Annual Financial Report 2020

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 core service divisions, each responsible for a variety of services and facilities.

ADMINISTRATION & SUPPORT SERVICES Administration and Support Services’ key role is to provide ongoing support to the General Manager and Division Managers, in addition to department wide administrative duties. This Division also oversees the implementation of Surrey’s Sport Tourism Strategy, submitting bid applications to bring major sporting events to Surrey. COMMUNITY AND RECREATION Community and Recreation Services (CRS) operates diverse, state-of-the art facilities across Surrey where individuals, families and the community gather for improved health and well-being through social, educational, recreation and fitness opportunities. By working collaboratively with stakeholders and partners, CRS helps children, youth, families and seniors thrive in the community. MARKETING, COMMUNICATION, WEB AND NEW MEDIA The Corporate Marketing and Communications Division supports the department and corporation by providing expertise, strategic guidance and services related to marketing, communications and community engagement. The Web and New Media Section oversees the City’s social media policy and web content best practices by providing expertise, guidance and services related to enhancing the web presence.

CULTURE The Culture Division leads the planning, development and implementation of Cultural Policies, Cultural Facilities, and contribution of knowledge and leadership to local, regional and national arts, culture and heritage issues and initiatives. The Division provides City-wide arts, heritage, and cultural services including cultural grants and supports the development of community arts and heritage organizations. Public Art Program, Arts Services, Performing Arts, Special Events, Heritage Services, and Filming portfolios for the City are also a part of the Culture umbrella. PARKS The Parks division plans, develops, and maintains the City’s extensive park system, 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 a variety of outdoor programs, services and events.The division also provides advice and permits to community event organizers and facilitates the review of permit requests through Festivals, Events Service Team (FEST) Committee.

2 0 2 0 A C C O M P L I S H M E N T S • The Leisure Access Program (“LAP”) enables low- income families to get access to recreation services. In 2020, 4,241 families accessed the program totaling 12,476 residents. • Surrey won the BCRPA Program Excellence Award (for populations over 15,000) for our Sensory Friendly Spaces program ensuring people living with Autism feel welcome at City events and facilities. • The Civic Distinction Awards were held virtually, celebrating 27 award recipients. This event was the most accessible virtual event the City has hosted with features including American Sign Language translation, closed captioning, attention to simple language and colour contrast.

• The second year of Surrey’s Love Where You Live campaign was a resounding success. Over 75 community cleanups were organized, and over 134 individuals committed to the 20-minute challenge. 208 kilometers of Surrey roads were cleaned every week and waste from 7,459 illegal dumping sites were removed. • The City sold over 700 shade trees to residents as part of its first online tree sale. • $528,750 was invested in 104 different not-for-profit cultural organizations that support the production and presentation of cultural programming in Surrey. • The Children and Youth At-Risk Table (“CHART”), a key component of the Surrey Anti-Gang Family Empowerment (“SAFE”) Program, accepted 105 children and youth vulnerable for gang recruitment and provided these individuals and their families with tailored intervention services.

• The Park Ambassador program was created to help keep Park visitors safe during the COVID-19 Pandemic. Park Ambassadors attended the City’s busiest park locations daily and acted as liaisons to deliver key messaging to park users. • In June 2020, the Planning Institute of British Columbia (PIBC) awarded Surrey’s Nicomekl Riverfront Management Park Plan with the 2020 Gold Award for Excellence in Planning Practice for a City & Urban Area. • The City’s main social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn) now have over 92,800 followers, with over 75,000 engagements (likes, reactions, comments) and over 5,000 questions or comments responded to. • The City has over 19 external email newsletters with over 135,656 subscriptions. In 2020 we saw 26.81% subscription growth, 38.75% open rate (21% higher than the industry average) and a 16.04% click rate (14% higher than the industry average).

• Sport Surrey welcomed the Vancouver Canucks Alumni to the North Surrey Sport & Ice Complex, opening up the potential for large-scale national and international events.

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