The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2016 Citizens ReportMAPLE RIDGECITY OF 2016 Citizens Report British Columbia, Canada as of December 31, 2016 2 | Citizens Report 2016 Vision 2025 The City of Maple Ridge is among the most sustainable communities in the world. As a community committed to working toward achieving carbon neutrality, residents experience the value of a strong and vibrant local economy and the benefits of an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and creation of stable and special neighbourhoods. Maple Ridge is a world leading example of thoughtful development and a socially cohesive community, especially as it relates to the use of leading edge “environmental technologies,” social networks and economic development. Other municipalities consistently reference the City of Maple Ridge for its innovative approaches to dealing with seemingly intractable challenges. MISSION A safe, livable and sustainable community for our present and future citizens. VALUE STATEMENTS Leadership: To encourage innovation, creativity and initiative.Service: To be fair, friendly and helpful.Reputation: To stress excellence, integrity, accountability and honesty.Human Resources: To recognize that our people are our most valuable resource.Community: To respect and promote our community.Stewardship: To consider the long-term consequences of actions, think broadly across issues, disciplines and boundaries and act accordingly. Citizens Report 2016 | 3 Table of Contents Mayor’s Welcome 4 Fast Facts: Council 6 Fast Facts: Administration 8 Fast Facts: Corporate & Financial Services 9 Fast Facts: Parks, Recreation & Culture 10 Fast Facts: Public Works & Development Services 11 Fast Facts: Maple Ridge Fire Department 12 Fast Facts: RCMP/Police Services 13 Launching a New Era 14 A Strong Message of Inclusiveness 16 Financial Spotlight 17 A Look Back at 2016 29 The Evolution Continues 36 The Best of Maple Ridge 38 Winter 2016 Tests Our Team 40 Reflections on My First Year 42 Services & Contact Information 43 Remembering Tom Cameron 44 4 | Citizens Report 2016 Welcome to the 2016 Citizen’s Report. I get the honour of providing the introduction to our publication and our Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer Ted Swabey shares his thoughts on the year, his ﬁrst year with the City of Maple Ridge, at the end of this publication (see page 42). On the pages in between our articles you will ﬁnd information that will help you understand the work of City departments, the City’s ﬁnancial position as of December 31, 2016, the people and events that made 2016 memorable and stories that highlight the work our staff accomplished in the last year. Early in 2016 the City and School District No. 42 cohosted a community consultation with the residents of the Albion neighbourhood to create a vision around a possible new community centre to be co-located with a new elementary school that we’ve all been lobbying for. As we ﬁnished the work on this publication, in late February 2017, we learned that the Provincial Government had committed to building the new school, an investment of nearly $25 million with School A Look Back at 2016 District No. 42. That announcement now sets the stage for the City to move forward with a proposed $10 million investment in the new community centre. This project highlights ways that various levels of government can collaborate to invest tax dollars to derive the highest possible beneﬁt for citizens. Being Mayor of Maple Ridge is a great gift. The photo that our team selected for this page is one example of how our community reacted to the unspeakable horror of the shooting in Florida and, in the end, created a celebration of the inclusiveness and diversity of Maple Ridge (see page 16). This publication celebrates the lives of two amazing citizens; Lt. Dennis TeBoekhorst (see page 36) and Tom Cameron (see back cover). Tom and Dennis were an inspiration to me and the lives of this community more than words can express. In 2016 we had a number of incidents where Mother Nature tested the skills of our team and none was more challenging than the winter of 2016 where we dealt with record snowfalls (see page 40). Council recognizes the commitment of staff who often work around the clock dealing with these extreme weather events. We have an amazing team. There is one ﬁnal thing you will see in this publication, the incredible natural beauty and the dedicated volunteers and entrepreneurs that make Maple Ridge so special. I often speak to organizations outside the community and talk about how we have won the geography lottery. The pages that precede my introduction show some of that natural beauty that surrounds us and I encourage you to explore the ‘The Best of Maple Ridge’ beginning on page 38. This is an extraordinary community. I hope you enjoy this look back at 2016. If you have any questions or comments about this publication please contact Council by email at mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca or by phone at 604-463-5221. Nicole Read, Mayor 2016 Citizens Report The Government Finance Ofﬁcers’ Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has given an Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) to Maple Ridge for its Popular Report for the ﬁscal year ended December 31, 2015. The Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting is a prestigious international award recognizing conformance with the highest standards for preparation of state/provincial and local government popular reports. In order to receive an Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting, a government unit must publish a Popular Annual Financial Report, whose contents conform to program standards of creativity, presentation, understandability, and reader appeal. The Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting is valid for a period of one year only. Maple Ridge has received a Popular Award for the 20th consecutive year and is very fortunate to be one of only ten municipalities in Canada awarded a PAFR for 2015. We believe our current report continues GFOA Awards to conform to the Popular Annual Financial Reporting requirements, and we are submitting it to GFOA. The print version of this report is 100% recyclable. The 2016 Citizens Report is part of a suite of publications that include the Financial Plan and the Annual Report. These publications allow citizens to examine the business of Maple Ridge to the level of detail that they desire. This report incorporates tools that allow citizens to more quickly access information on our website mapleridge.ca. The goal is to ensure that our work remains transparent and accessible to all. This publication is a collaboration between Maple Ridge staff and some very talented local citizens. We would like to acknowledge Oliver Rathonyi- Reusz of InView Images and Ray Urner Photography for their photos that enhance many of the articles in this publication. In our People and Places section there are a number of photographs that have been supplied by our local community newspaper. We would like to thank the Maple Ridge News for supplying photos that graced the pages of their newspaper. In this context we all get to appreciate the amazing talent that serves our community every day. We would also like to thank our publication’s designer, Cindy Farnsworth for pulling all of the content together. Her passion for the community and this project is evident in the ﬁnal product. Internally, we are very grateful for the help of many of our fellow staff members who have provided information for this publication. We are very proud to be able to highlight the work of our colleagues who quietly go about their work with professionalism, dedication and passion each and every day. Finally, I have the honour of working with two very wonderful colleagues, Tracy Camire and Cindy Dale, whose professionalism and enthusiasm are an inspiration. Their ﬁngerprints are all over this document. I thank them for their wonderful ideas, suggestions, corrections and cajoling. They are amazing. We hope that you enjoy the 2016 Citizens Report and will share this with your family and friends. We are all very proud to serve this community. Fred Armstrong Manager Corporate Communications famstrong@mapleridge.ca Phone 604-467-7452 This publication is available both in print and in digital format. The digital version is available in ‘Flipping Book’ format and as a PDF download at mapleridge.ca/177. Maple Ridge is active on social media. You can follow us on Twitter @yourmapleridge and on Facebook at facebook.com/yourmapleridge. We look forward to your comments on the 2016 Citizens Report. Citizens Report 2016 | 5 MAPLE RIDGECITY OF 6 | Citizens Report 2016 In addition to their regular meetings and preparation, Council members spend a lot of time at community events, festivals, ribbon cuttings and special presentations throughout the year. Here are some photos taken throughout 2016. Clockwise from the top In early May Mayor Nicole Read spoke to a group of City staff members about the strong culture of work safety as part of the North America Occupational Health and Safety Week. Councillors Kiersten Duncan and Tyler Shymkiw spent a number of hours at the Ridge Meadows Home Show greeting members of the public and discussing issues that are important to the citizens they represent. Councillor Robson also attended the Home Show and is pictured here with City staff member Paul Gill talking with a former member of the City’s Agriculture Advisory Committee. In December Councillor Masse, and other members of Council, listened to students from Simon Fraser University as they presented a report that they developed as part of their Urban Planning Degree program. Councillor Speirs enjoys a conversation with a constituent as part of the Home Show. Councillor Bell, and other members of Council, took part in a ‘Business Walk’ event organized by the Chamber of Commerce in July. Out and About YOUR COUNCIL: All in one year AT LEAST ONE COUNCIL MEMBER ATTENDED OVER112 EVENTS COUNCIL REVIEWED OVER9700 PAGES OF REPORTS COUNCIL VOTED ON 579 MOTIONS Citizens Report 2016 | 7 2016 FAST FACTS: Administration 8 | Citizens Report 2016 617,868 mapleridge.ca VISITS 1028 THE AVERAGE LENGTH OF SERVICE Ted Swabey Chief Administrative Officer 70 %OF CITY EMPLOYEESLIVE INMAPLE RIDGE ISSUED 4330BUSINESS LICENCES OF A CITY EMPLOYEE IS9.98 YEARSOR 3643 DAYS THE WORK SAFE BC CORE SAFETY AUDITCERTIFICATION REDUCED OUR WCB BILL $90,000 SAVED 60,000 KILLOWATT HOURS OR$10,500 IN ENERGY COSTS BY USING 67 LED STREETLIGHTS VERSUS OLD TECHNOLOGY AS PART OF THE 128 AVE FOUR LANE PROJECT OUR HR DEPARTMENT FILLED APPROXIMATELY135 JOB VACANCIES POSTS TO OUR FACEBOOK PAGE Citizens Report 2016 | 9 Paul Gill 2016 FAST FACTS: Corporate & Financial Services DOG LICENCES 8300 ISSUED GM: Corporate & Financial Services RECEIVED1.8MILLIONEMAILS48,000 FACE TO FACETRANSACTIONS OUR FINANCE COUNTERHANDLED OVER WE ALSO HANDLED40,000ONLINE FINANCIAL TRANSACTIONS OVER 3000 PROPERTIES ARE PART OF THE PRE-AUTHORIZED WITHDRAWAL SERVICEWHICH REPRESENTS 8.5% OFOUR CUSTOMERS $84,298,459 A TOTAL OF RESERVE FUNDS ANDRESERVE ACCOUNTS OUR IT DEPARTMENTFILTERED OVER100 MILLION SPAM EMAILS WE HOSTED 79 COMMUNITY EVENTS ATTENDED BY OVER157,915 PEOPLE 2016 FAST FACTS: Parks, Recreation & Culture 10 | Citizens Report 2016 Kelly Swift THE CITY HAS70 PARKS WITH A TOTAL AREA OF 268 HECTARES THAT’S EQUIVALENT TO 268 CANADIAN FOOTBALL FIELDSHOSTED CHILDREN INAFTER SCHOOL PROGRAMS VISITS BY YOUNG CITIZENS THE GREG MOOREYOUTH CENTRE VISITS BY YOUNG CITIZENS YOUTH CENTREHOSTED 8591 VOLUNTEERED43,632 HOURS FESTIVALS WE MAINTAIN 180 KMOF TRAILS THE LEISURE CENTRE HAD266,883 10,170 YOUTH ATTENDED 46% OF PROGRAMREGISTRATIONS ARECOMPLETED ONLINE CITIZENS GM: Parks, Recreation & Culture 46% OF PROGRAM CUSTOMER VISITS SWIMMING LESSONS & EVENTS 722 Citizens Report 2016 | 11 Frank Quinn 2016 FAST FACTS: Public Works & Development Services GM: Public Works & Development Services THE CITY SPREAD 1130 TONNESOF SALT ON OUR STREETS THAT’S EQUIVALENT TO 20 MILLION SALT SHAKERSTHE TOTAL COST OF SALT$115,536 MAPLE RIDGE CITIZENSUSED AN ESTIMATED 11.375 BILLION LITRES OF WATER! THAT’S EQUIVALENT TO20 TRILLION LARGE CUPS OF COFFEE WE HAVE 36HYBRID AND 4 FULLY ELECTRIC VEHICLES THE CITY REPAVED7.2 KM OF ROADS ADDED763 NEW PROPERTIES TO THE TAX ROLL 243DEVELOPMENT ORREZONING APPLICATIONS ISSUED 1035 BUILDING PERMITS THE OPERATIONS CENTRERECEIVED 60786078CALLS FOR SERVICE 2016 FAST FACTS: Maple Ridge Fire Department 12 | Citizens Report 2016 Howard Exner Fire Chief 53 CAREERFIREFIGHTERS THE DEPARTMENT HAD72 PAID-ON-CALL FIREFIGHTERS AVAILABLETO DEAL WITH LARGE INCIDENTS FOR SERVICE 4502 CALLS A 3.75% INCREASE OVER 2015 ACHIEVED 100% FOR RESPONDING TO CALLSWITHIN THE URBAN RESPONSE AREAWITHIN 7 MINUTES FOR CALLSFROM JANUARY 1 TO JUNE 30 CONDUCTED 41 VISITS AND SPOKE TO4589 YOUNG CITIZENS ABOUT FIRE SAFETY 316 FIRES RESPONDED TO RECEIVED A TOTAL OF HOURS OF TRAINING RAISED $28,508FOR CHARITY MADE 49 VISITS TO COMMUNITY GROUPS& ATTENDED 25PUBLIC EVENTS 6 CHIEF OFFICERS& 3 ADMINISTRATIVE STAFFWORKING FULL TIME ON PERFORMANCE 21,077 50 HOURS OF RED SERGE EVENTS WERE ATTENDED BYMULTIPLE VOLUNTEERS Citizens Report 2016 | 13 SuperintendentDavid Fleugel Officer in Charge 2016 FAST FACTS: Ridge Meadows RCMP/Police Services 122 UNIFORMEDRCMP OFFICERS45.5 FULL TIME CIVILIANSUPPORT STAFF40 ‘ON CALL’ PART TIME 11 VOLUNTEERAUXILIARY OFFICERS & 95 VOLUNTEERS 565 VEHICLES IMPOUNDED FOR GOINGOVER 40 KPH ABOVE THE POSTED LIMIT CONDUCTED APPROXIMATELY 1800 HRS OF SPEEDENFORCEMENT 1946 ARRESTS WERE MADE RIDGE MEADOWS RCMP HAS 57 VEHICLESIN OUR FLEET PLUS 1 BOAT FILES CREATED 30,821 THE RIDGE MEADOWS RCMP WEBPAGE RECEIVED12,000 PAGE VISITS 14 | Citizens Report 2016 Launching a New Era Citizens Report 2016 | 15 Introducing the new Maple Ridge Parks, Recreation & Culture Division In the late afternoon of Sunday, October 30, 2016, ghosts, goblins, superheroes and princesses, along with their moms and dads, started arriving at Memorial Peace Park for the inaugural ‘Celebrate the Night’ festival in Maple Ridge. The young participants made lanterns, carved pumpkins, heard local choirs from Webster’s Corner and Davie Jones Elementary schools and then everyone was treated to a concert from Juno Award Winning artist Norman Foote. By 7:30 pm the crowd at Memorial Peace Park had grown to an estimated 3,000 people. There was a giant countdown and the fireworks began. For the next 15 minutes the crowd was treated to a display of colour and sound as the fireworks lifted off the roof of The ACT Arts Centre and lit up the entire park as they exploded high in the air. “I was on the roof of the Business Tower with photographers and could see people streaming into the park from every direction as we got closer to the start time,” said Fred Armstrong, Manager of Communications for the City of Maple Ridge. “It was amazing to see and hear a crowd that size, from the countdown to the cheers as a large firework exploded in the sky. One of the most impressive things I’ve ever seen in our community.” Two days later, on November 1, Maple Ridge launched the ‘Maple Ridge Parks, Recreation & Culture Division. The new name reflects the strong connection between the amazing natural spaces, physical activity and the arts & heritage in creating a dynamic and healthy community. “On October 13 we held the final meeting of the Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows Parks & Leisure Services Commission which has done excellent work over the last quarter century developing places and programs to meet the recreational needs for our two communities. It is humbling to realize that when the Commission started the population of our two cities was only 50,000 citizens. The new census data released in early 2017 shows that our combined population is now over 100,000,” said Mayor Nicole Read. “November 1 was a starting point for a new era for both communities as we build on the legacy of the Commission and each community forges a vision to deliver the unique recreation services that meet the needs of their citizens.” Kelly Swift, General Manager: Parks, Recreation & Culture said, “I want to acknowledge the dedication and professionalism of staff from both cities as we moved toward the November 1 deadline. The transition was seamless and we continue to collaborate to ensure this change has no significant impact on our user groups. We will continue to work closely with School District No. 42 on our shared vision around youth wellness and co-location of facilities to create strong neighbourhoods.” On November 1, staff hosted a small kick- off event and ‘Free Play Tuesday’ at the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre to celebrate this change. The event included free admission for citizens to participate in any drop-in program. “There was a tremendous energy around the new Celebrate the Night Festival. It highlighted the incredible opportunities we have to build upon the calendar of community events, the tremendous pool of volunteers and wonderful