special features - surrey in focus 2012

Surrey is WORKINGA snapshot of employmentin B.C.’s fastest-growing city

2012 SURREY IN FOCUS: EMPLOYMENT Tuesday, October 30, 2012

2 Surrey/North Delta Leader Tuesday, October 30, 2012

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012 Surrey/North Delta Leader 3

SURREY IS WORKING

Surrey in Focus was written by Leader reporters Kevin Diakiw, Rick Kupchuk, Je� Nagel, Sheila

Reynolds, Evan Seal, and contributorMaria Spitale-Leisk.

Photographs by sta� photojournalist Evan SealCover and layout design – Paula Carlson and

Glory WilkinsonEditor – Paula Carlson

by Je� Nagel

Surrey is on track to be the job growth powerhouse of the Lower Mainland in the years ahead.

� e city is projected to more than double its employment levels, from 143,000 jobs as of 2006, to 290,000 by 2041, accord-ing to regional planning estimates.

� at’s a torrid growth pace compared to the other leading job centres in Metro Vancouver.

� e City of Vancouver, in comparison, is expected to add 22 per cent more jobs, for a total of 482,000, over the same period. Burnaby is projecting 49 per cent growth to 203,000 jobs and Richmond’s employment is expected to climb 39 per cent to 181,000.

But what kinds of jobs are in the works for Surrey?

So far, it has overwhelmingly been retail and service work that employ local resi-dents, together accounting for more than 60 per cent of all local jobs.

But digital media, � lm and TV, life sci-ence and other technology may play a much bigger role in the future.

� e city aims to attract those sorts of employers in the technology and enter-tainment sectors that have become a

burgeoning source of jobs in Burnaby and Vancouver, said Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman.

Bringing those more skilled, higher-pay-ing jobs can build critical mass and make Surrey a bigger destination for knowledge industries.

“� e main jobs of the future I see are in health care and computer technology,” Huberman said.

Clean technology is also putting Sur-rey on the map, with innovation already underway in hydrogen fuel and the city set to construct an organic biofuel plant to lead the region in converting kitchen scraps into natural gas to power vehicles, including local buses.

“� ere’s a need for vehicles that are not reliant on gasoline,” Huberman said. “I think that is a growing sector that could be very unique for Surrey.”

Diversity is our strength

Manufacturing accounts for about 24,000 jobs in Surrey – many of them well-paid and resulting in substantial spin-o� eco-nomic activity.

� e sector includes mills that custom-cut lumber and clean energy � rms that

design wind turbines.Still, Surrey doesn’t make as much prod-

uct as some cities.While there are hopes to increase the

share of manufacturing jobs, the � ip side is that – unlike many other cities – no single major employer dominates.

� at means Surrey is more diversi� ed and less dependent on the fortunes of one big employer like a Boeing or a Microso� .

“� at’s a good thing,” Huberman said. “When you are a city of entrepreneurs with as diversi� ed an industrial base as Surrey has, you’re healthier, you’re diversi� ed, you’re not reliant on one industry.”

� e story of Surrey’s job growth is more one where myriad smaller � rms, consul-tants and other self-employed individuals have found a wealth of opportunity at the strategic heart of the Lower Mainland.

Ground zero of the small business boom might well be Newton, which boasts the city’s largest concentration of businesses – 5,000 or one-third of the city’s total of 15,000.

More than two-thirds of Surrey’s busi-nesses are sole proprietorships, according to city statistics.

Welcome to Surrey,Metro Vancouver’s boom town

City will be a magnet for new jobs in the region, experts say

Working for a living ...................................................................page 6

Building a future ..................................................................page 7

Surrey’s job strategy ..................................................................page 8

Technically working ................................................................page 10

Reinventing retail ................................................................page 11

Business backbone ................................................................page 12

‘Insuring’ good jobs ................................................................page 14

Healthy industry ................................................................page 18

A learned city ................................................................page 19

Decades in wood ................................................................page 20

Transit town ................................................................page 24

Wholesale trade ................................................................page 25

Job search help ................................................................page 28

Not in it for the money .......................................................................... 29

EVAN SEAL / THE LEADER

A city on the grow: Surrey is projected to more than double its employment levels, from 143,000 jobs as of 2006, to 290,000 by 2041.

Then and now: Labour jobs kept most residents employed in Surrey’s early days, while in 2012, high-tech health care is a burgeoning industry.

TOP PHOTO CITY OF SURREY ARCHIVES; BOTTOM, EVAN SEAL

What’s inside

See GEOGRAPHY / Page 4

SURREY IS WORKING4 Surrey/North Delta Leader Tuesday, October 30, 2012

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“Small business is where the growth is going to come from,” says Surrey Coun. Bruce Hayne, who is tasked by the mayor with shepherding economic development e� orts.

“For Surrey, that’s where the trend is and that’s where it’s going to be.”

Recent surveys have shown large numbers of residents age 55-plus are interested in starting a business in semi-retirement, Hayne said.

He takes that as a good sign the population is becoming more entrepreneurial.

Prime position

Surrey’s geography is de� -nitely a big key to its continued success.

It’s strategically positioned at the trading crossroads of Metro Vancouver, with two U.S. border crossings providing a gateway to international trade.

Add in a deep sea port on the Fraser River that o� ers shipping to the Paci� c Rim, good railway access, and a position midway between the region’s two airports, and there’s a lot to like if you’re an employer looking to locate in the Lower Mainland.

� e city’s four SkyTrain stations serve as a transportation pipeline for labour. Increas-ingly, rapid transit doesn’t just send workers to Vancouver, but brings them and custom-ers here from the rest of Metro Vancouver.

“Just geographically speaking, Surrey compared to other jurisdictions in the region is very favourable,” Hayne said.

Shifting sectors

� at said, some employment sectors are expected to wane in in� uence in the years

ahead.With farmland a steady target

for development, agriculture is unlikely to be a major source of growth.

And the heady pace of home construction in the city won’t barrel along inde� nitely.

“As Surrey becomes built out over the next 25 years or so, those building jobs are going to dry up here,” Hayne said.

“We have to be looking at what are the alternatives, what are the new jobs going to look like 25 years from now.”

� ere’s also concern that continued pressure to redevelop industrial property into more lucrative homes or stores will deprive Surrey of the land base it needs to add more manufacturing and tech industry jobs in the decades ahead.

Regional planners and Port Metro Van-couver have sought to protect industrial land and Surrey council has also committed to ensure industrial land is available for industrial jobs through its Employment Lands Strategy.

Geography: Key to successFrom page 3

See EDUCATION / Page 5

Coun. Bruce Hayne

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“We’ve seen a lot of pressure in Newton to get land moved out of industrial,” Hayne said. “But in the long run, that industrial land means more jobs that drive the economy.”

HQ Surrey?

O� ce jobs are increasingly a major growth area for Surrey, particularly as more major employers opt to choose the city as its corporate headquarters.

� e Fraser Health Authority, FortisBC, Coast Capital Savings Credit Union and BC Biomedical Laboratories are among the biggest Surrey-based employ-ers.

Public sector jobs account for a big chunk, with the Surrey School District employing 9,300 people and the city employing another 3,400.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University, SFU and multiple private colleges and career schools add more in the post-secondary education sector.

� e RCMP, already the city’s � � h largest employer accounting for nearly 1,900 jobs, is set to grow further with the opening of the new E Division headquarters in Green Timbers, replacing the Heather Street complex in Vancouver.

Future trends

Education is seen as a key pathway to the more skilled workforce and higher-paying jobs Surrey envisions.

