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Council’s Report to Mission 2021-22: Community Well-Being, Livability, Growth, Environment and Reconciliation

Mission – Council has released a report highlighting the City’s progress in areas related to community well-being, livability, growth, the environment, and Reconciliation.

Mayor Paul Horn prefaced the report with a message that touched on the importance of strategic planning, advocacy, and partnerships in guiding Mission as it grows:

Over the last year, Council has approved several key plans, including the Affordable Housing Strategy, the Waterfront Revitalization Master Plan, the Silverdale Central Neighbourhood Plan, master plans for transportation and utilities, our Environmental Charter, and the Employment Lands Strategy. There has never been a more critical time for the City to have a blueprint for the future. Our region is anticipating significant growth. At the same time, inflation is projected to reach levels not seen since the 1980’s. As a community, we need to be prepared. 

We must also be effective advocates. Healthcare, highways, and schools are on the minds of Missionites, so Council must continue to work with the Province to ensure that Mission gets the infrastructure we need as we grow. In order to be effective advocates, we are gathering data, working with partner entities (such as the Board of Education and our local doctors), and inviting the Province to sit at our planning tables. Through partnership, we hope to ensure that Mission’s voice is heard.

The Fraser Valley has never been a more popular place to live or do business. Growth is coming, so we must ensure that the essence of our community is defined, preserved, and enhanced. Through a series of dialogues including Community Conversations, Council Cafes, Community Wellness Planning, and other forums, Mission is sharing its voice with government and neighbours alike. These communication tools have been popular and effective ways for us to keep the fabric of Mission strong. We have incorporated them into a new “Neighbourhood Approach” for developers, ensuring that they speak with you in a truly reciprocal way before building here. 

Mission’s name arose from the placement of an early residential school in our area. As such, we are reminded of our role in damaging colonial practices that have left deep scars on Indigenous peoples. Rather than being immobilized by guilt or focused on symbolic Reconciliation, Mission has focused on substantive opportunities for partnership. Our historic land transfer with the Leq’á:mel, Mathexwi and Semá:th Society and the Province is one example, resulting in new parkland for Mission and new lands for residential and commercial development for local First Nations. That agreement gained attention from across Canada because it shows that Reconciliation is a mutually beneficial undertaking. Similarly, Mission has partnered with Kwantlen and Katzie by sharing resources in the Municipal Forest. We have worked together to hire our new RCMP Inspector and to create a Forest Guardian Program. Our new Mission is to be a true leader in Reconciliation.

Read the full report HERE

You can review the Mayor’s update and live question and answer session on the City’s Facebook page.

Mission Council January 2022

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