2023 Annual Report I CITY OF CHILLIWACK CITY OF CHILLIWACK I 2023 Annual Report 10 11 City Snapshot Message from the Mayor Located in the heart of the Fraser Valley, British Columbia *103,500 *$739,108 Average House Price 66% Curbside Waste Diversion Rate 7 Off Leash Dog Areas 42,800 acres Farmland 618 New Business Licences Issued $274M Building Permit Construction Values * Source: Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board (CADREB) Image designed using resources by Freepik.com Image designed using resources by Freepik.com Image designed using resources by Freepik.com Image designed using resources by Freepik.com Image designed using resources by Freepik.com I am pleased to present the 2023 Annual Report for the City of Chilliwack on behalf of Council. In this report you will find important information about City operations, including a financial overview, accomplishments and progress made on Council’s strategic goals. I hope that, through this report, you will learn more about the work we do to support a strong city, and where we plan to go next. 2023 featured a milestone for the City of Chilliwack, as we acknowledged the 150th anniversary of the City’s incorporation with public art and community events. A number of new community amenities were also completed, including novice pump tracks at Vedder and Jinkerson Parks, dog off-leash areas in Crimson Ridge, Jinkerson, and Fairfield Parks, the Little Mountain Stairs, and Qoqó:lem Park. We took steps to improve accessibility in some of our parks, adding an accessible playground at the Landing, and a rubber surface to the playground at Yarrow Pioneer Park. Like all communities, we faced climate-related challenges in 2023. In the summer, we moved to stage 4 water restrictions to conserve water during prolonged, province-wide drought conditions. We are grateful for the community’s willingness to adapt to changing conditions, and we continue to take steps to address climate change through projects like the waste heat recovery system installed this year. This new system pipes excess heat from the Coliseum to the Landing Leisure Centre in order to heat the aquatic area. We also added electric vehicle charging stations to six locations around the city, totaling sixteen level 2 charging ports and two level 3 charging ports. Commuting along Vedder Road became a little easier this year, as we wrapped up the upgrades to the Vedder and South Sumas intersection. Out on the roads, our street sweeping team gained a new member in Sweeperella, the City’s new bike lane sweeper, named thanks to your suggestions and votes. Downtown, we opened a new parking lot on Princess Avenue, and began another lot on Victoria Avenue. What we achieved in 2023 would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of Council, advisory committee members, volunteers, City staff, and you, the citizens of Chilliwack. Thank you to anyone who called, emailed, took a survey, left a comment, participated in a public hearing, or attended a meeting this year. We look forward to hearing from even more of you in the future as we work to make Chilliwack a community where all residents have the opportunity to thrive. Enjoy the read! Mayor Ken Popove * Estimated. Population
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