Surrey has historically been under-served by post-secondary institutions, with about 1,000 fewer university seats than its resident students need.

But observers say that’s changing fast with Simon Fraser University and Kwantlen Polytechnic University both ramping up e� orts to provide new education options.

� ere are also high hopes that Surrey can build on its business ties with India and forge more new ones with China to develop more opportunity.

“We want to attract those skilled jobs to Surrey and have people have those opportunities right here,” Hayne said.

“We’re not just competing against Richmond or Burnaby or Abbotsford for that matter. We’re competing against the whole Paci� c Northwest.”


SURREY IS WORKING

MayorDianne Watts

Tom GillCounCillor

BRUCE HAYNECounCillor

liNdA HEpNERCounCillor

mARviN HUNTCounCillor

mARY mARTiNCounCillor

BARiNdER RAsodECounCillor

BARBARA sTEElECounCillor

JUdY villENEUvECounCillor

www.surrey.ca

diversity in our city“Mayor Dianne Watts and Surrey City Council embrace diversity as one of our

city’s greatest strengths. We are proud of our residents’ countless contributions

to the social, cultural and economic growth of Surrey and look forward to

continuing to partner with you.”

MAYordiANNE WATTs

Education: Skilled workforce neededfast facts

Projected job growth to 2041:• Up 22 % to 482,000 in Vancouver

• Up 39 % to 181,000 in Richmond

• Up 49 % to 203,000 in Burnaby

• Up 103 % to 290,000 in Surrey

Small business mecca:• Two-thirds of Surrey businesses are sole proprietors

• Another 30 per cent have less than 50 employees

• More than 2,300 new businesses launched in 2011


Surrey’s post-secondary institutions are ramping up efforts to provide new learning options.

From page 4


SURREY IS WORKING

by Evan Seal

Surrey may be B.C.’s fastest-growing city, but that’s certainly nothing new.

For more than 100 years, Surrey has been in a constant state of growth and development.

When the � rst settlers came to the Surrey area in the late 1800s, they found a virtually untouched and pristine oasis of large western red cedar, � r and hemlock trees as far as the eye could see. Boundary Bay to the south was brimming with sea life, and the Fraser River to the north was teeming with salmon. � ese shorelines provided ample food and habitat for bear, deer, elk and numerous species of birds.

By 1882, two years a� er Surrey was incorporated, the city had no schools, no post o� ce, very few roads and the popu-lation was less than 35 people.

But as more pioneers began to move into the region, the main employment opportunities centred around the logging industry, as clearing the dense forest and road building became the keys to build-ing the city.

As the trees began to fall to make room for development, a rich, arable soil began to emerge and the early 1900s saw the introduction of small family farming operations, with dairyman, poultry raiser, gardener, and � orist being popular early occupations.

Sawmills and shingle businesses also started to be built along the Fraser River – all needing workers to process the large volume of lumber being cut in the region.

Small business was the main employer of the day, as numerous general stores, butcher shops, hotels and even the Bank of Montreal – in Cloverdale – opened their doors.

Family-run businesses

By the mid-1950s, the local labour pool had reached a working population of more than 20,000 people aged 15 or older.

At that time, the workforce was largely made up of men – 79 per cent – with only 21 per cent of women working outside the home.

Compared to other parts of the metro-politan region, Surrey had the greatest proportion of workers in the transport, communica-tion, cra� sman, production and labouring � elds.

Surrey also had a greater number of self-employed per-sons, and more unpaid family workers, suggesting small, family-run enterprises – such as farms – supported most of the labourers in the area.

Longtime Surrey resident, former councillor, and former mayor of the City of Surrey, Bob Bose, whose family moved to Cloverdale in the late 1800s, recalls working on his family’s farm near 64 Avenue and 160 Street.

“My � rst job was water boy for the threshing crew, harvesting wheat on the family farm,” said Bose. “I was always paid, I started out making $1 per hour either driving one of the tractors or herd-ing the 75 head of diary cows out to the

� elds to graze.”Bose remembers the farm having two

“hired hands” working the dairy busi-ness, running the milking machines and tending to the cows. � e dairymen were paid up to $300 a month and were given two days o� a month. Bose would then work in their place.

“People were poor,” said Bose, “but you sure learned how to work hard.”

Many of the dairymen ended up start-ing their own farms in other parts of the Lower Mainland and becoming very successful.

Roads and the rise of town centres

By the 1970s, transportation routes throughout the city were beginning to improve, allowing the residents of Surrey to easily commute to various employ-ment opportunities in the region.

Surrey was becoming home to the middle class, with 29 per cent of the work force earning $3,000 annually at a time when the average annual salary in the

region was between $6,000 and $7,000 per year. Forty-� ve per cent earned between $3,000 and $6,000 a year, sug-gesting the city had a mostly middle-class working popula-tion with few very wealthy or extremely poor residents.

� e population of Surrey was nearing 100,000 by the mid-1970s, causing a boom in housing and development in the Surrey Centre, Guildford and South Surrey areas.

Continued improvements to local road infrastructure during the 1980s, including the widening of King George Highway south of Newton and the open-ing of 176 Street, brought an increase in development to the Newton and Clover-dale/Clayton areas.

And the development of Newton as an industrial hub helped to secure employ-ment for workers south of the Fraser.

By the mid-1980s, family sizes had

dropped to just over two children per family and by 1991 the population of Surrey reached nearly 250,000.

� roughout the 1990s, Surrey saw tremendous growth with the encourage-ment of industrial parks in the Clover-dale, Port Kells, South Westminster and Bridgeview/Port Mann and Campbell Heights areas, bringing more local employment opportunities.

Reaching beyond its borders

On Sept. 11, 1993, the municipality of Surrey became the City of Surrey, and in 1994 the SkyTrain arrived in Whalley – resulting in new commercial develop-ment opportunities outside the tradi-tional town centres and giving workers a convenient transportation opportunity to work throughout the city. Employment opportunities ranged from the traditional blue collar labourers to those in white collar and high-tech � elds.

Today, with 10,000 new residents mov-ing to Surrey each year, the face of these workers has also begun to change, with the majority of new residents coming from East and South Asia. � ese new workers o� en arrive carrying quali� ca-tions that are not recognized by local employers and are forced to work in low-paying jobs just to make enough money to survive.

According to PICS (Progressive Inter-cultural Community Services Society) CEO Charan Gill, immigrant workers face a multitude of challenges.

“New immigrants o� en feel embar-rassed and demoralized, plus they o� en can’t speak the language so they get stuck in menial jobs,” said Gill.

He believes the government should provide loans and a minimum of three months of training when new workers arrive in Canada to help them � nd work in their chosen � eld.

Looking beyond 2012, with nearly half of the city’s population being under 40 years of age, Surrey’s youthful workforce bodes well for the future of this vibrant and culturally diverse city.

