The Challenge of Creating City Vibrancy and Economic Growth in Changing Times

New Westminster is growing, the demographics are changing, and City Government is having to adapt to the requirements of these shifts. There has been an influx of millennials to the city and they reflect a wider diversity than not so long ago.

Susan Millar – Local Journalism Initiative

Keeping up with these changes, along with all the new challenges in our post pandemic recovery, and also contemporary issues including rising inflation, the housing squeeze, and a shifting economy has required a clear-eyed and diligent approach by City Hall.

Thus the creation of a new department, Community Services, headed up by new director, Blair Fryer, who has been with the city for almost a couple of decades.

Community Services has one of its main goals to find ways through policy and other means to increase the population's sense of belonging here and to lean hard on economic development. 

Those two goals are synergistic and involve a plethora of plans, policies, programs and more. A vibrant city attracts business and in turn helps business to attract and retain employees.

As you might imagine, the scope of the activity of this department is large. And the new Director, Blair Fryer provides an overview of it all. 

The breadth of topics covered in the interview is large, as Community Services department covers Arts, Culture and related areas – all having to do with creating a vibrant city where people want to live – and the whole business side – creating policies and programs necessary to attract and retain business.