The Fraser Valley now & in the future

The Fraser Valley Regional District

The FVRD is one of the fastest growing regional Squamish- Thompson- Lilooet RD Nicola RD districts in Briti sh Columbia. A

The Lower Mainland is one of the fastest growing regions in Canada and is C currently home to almost 2.7 million residents. It is anti cipated that the Lower

Mainland’s populati on will reach 3.8 million by 2041. Ninety-six percent of F Okanagan- Hope this growth will take place within the six member municipaliti es, with the Similkameen RD Harrison HS remaining 4% taking place in the Region’s rural electoral areas. B Kent D Metro Vancouver Mission G At an esti mated 298,000, the FVRD makes up almost 11% of the Lower Chilliwack E Mainland`s populati on and is the third largest regional district in the province Abbotsford USA by populati on. Growth has been conti nuous, with the most rapid period of growth taking place between 1971 and 2001. The region is expected to see an additi onal 180,000 residents, a 60% increase, by 2041. The populati on has tripled since Although proximity to Metro Vancouver and its populati on and employment centres infl uences growth in the FVRD, our communiti es remain remarkably 1970 and is expected to grow by independent from the rest of the Lower Mainland. Growth has not simply over 60% over the next thirty been a result of adjacency to Metro Vancouver, rather it has been ti ed to the economic infl uences of agriculture and other primary sectors that underpin years; that’s almost 200,000 the region`s economy. new residents.

The Fraser Valley Regional District is FVRD Population Growth 1941 to 2011 more than 4 ti mes the size of Metro Vancouver in area, but is 8 ti mes 300,000 Population Growth smaller in terms of populati on. 2006-2041 250,000

Metro Vancouver 200,000 2.2 Million --> 3.4 million Fraser Valley Regional District +1.2 million 150,000 277,000 --> 475,000 + 198,000 100,000

0 50,000

- 1941 1951 1961 1971 1981 1991 2001 2011

Environment

Our region‘s incredibly rich natural environment supports the well-being of our residents and the growth of our communiti es.

Whether for drinking water, irrigati on or hydroelectricity, we depend on clean water Only 49 of 357 assessed fl owing through the region. We depend on ferti le soils to maintain our high agricultural streams in the region are producti vity. We depend on the region’s extensive forestland for ti mber and for jobs. considered sti ll wild and Perhaps most importantly, we depend on the unaff ected by human impact. high levels of biodiversity that provide the foundati on for health and sustainability of the -Department of Fisheries and Oceans natural environment.

As the populati on grows and development pressures increase, balancing the need to maintain agricultural producti vity of the region, the need for housing, recreati on, and economic growth, with the need to protect the natural environment which supports all of these acti viti es, will become an increasingly signifi cant and criti cal challenge. The Fraser Valley is home

Facts on the State of the Environment in our Region: to over 100 endangered ■ 45% of all pesticide use in BC occurs in the Lower Fraser Valley - and overall use is species: some of which are increasing. This, together with increased levels of nitrogen and phosphorus, poses a threat to the quality of our drinking water and to overall stream health. only found here.

■ Fraser Valley lowlands are considered a biodiversity hotspot. The same area supports 96% of the region’s population and 90% of the region’s agricultural land.

■ 26 stations across the lower mainland monitor air quality on a continuous basis. Sources of Smog-forming pollutants Most pollutant levels have decreased with the exception of ozone which is rising. in the Lower Fraser Valley (2005)

A 10% improvement in Air The Lower Fraser Valley Airshed 11% 25%

Quality could save the region as 17% much as $33 million each year. 12% -BC Lung Associati on FVRD 11% 7% 17%

Agriculture Natural Sources Whatcom Metro Vancouver Solvent Evaporation Light-duty vehicles County Marine Non-road vehicles Canada USA All other sources Economy

Investi ng in the region's strengths while diversifying the economy will help to ensure growth in the future.

Employment in the region has long been centred around agriculture and resource industry sectors. While these sectors present an important ongoing source of jobs, the employment opportuniti es have expanded and diversifi ed and now include a wide variety of manufacturing, aerospace, service and high-tech fi elds.

But the diversifying economy has not reached Together, constructi on, all corners of the region. Larger communiti es like Abbotsford and Chilliwack have developed agriculture and retail employment outside the traditi onal resource sectors, while other communiti es have make up 40% of the experienced diffi cult ti mes with the decline in forestry and other resource-dependent industries. region's businesses Maintaining and increasing the region’s self suffi ciency will be an ongoing challenge given our proximity to high-growth Metro Vancouver. Agriculture brings

Facts on the Economy: in more than

■ Service producing industries dominate in the FVRD. Provincial forecasts project $2.5 billion most future job growth ( 91% of all new jobs) to occur in the service sector. to our region each year. ■ Accounti ng for 30% of the work force, goods producing industries play a much larger role in the FVRD than in Metro Vancover, where they make up only 20% of the labour force. Composition of FVRD Labour Force ■ Proximity to one of the fastest growing metropolitan regions in Canada by Top 8 Industry Types (%) provides the FVRD with a ready market for a broad range of goods and Source: 2006 Census services.

