Community Advisory Assembly

The application period for the Community Advisory Assembly ran from September 25 through October 31, 2023, and a total of 216 applications were received. Recruitment was extended until November 13 for applicants ages 19 and under.

36 members were selected based on demographic characteristics such as the area of New West where they live, their age group, gender identity, housing tenure (renter or owner), visible minority, Indigenous identity, and a diversity of lived experiences.

Selection Process

To select 36 Assembly members from the 216 applicants, City staff first compiled all application information into a spreadsheet, assigned a unique number to each applicant, and removed all applicants' names and other identifying information such as email addresses.

Staff from a separate department were then provided with the de-identified data. Staff applied a variety of filters in the spreadsheet to first identify the demographic groups where there were the fewest number of applicants, such as age 19 and under, non-binary/gender diverse, Indigenous, and experiencing homelessness/precariously housed. Given the relatively low number of applicants with these characteristics, these members were selected first. Then staff selected applicants who had a number of typically under-represented characteristics, such as renters, visible minorities, low-income, and experiencing disabilities.

The group was then rounded out with selections based on age group, geographic area of the city, and gender identity in order to meet the overall community profile, as per the 2021 Census, as closely as possible.

Following this de-identified selection process, the unique number of each selected applicant was provided back to staff in a separate department to identify the names of those selected. Selected applicants were then contacted and asked to confirm their participation in the Assembly.

36 members confirmed their participation in the Assembly, for the one year term beginning January 2024.

Demographic Profile of Assembly

The group discusses and provides advice to the City on a variety of topics and current City projects that directly affect the day-to-day lives of New Westminster residents.

To date, the Assembly had discussed and developed recommendations for Council or City staff on the following topics:

• Community Belonging and Connecting (Council’s Strategic Priority)
• Road reallocation projects related to the City’s Active Transportation Network Plan
• Climate change and intersectionality
• Cultural observances in New Westminster

For more details on the projects and topics the Assembly has discussed, please Click here to see the agendas and minutes of past meetings.

Project teams at the City that bring their projects to the Community Advisory Assembly for discussion are expected to plan for how to incorporate the Assembly’s input. The Assembly is led by a professional facilitator, who works with project teams to ensure their questions for the Assembly are meaningful and applicable both for participants and the project.

Project staff are also expected to report back to the Assembly and the community how the Assembly’s input was incorporated and/or influenced the outcomes.

(such as Affordable Housing and Childcare; Sustainable Transportation; Facilities, Infrastructure and Public Realm, etc.)

Many of the City’s committees were structured around the previous Council’s Strategic Plan. Following the most recent local election in October 2022, the new Council went through a strategic planning process to identify new priorities for this term (2022-2026).

As part of this planning process, Council asked City staff to explore potential changes to the structure of the City’s advisory committees. Staff researched other potential models, and several options, along with pros and cons, were considered and discussed with Council. Advisory committee members were also consulted and their feedback was shared with Council.

Advisory committee members, City staff, and Council have all shared feedback that the City’s traditional advisory committee structure was not entirely satisfactory and could be improved to better meet the needs of participants and the City. Committee members, in particular, shared that they want to be able to provide the City with more meaningful input into projects, earlier in their development, and that they want to be able to see if and how their input influenced the outcome of the project.

The Assembly model – where members form a representative cross-section of the public and deliberate to find common ground in providing advice to government – has been used in BC, Alberta, Ontario, and internationally in countries such as the United Kingdom, France, Australia, and others.

(SUCH AS MEETING FREQUENCY, LENGTH OF TERM, ETC.)

The term of the Assembly is for a year, starting January 2024. Members were required to commit to attending 10 meetings a year, one every month except for summer (July and August), as well as a kick-off dinner with Council to launch the new group.

Meetings run for 3 to 4 hours each, and are held in person, at rotating locations across the City. A variety of supports are offered members to make participation easier, including reimbursement of any direct expenses, stipends for childcare / elder care, and compensation for low-income members or those who must miss paid work to attend meetings.

The application and selection process for the Assembly pilot term in 2024 has concluded. Depending on the outcomes of the pilot project, there may be future opportunities to join an Assembly.

All current residents of New Westminster are welcome and encouraged to apply. Membership of the Community Advisory Assembly will mirror the diversity of our city, as well as a diversity of lived experiences. You do not need to be a Canadian citizen, or over the age of 18 to apply (youth are welcome!).