THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 02 2023 Continued from page 1
several hundred lives. “Falaise was a terrible place. That’s where we were bombed by our own bombers. We lost a lot of men there.” Kay returned to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-Day in 2019. He believes that he and his generation fought a destructive but necessary war for the important cause of liberty, but his greatest wish is for there to be no more war.
We were operating on training and adrenaline.” “We had a job to do, and we carried out our job the best we could. But sometimes, I wonder if they ever got the message. As the Bible says, ‘there will be wars and there will be rumours of wars,’ and there’s both, and it is still going on. As long as there are humans on earth there will be wars, and it is too bad. “I don’t think it is the people who want the wars. You get certain leaders, it’s all about them, about power. As far as war goes, that’s the worst way I know to settle an argument. Nobody wins.” After returning to Canada and receiving an honourable discharge, Kay rejoined the Armed Forces and served for an additional 25 years in a variety of roles. He served most prominently as a gunnery instructor and also carried out peacekeeping duties. He then worked for Corrections Canada following his retirement from the military. Today, spryer than many people a third his age, Kay lives at the Parkland Riverview retirement community.
PHOTOS COURTSEY OF RUSSELL KAY.
THE RIVER VIEW
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COMMUNITIES
Riverview’s sense of community defines its past – and drives its future R
iverview in 2023 has been basking in its 50th Anniversary celebrations – but of course, any community needs to look forward as well as celebrate its past. Mayor Andrew LeBlanc identifies continued growth as the town’s biggest opportunity - and challenge. “If you look at the statistics, we’re looking at a population increase in Greater Moncton and that includes Riverview. More and more people want to come here, which is great, but we need to have the housing and we need a good mix of types of housing. “So, for the next five years I think that is going to be a real focus of the town of Riverview. We have a 0.2 percent vacancy rate. We know we need more diverse housing options to meet all the different types of demands.” LeBlanc adds that, as operating costs for municipalities rise, meeting the housing challenge will require diversifying the tax base. “Riverview has traditionally been thought of as a bedroom community. Most of our tax base is residential. That said, we are trying to make Riverview a place to work, live, and play. So, we are trying to increase the commercial side as well as the residential side.” LeBlanc sees that balancing act as central to Riverview’s future. The town presents itself to potential businesses and residents as a place that is clean and quiet, a town that features bountiful green spaces and safe neighbourhoods for its citizens, but that also wants to grow. “Over the past decade we have really grown the business side of the community and we do have a strong focus on that. Our commercial tax base right now is about 11% of the total, so we are looking to
get that higher. “We now have a business liaison so she’s a direct contact for local businesses who want to get support from the municipality, for businesses who are looking to grow and to set up shop here. So, whether it’s a restaurant or whether it’s retail, we have that resource.” Affordability is not the only issue driving the need for greater diversity in housing types. “There is a mix of seniors who may want a smaller house,
feel that our residents really enjoy,” says LeBlanc. “I think that really comes from the opportunities we have to get together as a community, the festivals that we run, the outdoor recreation spaces that we offer, a lot of amenities, it’s a great place to raise kids but it’s also a great place to retire. “That’s the piece we’re going to protect, the view that our residents want a close community.”
We need more people coming in and I think that’s something to be celebrated.” of young families who may want a bigger house, or young couples who may want to rent, and of multi-generational families. That change in demand is also driving the increase in housing types. You can’t just build one thing anymore. “Change can be difficult, especially when for fifty years your community has had one particular focus and now, we’re looking to change and adapt.” And, LeBlanc notes, “we do need a mix of housing options to address affordability.” Even with population growth the average age in Riverview has actually crept up, despite the town being home to many young families. Affordability is only one issue that will help Riverview reverse its aging trend by attracting new, young families. “There’s just an atmosphere that attracts people to the town, that we’re the fifth largest community in the province – there are four cities smaller than our town – but we’ve been able to maintain this closeness, the small-town
Reducing the average age is important in the long run. By 2041 population growth will start to decrease if the average does not come down. Says LeBlanc, “the reality is that we need population growth. It works too for our jobs that are unfilled because we don’t have people to work in those roles. When you talk to the Chamber of Commerce one of the top things the business community is saying is that not having a large enough workforce is an issue. “We need more people coming in and I think that’s something to be celebrated.” Immigration, says the mayor, will also be part of that equation. “I think that is going to be one of the biggest factors in population growth over the next few years. “We created a committee when our council was elected specifically to look at diversity, equity, and inclusion issues in the town, at representing all the underrepresented voices. “Over the last couple of
Andrew LeBlanc
years, we’ve started to see an increase in cultural festivals that are happening in the town … we’re starting to see a lot more of that cultural diversity in the town of Riverview. Part of that population growth has come from newcomers, and we recognize the importance of that.” And what will Riverview look like on it’s one-hundredth birthday? “I think that as long as we stay on the path that we’re on now, that we maintain the values we have, I think Riverview will be physically bigger but still have the same feel that it
has now. This is a community that is rooted in relationships and so no matter what the community looks like one hundred years from now, it will still be about coming together for festivals, for different celebrations, I think we will have more people and more businesses but that we will have the same feel.” All of that will be challenging, but, says LeBlanc, “it is better to be dealing with the challenges of growing than with the challenges of shrinking. I’ll take dealing with the challenges of growth any day of the week.”