Agriculture, forestry, Accommodation and ■ 40% of the the region's businesses fishing and hunting food services are based in agriculture, forestry, 7.9% 6.8% Educational services, constructi on and retail. Health care and social 6.7% Manufacturing is the assistance, 9.1% ■ Just under 45% of the labour force Other services largest employer in the 5.7% has some kind of post-secondary Construction educati on. The use of increasingly region, accounti ng for 9.9% complex technologies in all industries Manufacturing 11.4% will lead to a demand for higher 11.4% of the workforce Retail trade 11.1% educati on levels. - 2006 census Transport ation

Providing choice and effi ciency in transportati on can make it easier for residents to get to work and to school, reduce traffi c congesti on, and improve air quality.

Recognizing that the region’s large land base presents a number of transportati on The FVRD has one of the challenges, the current Regional Growth Strategy promotes the development of lowest rates of transit a network of sustainable communiti es ridership in BC and residents with strong social, economic, and environmental linkages, while at the same walk or bike 1/2 as much ti me encouraging local self-suffi ciency.

as other places in the lower In 2008 the FVRD, in cooperati on with mainland. Translink, studied travel patt erns in and around the region. Some of the key fi ndings are below: Almost 60% of FVRD Highlights from the 2008 Trip Diary Survey residents work in the ■ Driving conti nues to be the main mode of tranportati on communiti es where ■ Transit use increased from 1% to 2% between 2004 and 2008 they live. ■ Most trips leaving the region are to the neighbouring communiti es of Langley, Maple Ridge/Pitt Meadows and Surrey ■ The signifi cant number of trips between communiti es within the region (i.e. Abbotsford to Chilliwack) implies a need for transit links between communiti es Total Daily Commutes crossing ■ Many car trips are short (<5km) and have the potenti al to shift to transit, walking, the boundary between Metro or cycling Vancouver and FVRD

Source: 2006 Census Only 10% of all 25000 daily trips taken 20000 by FVRD residents 15000 leave the region 8,215 10000

5000

0

Westbound to Metro Vancouver from FVRD

Eastbound to FVRD from Metro Vancouver Living Well

Links between health and our everyday environments are becoming increasingly clear.

Everyday environments that make Air quality related it easy for people to be acti ve and incorporate excercise and fresh food hospital visits cost into their daily routi nes can play the BC Health Care an important role in improving our communiti es health. Compared to system up to $85 the provincial average, residents of million each year. the FVRD are at a slightly greater risk of having a chronic health conditi on. Today, 1 out of every 7 people in the FVRD is In general, rates of chronic disease can be att ributed to a diverse range of factors such as: over 65. By 2030 it will ■ Increasingly sedentary lifestyles be 1 out of every 5. ■ Aging populati on ■ Decreasing air quality ■ Poorer access to healthy food opti ons From Land Use to Travel ■ Lower income Behaviour to Health ■ Lower density development patt erns Planning and Investment A major challenge facing communiti es in our region over the next 20-30 years Policies and Practices (development practices, infrastructure is an aging populati on. The fastest growing age group will be people over the investment, zoning, development fees...) age of 60, increasing their share of the region’s populati on from 20% in 2011 to 27% in 2036. This demographic shift will impact housing demand, health Urban Patterns care, municipal services, development patt erns, travel patt erns, and transit (density, connectivity, streetscape) use.

Income is the strongest indicator of health status - when incomes decrease, Travel Behaviour incidences of chronic disease increase. In our region, residents with lower (amount and type of walking, cycling, public transit and automobile travel) incomes are more likely to identi fy with having a chronic conditi on.

As elsewhere in BC, low density development patt erns and segregated land Population Health Impacts uses can be seen in many FVRD communiti es. These physical patt erns have (physical fitness, food choices, traffic accidents, pollution exposure, created neighbourhoods that, for the most part, do not provide opportuniti es community cohesion...) for residents to easily walk, bike or take transit to local shops, services and employment. In communiti es where chronic disease rates are higher, incorporati ng an acti ve lifestyle and balanced diet is criti cal to good health. Air Quality Housing

Limited land, geography, and a growing populati on are all factors that aff ect the aff ordability and accessibility of housing in the FVRD.