Working for a living: Past and present

Black Press

LIST INCLUDES business name, industry (NAICS sector*), and number of employees:

1. Surrey School District – Educational services – 9,4752. Fraser Health Authority – Health care – 6,5003. Canadian Revenue Agency – Professional, scienti� c and technical services – 2,5004. City of Surrey – Professional, scienti� c and technical services – 2,2365. RCMP – Professional, scienti� c and technical services – 1,8776. Wal Mart Canada – Retail – 1,2677. Coast Mountain Bus Company – Transportation and warehousing – 1,1398. Overwaitea Food Group – Retail – 9109. ICBC – Finance, insurance and real estate – 88310. Kwantlen Polytechnic University – Education – 85311. Coast Capital Savings Credit Union – Professional, scienti� c and technical services – 84612. FortisBC Energy – Utilities – 83313. Safeway Canada – Retail – 80914. Home Depot – Retail – 47515. S&R Sawmills – Manufac-turers – 42516. Real Canadian Superstore – Retail – 42017. Sunrise Poultry Proces-sors Ltd. – Manufacturers – 41018. BC BioMedical Laborato-ries Ltd. – Health care – 40519. Simon Fraser University – Educational services – 33320. Costco Wholesale – Retail – 29421. Teal Jones Group – Manufacturers – 29022. Finning Canada – Manufacturers – 25023. Fraser Surrey Docks – Manufacturers – 25024. Burnaby Lake Greenhouses – Wholesale trade – 25025. B&B Contracting – Construction – 23026. Eagle Picher Energy Products Corp. – Manufactur-ers – 22027. Global Plastics – Transportation and warehousing – 21028. Amix Recycling – Wholesale trade – 20529. Home Depot – Retail – 20030. Northview Golf & Country Club – Wholesale trade – 20031. Sutton Group West Coast Realty – Other services – 17532. � ri� y Foods – Retail – 17033. Morgan Creek Golf Course – Wholesale trade – 16534. Price Smart – Retail – 16335. Cullen Diesel Power – Manufacturers – 16036. Punjab Milk Foods – Manufacturers – 16037. T&T Supermarket – Retail – 16038. � e Bay – Retail – 15239. Stenberg College – Professional, scienti� c and technical services – 15040. Crystal Consulting – Construction – 150 41. Bayshore Home Health – Health care – 15042. Lark Group – Construction – 14443. Centre for Child Development – Other (non-pro� t) – 14044. ADF Distributors – Wholesale trade – 14045. Sears – Retail – 14046. Solaris Management Consultants – Professional, scienti� c and technical services – 13947. Delta Controls Inc. – Manufacturers – 13848. Garaventa Canada – Manufacturers – 13849. Bekaert Canada – Manufacturers – 13550. Beachcomber Hot Tubs – Wholesale trade – 130

– Source: City of Surrey

*North American Industry Classi� cation (NAICS) is a classi� cation system for Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. It is designed to provide common de� nitions of

the industrial structure of the three countries.

Surrey evolves from farming centre to major industrial hub

PHOTO COURTESY CITY OF SURREY ARCHIVES

Farming and all the sub-trades that went along with it kept workers busy in Surrey’s early days.

Top 50 employers in Surrey today

Bob Bose

by Maria Spitale-Leisk

Construction is considered a cornerstone industry in Surrey.

� ree of the 10 largest construction companies in B.C., based on 2011 bill-

ing numbers, are located in Surrey – Metro-Can Construction Ltd., Mainroad Group, and B&B Contracting Ltd.

Metro-Can is among the top 50 general con-tractors in Canada – with a diverse portfolio that covers all segments of the market, including com-mercial, residential, industrial and recreational projects. � e company is behind such notable projects as the Millennium Water in Vancouver’s Olympic Village and Surrey’s Vancouver Guildford Sheraton Hotel.

B&B Contracting began as a trucking company in the 1940s and has since grown into a large-scale gravel sales and aggregate production company with a focus on road building and utility construc-tion.

� is 300-employee strong company embraces innovation in the industry, using trenchless tech-nology and closed circuit television inspection.

B&B Contracting its their mark on the Grand-view Heights and Morgan Crossing developments in South Surrey.

Meanwhile, Mainroad Group is a 100-per-cent employee-owned company specializing in road and bridge projects. � e company manages more than 500 employees across Western Canada from its Surrey head o� ce.

Mainroad’s recent claim to fame was being awarded the Port Mann/Highway 1 and South Fraser Perimeter Road improvement projects.

In total, the city is home to approximately 3,200 construction-related businesses with plenty of opportunity for all.

According to the latest census data, 8.4 per cent of Surrey’s labour force, or 17,655 people, are employed in the construction sector.

Surrey sta� , developers and community stake-holders have worked overtime in recent years to make Surrey attractive to � rst-time home buyers, which has led to healthy housing starts in the area.

Peter Simpson, president and CEO of the Greater Vancouver Home Builders’ Association, said Surrey is “right up there in second place a� er Vancouver,” recording 2,528 housing starts for the � rst nine months of 2012.

� e lion’s share of those starts –1,851 – fall in the multi-family development category, which comes as no surprise to Simpson.

“Densi� cation is one way to provide a� ordable housing,” said Simpson. “Surrey is saying it’s open for business. � ey have a plan and they are stick-ing to it. “

A Surrey resident himself, Simpson adds that it’s an attractive place to work and play, and praises the city for cultivating amenity rich communities.

As for the suggestion that the local construction industry may become sluggish soon, something Surrey’s Economic Development O� ce is already preparing for, Simpson is shrugging it o� .

“If there is a blip – it will be short-lived,” he said.


TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: CONSTRUCTION

Delta#201 - 8425 - 120th StMon - Fri: 6:30 am - 6:00 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 2:00 pm Sun: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm

#122 - 6345 - 120th StMon - Fri: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm Sun: Closed

Fleetwood#106 - 8927 - 152nd StMon - Fri: 6:30 am - 4:30 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 2:00 pm Sun: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm

Guildford#19 - 15300 - 105th AveMon - Fri: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm Sun: Closed

Hazelwood#202 - 16088 - 84th AveMon - Fri: 8:00 am - 4:00 pm Sat & Sun: Closed

Morgan Creek#112 - 15252 - 32nd AveMon - Fri: 7:30 am - 4:00 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm Sun: Closed

Newton#124 - 13745 - 72nd AveMon - Fri: 6:30 am - 5:00 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 2:00 pm Sun: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm

Surrey Central#101 - 9656 King George BlvdMon - Fri: 6:30 am - 5:30 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm Sun: Closed

#101 - 10166 King George BlvdMon - Fri: 7:30 am - 3:30 pm Sat: Closed Sun: Closed

White Rock#120 - 15321 - 16th AveMon - Fri: 7:00 am - 5:00 pm Sat: 7:00 am - 12:00 pm Sun: Closed

www.bcbio.comTel: 604-507-5070

Did you know?BC Biomedical Laboratories has been named one of Canada’s Best Employers for over a decade. Interested in joining our team? Check out the careers section on our website for more information.

Providing quality laboratory services to the communities of Surrey, Delta and White Rock at these locations:


More than eight per cent of Surrey’s labour force – 17,655 people – are employed in the construction industry.

Cornerstone sector still bang onLarge construction � rms call Surrey home, as housing starts stay strong

fast facts

Businessesin Surreyby sector:

1. Other services – 4,196*2. Construction – 2,8533. Professional, scienti� c and technical services – 2,0154. Retail – 1,7665. Manufacturers – 1,0376. Health – 1,0287. Wholesale trade – 8898. Finance and insurance/Real estate and rental and leasing – 7079. Transportation – 55710. Education – 461

TOTAL – 15,509*Such as repair and

maintenance, personal and laundry services, religious

and social advocacy organizations, and private

households)

2,853 businesses


SURREY IS WORKING

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by Kevin Diakiw

For decades, the City of Surrey has been working to ramp up the amount of commercial and industrial development in the city.

In 2005, Surrey said it was committed to creating one job per resident, a ratio some feel is unattainable, but laudable nonethe-less.

� e city began a push towards that goal a few years ago through its Economic Investment Action Plan, which aimed to attract invest-ment and create jobs.

