2008 Inaugural Address

Mayor Wayne Wright 2008 Inaugural Address

 

December 1, 2008 

It is indeed a deep honour and sincere pleasure to present my third Inaugural Address as Mayor of this great city. On behalf of the entire Council, I would like to start by thanking the citizens of New Westminster for the opportunity to work for them, and with them, in the coming years as we move our city forward.

As City Councils have done before us, we pledge to work on behalf of all the people who call the Royal City home. At the same time, we encourage all citizens to become involved and make a positive contribution to their city.

Here in New Westminster , we are blessed with a wealth of talent and knowledge. By drawing upon the incredible resource that we have in our residents, we can rise to the challenges before us and continue building the best and most livable city in Canada.

We are also blessed with top-notch city staff. With a devotion to customer service and a commitment to serving in the best interests of our citizens, our staff are some of the best in their field. Annual Citizen Surveys have consistently shown that Royal City residents are strongly satisfied with the quality of service they receive from City Hall. On behalf of Council and the citizens of our city, I want to thank our excellent staff for their continued hard work and dedication.

Where we are today is in no small measure due to the efforts of Council members who have served New Westminster over the past 3 years. To Councillors Cote, Harper, McIntosh, Osterman and Williams, each of you has made meaningful contributions to the governance of our great city during your time on Council. I look forward to our continued work together.

To Councillor Cal Donnelly, it’s been said that to be truly blessed, is to look back over one’s years of service and be able to say – I made a difference. Well my friend, using this as a measure of success, you have been blessed many times over. All of the residents of the Royal City owe you a debt of gratitude for your years of service and leadership in our city.

And, to Councillor McEvoy, welcome. I know that your energy, talents and enthusiasm for your city will prove an excellent addition to Council.

As we work together to address the challenges and opportunities presented over the next 3 years, we can take comfort that we have a solid foundation to build upon. Aided by our outstanding city staff, we have accomplished many of the priorities laid out in our Strategic Plan. Some of the highlights?

In the area of Traffic and Transportation we:

• completed 1st stage improvements in the 12 th Street corridor that are making a positive impact in the West End
• finished improvements to Columbia Street and won an award for our efforts
• completed a comprehensive Road Safety Program for our city and,
• have held constructive discussions with TransLink and senior government officials on the future North Fraser Perimeter Road to relieve traffic congestion in our city

In our Downtown we:

• successfully completed the purchase of the Kyoto site at 8 th and Columbia for civic use
• processed two new downtown developments – the Inter Urban and the Trapp Block – and are continuing with the process around the innovative Plaza 88 development rising above the New Westminster SkyTrain Station
• initiated planning around a new Downtown Civic Centre
• and are pursuing the purchase of the Westminster Pier property to begin the process of re-claiming our waterfront for our citizens

In the areas of Economic Development and Tourism we:

• completed a tourism strategy
• completed a Livable City Strategy
• expanded and relocated the casino and negotiated $60 million for 5 civic projects, all of them 100% funded from casino revenues
• developed an industrial land strategy and hired a Manager of Economic Development
• and are working to re-develop the old Labatt’s site in Sapperton

To foster Livability we’ve:

• partnered with the Province to revitalize Hyack Square
• made improvements to Bernie Legge theatre
• developed a Community Arts Strategy and comprehensive Parks and Recreation Plan
• established four new off-leash dog parks
• constructed a new Sapperton Plaza
• launched construction of the new Moody Park Pool
• installed a new wood lacrosse floor at Queens Park Arena
• acquired a Police Boat, an Emergency Water Mobile Response Unit and will take delivery of an Emergency Mobile Command Unit early in the New Year
• defined the City’s Social Role, hired a Social Planner, completed a Child Care Needs Assessment for the City
• and completed a Homelessness Needs Assessment

To ensure continued Corporate Effectiveness and Efficiency we:

• established the New Westminster Electric Utility Commission
• installed a fibre optic network linking city facilities
• developed a comprehensive communications strategy for the City and recruited a Communications Manager
• launched the planning for Fire Hall renovations in the West End
• undertook a review of Development Cost Charges in the City
• and completed a review of the City’s Emergency Planning Function, recruiting a new Emergency Manager to oversee its implementation

To encourage a commitment to the Environment we:

• adopted an Environmental Action Plan and hired the city’s first Environmental Coordinator
• initiated a Rain Barrel Program
• implemented an anti-idling bylaw
• completed a Corporate Greenhouse Gas Reduction Strategy
• and reinstated the City’s Environment Advisory Committee

And those are just the highlights!

