond-2026\u002Fai\u002Fsenior-link-society-board-richmond-november-2026.webp","Illustration of an empty community room with chairs around a table and a coffee urn",{"path":144,"title":145,"description":146,"date":147,"publishedAt":148,"author":10,"category":48,"tags":149,"image":20,"imageAlt":154,"imageCredit":20,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Frichmond-rcmp-online-marketplace-fraud-2026-10-31","Richmond RCMP warn of online marketplace fraud after $22,000 in reported losses","Fraudsters have handed buyers envelopes of worthless paper instead of payment in multiple incidents since November 2025. RCMP advise using the Exchange Zone at the No. 5 Road detachment.","2026-10-31","2026-10-31T08:26:00-07:00",[150,151,152,153,138],"Richmond RCMP","fraud","safety","online marketplace","Illustration of a police detachment exchange zone for safe online marketplace transactions",{"path":156,"title":157,"description":158,"date":147,"publishedAt":159,"author":10,"category":48,"tags":160,"image":164,"imageAlt":165,"imageCredit":105,"updated":20,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"pinned":21},"\u002Fnews\u002Fwatermania-expropriation-richmond-2026-10-31","Richmond moves to take ownership of Watermania through expropriation","The City filed an expropriation notice in July 2026 to acquire the aquatic centre at Riverport before its lease expires in March 2027.","2026-10-31T08:25:00-07:00",[76,161,162,163,138],"recreation","aquatic centre","expropriation","https:\u002F\u002Fimages-dh-production-baselayer.dailyhive.com\u002Fuploads\u002F2026\u002F10\u002Fwatermania-aquatic-centre-richmond-f-1.jpg?format=auto","Watermania aquatic centre at the Riverport Sports and Entertainment Complex in Richmond, BC",{"id":167,"title":6,"aiMetadata":168,"author":10,"body":180,"candidates":291,"category":11,"date":8,"description":7,"extension":292,"faq":293,"image":17,"imageAlt":18,"imageCheckedAt":20,"imageCredit":19,"imageScene":318,"linkedin":319,"linkedinPostUrl":20,"meta":327,"metaDescription":20,"navigation":329,"path":5,"pinned":21,"primarySourceUrl":330,"publishedAt":9,"seo":331,"seoTitle":20,"sourceId":332,"sourceIsPaywalled":21,"sources":333,"stem":345,"storyType":346,"tags":347,"topicKey":348,"updated":20,"__hash__":349},"news\u002Fnews\u002Fmassey-tunnel-bridge-richmond-november-2026.md",{"summary":169,"keyTopics":170,"semanticKeywords":174},"The incoming BC Conservative government plans to cancel the $8.5 billion George Massey Tunnel replacement and build a bridge instead. Experts warn that switching now would delay completion by two to four years and waste spending already made on the tunnel project.",[14,171,15,172,173],"Fraser River crossing","Richmond transportation","BC Conservative government",[175,176,177,178,179],"Massey Tunnel replacement","Fraser River bridge","Highway 99 Richmond","BC infrastructure","transportation Richmond BC",{"type":181,"value":182,"toc":282},"minimark",[183,187,190,195,198,201,204,208,211,224,228,231,234,237,240,243,247,250,253,256,259,262,266,269,272,275],[184,185,186],"p",{},"The road under the Fraser River that Richmond drivers take every day is at the centre of a decision that will be made by BC's new provincial government within weeks of taking office.",[184,188,189],{},"The George Massey Tunnel on Highway 99 connects Richmond to Delta. The BC Conservative Party, which won the October 24 provincial election, has promised to cancel the $8.5 billion tunnel replacement project already under construction and build a 10-lane bridge instead. Experts and engineers are publicly disagreeing about whether that switch makes sense, and the numbers involved are large enough to affect what gets built, and when, for years.",[191,192,194],"h2",{"id":193},"what-is-happening-right-now","What is happening right now",[184,196,197],{},"Early construction on the tunnel replacement began in January 2026, according to the Vancouver Sun. Workers have cleared land, moved utilities, built access roads and started preparation for the casting basin where tunnel tube segments would be made. The Richmond News reports that about 200 workers are on the site, and the workforce was expected to increase by 30 more soon.",[184,199,200],{},"The Transportation Investment Corp. monthly status report for June 2026 records total project spending of $580.7 million as of that date, with $37.5 million spent in June alone. UBC Sauder School of Business professor Werner Antweiler told the Vancouver Sun that spending would reach $700 million by November.",[184,202,203],{},"The outgoing NDP government has not halted work. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson told the Vancouver Sun this week that the incoming Conservatives are \"not actually in power and not in a position to make any decisions with respect to the workforce that are there,\" but said a decision will come shortly after the new government is sworn in on November 20.",[191,205,207],{"id":206},"why-richmond-is-at-the-centre-of-this","Why Richmond is at the centre of this",[184,209,210],{},"Highway 99 and the Massey Tunnel are not just a regional route. The Richmond News reports that 60 percent of northbound traffic on Highway 99 goes to Richmond, with only 40 percent continuing to Vancouver. For residents and businesses in Richmond, the tunnel is one of the main ways people and goods move each day.",[184,212,213,214,218,219,223],{},"Mayor ",[215,216,125],"a",{"href":217},"\u002Fbc\u002Frichmond-2026\u002Fcandidates\u002Frob-howard",", whose platform included a ",[215,220,222],{"href":221},"\u002Fbc\u002Frichmond-2026\u002Fcandidates\u002Frob-howard#promise-traffic-flow-community-policing","promise to improve traffic flow",", has not yet made a public statement on the Conservatives' bridge plan.",[191,225,227],{"id":226},"the-case-for-a-bridge","The case for a bridge",[184,229,230],{},"Geoff Freer was project director for the original bridge proposal from 2012 until 2017, when the NDP government cancelled it. Freer, now CEO of the Firth Group, told the Richmond News a bridge is both faster to predict and cheaper to build than a tunnel in the conditions along the Fraser River.",[184,232,233],{},"\"When you look at digging a trench in the Fraser River and floating tunnel sections into place, in a moving river, with salmon, and you look at a bridge that spans the entire river, it's pretty plain that a tunnel doesn't make sense,\" Freer told the Richmond News.",[184,235,236],{},"He said the original bridge design could be taken out of files and updated, noting that it had already received its environmental assessment certificate. The main reason that certificate was required was for removing the old tunnel, not for the bridge structure itself, Freer said.",[184,238,239],{},"Freer also cited the original consultation process: 1,000 people at five environmental review open houses, 570 public submissions, 1,500 comments from a working group and 6,000 visitors at a project information office between 2014 and 2017.",[184,241,242],{},"The original bridge also had the support of emergency responders and the public, Freer said. He added that the soil conditions and tidal movement in the Fraser River make the tunnel project far riskier to build.",[191,244,246],{"id":245},"the-case-for-staying-with-the-tunnel","The case for staying with the tunnel",[184,248,249],{},"Anthony Perl, a professor of urban studies and political science at Simon Fraser University, told the Vancouver Sun the switch could become another expensive, politically motivated white elephant for the province. He pointed to BC's record of large cost overruns: Site C nearly doubled to $16 billion, and the fast ferries more than doubled to $463 million before they were sold for $20 million.",[184,251,252],{},"Antweiler told the Vancouver Sun that switching to a bridge would require restarting the environmental assessment process and new consultations with First Nations, adding two to four years to the project. That means completion would shift from 2031 to somewhere between 2033 and 2035. Any delay also means more inflation on construction costs, he said.",[184,254,255],{},"Antweiler said that while some work already done could be used for a bridge, other work, such as piles already driven for the tunnel, would need to be removed.",[184,257,258],{},"\"There's no question that we'd be throwing away money,\" Perl told the Vancouver Sun.",[184,260,261],{},"The federal government has said its $3 billion contribution will be available whether the crossing is a bridge or a tunnel, Federal Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon confirmed at an October 30 announcement, according to the Richmond News.",[191,263,265],{"id":264},"what-comes-next","What comes next",[184,267,268],{},"The tunnel project was on track to receive its environmental assessment certificate by the end of 2026, according to the Vancouver Sun.",[184,270,271],{},"The new BC Conservative government takes office on November 20. Doerkson has said he will decide what happens to the tunnel project shortly after that date.",[184,273,274],{},"Workers on the site and their union have called for a discussion before any decision is made. Bryan Railton, business manager for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 115, told the Vancouver Sun that the workforce has had no direction to halt work and that there is \"a lot of uncertainty and angst among the project workers right now.\"",[184,276,277,278,281],{},"Richmond residents can follow the decision at ",[215,279,280],{"href":280},"\u002Fbc\u002Frichmond-2026\u002Fnews",". The new government's announcement, once made, will determine whether the tunnel replacement continues on its current timeline or restarts as a bridge project.",{"title":283,"searchDepth":284,"depth":284,"links":285},"",2,[286,287,288,289,290],{"id":193,"depth":284,"text":194},{"id":206,"depth":284,"text":207},{"id":226,"depth":284,"text":227},{"id":245,"depth":284,"text":246},{"id":264,"depth":284,"text":265},[],"md",[294,297,300,303,306,309,312,315],{"question":295,"answer":296},"What is the George Massey Tunnel and why does it matter to Richmond?","The George Massey Tunnel runs under the Fraser River on Highway 99 and connects Richmond to Delta. The Richmond News reports that 60 percent of northbound traffic on Highway 99 is headed to Richmond, and only 40 percent to Vancouver. The tunnel is one of the main ways people and goods move in and out of Richmond each day.",{"question":298,"answer":299},"What is the BC Conservative government's plan for the Massey Tunnel?","The BC Conservative Party, which won the provincial election on October 24, 2026, has promised to cancel the $8.5 billion tunnel replacement project and build a 10-lane bridge over the Fraser River instead. Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson has said he hopes the bridge can be finished within the same five-year timeframe as the tunnel, for $6 billion, according to the Vancouver Sun.",{"question":301,"answer":302},"How much has already been spent on the tunnel project?","The Transportation Investment Corp. monthly status report for June 2026 shows total project spending of $580.7 million as of that date. Werner Antweiler, a professor at UBC's Sauder School of Business, told the Vancouver Sun that spending would reach $700 million by November 2026.",{"question":304,"answer":305},"What do experts say about switching to a bridge?","Anthony Perl, a professor of urban studies and political science at Simon Fraser University, told the Vancouver Sun the switch could turn into an expensive, politically motivated project that the province regrets, like Site C and the fast ferries. Werner Antweiler, a professor at UBC's Sauder School of Business, told the Vancouver Sun he estimates the switch would add two to four years to the project, pushing completion to 2033 to 2035 instead of 2031.",{"question":307,"answer":308},"What is the case for a bridge, according to those who worked on the original project?","Geoff Freer, who was project director for the original bridge proposal from 2012 to 2017, told the Richmond News that a bridge is easier to build, easier to predict costs for, and less risky than a tunnel in the soil conditions and tidal environment of the Fraser River. He said the environmental assessment certificate from the original bridge project could be reused and that 'a bridge will definitely be cheaper than a tunnel, by far.'",{"question":310,"answer":311},"What work has been done on the tunnel replacement so far?","Early construction began in January 2026, according to the Vancouver Sun. Work has included tree clearing, utility relocations, preparation of a casting basin for tunnel sections, building three jetties, a trestle bridge to Deas Island, access roads and retaining walls. The Vancouver Sun reports that about 200 workers are on the job and the workforce was expected to increase by another 30 soon.",{"question":313,"answer":314},"What is the federal government's position on the crossing?","Federal Minister of Transport Steven MacKinnon confirmed at an October 30 announcement that the federal government's $3 billion contribution will be available whether the crossing is built as a bridge or a tunnel, according to the Richmond News.",{"question":316,"answer":317},"When will the new BC government decide what to do?","Premier-designate Lorne Doerkson told the Vancouver Sun he will decide what happens to the tunnel project shortly after the new government is sworn in on November 20, 2026. BC Transportation Ministry officials have declined to comment during the government transition period.","A concrete highway overpass crossing a wide river on a grey November morning, with flat farmland on both sides and mountains visible in the distance.",{"short":320,"long":321,"hashtags":322},"BC's new government wants to build a bridge over the Fraser River instead of the tunnel already under construction. Here is what that decision means for Richmond commuters.","The George Massey Tunnel carries tens of thousands of vehicles between Richmond and Delta every day. The incoming BC Conservative government has promised to cancel the $8.5 billion tunnel replacement project and build a 10-lane bridge instead. Experts say the switch could delay completion by two to four years and waste hundreds of millions already spent. Here is what we know about what comes next.",[323,324,325,326],"RichmondBC","MasseyTunnel","Highway99","BCPoli",{"sourceName":328},"voche.me",true,"https:\u002F\u002Fwww.richmond-news.com\u002Flocal-news\u002Fa-revived-10-lane-fraser-river-crossing-is-not-a-bridge-too-far-12975761",{"title":6,"description":7},"feature:2026-11-08",[334,336,339,342],{"label":335,"url":330},"Richmond News: A revived 10-lane Fraser River crossing is not a bridge too far",{"label":337,"url":338},"Vancouver Sun: Hundreds of millions of dollars will go to waste with switch to Massey bridge: Experts","https:\u002F\u002Fvancouversun.com\u002Fnews\u002Fhundreds-of-millions-of-dollars-will-go-to-waste-with-switch-to-bridge-experts",{"label":340,"url":341},"Transportation Investment Corp.: Fraser River Tunnel Project Monthly Status Report, June 2026","https:\u002F\u002Fwww.highway99tunnel.ca\u002Fapp\u002Fuploads\u002Fsites\u002F748\u002F2026\u002F08\u002FFRTP_Monthly-Status-Report_June_2026.pdf",{"label":343,"url":344},"EPIC - BC Environmental Assessment Office: Fraser River Tunnel Project","https:\u002F\u002Fprojects.eao.gov.bc.ca\u002Fp\u002F620aa098fd30c700220f2805\u002Fproject-details","news\u002Fmassey-tunnel-bridge-richmond-november-2026","feature",[13,14,15,16],"massey-tunnel-bridge-november-2026\u002Ffeature","uffoQmX4Jab2yksPBLamDCD3yjbSNoHTdvsE8SeMUr0",[],1794155642655]