Part of that involved the Build Surrey Program – which involved $180 million in civic projects – and created 1,800 jobs.

Separately, senior levels of government are investing in the area with projects such as the South Fraser Perimeter Road (8,000 construction jobs); the Port Mann Bridge replacement (11,000); Surrey Memorial Hospital Expansion (4,000); RCMP E-Division headquarters (5,000); and the Surrey Pre-trial Services Centre expansion(1,600), for a total of 29,600 jobs.

Surrey is also working to create a clean energy hub, which will include the establishment of an incubator for the commercialization of clean energy among other strategies.

In addition, the city collaborates with businesses, educational institutions and government to create business incubators. � e aim is to commercialize products of research into new businesses, pro-viding more jobs for the future.

Surrey has also entered into a memorandum of understanding with Simon Fraser University to leverage land holdings to attract new businesses to Surrey as well as retain and assist existing busi-nesses in the city.

Surrey also created Economic Investment Zones in 2009 in City Centre. Under that program, companies spending more than $10

million paid no property taxes for three years, development cost charges (DCCs) were reduced by 30 per cent, DCC payments could be deferred, building permits were reduced by 50 per cent, and the bonus density was waived.

� e threshold in Bridgeview was a $5-million investment, and included a property tax moratorium, deferred DCCs and building permit fee reduction.

While the arrival of new businesses means new jobs, the city is also looking at increased industry and commerce from a property tax standpoint.

Commerce and industry brings in three times the amount of taxes as residential, while drawing far less from civic infrastructure such as roads, libraries and recreation centres.

Surrey hasn’t been doing well with its tax mix.A sta� report presented to council in 2001 – when housing stock

represented 72 per cent of the total amount of taxes generated – indi-cated Surrey was not meeting sustainable levels.

“A ratio of 60 per cent residential and 40 per cent industrial and commercial is considered to be the minimum level necessary relative to the long-term health of the city,” the sta� report said at the time.

Burnaby draws 50 per cent from industry and commerce, Rich-mond 49 per cent and Vancouver 56 per cent. On the � ip side, White Rock brings in only 10 per cent of its taxes from commerce and industry.

Currently, about 69 per cent of property tax in Surrey is generated by residential development, while the remainder comes from the commercial and industrial developments.

Over time, large developments such as Grandview Corners, Camp-bell Heights and expansions at Guildford Place Mall continue increase industrial and commercial development. � e challenge has been that residential development is also growing at breakneck speed. As long as that happens, there will be more people here than jobs.

The push is on for one job per residentSurrey has launched several initiatives to increase the amount of commerce and industry


Projects such as the Port Mann Bridge replacement helped bring 29,600 jobs to Surrey in recent years.

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TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: PROFESSIONAL SERVICES

World’s second-largest credit uniona home-grown � nancial force

With a head o� ce in Guildford, Coast Capital Savings is one of Surrey’slargest non-government employersby Rick Kupchuk

While admitting they aren’t the small, locally based � nancial institutions they used to be, credit unions are still run by the members, notes

Coast Capital Savings Chairman of the Board Bill Wellburn.

“Banks are owned by the shareholders, who expect a return on their investments,“ said Well-burn. “Credit unions are still owned by the members. And their return is by way of better service – and better rates.”

Coast Capital Savings is a much di� erent credit union than when it started as three di� erent entities that operated separately for more than 50 years before a series of mergers formed one larger one.

Paci� c Coast Savings � rst opened its doors in 1940, one year a� er the � rst credit unions were established in B.C.

Surrey Metro Savings was launched in 1947, with Richmond Savings opening a year later.

But along with the turn of the century came new challenges.

“It used to be about savings, chequing and loans,” said Wellburn. “� en there was banking

on the phone, ATMs, and online banking. It’s expensive to implement and maintain these services. You have to have these services to compete with the banks because they are a very formidable competitor.”

On Dec. 31, 2000, Coast Capital Savings was formed by a merger of Richmond Savings and Paci� c Coast Savings. Surrey Metro Savings was absorbed less than two years later, creating what is now the second-largest credit union in B.C.

Coast Capital now has more than $13.5 billion in assets, with 475,000 members at 50 branches in Metro Vancouver, the Fraser Valley and on Vancouver Island.

Across B.C., there are 45 inde-pendent credit unions, serving 140 communities with close to 400 branches. According to Central 1 Credit Union, the umbrella group which oversees the province’s credit unions, B.C. credit unions hold more than $49 billion in assets and employ about 8,000 people.

With a head o� ce in the Guildford area of Surrey, Coast Capital is one of the largest non-government employers in the city, with 850 of its 1,900 employers working in Surrey. Figures aren’t available as to how many of those employ-ees actually live in Surrey, but CEO Tracy Ready

says it’s a signi� cant total which makes an impact on the community.

“� e City of Surrey continues to be healthy and strong,” she said. “We’ve been hiring for the last few years, we’ve grown � ve to six per cent a year in a di� cult economic environment. � e reality is we’ve done well, and we’re a signi� cant employer in Surrey. About 75 per cent of our sta� lives south of the Fraser River.”

Coast Capital makes a signi� cant e� ort to train and hire local people, and has won several awards from business groups recognizing it as a well-managed company people want to work for.

“We recruit Grade 11 and 12 kids in a fairly robust program. We seek them out, and take them on in part-time positions over the summer months,” said Wellburn. “� ey do customer-rep training, and each student is assigned to a local branch. And they go out and do community activities, representing the credit union.

“� en, when those kids move on to then return from university, they come back and move up to middle-management positions. Our surveys tell us we’re an employer of choice, people want to work for us.”

Coast Capital Savings is just one of more than 2,000 businesses in the professional, scienti� c and technical services sector in Surrey.

fast facts

Winning ways:

• Coast Capital’s corporate culture is among the top 10 most admired in Western Canada, according to Waterstone Human Capital.

• Every year, Waterstone Human Capital selects organizations from across Canada for recognition under its Canada’s 10 Most Admired Corporate Cultures program.

• Coast Capital’s recruiting practices focus on the fi t between the employee and the company and not just competencies.

Coast Capital Financial Services Representative Matt Wiese chats with Hannah Rosellon about some of the options the credit union has to offer.


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TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: RETAILConsumer confidence tested at the tillDespite challenges such as cross-border shopping, retail revenues grew by 2.8% last month

by Kevin Diakiw

Financial forecasters trying to predict where the economy is going usually turn to the retail sector.

Rightly so.Cash registers are often one of the

best indicators of how the economy is doing, as consumer confidence is tested at the till.

The Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) reports that about 20 per cent of its membership is in the retail sector, making it a large job creator in this city.

“It’s quite significant,” said SBOT CEO Anita Huberman. “We actually consider one of the key industries to be the retail and service sector.”

Huberman says the biggest challenge to the sector right now, particularly in Surrey, is the number of people jumping the border for deals in the U.S.

“Canadian retailers are having to think of creative ways in which to draw the consumer in,” Huberman said, “because the price differentia-tion between products (in Canada and the U.S.) is quite significant.

That is the number-one issue, par-ticularly in Surrey and other border cities in Canada.”

The other major issue, she said, is the economy in general.

Right now, consumers are cau-tious about the money they spend, she said. “For retailers, that means they need to drop their prices, drop their margin.”

General economic uncertainty, tempered consumer confidence, high debt loads and weak housing markets have likely kept buyers from opening up their wallets.

Still, reports indicate retail in B.C. was up 2.8 per cent last month over the same period last year.