Each of these achievements has helped our city meet the ambitious vision laid out in our Strategic Plan and build a strong foundation for the future. We continue to strive to be a livable city of safe, healthy, balanced neighbourhoods that form a vibrant and sustainable hub for the Lower Mainland. All the while, we remain proud of our heritage and intimately connected to our historic riverfront.

Over the next 3 years we have a lot to look forward to in the Royal City and we will build upon all that we have accomplished together.

Since becoming Mayor of New Westminster in 2002, I’ve heard ours described as a City of Celebrations time and again. Over the next two years, those words will prove the perfect description of our city. Next year, in 2009, we will celebrate our 150 th anniversary. Plans have been underway since last January to make sure that we celebrate in style – encouraging everyone to join in the fun. Also next year, New Westminster will help British Columbia play host to the 2009 World Police and Fire Games. And, in 2010, our City will host the Olympic Torch as it makes its way to the opening ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics. The event will provide us with yet another opportunity to show the world everything we have to offer right here in the Royal City.

Downtown, we will commence construction of a new civic facility, funded through Development Assistance Compensation Funds. This new facility will be one of the $60 million in city projects I mentioned earlier, made possible by an agreement between the City, Gateway Casinos, BC Lottery Corporation and the Province, and will provide a new amenity in the downtown for all residents.

Along our historic waterfront, we will continue with our plans to reconnect the area with the rest of the city. The first step is to secure ownership of the Westminster Pier property. Once that is finished we can explore new ways to ensure the vitality of the area. The community has an important role to play as we complete this exciting work and we will ensure there are opportunities to provide feedback and ideas throughout the process.

As I’ve mentioned, the construction of the North Fraser Perimeter Road and encapsulation of Front Street must be made a priority for TransLink and the provincial and federal governments. The City will work on behalf of all of our residents to make sure this project is advanced as soon as possible.

Year after year, our residents have told us that our civic amenities must be kept front of mind for City Council. That message has been heard loud and clear and, over the next three years, we’ll see the completion of the new Moody Park Pool, improvements at Terry Hughes Park, a re-vitalized Hyack Square providing a gateway to our historic Columbia Street and a new Youth Centre to provide a safe place for young people to socialize and connect with their peers.

In Queensborough, $5 million in parkland projects will take place thanks to DAC funding, including: continued construction of the trail and greenway development project; conversion of city owned lands to neighbourhood park and open spaces; and construction of park and recreation amenities. Across the city, your Council will also be on the lookout for new opportunities to bring additional amenities to our citizens whenever possible.

One of the best things about living in New Westminster is our compact size and walkable neighbourhoods. On any given day, you can stroll through our city and meet a friendly face. It’s a common feature shared by great communities. But when people walk their neighbourhoods, they must feel secure. We will continue to work with our excellent Police Service to combat nuisance behaviour in our city and keep our streets safe for everyone to enjoy.

Finally, there is another challenge facing us in New Westminster that we simply must overcome. It is no secret that the growth of our city has brought with it increased pressures on our schools. Our children are our future, and it is incumbent upon us to do everything we can to ensure they learn in the best possible environment. Tonight, I want to reiterate your Council’s desire to work with our School Board to come up with solutions that will see needed schools built across our city. It won’t be easy – as a built-up community of seven square miles it will take innovative solutions. But I know we will get there by meaningfully tapping into the knowledge and ideas of our citizens. Working together, we will get the job done.

All of the work I’ve described here tonight won’t be easy. Financial difficulties in the world today have placed an added strain on our efforts. Your Council understands what that means to the citizens of New Westminster . No doubt, difficult choices will need to be made. I want to underscore the commitment of Council and city staff to fiscal responsibility and ensuring residents continue to get the best value for their tax dollars.

Before I conclude, I want to reiterate comments I made at the beginning of my remarks this evening. As a resident of this City for over 30 years, I’ve always believed that our greatest strength lay in the talents and energy of our citizens. By getting involved you can play a direct role in shaping New Westminster for future generations. Whether by volunteering some time with one of our many local organizations or sharing your insights and talents on one of our City Committees, I urge each and every citizen to make a commitment to your city. We all will benefit from it.

So, now the work begins – or more appropriately – continues. Let’s roll up our sleeves and work together building a community we can all be proud of.

Thank you.