festivals in Maple Ridge. This new ‘Maple Ridge’ focus allows us to create partnerships with volunteers and leaders in both our creative and business community to grow the scale and scope of existing events and help nurture new ones,” said Lino Siracusa, Manager of Economic Development for the City of Maple Ridge. “I’m excited about the possibilities as we showcase the amazing natural assets of Maple Ridge as part of our regional tourism work.” The launch of the Maple Ridge Parks, Recreation & Culture Division was one of the most significant milestones for 2016,” said Maple Ridge Chief Administrative Officer Ted Swabey. “First, and foremost, the transition went smoothly for the public, a testament to the leadership and dedication of staff we have on this team. Over time, what will become more obvious is the importance of community conversations regarding parks, recreation and cultural facilities to ensure we have a solid plan to deal with the needs of our growing community.” He continued, “Maple Ridge is surrounded by natural beauty, but over the last year I have seen that another incredible attribute of this community is the high level of participation in organized sports and the network of volunteers who are dedicated to helping our youth enjoy all the benefits of sports. That is something worth investing in.” It is an exciting new era for the delivery of parks, recreation and culture programs for Maple Ridge. That certainly warranted some fireworks. Sending a Strong Message of Inclusiveness An event in Florida was a catalyst for change in Maple Ridge. In June of 2016 a mass shooting occurred that took the lives of 49 victims and injured another 53. The club was targeted because patrons were part of the Lesbian, Bisexual, Gay, Transgender, Queer (LBGTQ) community. The immediate response was to ﬂy the City ﬂag at half mast, and then the Canadian Flag was replaced with a Pride Flag which ﬂew until the end of June. It was again ﬂown in July during Pride Week. Council also decided to make a more tangible statement about inclusiveness with their decision to install a pride crosswalk across 224 Street at the entrance to Memorial Peace Park. On Monday, July 25 the crosswalk was blocked off and a crew began marking out the segments and preparing the special road paint. A crowd of a dozen people waited patiently for the paint to be applied and dry. They wanted to be the ﬁrst people to walk across this new crosswalk. A few days later there was an ofﬁcial dedication ceremony where this photo was taken. Listening in to the conversations of residents as the installation work was being done reﬂects the goodness of our community. There were people that were part of the LBGTQ community holding back tears as the paint was applied. Many people posed for selﬁes with the crosswalk in the background and shared the photos with friends and families. One gentleman was providing a play-by-play of the installation to a friend on his cell phone. He told the person on the other end of the line “This is so amazing. I never thought I’d see this in my hometown. I am so proud of this community.” “So how do we move forward? How do we fight back against the darkness that led to the shooting?” asked Mayor Nicole Read. “The only way I know is to counter the darkness with light.” “We need to send a message of love and tolerance.” 16 | Citizens Report 2016 Citizens Report 2016 | 17 Maple Ridge was founded on September 12, 1874. The reason those early settlers came together was they recognized the need for shared infrastructure like well-maintained roads, a reliable source of water and creating a plan for the growing community. Here we are, 142 years later and the infrastructure owned by the City of Maple Ridge is now worth close to a billion dollars. First, what is included in this ‘billion dollar ﬁgure? Literally everything the City owns. For example, we own and maintain close to 500 kilometres of paved road. Underneath those roads is a network of pipes that carry clean potable water, sewage and storm water. The City has water reservoirs, pump stations, street lights, road signs, street trees, sidewalks, trails, buildings, parks and vehicles of all types and sizes. Some of this infrastructure is brand new, some is very old. But there is one certainty, at some point it will need to be repaired or replaced. The same is true for our citizens with their own ‘infrastructure.’ When you buy a new home your appliances, the furnace, water heater, roof, water and sewer pipes and all of the ﬁxtures are brand new, but they all have a life span. Your ﬁnancial planner will recommend you set aside money for the repair and upkeep of your home. Let’s use an example from your home. The average life span of a water heater is approximately 8 to 12 years. It costs about $1,000 to purchase and install a new water heater. For the purposes of this example we will say you will need to replace the water heater in 10 years, or 120 months. In theory, you should set aside approximately $8.35 per month in anticipation of that expense. If you take an inventory of all the big items you can get a reliable and reasonable, ‘infrastructure fund’ for your home, likely somewhere in the $100 a month range. If you do that from the moment you walk into your new home, and you look after the regular maintenance, you should have the money to pay for repairs as the ‘infrastructure’ in your home reaches the end of its lifespan. The roof should last about 25 years so you will have $6,000 available if you put $20 a month away every month. The reality is that, as individuals, we often don’t have this kind of discipline in our ﬁnancial planning. Unfortunately, our early Councils did not do the same, and that has created an ‘infrastructure deﬁcit.’ Fortunately, Maple Ridge is a young City on the global scale. We have literally gone from forest and dirt roads to our modern conﬁguration in under a century. The oldest parts of our water system date back to the 30s when the Lougheed Highway was ﬁrst built. Over the last decade the City, along with local governments around the country, has sought to deal with the impacts of the ‘infrastructure deﬁcit’ by creating speciﬁc infrastructure funding through directed tax increases to ensure that when water systems, sewage systems, roads and bridges reach the end of their life cycle there is funding available for replacements. In recent years the Federal and Provincial governments, recognizing the importance of reliable infrastructure, have offered matching dollars to local governments to deal with some of the most critical infrastructure needs across the country. Over the last decade the City has leveraged those funds to replace some of the oldest infrastructure in the downtown on Lougheed Highway and 224 Street. Our long term ﬁnancial planning allows us to provide money to deal with the most critical infrastructure upgrades and leverage funding from senior governments. Our long term plan has also addressed the need to be very disciplined in setting aside money to replace equipment and other infrastructure year to year to shield citizens from large tax bills for items reaching the end of their life cycle. In 2016, one of the single largest items we had to replace was the Tower Truck at Fire Hall No. 1. That new truck is a little over 1.5 million dollars. The replacement will be funded from the Fire Department Capital Reserve Fund, the place where the City has been setting aside money for over 20 years knowing that our current truck would someday need to be replaced. In 2018 that new truck will be delivered and there will be no impact on citizens’ taxes. That’s the value of having a long term plan. Your roof is worth $6,000 – a potential devastating hit to your family budget if you don’t have your ‘infrastructure fund’ in place. Maple Ridge is your ‘billion dollar’ home and we are ready to deal with the repair and upgrade of the infrastructure that you rely on every day. If you would like more information about the City’s infrastructure planning, capital planning or any aspect of this Financial Report please email us at enquiries@mapleridge.ca. We would be pleased to answer your questions. A Billion Dollars’ Worth of Infrastructure Needs Upkeep 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Accumulated Surplus - Represents net economic resources, the amount by which all assets, both ﬁnancial and non-ﬁnancial, exceed all liabilities. It indicates that a government has net resources available to provide future services, but does not represent available cash. Amortization - The