YEAR OF 2017 ANNUAL REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDING DECEMBER 31, 2017 4 Red Deer City Council 4 Corporate Leadership Team 6 Mayor’s Message 7 City Manager’s Message 8 The City of Red Deer By the Numbers 10 Partnering our way to success 12 Election 2017 – Behind the Ballot Box 14 #SeeYourselfHere in Capstone at Riverlands 16 Where the rubber meets the road 17 What time is it Mr. Wolf? 18 Mother Nature huffed and she puffed, but she didn’t blow us away 20 Rediscovering Discovery Canyon 21 Let the good times roll 23 New arena to “Servus” the community 24 A Newcomers Welcome 26 Reaching out to citizens in 2017 28 Sun, snow and selfies – a year in the life of Big Foamy 29 Red Deer Transit rolls out new CNG buses 29 New courthouse for Red Deer CONTENTS 30 Sound the Alarm: Red Deer has two new fire stations 31 Grazing goats in the city 32 Roll (or walk) with it 34 Chief Financial Officer Message 35 Financials REDDEER.CA 3 CITY COUNCIL CORPORATE LEADERSHIP TEAM MAYOR COUNCILLOR Tara Veer Vesna Higham E [email protected] E [email protected] P 403.342.8154 P 403.505.1172 F 403.342.8365 F 403.346.6195 COUNCILLOR COUNCILLOR Tanya Handley Dianne Wyntjes E [email protected] E [email protected] C 403.596.5848 C 403.505.4256 F 403.346.6195 F 403.346.6195 COUNCILLOR COUNCILLOR Ken Johnston Buck Buchanan E [email protected] E [email protected] C 403.358.8049 P 403.343.6550 CITY MANAGER DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS Craig Curtis HUMAN RESOURCES & STRATEGIC PLANNING F 403.346.6195 F 403.346.6195 Kristy Svoboda Julia Harvie-Shemko E [email protected] P 403.342.8156 E [email protected] E [email protected] P 403.342.8148 P 403.342.8147 COUNCILLOR COUNCILLOR Michael Dawe Frank Wong DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF E [email protected] E [email protected] CORPORATE SERVICES DEVELOPMENT SERVICES CORPORATE TRANSFORMATION P 403.357.4631 P 403.347.6514 Paul Goranson Kelly Kloss Lisa Perkins F 403.346.6195 F 403.346.6195 E [email protected] E [email protected] E [email protected] P 403.309.8489 P 403.342.8158 P 403.342.8134 COUNCILLOR Lawrence Lee DIRECTOR OF DIRECTOR OF PLANNING SERVICES COMMUNITY SERVICES E [email protected] Tara Lodewyk Sarah Cockerill C 403.318.8862 F 403.346.6195 E [email protected] E [email protected] P 403.406.8700 P 403.342.8115 4 CITY OF RED DEER ANNUAL REPORT 2017 REDDEER.CA 5 MAYOR CITY MANAGER TARA VEER CRAIG CURTIS Society to mark a new era of Truth and Great Chief Park and enhancements I am pleased to present the 2017 Annual each of these capital projects contributes Reconciliation, or taking photos with to the River Bend Golf and Recreation Report. This year’s Annual Report is bitter to the fabric of the overall park system that “big foamy”. There were numerous grand Area, with the downtown Celebration sweet for me after recently announcing our citizens express such pride in when openings, festivals, and commemorations Plaza and Cultural Centre scheduled to my retirement, effective March 3, 2019. they talk about our city. But our parks, which marked a year unlike any other in open in 2018. Progress also continued This year, I find myself reflecting on not trails and amenities are just part of our city. on the Gary W. Harris Canada Games only 2017, but on over a decade what makes Red Deer great. Last Centre/Centre des Jeux du Canada of progress, growth and change for year, we also made enhancements to Over the past year, Red Deerians Gary W. Harris at Red Deer College the community. our city’s downtown, roadways and continued to experience the effects throughout 2017 with construction transportation networks. of the provincial economic recession, expected to conclude in 2018. Two thousand and seventeen was a year although 2017 did see the return of of economic recovery, but it was also a Two thousand and seventeen saw the “cautious optimism” in some sectors of our I would be remiss not to acknowledge year of transformation and preparation. introduction of environmentally friendly local economy, shifting us from a highly all the extraordinary community support We endured a windstorm unlike any our CNG buses in our city and the continued recessed to a recovering local economy. that helped us ensure that the vision for city has ever seen, recognized 150 years of transformation of Capstone at Riverlands Red Deer is a strong example of the fact these projects was able to translate into confederation in Canada and prepared in our downtown. These are just a few that community building is both province One of the strongest catalysts for the reality: from community sponsors like to host the 2019 Canada Winter Games in of the ongoing projects that will transform and country building, and in 2017 we are stabilization and diversification of our local Servus Credit Union, the Setters family February of next year. how people connect with