ABOUT THE MEMBERS AND APPLICATION PROCESS
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
Demographic Measure |
2021 Census Profile for City of New Westminster |
Community Advisory Assembly Membership |
Geographic Area of the City |
||
West End |
10.7% |
8.3% |
Uptown |
34.8% |
36.1% |
East End |
21.3% |
22.2% |
Downtown |
19.3% |
16.7% |
Queensborough |
13.9% |
16.7% |
Gender Identity |
||
Man |
49.3% |
44.4% |
Woman |
50.7% |
44.4% |
Non-Binary/Gender Diverse/Other |
0.44% (province wide) |
11.1% |
Age Group |
||
19 and under |
16.4% |
19.4% |
20-34 |
23.9% |
22.2% |
35-49 |
22.9% |
25.0% |
50-64 |
20.8% |
16.7% |
65 and older |
16.1% |
16.7% |
Housing Tenure |
||
Owner |
54.7% |
47.2% |
Renter |
45.3% |
47.2% |
Other (unhoused; living temporarily with family/friends) |
~0.8% |
5.6% |
Visible Minority |
||
Visible Minority |
46.8% |
47.2% |
Indigenous Identity |
||
Indigenous Identity |
3.1% |
5.6% |