cost of using an asset over time. Annual Surplus/Deficit - The difference between annual revenues and annual expenses. If positive it is refered to as Annual Surplus, if negative, it is referred to as Annual Deﬁcit. Financial Assets Cash and cash equivalents $ 19,542,094 $ 10,146,294 Portfolio investments 158,579,174 159,495,941 Accounts receivable 16,981,661 18,923,067 Recoverable local improvments 1,211,936 1,573,096 Other assets 779,296 758,106 Inventory available for resale 4,304,688 4,251,189 201,398,849 195,147,693 Liabilites Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 18,649,403 17,918,881 Deferred revenue 11,238,972 10,667,777 Restricted revenue 33,401,914 41,686,047 Refundable performance deposits and other 15,853,204 13,850,225 Employee future benefits 4,704,700 4,908,000 Debt 31,204,532 34,063,639 115,052,725 123,094,569 Net Financial Assets 86,346,124 72,053,124 Non Financial Assets Tangible capital assets 960,396,101 910,891,167 Undeveloped landbank properties 15,526,529 15,580,027 Supplies inventory 355,162 350,805 Prepaid expenses 1,277,835 948,925 977,555,627 927,770,924 Accumulated Surplus $1,063,901,751 $ 999,824,048 The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position is the Public Sector version of a Balance Sheet, listing the government entity’s ﬁnancial assets, liabilities and non-ﬁnancial assets as at December 31. Key things to note on this statement are Net Financial Assets and Accumulated Surplus. Net Financial Assets are the excess of ﬁnancial assets over liabilities and provides an indication of ﬁnancial ﬂexibility. Accumulated Surplus is the total of Net Financial Assets and Non-Financial Assets. Reporting Entity and Basis of Consolidation These ﬁnancial statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian Public Sector accounting standards using guidelines developed by the Public Sector Accounting Board (“PSAB”) of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada. They consolidate the activities of all of the funds of the City and the City’s wholly owned subsidiaries C.D.M.R. Developments Ltd. and Maple Ridge Municipal Holdings Ltd. Transactions between the City’s funds and wholly owned subsidiaries have been eliminated and only transactions with outside entities are reported. 2016 2015 Glossary 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Consolidated Statement of Financial Position As of December 31, 2016 18 | Citizens Report 2016 Financial Assets - Assets that could be used to discharge existing liabilities or ﬁnance future operations, such as cash receivables and portfolio investments. Net Financial Assets - The excess of ﬁnancial assets over liabilities. Non-Financial Assets - Assets that are acquired, constructed or developed that do not normally provide resources to discharge existing liabilities, but are normally employed to deliver government services or may be consumed in the normal course of operations. Tangible Capital Assets - Assets of long-term character that are intended to continue to be held or used, such as land, buildings, machinery, furniture, and other equipment. These assets have a sigiﬁcant value and a useful life of greater than one year. Capital assets are also called ﬁxed assets. Actual Budget Actual 2016 2016 2015 Revenue Taxes for municipal purposes $ 77,452,203 $ 77,377,354 $ 74,042,945 User fees and other revenue 43,211,346 41,197,154 41,699,739 Government transfers 2,775,735 5,991,875 3,637,552 Development revenue 17,893,281 39,560,375 12,855,808 Interest and investment income Investment income 350,914 Interest income 2,539,619 Less: Restricted amount (412,145 Interest and investment income 2,478,388 1,882,980 2,417,402 Gaming revenues 1,338,678 1,050,000 1,161,956 Gain (loss) on disposal of assets (3,833,337 1,500,000 (1,668,305 Contributed tangible capital assets 39,062,791 16,499,996 36,744,306 180,379,085 185,059,734 170,891,403 Expenses Protective services 35,844,566 38,805,939 34,452,583 Transportation services 15,835,722 20,121,816 17,651,339 Recreation and cultural 21,584,478 23,316,336 21,562,840 Water utility 12,628,882 14,263,929 15,615,936 Sewer utility 10,068,307 10,387,876 9,837,523 General government 14,821,099 18,198,317 14,357,496 Planning, public health and other 5,518,328 6,117,476 5,914,820 116,301,382 131,211,689 119,392,537 Annual surplus 64,077,703 53,848,045 51,498,866 Accumulated surplus - beginning of the year 999,824,048 999,824,048 948,325,182 Accumulated surplus - end of the year $1,063,901,751 $1,053,672,093 $ 999,824,048 For the year ended ended December 31, 2016 The 2016 Annual Report contains more detailed information on the ﬁnancial position and results of operations. Copies can be obtained from the Fraser Valley library, Maple Ridge City Hall and online www.mapleridge.ca/163/Annual-Report. 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Consolidated Statement of Operations The Consolidated Statement of Operations is the Public Sector version of an Income Statement, showing the government entity’s revenues and expenses realized over the course of the ﬁscal year. The difference between annual revenues and expenses is referred to as the annual surplus. The key point to keep in mind with this statement is that the annual surplus does not represent a cash surplus as the amounts reported under expense includes general operating costs and the annual depreciation of tangible capital assets used in service provision, but does not include the amount of cash invested in infrastructure during the year. Citizens Report 2016 | 19 ) )) 20 | Citizens Report 2016 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Expenses Total Expenses in 2016: $116,301,382 This chart shows you how much of each dollar Maple Ridge spends that goes to fund speciﬁc services and projects. This chart shows you the total of all Expenses as well as the Developer Contributed Assets and Capital Investments classiﬁed as ‘Expenditures For Accounts.’ The combination of these items collectively is known as Expenditures & Expenses by Object. Expenses & Expenditures By Object 2012-2016 24% 24% 26% 22% 27% Labour 18% 11% 12% 10% 10% Capital 1% 1% 1% 1% 2% Debt Servicing 31% 32% 34% 30% 36% Goods & Services 22% 21% 15% 26% 12% Contributed Infrastructure Amortization Expense Total Expenses & Expenditures (In Millions) 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 $177.0 $157.4 $176.4 $138.3$188.0 10% 11% 12% 10% 13% Protective Services 31¢ Recreation and Cultural 18¢ Transportation Services 13¢ General Government 13¢ Water Utility 11¢ Sewer Utility 9¢ Planning, Public Health 5¢ and Other Citizens Report 2016 | 21 Revenues Revenues by Source 2012-2016 45% 43% 49% 41% 50% Taxes 10% 8% 6% 6% 4% Development Revenue 23% 21% 15% 27% 12% Tangible Capital Assets* (TCA) 25% 24% 26% 22% 27% User Fees & Other Revenues 2% 2% 2% 2% 3% Government Transfers Interest & Investment Income 1% 1% 1% 1% 1% Gaming Revenue Total Revenue (In Millions) 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012 $180.4 $170.9 $146.5 $165.1 $129.2 *Deﬁnition: Tangible Capital Asset. These are assets that have a physical form. Examples include machinery, buildings and land. Each year the accounting team does an extensive review of all assets to ensure that the value of our community’s assets are accurately reﬂected. 1% 1% 2% 2% 3% This chart breaks down the total revenues collected from 2012 to 2016. 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 2016 Projected Funding Sources Property Taxes and Parcel Charges $77.4 Million Development Fees $56.1 Million Fees & Charges $41.2 Million Reserves (Net) $31.5 Million Reduce Book Value of Assets (Amortization) $19.8 Million Interest, Grants & Other $8.9 Million Borrowing Proceeds $7.0 Million Sale of Property $1.5 Million Total Revenues $243.4 Million 2016 Projected Uses of Funding Parks, Recreation & Gen. Govt Properties $22.6 Million Police Services $22.3 Million Public Works & Development Services $18.9 Million Water $12.5 Million Fire Protection $10.3 Million Corporate & Financial Services $8.7 Million Sewer $8.2 Million Administration $6.1 Million Total Other $109.5 Million This chart shows where the money is coming from to support Council’s 2016 Financial Plan; the breakdown is based on a percentage of the Total Revenues. This chart shows where the money is used to deliver the 2016 Financial Plan; the breakdown is based on the percentage of the Total Uses of Funding. Capital Program $108.8 Million Amortization $19.8 Million Debt Payments $5.4 Million Total Uses of Funding $243.4 Million 22 | Citizens Report 2016 2016 Financial Plan 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 2016 Capital Additions Transportation 52.84% $37.90 Million Recreation & Cultural 15.58% $11.89 Million Sewer Utility 13.01% $9.33 Million Water Utility 10.71% $7.68 Million General Government** 4.64% $3.32 Million Planning: Public Health & Other 1.44% $1.04 Million Protective Services 0.78% $0.56 Million Total Capital Additions $71.73 Million Citizens Report 2016 | 23 Capital Additions 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT This chart shows the breakdown of the Total Capital Additions by percentage. The chart below represents the investment that we made in Capital Assets. Additions to our water system, sewer system, road construction, park acquisitions and development are all examples of Capital Additions. 