Richmond horse stable owner in heated feud with neighbour
A dispute in Richmond between a horse stable and its neighbour is getting ugly. The owner of Blue Meadow Farm claims his neighbour is breaking several bylaws, and in doing so, causing major issues for his horses and riders.
“It’s extremely frustrating,” said David Kao, whose family owns Blue Meadow Farm.
“They started bringing in dump trucks and machinery.”
Kao says his property used to be a quiet place to ride, give lessons and board horses. That changed, he says, when new neighbours moved in last August.
“When we have children riding, we have to completely stop our riding lesson in order for them to finish dumping,” said Janice Foley, manager of the horse stable.
Foley says the frequent sound of trucks dumping large supplies of wood startles the horses, creating an unsafe environment for the riders.
“One of these days, those people are going to dump and going to cause trouble for the wrong horse and the wrong rider,” said Foley.
The owner of the adjacent property, Daniel Cheung, also owns Canwest Marine Services, which advertises services including storage and distribution solutions. Blue Meadow Farm has put in formal complaints about the neighbour for violating several city bylaws, including ones regarding noise, unsightly premises and using agricultural land for industrial purposes.
“Obviously, we want to figure out, remedy the situation just between neighbours if possible,” said Kao. “But the guy told me to lawyer up. He told me the fines are just petty change to him.”
Kao says one altercation between a worker on the neighbouring property and a horse trainer resulted in him calling the police.
CTV News reached out to Cheung, who said he doesn’t believe he’s doing anything wrong and won’t be making any changes unless he’s forced to by the City of Richmond.
CTV News has learned that Cheung received multiple fines late last year for contravening the unsightly premises bylaw.
“We are aware," said Clay Adams, director of communications for the City of Richmond.
"We have an active file on this location.”
Adams wouldn’t divulge specifics on the case, but says certain situations could result in more severe punishments.
“If you’re in contravention of a zoning requirement of some kind, we’ll then get into much bigger issues, which often involve much larger amounts of money, potentially legal action and so on,” said Adams.
Meanwhile, Foley and Kao say they’ll ride out the feud as long as it takes.
“We are fighting all the way,” said Foley.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.