Retail sectors recording the stron-gest gains were motor vehicles and parts (nine per cent), and dealers and clothing retailers (18 per cent), with growth in the latter driven in part by higher prices. Annual retail growth is expected to narrow through the end of 2012.

In addition to cross-border and economic challenges, the face of retail in Surrey is changing.

Huberman notes there is a trend toward larger-format, big

box retail in Surrey.Big box retail stores are able to

compete by dropping their prices to a greater degree because they tend to buy in bulk.

“The small mom-and-pop retail doesn’t have that,” Huberman said. So small retailers have to combat that with offering better service.

“Service does go a long way, and people value that,” Huberman said. That’s where skilled employ-ees come in.

In those stores, the bulk of jobs will be in the front end as cashiers or sales people, well trained in wooing customers and ensuring they return.

The expansion of big box retail

means jobs there are increasingly in the loading area, stocking shelves and as cashier.

As to whether there will be a hiring blitz over time, it depends on how the sector does.

“It will be very interesting to see what this shopping season for the holidays foretells for the economy,” Huberman said.

The face of retail is changing in Surrey, with a trend towards more big box stores as opposed to smaller mom-and-pop operations.


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Entrepreneur centralHalf of new businesses ‘home occupation’


Surrey is a city of entrepreneurs, not head offices, says Surrey Board of Trade CEO Anita Huberman.

More than 2,300 new businesses opened their doors in the city in 2011. Sole proprietorship accounted for two-thirds of these enterprises, while a further 30 per cent fell into the small and medium-sized category with fewer than 50 employees.

“Even our membership is primary small- and medium-size enterprises,” explained Huberman. “� e value is huge. � at sector provides the jobs.”

She said the innovation and low overhead within the small- and medium-size business sector allows for training and growth.

Construction, retail, wholesale and manufacturing may be major drivers of Sur-rey’s business community, however, diverse services provided by the city’s entrepreneurs are not to be discounted.

“Small- and medium-size businesses don’t make a pro� t that is insigni� cant,” said Huberman. “A two-person business can be a million-dollar company.”

Every month, the Economic Development O� ce at the City of Surrey posts a new business licence list online. Approximately 53 per cent of Surrey’s 154 new businesses in September were “home occupation.” � e majority of these were registered in the Guilford and Newton area.

Nutritional or information technology consultants, general contractors and janitorial services topped the list of types of new, home occupation business started in Surrey in September 2012.

Small business makes up 98 per cent of all businesses in B.C. In 2011, about 391,700 small busi-nesses employed more than a million British Columbians.

According to B.C. Stats, small business growth outpaced that of large businesses between 2007 and 2010. In Surrey, 80 per cent of the more than 2,300 new businesses launched in 2011 were small enterprises.

LEADER FILE PHOTO

Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade.


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TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: FINANCE & INSURANCE

fast facts

Road safety:• In an average year in Surrey, there are approximately 27,500 crashes and approximately 10,500 people are injured.

• Surrey’s highest-crash intersection: 152 Street at the Highway 1 on-ramp and off-ramp logged 1,220 crashes between 2007-2011.

• The number of speed-related crashes signifi cantly increases during the fall and winter months. Throughout November, ICBC is encouraging drivers to slow down and prepare for the challenges of wet, icy and snowy roads.


I have a dream job,” says Harvey Kooner, ICBC road safety coordi-nator for Surrey and White Rock.

In just � ve years, Kooner has worked his way up the ICBC employment ladder. He started in broker relations, eventually moved to marketing – and now is responsible for spreading road safety mes-sages in Surrey.

Kooner works closely with local police, municipalities and volunteers to deliver these campaigns to the public.

“We want Surrey to be the safest it can be both on the roads and with auto crime prevention,” he says.

� e job also entails talking to the young-est road safety stakeholders in Surrey. According to ICBC, car crashes are the number-one preventable cause of death for youth aged 13-21 in B.C.

Hearing heart-wrenching stories from victims of road accidents or their families comes with the territory of Kooner’s job. It’s his hope that young people will heed the message and make smart driving choices.

Over the summer, Kooner was instru-mental in organizing a road safety and driver licensing services presentation in Punjabi for the DIVERSEcity Community Resources Society.

He also talked about road safety on local Punjabi programming.

Kooner has always been a community-minded individual. Starting at 12 years old, he volunteered to observe and record the� at the Joyce Street SkyTrain station in Vancouver.

One of Kooner’s peers said he had logged a lifetime’s worth of volunteer hours by the time he reached high school.

But he didn’t stop there. Now 33 years old, Kooner looks back at his volunteer e� orts to date, which includes raising funds for children with respiratory illness and col-lecting toys for kids in Kenya.

Public acknowledgment for his com-mitment to helping others came this past September when Kooner was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal for Community Service from the Governor General of Canada.

“I felt honoured to be in the company of other award recipients that I admired growing up,” said Kooner of the awards ceremony.

“For me, giving back is just something I enjoy doing; I don’t think too much about it. I just do it and help wherever I can.”

Harvey Kooner


Volunteers Justine Kaur and Gary Singh keep an eye out for speeders along 140 Street near 84 Avenue.


Two young ICBC road safety volunteers clad in bright, re� ective rain jackets, sta-tioned by the side of a slick 140 Street in Surrey, watched the vehicles whizz by.

On the � rst day of inclement weather in what has been an uncharacteristic dry October for the Lower Mainland, Gary Singh and Justine Kaur observed plenty of speeders.

� is particular stretch of 140 Street at 83 Avenue borders Bear Creek Park. � e posted speed limit is 50 km/h. In one hour, the road safety team clocked 16 drivers doing above 60 km/h – and saw illegal U-turns.

� ey also witnessed downright abhorrent driving behaviours: a Toyota Highlander racing by at 92 km/h, for example.

And then there are the emotional hazards of the role – the middle � nger salute and the taunts.

“Get a real job,” one driver shouted during a previous campaign.

Singh, 20, and Kaur, 26, are preparing for a career in policing. And this seemingly innocuous task of counting cars o� ers plenty of transferable experience.

� ey are looking at the reaction time between vehicles and recording all kinds of driving infrac-tions from cellphone use to speeding.

“I’m going to work in law enforcement, so it’s a passion that I have,” explained Singh. “� is is just good experience right now. A lot of these things you learn by observing.”

Kaur also enjoys this eight-hour-a-week com-mitment because it gets her out in the community where she can meet new people.

“I really enjoy the speed watch, actually,” she said. “It’s rewarding, too. � ere are a lot of thumbs up from drivers.”

In 2011, more than 450 road safety volunteers in Surrey, White Rock and Delta contributed over 6,500 hours to help reduce speed-related crashes in their communities by using radar and

speed-reader boards to show drivers how fast they’re actually travelling.

In Surrey, the Insurance Corporation of B.C. employs approximately 935 people – the vast majority work in claims – spread throughout eight o� ces.

For the second year in a row, ICBC has been named one of BC’s Top Employers– an annual competition organized by the editors of Canada’s Top 100 Employers.

Safety a key ICBC goal

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SURREY IS WORKING


Hospitality is an industry with pro-jected growth in the coming years in Surrey.

Whalley’s renaissance has turned the downtown core into an inviting space, attracting a new hotel and conference facility in the process. � e 160-suite hotel planned by Century Group is slated to arrive in the fall of 2015 next to the new city hall and library.

Ryan Matheson, director of sales and mar-keting for the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, welcomes the competition.

“I will go on the record as saying ‘yes, I welcome other hotels’ – as long as they are Four Diamond establishments for high-level accommodations,” said Matheson. “Because right now we are currently the only four-star property in Surrey. We end up competing with hotels that are of di� erent niche markets.”