24 | Citizens Report 2016 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Population & Demographics Population by Age Ages 0-14 18% 14% Ages 15-24 14% 9% Ages 25-34 12% 11% Ages 35-44 15% 16% Ages 45-54 17% 15% Ages 55-64 12% 13% Ages 65-74 7% 12% Ages 75+ 5% 9% AgeGroup 2011Census Maple Ridge’s Historical Population Growth 1921 1941 1961 1981 2001 2016 82,256 32,232 6,476 3,772 40.2 44.6 MedianAge 2011 Median Age census for Maple Ridge 2031 Median Age (estimate) for Maple Ridge Deﬁnition: The Median Age is the age at which 50% of the population are younger than this age and 50% are older. Why is this important? The Median Age helps all levels of government plan for the delivery of services. We use this data to plan for policy, program and service delivery to ensure that citizens have the amenities to live comfortably. Source: Statistics Canada 2031Projection 63,169 16,748 This graph illustrates the growth in Maple Ridge’s population during the last century. The blue bars represent 20 year periods starting in 1921. As you can see, the population has virtually doubled every 20 years. The orange bar represents growth in the 15 year period from 2001. The Maple Ridge Ofﬁcial Community Plan projects a population of 118,000 by 2041. In 2016, the enumerated population of Maple Ridge was 82,256, which represents a change of 8.2% from 2011. This compares to the provincial average of 5.6% and the national average of 5.0%. KEY ONE = 500 PEOPLE Citizens Report 2016 | 25 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHTEmployment & Debt Top 10 Maple Ridge Employers Industry School District No. 42 Education Ridge Meadows Hospital Health Care City of Maple Ridge Government Overwaitea Food Group Grocery Ridge Meadows Association for Community Living Health Care Arcus Community Resources Health Care Advantec Global Innovations Manufacturing Fraser Regional Corrections Corrections West Coast Auto Group Vehicle Sales Safeway Maple Ridge Grocery Based on Number of Employees Source: City of Maple Ridge – Economic Development Debt Per Capita 2016 - Based on estimated population of 82,256 Council incorporates the use of borrowing when it makes sense. The debt per capita is reduced as the debt is repaid. Year Unemployment Employment Employed Rate Rate Persons 2011 Census 6.8% 64.2% 39,435 2006 Census 4.6% 66.4% 35,935 2001 Census 6.2% 64.9% 31,310 1996 Census 7.6% 63.7% 28,910 Maple RidgeEmployment Rate British ColumbiaEmployment Rate 64.2% 59.5% Source: Statistics Canada 2011 Census 2013 2012 $535 2014 $458 $498 2015 $419 Source: City of Maple Ridge – Finance Department 2016 $379 KEY ONE = $50 26 | Citizens Report 2016 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 40.2 Property Taxes vs. Household Costs The Standard Monthly Household Costs are a combination of Statistics Canada Census Data and a survey of service providers. Monthly Cost of Municipal Services Total for Municipal Services $264.54 Water (Includes Capital ) $46.11 Police Services $45.71 Capital (Includes Debt) $39.52 Parks, Recreation & Culture $30.73 Sewer (Includes Capital ) $28.84 Development Services $24.56 Fire Services $23.90 General Government $19.32 Recycling (Includes Capital ) $5.85 Standard Monthly Household Costs Principal Accommodation $1,660.00 Transportation $1,001.00 Food $764.00 Clothing & Accessories $266.92 BC Hydro (Electricity) $191.42 Home Insurance $87.00 FortisBC (Gas) $81.86 Cell Phone $74.73 Internet (Basic) $51.95 Telephone (Basic) $30.00 Home Security System $29.99 Cable Television (Basic) $25.00 Source: City of Maple Ridge – Finance Department The monthly costs are based on the taxes paid for a home valued at $504,000 which was the ‘Average Single Family Home’ for 2016. Your 2016 tax bill is comprised of the elements listed. As with other household bills, you can pay your taxes using our monthly ‘Pre-Authorized Withdrawal Program.’ Look for more information in the Online Services menu at mapleridge.ca. Citizens Report 2016 | 27 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Taxable ValuesBy Property Class $14,162,376 General TaxationBy Property Class VERSUS Property Values In 2016, 91.2% of the value of property was in the Resi- dential Class. That’s 91.2% of the over $14 billion figure supplied by BC Assessment. Property Taxes While 91.2% of the value is in the Residential Class, only 78.3% of the tax collected comes from Residential. 21.7% of tax collected comes from Business Classes, which account for 8.8% of the total property value. This type of ratio is common in Metro Vancouver. Total property tax levied in Maple Ridge during 2016 was just over $69 million. Deﬁnition: The term Business Class on this page refers to Utilities, Industrial, Business, Seasonal Recreation and Farm properties. (for general purposes, NOT school, GVTA, BCA, etc.) $72,191,903 Property Values vs. Taxation Residential91% Business Classes9% Residential78% Business Classes22% 2016 Total Property Tax Levies 2016 Total Value of All Property Types Total Municipal TaxesThese are the funds collected to pay for the operation of the City of Maple Ridge. We would recommend that you look at the Financial Overview Report at mapleridge.ca for a more detailed breakdown of what these ‘categories’ fund. Your local taxes consist of: 1. General, Debt & Library 2. Drainage Improvements Levy 3. Parks & Recreation Improvements Levy 4. Parcel Charges Total Utility ServicesThese funds are collected for specific uses. In the case of the Water and Sewer levies, a significant portion goes to Metro Vancouver to fund the infrastructure to deliver these services. The Blue Box Service Levy goes to the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society who provide this service in our community. Some communities bill their Water, Sewer and Recycling separately, often at the beginning of the year. We have opted for the single bill, both to save mailing and transaction costs, and to be more transparent with an ‘all in’ number. School TaxesThe Provincial Government determines how much is required for School Taxes. School Taxes are paid to the Province, not the local School District. Total Other Government TaxesVarious government organizations havethe authority to collect money usingproperty taxes. We are required to collect money for: 1. Greater Vancouver Regional District 2. TransLink 3. BC Assessment 4. Municipal Finance AuthorityThese organizations use this money tofund their organizations. 2016 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 28 | Citizens Report 2016 Understanding Your Tax Notice What are you paying & who gets the money? P29 A look back at 2016 The people, places & events that defined the year The next pages of our report are a photographic journey through 2016. The preceding pages speak to the strong culture of financial planning and management of the City. What you will see on the next six pages are photos that celebrate the vibrancy of life in Maple Ridge. These images help us remember the passing of the seasons, the festivals and community events and remarkable people, your neighbours, whose achievements inspire us. Some of these photos have been provided by the talented team members of the Maple Ridge News. We thank them for allowing us to showcase their images, along with photos from City staff and local photoraphers, to tell a story of 2016. Enjoy! On December 23, The News published a story about how 10 members of the Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club (RCKC) were selected for the Provincial Team. The article goes on to talk about the facility at Whonnock Lake being an important local and regional training facility and how our local Club has become a pipeline for elite level paddlers. Next time you’re at Whonnock Lake Park for a