Thursday October 9 2014
The
Leader
▲ Turn the page at Surrey writers’ fest 40
▲ Panthers romp past Rutland 24
SURREY BRINGS PENNE WITH HOME ITS YOUR POLITICS? REPORT CARD ▶ CITY’S QUALITY OF LIFE IS AVERAGE AND NEEDS IMPROVEMENT, STUDY SUGGESTS
RICK KUPCHUK
Surrey offers its citizens an average quality of life to residents, according to the first Vital Signs report on the city. The report, released Wednesday morning at the Surrey Arts Centre, is a joint effort between SurreyCares and the Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) and is a combination of research and a public opinion poll. It studies 11 performance indicators established by Community Foundations of Canada, including safety, standard of living, transportation, the environment, the economy and housing. Surrey earned a C- grade in seven categories and a D+ in the other four. According to the report, C is an average performance which suggests additional effort must be made, while D is a below-average performance that Safety needs additional work. Overall, 571 respondents gave their city a C, rating Surrey’s quality of life as satisfactory but needing improvement. “We didn’t know what to expect. This is the first time doing this with Surrey Cares,” said Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman. “It’s not a bad thing; it’s an average performance.” Transportation The city’s growing population, which is forecast to overtake Vancouver’s in the next two decades, indicates Surrey is a desired destination. But the growth also presents huge challenges in keeping pace with a population that already exceeds half-a-million people. “There are (thousands of) people moving here each month,” said Huberman. “So we’re playing catch-up in several areas. We don’t have the necessary infrastructure Arts & Culture in place, or the transportation or the education (schools). “Vital Signs is an opportunity for us. We can say to all levels of government, particularly federal and provincial, that Surrey can’t be ignored.” The report listed Surrey’s parks, festivals and events, locally grown food, natural environment and its diverse cultures as its bright spots. Leading the list of things to improve is Surrey’s crime rate. “Every gender, every neighboruhood, every income group, every ethnicity, and nearly ever age group selected crime as the top concern in Surrey,” said the report, citing homelessness, mental illness and addiction as suspected sources of criminal activity.
▶ PASTAFARIAN RUNS FOR SURREY CITY COUNCIL 3
D+
D+
C
Pastafarian Obi Canuel submitted his nomination papers for a run at city council in Surrey on Wednesday. The ordained minister in the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster wore his formal head covering for the occasion – a stainless steel colander. EVAN SEAL
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