Matheson � gures local higher-end hotel operators could grow the market together, thereby making a mark on the hospitality industry. Currently, the Surrey Sheraton is going at it alone. In October, it sent a ambas-sador, one of the hotel’s sales managers, to the Canadian Tourism Commission showcase in Japan to attract more Asian business to Surrey.

“We would welcome more upscale travel,” said Matheson.

He would also like to see Tourism Surrey and local sports organizations take a leadership role in fostering more homegrown interna-tional festivals and sporting events.

� e 20-year-old Sheraton Vancouver Guild-ford Hotel recently underwent a multi-million -dollar exterior and interior faceli� to keep ahead of the curve. � e landmark building welcomes guests and locals alike to Surrey from its position at the north end of 152 Street.

In addition to new business, Matheson said a � rst-class hospitality industry in Surrey would attract local tourism talent to work local.

“� e people who are interested in working here in Surrey are more quali� ed to work in other locations,” said Matheson. “� ere are a lot of people who are done with driving downtown, and would welcome a 10-minute commute from home.”

Gateway Gaming and Entertainment has put in a proposal to build a $100-million casino and hotel in South Surrey at 10 Avenue and 168 Street. � e plans include a 200-suite, four-to-� ve star hotel and 600-seat convention cen-tre. If approved by Surrey council, the project would create close to 1,000 construction jobs and 500 full-time jobs.

Hospitality surgeon the horizon

‘People are done with driving downtown’


SURREY IS WORKING

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by Je� Nagel

The days when Surrey was mainly a bedroom community where many of its residents commuted to downtown Van-

couver for work are long gone.Today, plenty of workers roll in the

other direction – into Surrey from across the Fraser River.

And travel patterns have become more dispersed, a criss-cross of com-muters heading throughout the Lower Mainland.

Still, too many residents have to spend too much time travelling too far for work, cutting into family time, undermining their health and adding to congestion and pollution.

According to TransLink research, 55 per cent of commuters from Surrey head outside the city for work, with Burnaby/New West and Langley the top destinations accounting for about 10 per cent each.

Eleven per cent head to Vancouver, including four per cent to downtown, while 6.1 per cent go to Richmond, 4.8 per cent go to South Surrey/White Rock and four per cent work in the Tri-Cities.

Planners would like to see more Surrey residents work within their home city and commute less.

“� e economic development goal for Surrey is to have one job for every

resident,” noted Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade.

� e one-job-per-resident goal would be a big improvement over the current ratio of about 0.73 jobs per working resident.

“It’s a lo� y goal. But the intent is also to have quality jobs for every resident.”

Growing the number of jobs here at home would give them more opportuni-ties to live and work in Surrey and reduce their commute times.

“You want them to have a balance in their life,” Huberman said.

Getting homes and workplaces closer together has other spin-o� bene� ts – it can become a virtuous trend that leads to smart-growth neighbourhoods that are more walkable and makes frequent transit more viable.

But it’s a challenge just keeping up with the newcomers.

Surrey, the fastest-growing big city in Canada, grows at a rate of about 1,000 new residents per month.

So much growth is envisioned in the City Centre area that Metro Van-couver planners have designated it as “Surrey Metro Centre” – the centre of business and other activity South of the Fraser, second only in importance to the region’s metro core in downtown Vancouver.

� e region projects job growth within Surrey Metro Centre to grow from 18,000 jobs to 49,000 by 2041.

Taming the wild commuteSpending less time in tra� c is seen as key to maintaining work-life balance

LEADER FILE PHOTO

More than half of commuters from Surrey travel outside the city for work.

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TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: HEALTH CARE

Steady growth for lab giantBC Biomedical part of burgeoning health care sector

by Je� Nagel

A bank of automated sample analyzers hums inside BC Biomedical’s main lab centre in Newton but a warning message shows something’s amiss.

Chemistry resource technician Amy Arnold, one of a small army of highly skilled workers there, arrives to clear a jammed sample rack in one of the machines that should be steadily processing test tubes of � uid from patients.

It’s a typical day on the job for Arnold, who o� en acts as a troubleshooter when there’s a problem.

A graduate of BCIT’s medical laboratory science diploma program, she is one of a growing number of Surrey-based employees in the expanding health sciences � eld.

BC Biomedical is one of the private sector pioneers, perform-ing 32,000 tests on samples from several thousand patents each day for hospitals, doctors and other referral agencies.

More than 500 employees work for the company in Surrey, many of them laboratory technologists like Arnold or medical laboratory assistants, who are the front-line sta� who collect samples from patients at BC Biomedical’s many patient service centres.

� e company began as a partnership of pathologists founded nearly 55 years ago by Dr. Cam Coady.

But it’s since grown into a huge enterprise performing many of the medical tests in the Lower Mainland.

No end in sight to growth

Company CEO Doug Buchanan said BC Biomedical is a good example of the cutting-edge health science jobs that are increasingly coming to Surrey and that the city aims to attract.

� e rapid pace of improvements in the science and technol-ogy of medical testing are a key factor fueling growth.

“Virtually exponentially, we’re adding new tests every year,” he said. “And as that expands that increases demand for the service.”

� e growing and aging population in the Lower Mainland is also a huge driver of growth.

Buchanan says a third factor is the increasing sophistication of patients – they’re more knowledgeable and demanding about

what health care they want when they see their doctors. He estimates the three elements combined translate into

growth for the company of close to � ve per cent a year in patient visits and seven to eight per cent in test volume.

While the business depends on government’s ability to fund health care, Buchanan sees demand for the � rm’s services steadily rising and expects employment levels will follow.

Over the last 20 years, he noted, BC Biomedical has already seen its workforce grow by 75 per cent.

“� ere is no end in sight for the growth in demand for these services,” Buchanan said. “With what’s going on with the human genome, it’s reasonable to expect a revolution in the � eld of laboratory testing in the next decade.”

Employees also want to work there.BC Biomedical has consistently been named one of Canada’s

top employers for several years running.

Hospital expansion adds jobs

� e most obvious physical example of the health sector growth in Surrey has been the opening of the new Jim Pattison Outpatient Care Centre in Green Timbers, and the construction of the new ER and critical care tower at Surrey Memorial Hospital (SMH).

Fraser Health already employs 5,500 people at its various facilities in Surrey, including 4,100 at SMH, not counting 700 doctors there who aren’t direct employees of the health authority.

� e Jim Pattison centre added another 350 health care work-ers. � e new ER opens in 2013 and once the critical care tower is also � nished in 2014, SMH will add 151 new hospital beds. � e major hospital expansion will require about 650 new sta� plus dozens of doctors.

� e additional jobs will include nurses, pharmacists and physiotherapists, as well as support sta� such as porters, registration clerks and unit clerks.

“Health care technology is developing at a rapid pace, and we are committed to providing state-of-the-art facilities and services for our communities, but at its heart, health care is about people,” said Dr. Nigel Murray, Fraser Health’s

president and CEO.He said the outpatient centre as well as the SMH expansion is

“creating ongoing demand for highly skilled and trained health care professionals now and into the future.”

Health-related research is also on the rise.Fraser Health signed a strategic alliance with Simon Fraser

University in 2009 to jointly work to develop collaborative training, education and research programs.

� e relationship opens up new options for applied research and means training opportunities for SFU students at Fraser Health, as well as continuing education programs for workers at SFU.

“As part of our long-term strategic plan, Fraser Health is working to strengthen its academic partnerships and make teaching, training and research key drivers in the delivery of health care in our region,” Murray said.