Housing that meets the needs of residents is 56% of all an important component of any sustainable housing in the community. A key goal of FVRD’s current Regional Growth Strategy is to develop a region is network of sustainable communiti es. single-family detached. A quickly growing populati on over the past four decades, combined with a limited supply of developable land, is contributi ng to a more diverse range of housing types and densiti es in the region’s urban areas. Over 11,000 households in the region spend Although single-family detached homes are sti ll the most common type of existi ng housing, new housing in FVRD’s citi es and towns is shift ing from more than 50% of their mainly single-family to multi -family homes (which includes secondary suites). In fact, in the past few years the bulk of building permits issued have been for income on housing. multi -family developments.

% Price Change (2003-2008)* Facts on Housing in our Region: Source: Fraser Valley Real Estate Board ■ Vacancy rates in the larger municipaliti es have increased in recent Chilliwack and District Real Estate Board

years, but rents have not declined, making it diffi cult for low income 150% renters to fi nd appropriate housing.

■ Over the next 20 years, the region will require over 3,600 aff ordable 120% rental units to accommodate our lowest income households. ■ Between 2008 and 2011 homelessness in the region as a whole 90% dropped by 25% but numbers increased in our eastern communiti es. 60%

While housing in the FVRD is relati vely aff ordable compared to other parts 30% of the lower mainland, renters face more aff ordability challenges than home owners; 22% of renter households spend more than 50% of their income on 0% housing costs (compared with 9% for home owners). Detached Townhouse Apartment

Abbotsford *Townhouse and Apartment data Populati on growth and a changing demographic will infl uence housing Mission for Chilliwack are not available demands in the future. An aging baby boom generati on will drive a demand Chilliwack for housing that can adapt to changing needs, while younger generati on will conti nue to demand family-oriented housing. *2008 represented the peak in housing prices. Since then, prices have stabilized or, in some areas, modestly declined. Parks & Recreation

Parks can help promote healthy and acti ve living, protect the environment and contribute to a thriving economy.

According to one recent study*, a growing populati on combined with an escalati ng interest in outdoor recreati on is increasing the demand Over 300 parks are for outdoor recreati on in the region. This trend is likely to conti nue. found in the region As park use climbs, pressures on the parks - totaling an area and recreati on system will mount. Among the challenges will be maintaining services at existi ng 2 in size recreati on sites, adjusti ng to demographic- 3,000 km . led shift s in park use (i.e. making parks more user friendly for seniors), and fi nding suitable, accessible areas to designate as new parkland.

However, there are also many opportuniti es to take advantage of the region’s natural assets in both a sustainable and economically advantageous way. An extensive and well managed outdoor recreati on system has the potenti al to improve overall health, att ract business and tourism, protect natural resources and promote environmental 6.6 million visitors enjoy awareness benefi ti ng generati ons to come. parks in the region each year. Parks help protect the wide array of ecosystems and natural features including wetlands, waterfalls, mountains, and rivers. This helps to protect wildlife habitat This number is growing rapidly, and biodiversity in the region, and can protect our investments too. putti ng more & more pressure With an abundance of nature, and its close proximity to Vancouver, our region is in a perfect positi on to tap into the growing tourism industry. The potenti al benefi ts are measurable: In 2005, over 1 million people parti cipated in nature-based tourism in on existi ng parks. B.C. spending a total of 1.2 billion dollars** while farm-based recreati on in the lower mainland has been valued at $2.1 million annually.+

Encouraging outdoor recreati on could also help reduce the burden on the health Projected FVRD Regional Park Visits care system. As one study put it, “the links [between exposure to nature and stress 2006-2041 reducti on] are suffi ciently strong that researchers and practi ti oners in health related ++ fi elds are now beginning to identi fy parks and recreati on as a health service.” 800,000 700,000 Outdoor Recreati on Demand Study 2012 Highlights Projected 600,000 Park Visits ■ 57% of the region’s residents consider outdoor recreati on to be very 500,000 important 400,000 Population ■ Residents use parks and open space on average almost once a week 300,000 ■ Park visits are increasing faster than the rate of populati on growth 200,000 ■ The 3 most popular acti viti es in the region are walking or hiking, picnicking 100,000 and swimming 0

*Phase I Demand Analysis Report, Regional Outdoor Recreation Opportunities Study, 2011 2006 2021 2031 2041 **Natural Capital in BC’s Lower Mainland: Valuing the Benefi ts from Nature. David Suzuki Foundation and Pacifi c Parklands Foundation. 2010. +Economic Value of the Commercial Nature-Based Tourism Industry in BC, Pacifi c Analytics and Research Services, Tourism BC, 2004. ++Godbey, Geoffrey. .Outdoor Recreation, Health, and Wellness: Understanding and Enhancing the Relationship. Outdoor Resources Review Group, 2009