family picnic make sure you keep an eye out for a future national champion or Olympian in training. Photo courtesy The News & RCKC P30 Clockwise from top.On January 6, The News published this photo showing the thick frost along the banks of the Alouette River. That frost and dense fog lasted for the ﬁrst couple of weeks of the year. Photo courtesy The News In early March students at Maple Ridge Secondary School (MRSS) received a ‘hands on’ lesson in Newton’s Laws of Motion. Grade 11 Physics teach David Jamieson certainly made an impression on the students. Photo courtesy The News In early February crosstown rivals from Pitt Meadows Secondary School (PMSS) met MRSS Ramblers as the high school basketball competition heated up in the Fraser Valley. Photo courtesy The News In May the District Student Advisory Council project unfolded in the courtyard outside City Hall. Young students, armed with chalk drew messages along the sidewalks and walls. An impressive and inspirational gesture! City of Maple Ridge photo P31 Clockwise from top. At the end of March the City Planning Department hosted an Open House at Hammond Elementary School to get community feedback on the draft Hammond Area Plan. City of Maple Ridge photo In June, six year old Jaylene Coutts performed a unity song as part of National Aboriginal Day. Photo courtesy The News On Father’s Day the Alouette River Management Society (ARMS) held a special event where families could release salmon fry into the Alouette River at Maple Ridge Park. A wonderful way to give nature a helping hand. Photo courtesy The News This young fellow gets an opportunity to sit behind the wheel of a ﬁretruck as part of the ﬁrst responders display at the Ridge Meadows Home Show. That smile says it all! City of Maple Ridge photo P32 (Top) August begins with the annual Caribbean Festival which is held at the Albion Fairgrounds. The music, food and beverages of the Caribbean are a feast for the senses. City of Maple Ridge photo (Middle) The Emerald Pig Theatrical Society put a very 60s spin on Shakespeare’s ‘A Midsummers Night Dream’ at the annual Bard on the bandstand in July. They even rafﬂed off the VW van in the background to a lucky audience member! Photo courtesy The News (Bottom) Maple Ridge’s Tristan Smyth won a Bronze medal as part of the 4X400m wheelchair relay team for Canada at the Brazil Paralympics. The 30 year old MRSS alumni set a Canadian record. Photo courtesy The News & Twitter P33 (Top left) A young Maple Ridge citizen, Ben deMunck is a ‘League of Legends’ professional gamer. At 19 years of age he is living the dream of many an online game player making a living in California as part of the appropriately named ‘Team Envy.’ Photo courtesy The News (Contributed) (Above) Irena Shantz dedicates a balloon to her late husband Bob Shantz as part of the August Rotary Duck Race that they have been at the centre of since its inception. Photo courtesy The News (Below) The annual Fire Hall No. 1 Open House is a great opportunity for the family to get some hands on time with equipment that the Maple Ridge Fire Department uses every day. City of Maple Ridge photo (Bottom left) In September the Maple Ridge Burrards won their ﬁrst Western Lacrosse Association title defeating the Victoria Shamrocks in an exciting game at the Can Neely arena. The close knit team went on to play in the Mann Cup. Photo courtesy The News (Left) On July 1 a group of young citizens celebrated their ﬁrst Canada Day. A year earlier they were in Syria and at the end of 2015 they found their way to Canada and Maple Ridge where they were welcomed into the home of Councillor Gordy Robson. City of Maple Ridge photo P34 Clockwise from topIn October the ‘Laity Pumpkin Patch’ is a Maple Ridge tradition. The historic family farm is located on the north side of the City with a spectacular view of the Golden Ears mountains. City of Maple Ridge photo In October the City hosted the Community Dialogue on Homelessness, a four part speaker series. The forums were live streamed and videotaped to help the community understand the complex issues that lead to addiction and homelessness. Photo courtesy The News Three local dancers, (from left) Alanna Batista, Keanna Lakovic and Haley Hedquist earned a trip to Reisa, Germany, for the International Dance Organization’s World Show Dance Championships. As members of Team Canada they represented our nation against young dancers from around the world. Photo courtesy The News P33P35 (Top left) The Annual Golden Harvest event is cohosted by the Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee and the Haney Farmers Market. It’s a showcase for locally produced food where you get to sample items prepared by the students of local culinary programs. City of Maple Ridge photo (Top right) That gentleman holding the beloved red bell Christmas decoration is none other than Owen Fuller (The Fuller in ‘Fuller Watson Home Furnishings). 50 years ago he and some of his fellow downtown business associates purchased those bells and started a Maple Ridge Christmas tradition. City of Maple Ridge photo (Left) The Greg Moore Youth Centre celebrated its 15 year anniversary with a moving event in October. The youth who ﬁrst accessed services for this special place are now the backbone of the leadership team, acting as mentors for the next generation. City of Maple Ridge photo (Bottom) The CP Holiday Train pulled up at the Port Haney train station on one of the coldest nights of December, but that did not deter the crowd who enjoyed the live music and generously donated to the Friends in Need Food Bank. City of Maple Ridge photo 36 | Citizens Report 2016 The Evolution Continues In his book ‘The Perks of Being a Wallﬂower’ author Stephen Chobosky wrote “Things change. And friends leave. Life doesn’t stop for anybody.” That quote perfectly summarizes life at the Maple Ridge Fire Department in 2016. It was a year of change, but a change that has been managed as part of a master plan that continues to unfold. In May of 2016 the Maple Ridge Fire Department added Narcan kits to their medical emergency supplies to deal with the growing opioid overdose crisis in British Columbia. Fireﬁghters received specialized training from the BC Emergency Health Service on how to administer Narcan in an overdose emergency. This training has provided our members with another tool, on top of their ﬁrst aid training, to help save lives in the community. In fact, the department responded to 297 known overdose calls as part of the total 2,387 medical calls that they attended in 2016. That represents a 373% increase in overdoses compared to 2015. Clearly the decision to add Narcan training was warranted. “The issue of fentanyl has hit every strata of society and our department is committed to ensuring we have the training and tools to deal with the realities in our community,” said Maple Ridge Fire Chief Howard Exner. On June 17, 2016 Council, City staff and ﬁreﬁghters gathered together at Fire Hall No. 1 to pay tribute to Chief Dane Spence as he retired after 30 years of service to the City of Maple Ridge. In 1985 Dane became a volunteer ﬁreﬁghter and grew with the department to eventually rise to the position of Chief. In an interview with the Maple Ridge News when asked what he was most proud of Spence noted, with his usual humility: “I haven’t done anything by myself. I have been fortunate to work with many remarkable Mayors, Councillors, colleagues and community members whose support I treasure.” Dane’s ﬁrst day of retirement was July 1, 2016 and on that day his longtime colleague Howard Exner was promoted to serve as Maple Ridge’s newest Fire Chief. Chief Exner joined the Fire Department as a volunteer in 1991 and in 1998 was hired as the Chief Training Ofﬁcer. In 2013 he became Deputy Chief. Chief Exner was part of the management Citizens Report 2016 | 37 team that developed and implemented the plan to move Maple Ridge from a volunteer ﬁre department to the ‘composite model’ that we have today. Maple Ridge is served by a combination of career ﬁreﬁghters and paid-on- call ﬁreﬁghters. “One of the hallmarks of our work here in Maple Ridge is long term planning. My job is to build on the work that we have done and continue to work the plan,” said Chief Exner. “In 2016 we began the foundational work to move forward with the development of Fire Hall No. 4 in Albion. This will be an important next step in the evolution of our department and a great partnership with our new Parks, Recreation & Culture division on the park that will be co- located on