A New Approach to Safer Streets
If you ask Mayor Dianne Watts, she will tell you that safe streets are one of the cornerstones of dynamic, thriving and liveable neighbourhoods. “When I was first elected Mayor, it was clear to me that we needed to do things differently,” said Watts. Watts brought together community groups, law enforcement agencies, non-profit organizations, residents and other levels of government. Successful strategies using best practices from cities like London and New York were crafted into an innovative Crime Reduction Strategy that now has others looking to Surrey for solutions. The results are impressive by any standard:
• 1,254 grow-op have been shut down since 2005
• Over the past 3 years violent crime is down 20%
• B&E declined 41% to 2009 and another 6% in 2010
• Auto theft declined 56% to 2009 and another 18% in 2010
However, Watts is committed to doing more – a new District Police Station will be built near the Newton Transit Exchange, the main RCMP detachment in Surrey is expanding to accommodate dozens of more police officers, and the regional headquarters of the RCMP (E Division) is being built in Surrey.
Said Watts, “An important part of our success was due to partnering with the community and ensuring that we were taking a different approach to issues like homelessness, addiction and at risk youth.”.
Jobs and Investment at the Centre of a New Surrey
When the financial crisis rocked global markets and world economies in 2008, Mayor Dianne Watts responded by ushering in a ground-breaking job creation and investment action plan. At its heart was a commitment to work with businesses large and small to make Surrey a major destination for new investment in British Columbia.
“The foundation of any healthy city is a vibrant and thriving economy – I want young people, entrepreneurs and investors to know that Surrey is a great place to launch new ideas and grow great companies.”, stated Watts.
Following the establishment of two economic investment zones, a first for any city in Canada, Watts appointed Councillor Linda Hepner Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Advisory Committee on Investment and Job Creation and Chair of the recently established Mayor’s Red Tape Advisory Committee. Explained Linda Hepner, “our focus is to make Surrey top-of-mind when people are looking for new opportunities – by removing the needless bureaucracy that is a significant barrier to the growth and to new jobs, businesses small and large can thrive.”
Surrey’s innovative approaches to job creation are working – the Real Estate Investment Network named Surrey the Best Place to Invest in BC three years in a row.
Dynamic Public Spaces and Facilities for Families
Speak to Mayor Dianne Watts for a few minutes and you will quickly discover a strong sense of family – stories about her two daughters inevitably find their way into the conversation.
“The most exciting part of our community is the enthusiasm and energy you see every day in our children and our young people.”, stated Watts.
Whether it’s the new recreation centres in Cloverdale, Fraser Heights, Newton, and the Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre in Whalley, or the new artificial turf fields at Hjorth Road, Tamanawis and South Surrey Athletic Park, Surrey is investing in state-of-the facilities for its young and growing community.
Councillor Mary Martin, the energetic Chair of the Parks and Recreation Committee and who is running for re-election in November, has worked to make Surrey’s major festivals venues for families to gather and celebrate – Canada Day and Fusion Festival in the summer, Winter Fest in February, and Party for the Planet and Surrey Children’s Festival in the spring. “Our focus on family-friendly events is at the core of how we are planning the growth of our community.”, said Mary Martin.
Surrey’s New Approach to Homelessness Working
One of the greatest feelings of accomplishment for veteran Councillor Judy Villeneuve has been to see Surrey establish a Homelessness and Housing Foundation with a $9 million endowment.
“We were the first city to take this approach and it represents a commitment to ensure that the most vulnerable in our community are not forgotten.”, stated Villeneuve. The initiative is having an impact, over the past two years outreach workers have placed 356 homeless in permanent housing.
Said Watts, “It is easy to criticize other levels of government for not doing enough, but in Surrey we just decided we would find a solution that would work for our community.”
Both Watts and Villeneuve were also pleased to see work commence on the new 94-bed Sobering Centre in Surrey, the first of its kind in the region, that will provide an entrance point to rehabilitation and new beds for people with addictions.
Young and Diverse Population Moving Surrey Forward
To say that Surrey’s population is very diverse is an understatement – 43% of residents have a first language other than English making it one of the most dynamic cities in the region. Walk around Surrey these days and you get a more cosmopolitan feel, a sense of connectivity with the opportunities presented by being linked to cities and countries around the world.
According to Mayor Watts, cities are exciting places where ideas are born and where creativity thrives.Surrey’s diversity led Watts to launch a Business Mission to India. “I wanted to leverage the strong ties many Surrey business leaders have in India – the untapped potential for trade and investment is enormous.”.
Bruce Hayne, who is running for Council on Watts’ Surrey First coalition, believes that Surrey is making all the right moves to succeed in a more competitive and changing global economy.
