Community Advisory Assembly

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

Thirty-six (36) members were then 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 the Assembly members, 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. Selected applicants were then contacted and asked to confirm their participation in the Assembly.

Note: Out of the 36 members selected, 34 members completed the term. 

Demographic Profile of Assembly

Project teams at the City that brought their projects to the Community Advisory Assembly for discussion were expected to plan for how to incorporate the Assembly’s input. The Assembly was led by professional facilitators from the SFU Centre for Dialogue, who work with project teams to ensure their questions for the Assembly were meaningful and applicable both for participants and the project.

Project staff reported back to the Assembly on how their input was incorporated, and their future implementation plans, at the final Assembly event in January 2025. 

(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 in the past 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. Former committee members, in particular, shared in 2023 that they wanted to be able to provide the City with more meaningful input into projects in earlier phases, and that they wanted 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.

In June 2023, City Council directed staff to pursue the Assembly model to replace the previous committees and task forces that were organized around the former strategic plan.

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

The term of the Assembly was for a year, from January 2024 through January 2025. Members were required to commit to attending 10 meetings in the year, one every month except for summer (July and August), as well as a kick-off dinner with Council to launch the new group and a wrap-up event with Council and Steering Committee members.

Meetings ran for 3 to 4 hours each, and were held in person, at rotating locations across the city. A variety of supports were offered to 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 future of the Community Advisory Assembly is still being determined. Evaluation of the pilot is underway, and includes input from the pilot Assembly members, Council, Steering Committee members, and City staff who were involved in the process. Recommendations on the future of the Assembly model will be presented to Council mid-2025. Stay tuned for updates.

If Council decides to continue with the Assembly model as part of the City’s Advisory Committee structure, all current residents of New West will be invited to apply.