the site.” On November 9, 2016 the Maple Ridge Fire Department said goodbye to another member of their team with a full honours funeral for Lieutenant Dennis teBoekhorst. Nearly 700 ﬁreﬁghters plus ﬁrst responders from the RCMP, BC Ambulance Service and BC Corrections Ofﬁcers took part in the procession and service. “Dennis was a shining example of the ﬁreﬁghters who serve this community. He too, began as a volunteer and became a career ﬁreﬁghter. When his daughter developed kidney disease he donated one of his and became a champion for the organ donation program at BC Children’s Hospital,” said Chief Exner. “This is the second time that we have had a line of duty death in our department. The support of the community, the genuine outpouring of love and kindness for Dennis’ family and the department was humbling. We miss his big smile every day.” As 2016 drew to a close Council voted to approve the replacement of two vehicles that are part of the ﬁre department ﬂeet. A 1992 ﬁre engine from Fire Hall No. 3 will be replaced with a new truck being built in Abbotsford and scheduled to come into service in late 2017. Tower Truck No.1, based out of Fire Hall No. 1 has served the community since 1996. A new $1.5 million replacement is under construction in Nebraska and will come into service in 2018. “These vehicle replacements are a great example of how our long term planning works,” said the Chief. “As a City we have been putting money away in our Fire Department Capital Reserve Fund each year knowing that we will need to fund the replacement of this equipment. This approach eliminates any big impacts for taxpayers and ensures that we will be able to continue to serve our community with efﬁciency and effectiveness.” An opioid crisis, the retirement of one of the architects of the department, the loss of a beloved co-worker and work to ensure the department has the equipment and facilities to meet the needs of the community – 2016 was ﬁlled with challenges, but each one was met due to the strong culture of long term planning to ensure the department continues to evolve with the people, skills and gear to keep Maple Ridge safe. The Best of Maple Ridge In early 2016 our new CAO, Ted Swabey, asked City employees to share their favourite places in Maple Ridge. Here are the Top 10 recommendations. Have you been to all these places? 1. Golden Ears Park - 24480 Fern Crescent is visited annually by over 600,000 people making it the most popular Provincial Park in BC. The park boasts the beautiful Alouette Lake beach, boat launch and picnic area, camping and incredible hikes for all levels and skills. 2. Big Feast Bistro - 11920 227 Street. Big Feast has been featured on the Food Network show ‘You Gotta Eat Here.’ A showcase for locally grown foods with something for everyone. 3. Maple Ridge Dyke Trails can be accessed at the north end of 216 Street or from Gerry Sulina Park. Breathtaking views of the Golden Ears and a fun place to walk with family and friends. There is even an off-leash dog park. 4. Once Upon a Tea Leaf - 11970 224 Street features an eclectic mix of specialty teas, designer clothing and unique gifts for the special people in your life. 5. Lotus and Lemongrass - #103 - 11952 224 Street. This quaint store carries a wide array of home décor, jewelry, fragrances and fun gifts. 6. Billy Miner Alehouse and Cafe - 22355 River Road located in the old Bank of Montreal building built in 1910. A popular local food and music destination for decades. 7. Kingﬁshers Waterfront Bar & Grill - 23840 River Road. Regulars love the riverside patio, great food and spectacular sunsets year round. 8. Bruce’s Country Market. - 23963 Lougheed Highway. This is a favourite foodie stop for fresh and smoked salmon, seafood and their popular café and grocery store. 9. Kanaka Creek Regional Park. From the ﬁsh hatchery located at 11450 256 Street through to Cliff Falls and the estuary where Kanaka Creek meets the Fraser River, this park has something for everyone. 10. Golden Ears Cheesecrafters - 22270 128 Avenue. This family owned business has carved out a regional reputation for producing award winning artisan cheeses and with a full service Retail Shop and Bistro, it has quickly become the perfect destination for those looking for local products, gifts or a unique dining experience. 38 | Citizens Report 2016 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Citizens Report 2016 | 39 The City’s ﬁscal year ends at midnight on December 31. As the clock approached midnight, the City of Maple Ridge’s Operations Centre was on full standby mode as yet another winter storm approached the Lower Mainland. In the early hours of January 1, 2017 crews were out on priority snow clearing routes as another blizzard dumped a few inches of snow in what would be one of the worse winters since 1946. As the annual Santa Claus parade started making its way through downtown Maple Ridge on December 6 the downpour of rain lulled everyone in the crowd into thinking that it would be another wet and mild winter as had occurred in the last three years. 48 hours later there was a light dusting of snow in Maple Ridge marking the beginning of a very different type of winter than we’ve been used to. 40 | Citizens Report 2016 Winter 2016 Tests Our Team “Maple Ridge kind of dodged the worst impacts of that ﬁrst snowstorm that hit communities to the west very hard on December 8, but within a week Maple Ridge was feeling the full impact of a succession of winter storms that brought snow and freezing conditions which had not been seen for at least three years,” said James Storey, Director of Engineering Operations. “Our team was out in full force for most of the next few weeks during Citizens Report 2016 | 41 the most intense period of snowfall and we activated a 24 hour a day operation to meet the highest snowfall volumes as the winter progressed.” “Maple Ridge has 13 vehicles that can be deployed for snow removal. We convert four heavy dump trucks into snowplows by adding large blades to the front and salt/ gravel spreaders in the box. We mount snow plow attachments on the front of nine one ton trucks and add the salt/gravel spreaders on the back of these vehicles,” said Walter Oleschak, Superintendent of Roads & Fleet. “Each year, before winter starts, all of our drivers are recertiﬁed for this type of work. We stock up on gravel and road salt and, like citizens, we watch the forecast to prepare for whatever Mother Nature throws at us.” In 2009, after a particularly difﬁcult winter, the City updated the Snow Removal Plan and published all of the material online to ensure that citizens understood the priorities that would guide staff response to a major snowfall. The largest vehicles in the ﬂeet follow a series of priority routes to ensure main roads and key facilities remain accessible as the snow is falling. Once the snow has stopped and these main routes remain clear, the team moves to secondary roads as outlined in the plan. In addition to this operational planning, the City has also developed a strong ﬁnancial plan to ensure the impacts of an extraordinary year of snow do not create a hardship for taxpayers. “In the years that we had little or no snow we managed to put money away in a ‘reserve fund’ that could be tapped in the event of an extraordinary winter,” said Catherine Nolan, Manager of Accounting. “We had $686,000 in the snow removal reserve fund as part of our 2016 Financial Plan. This year, instead of adding to the fund, we will be drawing close to $200,000 from it to make up any difference in our budget versus the actual costs of responding to the severe winter we dealt with.” It was the perfect storm, if you will pardon the pun, with severe winter conditions in the central and eastern United States before Christmas followed by the constant wave of storms along the west coast. The supply of road salt was an issue for all communities. Here in Maple Ridge we used over eleven hundred tonnes of salt on our roads in response to the cold weather and snow. “I want to thank the men and women who work at our Operations Centre, the team in the ofﬁce ﬁelding calls, the mechanics who worked to keep trucks on the road, the logistics team that managed the sand and salt supply and the people behind the wheels of the ﬂeet who worked to keep our priority routes open as each storm hit,” said Ted Swabey, Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer. “As many of us went to bed after celebrating the ﬁrst hours of 2017, this dedicated team started the new ﬁscal year driving through the blizzard ensuring that when we woke up on January 1, 2017 the roads would be clear.” Maple Ridge had a plan, both operational and ﬁnancial, to deal with one of the worst winters since the 40s. We will take lessons from this year’s response and ﬁne tune our plan to ensure that we are ready for whatever Mother Nature has in store in the coming years. 