our city in reminded that the inverse is also true as economy was Red Deer’s ability to attract and Alberta European Motorworks for the future. we celebrated 150 years of confederation Federal and Provincial infrastructure their generous financial contributions to Community partnerships, construction in Canada, welcomed many newcomers dollars to our community, which provided the many Red Deerians who endured and facility development were the name This Annual Report highlights just and guests into our city, and prepared to much needed economic stimulus in the facility closures and patiently awaited of the game as we put the finishing some of our challenges, successes and welcome 20,000 of our fellow Canadians short term while transforming our local our elevated community sport and touches on a number of facilities that will achievements over the last year. While to the 2019 Canada Winter Games. economy and building community life in cultural standard, the progress of the not only serve as host venues during the this report might be all about what the long term. games, but also ensure a legacy of sport happened in 2017, it also represents the 2017 was a year of transformative past year was only possible because of and culture in our city for years to come. culmination of years of passion, progress community building, and Red Deerians the commitment of the people of our In 2017, we completed construction on and community commitment to making reflected on Canada’s confederation community. numerous public spaces that will not Construction of the new downtown our city extraordinary. with a strong sense of responsibility only serve as venues for the 2019 Canada Red Deer’s community identity is Servus Arena, upgrades to Great Chief and gratitude for all who have built and Winter Games, but will leave a legacy for described in many ways: innovative, Park and enhancements at River Bend Last but not least, it has been my honour continue to influence all that we are and the people of our community and country entrepreneurial and welcoming, and Golf and Recreation Area are just a few of to serve as your City Manager for the last are becoming. People demonstrated for years to come. They are the facilities in 2017 we were often reminded how the projects that wrapped up at the end 11 years, and I look forward to the next 10 our national pride throughout the year, and spaces that will build community life we truly are “all in”. We hope you enjoy of 2017 with grand openings early this months, in which we have the unique whether they were helping us break for our young athletes and artists, families this year’s annual report as an overview year. The City also completed work on the opportunity to showcase our city as the ground on the soon-to-be Canada and citizens alike as Red Deer continues of how far we’ve come in the past year, much-loved Discovery Canyon, reopening thriving, entrepreneurial, innovative and 150 Square / Place Canada 150 in to transform as Alberta’s third largest and with a snapshot of what’s in store for us the area with a record number of people connected community that we are. Red Capstone at Riverlands, bearing witness central city. in 2018. enjoying the park last summer. Deer is your city, and this Annual Report to the protocol agreement between is just a glimpse into the projects and The City and Urban Aboriginal Voices Many of these spaces and facilities are now As always, it is a privilege for Council Let’s be honest, it’s no secret that the progress that took place in 2017. ▪ open and modernized to meet new sport to serve our community, and we Waskasoo Park System is very near and and event standards, including the Servus look forward to engaging with you dear to my heart, and I truly believe that Arena, Discovery Canyon, Setters Place at throughout 2018. ▪ 6 CITY OF RED DEER ANNUAL REPORT 2017 REDDEER.CA 7 THE CITY OF RED DEER BY THE NUMBERS L * % FAL 97 W 123 O 100,418 N .8 S POPULATION L A c *according to Statistics Canada T 2016 Federal Censuss O m THINK LIFE YEARS RED DEER T IS GOOD HAS BEEN IN RED DEER! INCORPORATED AS A CITY 65,000 AGE AIRCRAFT LANDINGS AGE 3 105 ER 8 V 23,266 A 17,000 PASSENGERS DETATCHED HOMES THROUGH AIRPORT NEIGHBOURHOODS 53 BUS 39 ROUTES 163 PLAYGROUNDS 48.3% 47.7% +10 OUTDOOR FITNESS PARKS FEMALE MALE +2 SKATE BOARD PARKS 1205BUILDING PERMITS WITH A VALUE OF $152,862,725 242 STREET LIGHTS REPAIRED 2 (WAY LESS THAN 2016 THANKS GROWTH IN 10 YEARS 21,750m TO THE TRANSITION TO LED LIGHTS) 20% GARDEN PLOTS OUTDOOR SKATING/ 246km HOCKEY SURFACES 2 OF TRAILS INCLUDING ASPHALT, +3 PONDS 598,000m AGGREGATE AND 72 +1 OVAL MOWED AND TRIMMED TURF GRASS BOARDWALK/CONCRETE 8 CITY OF RED DEER ANNUAL REPORT 2017 REDDEER.CA 9 WHAT’S IN Servus Arena, Setters Place and Motorworks Fields – this past year saw A NAME? the renaming of City facilities and amenities as part of sponsorship.