Fraser Health is already a big player in educating health professionals – from medical students and residents to nurses and other allied health profes-sionals – in partnership with several institutions, including SFU, UBC and BCIT.

“Surrey Memorial Hospital is rapidly develop-ing as an important teaching centre in the UBC Faculty of Medicine,” Murray said.

“With the added academic space that will come with the redevelopment and expansion project, SMH will be able to provide post-graduate medical training as a satellite campus of the UBC School of

Medicine, helping address the shortage of doctors in B.C.”Health-related jobs are a top area Surrey Board of Trade CEO

Anita Huberman sees for growth.She and others are looking well beyond the current expan-

sion at SMH.“I think you’re going to see an expansion of Peace Arch Hos-

pital,” she said.Huberman agrees demographics are a huge driver – the city’s

growing and aging population will need more health services, not just in acute care settings, but also community and home health care.

“And as our population ages, as health care intensi� es, that is an area that will continue to increase.”

fast facts

BC Biomedical:• 794 employees, including 500 in Surrey

• Serves 6,000 to 8,000 patients per day

• 32,000 tests per day

• 45 patient centres in the Lower Mainland as well as mobile lab services

Fraser Health:• 4,100 workers at SMH plus 700 doctors

• 350 at Jim Pattison Outpatient Centre

• 170 at CareLife Fleetwood• SMH expansion to add 650 staff and 50 doctors

Chemistry technician

Amy Arnold checks

one of the chemistry analyzers

at BC BioMedical’s

main laboratory in

Newton. EVAN SEAL

THE LEADER

“Health care technology is

developing at a rapid pace...”

Dr. Nigel Murray

1,028 businesses


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by Sheila Reynolds

Angela Monk commutes from Vancouver daily to work in Surrey.

And she doesn’t mind one bit.Currently a teacher-librarian at Fraser Heights Sec-

ondary, where she’s been for 10 years, Monk made a conscious decision to work in the Surrey School District shortly out of teacher training.

“Surrey was growing like crazy and was one of the districts that was hiring at the time,” says Monk. “I quickly realized that Surrey was on the cutting edge.”

She also saw that most of the new educators coming out of university with their fresh ideas and great strategies were headed Surrey’s way, and that things she witnessed happening in Surrey were not happening in Vancouver or Burnaby where she did her practicums.

“I realized Surrey was going to be, eventually, the leader,” says Monk, who spent 12 years teaching French and Spanish at L.A. Matheson Secondary before moving to Fraser Heights. “And I do think we are now. All the other school districts are watching to see what we do.”

Monk is just one of 4,683 teachers working full- or part-time in the Surrey School District.

As the largest employer in the city, there are a total of 9,079 employees district-wide.

While contract teachers make up more than half of district’s workforce, there are hundreds more people in an array of administrative, management, on-call, trades and clerical posi-tions.

� ere are 249 principals, 560 teachers-on-call (TOCs), 103 exempt and management sta� and 3,484 support sta� .

Apart from teachers, support sta� accounts for the second-highest number of employees in School District 36, encompass-

ing a wide range of workers, including education assistants (1,227), supervision aides (605), clerical sta� (554) and custodi-ans (371).

� ere are also 175 maintenance workers such as electricians, mechanics, groundskeepers, carpenters and other tradespeople tagged as support sta� , as well as 97 applied behaviour analysts and 57 aboriginal support workers.

� ey all add up to a huge pool of experience and expertise unmatched by most school districts, as some of the best talent is attracted to Surrey. As the largest public school district in Western Canada and one of the biggest in Canada with more than 70,200 students, it is seen as a leader, says Monk.

“Other districts are watching what we’re doing. It’s the place to be – de� nitely. When comes to being in education, I believe it is.”

Post-secondary institutions

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is one of the top 10 largest employers in Surrey, with more than 750 employees at the two local campuses.

According to March 2012 � gures provided by the university, there are 365 faculty members at the main Surrey campus on 72 Avenue and 41 at the Cloverdale trades campus on Highway 10 near 180 Street.

Unionized support sta� accounts for another 232 employees in Surrey and other 33 in Cloverdale, and there are about 72 administrators between the two local campuses. (On-call aux-iliary, student and co-op assistants and casual contracts are not included in the � gures).

Nearby SFU-Surrey also squeaks in the top 20, coming in as the 19th largest employer in the city. � e campus in Central City employs about 250 full- and part-time instructors and approximately 82 administrative and support sta� .


Fraser Heights Secondary school teacher/librarian Angela Monk inside the library at the school.

TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: EDUCATIONSurrey – the place to educateCity on the ‘cutting edge,’ says longtime teacher-librarian

461 businesses


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At Chartwell, we believe it is the duty of all Canadians never to stop saying “thank you” to our veterans. It is but a small gesture to those who have offered such a great sacrifice to our country.

Veterans will receive a copy of Chartwell’s book HONOUR, which features the stories of 35 quiet heroes 65 years after the end of WWII. Please contact us to arrange your complimentary lunch.

COMPLIMENTARY VETER A NS LUNCH Chartwell residences are honouring Canadian veterans throughout November with a

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ATTENDANCE AT A CAREER PRESENTATION IS NOW THE MANDATORY FIRST STEP IN THE APPLICATION PROCESS. ASSISTER À UNE SÉANCE D’INFORMATION SUR LES CARRIÈRES EST MAINTENANT LA PREMIÈRE ÉTAPE OBLIGATOIRE DU PROCESSUS DE RECRUTEMENT.

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Le 8 novembre à 18 hQuartier général de la Division E, GRC5255 rue Heather Vancouver (C.-B.)Pour vous inscrire:604-264-2050

FOREMANLocation: Lower Mainland - Dual Mechanical Ltd. is taking applications for the position of Foreman for commercial/institutional projects in the Lower Mainland of BC.

You are a leader who has proven yourself to complete projects on time and on budget with attention to detail. You anticipate manpower and material needs in conjunction with scheduling. You have a good work ethic and provide leadership to the employees working with you.

Your Responsibilities Include (but not limited to):• Anticipating manpower, sub trade, and material needs in conjunction with scheduling of the

project• Implement and ensure compliance with Dual’s Safety Program• Review and provide assistance to the Project Manager regarding quality assurance and

control• Review overall work plans and schedules in conjunction with the Project Manager

Qualifications Required:• 5-10 years experience in the mechanical industry as a foreman• Proven overall supervision, coordination, and management skills and scheduling of

construction activities• Consistently complete projects on time and budget• Strong leader with excellent communication, problem solving, and decision making skills• Ability to understand project scheduling and to read and understand drawings and

specifications• Be a team player with excellent client relation skills• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

We offer a competitive salary, performance bonus program, and custom benefits package, and company RRSP program. Wage commensurate with experience.

Interested candidates should submit their resume to [email protected].

Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

by Rick Kupchuk

Just 11 months shy of celebrating its 50th anniversary, S&R Sawmills Ltd. has fol-lowed its own path in creating its niche in the lumber industry.

But its immediate future remains out

of its hands. “We’ll be normal once the U.S. hous-

ing market gets back to normal, which it will,” said Ken Boyd, manager of S&R Sawmills. “But when it will is anybody’s guess.”

TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: MANUFACTURING

50 years in timberSurrey sawmill weathers the ups and downs

in the export market


Ken Boyd, manager of S&R Sawmills Ltd., says most people in the manufacturing industry have been surprised at the depth of the economic downturn.