42 | Citizens Report 2016 The ﬁscal year ending 2016 marked my ﬁrst full year as a resident of Maple Ridge and my ﬁrst year as the Chief Administrative Ofﬁcer. I wanted to share some observations about both of these parts of my life. My wife and daughter followed me to Maple Ridge and a home in the Albion neighbourhood. My daughter was in the middle of Grade 11 and my wife left a great career in Nanaimo to be part of this adventure. A year after the move we are grateful for the warm welcome from our work colleagues, neighbours and the staff and students at Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary School. We are settled in and loving our new home. Everything is new to us, and one of our favourite things to do as a family is go for walks and hikes in the community. We have seen all that the four seasons have to offer and this is an incredibly amazing place to call home. We’ve also had a great deal of fun checking out local community festivals and events. My wife and I were judges in the annual Farmer’s Market Soup Contest and there is no better way to be introduced to the wonderful local restaurants that we’ve been enjoying. Reflections on My First Year Volunteering at the annual Rotary Duck Race was a great introduction to the amazing volunteers that we have in our community. We have grown to love this City, and all it has to offer from the parks and community events to local businesses and friendly neighbours. From a career perspective, my ﬁrst year as CAO was an exciting one. This is a community that has a passionate and diverse Council, talented and dedicated staff and citizens who are highly engaged. This is also a community that is experiencing fast growth while dealing with a bit of an identity crisis as we try to reconcile the past with the future. As I reﬂect back on 2016 I am most proud of the work that we have done to secure major Federal and Provincial investments in our community. Present and past Councils have been lobbying for numerous projects including improvements along the Lougheed Highway, the Haney Bypass, improved ambulance service and one of the most important projects, a new school in the fast growing Albion neighbourhood. Less high proﬁle projects include upgrades to our water system and road network improvements throughout the City. It has been gratifying to see the string of announcements from senior levels of government reﬂecting the strong case that we have made for these investments in Maple Ridge. All of us, as citizens, will beneﬁt from these projects moving forward. As this publication went to press many of our community wish list items were funded and announced. I’m so proud of what we all accomplished. Where do we go from here? On November 1, 2016 the City of Maple Ridge launched the new Parks, Recreation & Culture division and embarked on a community engagement process that will allow us to develop a long term strategy to ensure we have a solid plan to meet the needs of our fast growing community. This conversation will deﬁne our future. I am grateful that our Council has given me the opportunity to help them enact their vision for our community. I am also proud to lead the team of professionals who serve along with me. Maple Ridge, my home, is an extraordinary place with a very bright future. Services & Contact Information Planet Ice: 604-467-2883Program Registration: 604-467-7422Volunteer Services: 604-467-7459 PlanningTel: 604-467-7341Environmental Enquiries: 604-467-7499planning@mapleridge.ca Property & Risk ManagementTel: 604-467-7477 PurchasingTel: 604-466-4343procurement@mapleridge.ca RCMP – Police ServicesNon-Emergency: 604-463-6251Emergency 911rm.inquiries@rcmp-grc.gc.ca Non-Municipal ServicesAssessment Authority 1-800-393-1332Canada Post 604-463-3651Garbage (Metro Vancouver) 604-466-9277 Health Unit 604-476-7000Hospital 604-463-4111Library 604-467-7417Mental Health 604-476-7165Recycling 604-463-5545School Board 604-463-4200Service BC/Motor Vehicle 604-466-7470Service Canada 1-800-367-5693SPCA 604-463-9511The ACT Arts Centre 604-476-2787Transit/TransLink – (Coast Mountain) 604-953-3333 Citizens Report 2016 | 43 City of Maple Ridge 11995 Haney Place Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9 Canada General Information Tel: 604-463-5221Fax: 604-467-7329Hours: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm www.mapleridge.caenquiries@mapleridge.ca Mayor & Council Tel: 604-463-5221 mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca Clerk’sTel: 604-463-5221clerks@mapleridge.ca Communications Tel: 604-467-7452farmstrong@mapleridge.ca Economic Development Tel: 604-467-7320invest@mapleridge.ca Emergency Program Tel: 604-467-7301Nights & Weekends: 604-463-9581emergencyprogam@mapleridge.ca EngineeringTel: 604-467-7339engineering@mapleridge.ca FinanceAccounts Payable: 604-467-7388accounts.payable@mapleridge.caAccounts Receivable: 604-466-4334 Property Taxes & Utilities: 604-467-7316 revenue.collections@mapleridge.ca Fire DepartmentNon-Emergency: 604-463-5880Emergency 911ﬁre@mapleridge.ca Human Resources Tel: 604-467-7350hrenquiries@mapleridge.ca Licences, Permits & Bylaws Building: 604-467-7311 permits@mapleridge.caBylaws & Licensing: 604-467-7305licencesandbylaws@mapleridge.ca Operations Centre Tel: 604-463-9581Public Works Emergency – 24 hours: 604-463-9581operationscentre@mapleridge.ca Parks, Recreation & Culturewww.mapleridge.ca/parksandrecprc@mapleridge.caCemetery: 604-467-7307Facility Booking: 604-467-7357Festivals Ofﬁce: 604-467-7325Greg Moore Youth Centre: 604-467-7354Leisure Centre: 604-467-7322 1942 - 20161942 - 2016Remembering TOM CAMERON Dedicating a Quarter Century to his Community. In 1992 Tom Cameron was asked to be the announcer for the visit of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Musical Ride being held at the Albion Fairgrounds. That event was the beginning of a 25 year journey of volunteer service that lasted, literally, to his last day with us. Tom was a presence at the Albion Fairgrounds from that day on, and eventually he corralled his friend Lorraine Bates to work with him on what was then called the ‘Ridge Meadows Fair.’ The local Fair started in 1901 reﬂecting Maple Ridge’s early history of being a source of high quality agricultural goods. This is the place that groups like the 4H Club continue the legacy of connecting youth with farming and local food production. Tom may have started out as a ‘greenhorn’ when it comes to agriculture, but his organizational skills helped the event adapt and grow. In 2016, Tom and Lorraine were at the heart of the 115th integration of the Fair now called ‘Country Fest.’ Even as Tom battled leukemia he was present at the Fair making sure every detail was dealt with. For most people navigating over two decades of the annual Fair would be enough, but Tom was at the nexus of so many other events. He was a key organizer of the Ghost Ridge Haunted House that helped raise funds for a number of local organizations for over a decade. He was side-by-side with Lorraine Bates for the annual Christmas Hamper program. For many residents, they were Maple Ridge’s Mr. & Mrs. Claus bringing much needed joy to families who were dealing with tough economic circumstances. He was a leader, and inspiration, for the local ‘Cops for Cancer’ fundraising program, and they honoured him when the riders stopped in front of City Hall in October, 2016. Tom was also a proud member of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #88 having served as Branch President. In recent years Tom received a number of awards and recognition. In 2005 he was named Citizen of the Year by the Maple Ridge Community Foundation. Tom received the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee medal in 2012 in a special ceremony with Prime Minister Stephen Harper and was named as the Canadian Volunteer of the Year by the Canadian Fair & Exhibition Association in 2016. That last award was recognized at a ceremony at City Hall and with a private reception a few days later at the Royal Canadian Legion. In mid-December, the day before Tom passed away, he was at the Fairground barns overseeing the Annual Christmas Hamper drive. That says everything you need to know about this remarkable man.