Hayne believes that Surrey has the winning formula for a strong job market in the future. “We have two of the busiest borders crossings in Canada, a large port facility, a low tax base and some of the best industrial land in the region, which, when combined with our diverse and talented workforce, gives us a significant strategic advantage over other cities.”
Light Rail – Coming to a Station Near You
Light rail is an idea whose time has come not only for Surrey but for the region according to Mayor Dianne Watts. “Yes, we need to continue to invest in new roads and infrastructure like the 78-year-oldPatullo Bridge, but let’s be honest, we will not be able to build enough roads to ease the looming traffic crunch coming as Metro Vancouver grows over the next 20 years.”
The last Skytrain Station was built in Surrey in 1994 and since that time the community has grown dramatically. The lack of spending on public transit from senior levels of government has been a point of contention for Watts and her Surrey First colleagues.
For Councillor Barinder Rasode light rail is an important part of the suite of transportation and transit choices that are necessary if we are to have a sustainable system of moving people within Surrey and around the region.
“It’s much cheaper than Skytrain, and, since 80% of the commuting trips that start South of the Fraser end South of the Fraser, this is an approach that will work for Surrey residents.”, said Barinder Rasode, a member of Surrey’s Transportation Committee and a long-time advocate for a light rail system in Surrey.
Clean Energy to Power our Future
There is often more talk than action when it comes to clean energy technology, but not in Surrey.
Councillor Marvin Hunt points to Surrey’s recent award from the Clean Energy Association of British Columbia as ‘Community of the Year Award’, for providing leadership on clean energy initiatives, as proof that Surrey’s future will be powered by clean energy.
Said Marvin Hunt, “We are moving ahead aggressively with our plans to establish a Clean Tech Business Centre in Campbell Heights – an R&D Complex to attract and retain leading businesses in the new energy and high-tech sectors.”
Marvin Hunt believes that local government is uniquely positioned to demonstrate leadership in this area. Surrey City Council passed an innovative new fuel initiative requiring all new service stations to provide at least one alternative fuel source, such as hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG), or electric vehicle recharging.
The City of Surrey is also only one of four in the country to receive the prestigious Fleet Gold Rating from the Fraser Basin Council
Said Watts, “We not only have a unique opportunity but also an enormous obligation to take action now to build a cleaner future for our children.”
Preserving Green Space and Farmland
With all the focus on growth in Surrey, not too many people would guess that Surrey has 7,800 acres of parks and wildlife areas and has the largest urban wildlife corridor of any major city in Canada.
However, Mayor Dianne Watts is committed to ensuring that the agricultural heritage of Surrey is preserved and farmland remains protected. “Since I have been Mayor not a single acre of land has been removed from the Agricultural Land Reserve for residential, commercial or industrial development and 35% of Surrey’s land base remains agricultural.”, stated Watts.
Councillor Barbara Steele agrees that balancing new job creation with the preservation of farmland is the foundation for sustainable cities.
“I am extremely proud that while we have invested $128 million in improving local roads we have been able to create a substantial network of walking and cycling opportunities for residents.”, Barbara Steele stated.
Indeed, Surrey has expanded its cycling capacity significantly in recent years:
· 29 km of pedestrian and cycling paths,
· 92 km of on-street bike lanes,
· 28 km of park paths,
· New pedestrian and cycling links – Tynehead overpass across Hwy #1 and the Pioneer overpass across Hwy #99.
Tax Dollars Going Farther at City Hall
Amid the uncertainty stemming from the global financial crisis, governments around the world are looking for ways to stem the tide of runaway debt and restore confidence in the economy.
In contrast, Surrey has one of the strongest balance sheets of any city in Canada. Finance Chair Councillor Tom Gill credits this to a strong commitment to fiscal responsibility shared by him and his Surrey First colleagues.
“We just don’t believe that governments can spend their way to a strong economy. The fact that property taxes on the average family home in Surrey are the lowest in Metro Vancouver means we are moving in the right direction,” stated Tom Gill a Certified Management Accountant. Tom Gill has also played an important role in guiding Surrey to a national award for presenting its financial statements in a clear and easy-to-read format for residents.
For Mayor Dianne Watts it’s about respecting the taxpayer. “We remain one of the few cities in Canada to have a Whistleblower Policy to protect employees who report fraud or waste of tax dollars at City Hall – what could be more basic than that?,” asks Watts.
Watts surprised many when she became one of the few municipal leaders to support the provincial government’s call for the establishment of a Municipal Auditor General
Said Watts, “If we expect residents to become more engaged in their communities and in local government, they must have as much information as possible to make informed decisions.”