2017 Finance Annual Report

CITY OF SURREY OVERVIEWS PARKS, RECREATION & CULTURE DEPARTMENT

The programs, facilities and services of the Parks, Recreation & Culture Department reflect people working together to improve recreation opportunities, protect the natural environment and enhance the quality of life for residents of Surrey. The department is organized into four core service divisions:

CULTURE The Culture division is responsible for the operation of a variety of arts and heritage facilities as well as the delivery of programs, services and special events to support a vibrant and engaged community. The division also plays a key role in supporting the development of Surrey’s cultural groups and creative industries. The division also hosts five major events including: Party for the Plant, Canada Day, Fusion Festival, Tree Lighting Celebration and the Mayor’s Gala. The Marketing and Communications section supports the corporation by providing expertise, strategic guidance and services related to marketing and communications to all City business units. COMMUNITY AND RECREATION Community & Recreation Services is responsible for the operation of a variety of community and recreation facilities as well as the delivery of programs and services to support lifelong health, wellbeing and engagement. This division, along with partners and volunteers in the Surrey community, facilitates and delivers programs and services that are accessible for seniors, youth, children and families. Community & Recreation Services promotes participation through an inclusive approach reaching out to involve members of Surrey’s diverse community, including people with disabilities, in all service areas.

MARKETING, COMMUNICATION, WEB AND NEW MEDIA The Marketing, Communication, Web and New Media provides expertise, strategic guidance and services related to marketing and communications to all City business units. PARKS The Parks division plans, develops, and maintains Surrey’s extensive park system (over 2,725 hectares), a civic marina and three cemeteries. The division plays a key role in the stewardship of the natural environment and the engagement of our residents, through the delivery of a variety of outdoor programs, services and events, including nature- based education and stewardship programs, active recreation and play amenities. The division also provides advice and permits to community event organizers and facilitates the review of permit requests through Festivals and Events Service Team (FEST) Committee. SUSTAINABILITY OFFICE The Sustainability Office is responsible for implementing the recommendations contained in the Surrey Sustainability Charter with an over-riding goal of making meaningful advances in sustainability in the City of Surrey to the benefit of present and future generations.

2 0 1 7 A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S

• Completed a dog off-leash park in Forsyth Park, further advancing the plan for increasing off-leash spaces across Surrey. • Completed lifecycle replacement of synthetic turf field #1 as well as a new synthetic turf field at Cloverdale Athletic Park, extending the life of this field for the next 15 years. • Completed final design of Cloverdale and North Surrey Sport & Ice Complexes. • Successfully obtained a Natural Resources Canada innovation grant of $1.3 million for the Clayton Hub community building. • Formed a partnership with Portland State University to begin urban heat mapping of the City, with a view to future climate adaptation work in this area. • Reached the final Milestone 5 in the ICLEI Building Adaptive and Resilience Communities (BARC) process for climate adaptation, and Milestone 5 the FMC Partners for Climate Protection program for GHG reductions.

• Launched the MY FUN pass designed to keep children ages 2-12 physically active, engaged and connected to community throughout the school year by providing an affordable option to access drop-in recreation. • Increased redemption rate of the “Recreation 4 Youth Pass” by 76% from 2016, providing youth, ages 13-18, with four free recreation visits to any of Surrey’s recreation facilities. • Opened City Parkway Studio, operated through a partnership agreement between the City of Surrey, the Royal Canadian Theatre Company, and Streetrich Hip Hop Society. • Started planning and initial construction of Phase II of the Surrey Museum. • Completed lifecycle replacement of two water parks, South Surrey Athletic Park and Cloverdale Athletic Park, and seized the opportunity to reduce water consumption while increasing play value to users.

• Helped more than 2,500 newcomer clients through the Settlement Services in Recreation Centre (SSiRC) program. • Continued to develop a sustainability implementation fund granting program for the community, focused on the Sustainability Charter 2.0 themes. • Obtained project funding and launched neighbourhood sustainability action plan in collaboration with the Newton community. • Secured annual funding of $500,000 for the Wrap Around Program. • Hosted 62 provincial events/adventure races, nine regional events, four national events and four international events as part of our Sport Tourism Strategy. • Welcomed large productions to our community, issuing a record number of 179 film permits for more than 271 days of filming including titles such as Deadpool 2, Riverdale, The Good Doctor, and Skyscraper. the Newton Sustainability in Action pilot planning process to develop a

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