See INDUSTRY / Page 21

1,037 businesses


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Industry: ‘We’ll recoverLocated in Port Kells near the Fraser River

in North Surrey, S&R Sawmills employs roughly 425 employees, down from its high of 550 a few years ago. With four mills on its site, it is a unique player in the lumber indus-try, but one that has been very successful over the years.

“We’re a 100-per-cent custom-cutting business. We don’t own our own timber, we’re a specialty mill, which is unusual in the industry,” said Boyd. “But we’ve always been that way.”

Like many businesses in the timber indus-try, S&R Sawmills is coping with challenges, and doing better than most. Employment

province-wide has dropped by roughly one-third since 1990, from 26,300 to 17,400 in 2008, according to provincial government � gures.

� e largest lumber-industry employer in Surrey – the Teal Jones Group has roughly 290 employees at its Surrey sites – S&R has seen its workforce decrease at a rate less than the provincial rate. It does what it can to keep its sta� working, but it isn’t easy.

“We take on smaller orders, we go to a four-day work week, move crews from mill to mill,” said Boyd. “Anything to keep people working.

“It’s up and down, and unfortunately sometimes we have to have layo� s. And a large percentage of our jobs are entry level, so when they need to work they go elsewhere if they have to.”

Accounting for more than half of the value of the province’s goods exported internation-ally, forest products are British Columbia’s most important exports. And the industry has a large presence in Surrey, with numer-ous mills in operation, such as Mackenzie Sawmill Ltd. and Mill and Timber Products in Bridgeview.

� e economic downturn of four years ago has hit the industry hard, and the impact was a surprise to many.

“Some people in our industry saw the downturn coming,” said Boyd. “But nobody saw the depth to which it has gone. � e U.S. housing market is in its sixth year of decline, they’re at numbers not seen since the 1930s.”

“We’ll recover. But we’re not back to what you’d call normal yet.”

From page 20


Black Press

The Surrey Board of Trade (SBOT) has received $5,000 in funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada – a federal agency

that works with companies to help � nd high-quali� ed people and advance research and development – for the SBOT’s Innovation Roundtable Series.

� e series aims to identify and showcase the city’s innovative companies that create opportunities for research collaboration between industry and post-secondary com-munities.

� ese companies will also be a part of Surrey’s Global Innovation Summit in April 2013, which includes an innovation awards gala.

“� e Surrey Board of Trade’s Innovation Team is promoting a regional innovation strategy as a means of attracting more busi-nesses to Surrey and the surrounding South Fraser Region to generate higher-paying jobs,” said Anita Huberman, CEO, Surrey Board of Trade.

“� is funding will launch our e� ort to

help entrepreneurs in bringing new products or services to market.”

� e Innovation Roundtable Series will be held on the last Monday of each month and will feature two speakers from post-secondary schools or other innovative repre-sentatives from municipal and regional economic development, pro-vincial and federal agencies, and trade associations, and will showcase two innovative companies or organizations from the region.

� e Innovation Roundtable Series takes place from 4-6 p.m. at the Surrey Board of Trade conference room, #101-14439 104 Ave.

� e dates are: Nov. 26, Jan. 28, Feb. 25 and March 25.

For more information, visit www.businessinsurrey.com

Funding forinnovation in Surrey

Entrepreneurs invited to take part inmonthly roundtable series

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Over 137,000 BC children are growing up in poverty.

BC had the highest rate of child poverty for eight years in a row.

It’s past time for the BC government to catch up with other provinces and create a comprehensive

poverty reduction plan for BC families.

Because there are no band-aid solutions to child poverty.

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TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: TRANSPORTATION


The next time you catch yourself complain-ing about getting up at 6 a.m. for work, consider this: � ere is a team of Coast Mountain Bus Company drivers across

the city that have been up since 2 a.m. Still, they will greet passengers with a smile or a

“good morning” because most bus drivers are the epitome of a people person.

Matt Adams, acting duty manager at the Transit Communications Centre (T-Comm) in Surrey, is a 10-year veteran of the company. He started out driving trolley buses in Vancouver before moving up the ranks to supervisor at T-Comm.

“It’s a not a job, it’s a life,” said Adams of his Coast Mountain career during a tour of the Surrey Transit Centre in Newton.

It’s 3 p.m. and there is a � urry of activity at the Surrey Transit Centre as bus drivers � lter in and out of the building. Meanwhile, dispatch-ers are piecing together drivers’ schedules and � elding phone calls from operators calling in sick.

� is facility is also where drivers can retreat in between shi� s, or “pieces” as they are o� -cially referred to within Coast Mountain.

“� is is something we are very proud of,” said Adams opening the door to sizable gym with state-of-the-art � tness equipment.

In the employee lounge there is foosball, a pool table and a TV with video games. And down the hall is a quiet room with a reclining armchair and blanket for operators to catch a catnap.

“If you are getting up at two in the morning, it’s early,” said Adams.

Surrey Transit Centre operations manager Tracey Lang says being able to deal with con� ict and possessing customer service skills are key employee attributes in the operations centre.

Next door to the main building, a maintenance facility is equipped with 18 spacious bus bays; some have overhead hoists, others boast cavernous workspaces below.

Bill Harding, who has been with Coast Moun-tain and its parent company TransLink for 37 years, is in charge of � eet maintenance for the Surrey

Transit Centre. His sta� works four days on, taking three days

o� . � ere are four shi� changes around the clock.Everything from minor inspections, to major

overhauls, to body work is performed at the facility. � ere are also mobile mechanics out on the road chasing buses that need minor repairs.

Upstairs in T-Comm, three to seven supervisors monitor all of Coast Mountain’s buses and support vehicles in the Lower Mainland 24 hours a day.

Lyanne Smith, T-Comm duty manager, is stationed at the back of the room where she can oversee all of the activity.

� e desks are in a horseshoe formation. � e suburbs supervisors – monitoring buses outside of the City of Vancouver – are on the right.

At the front of the room are large screens. Each

one serves a di� erent informative purpose, from a grid map of the trolley bus wires to the T-Comm supervisors’ average response time.

T-Comm receives close to 1,000 calls from operators a day. And on a busy day, that number can double. During peak times, sta� are monitor-ing 1,250 buses and support vehicles.

� e technology used to track the buses is called Computer Aided Dispatch and Automated Vehicle Location system.

New hires in the T-Comm Centre – which only happens once every couple of years – go through one week of intensive technical training, and then spend four weeks with a supervisor to learn decision-making and how to apply classroom skills.

“It’s a very high-stress position,” said Smith. “You are constantly taking calls from the depots and police. We not only oversee the road, but we also make decisions for the corporation outside of Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m..”

Smith said 90 per cent of T-Comm supervisors come from bus operator experience because they know the routes and service areas. She has worked for the company for 37 years, starting out as a bus driver in 1975.

Long-serving T-Comm supervisor Rob Magar has � ve large computer screens in front of him. � e

most eye-catching monitor displays tiny green and red bus graphics travelling across a grid. It’s showing a real-time – 55 seconds is the refresh rate for the GPS system – snapshot of North Vancouver’s transit operations.

Suddenly, a red SOS icon � ashes on the screen. Magar switches to the Surrey map. A “stealth” alarm on one of the buses has been activated.

In these scenarios T-Comm supervisors can overhear the audio from the bus and take appropriate action.

One time, Magar knew he was dealing with a serious bus accident because he could hear distress sounds coming from the operator.

With this current SOS call, Magar talks with the driver and it’s determined that the stealth alarm was falsely activated by a speed bump.

Earlier in the day it was the real deal when a call came in about a domestic assault on a bus. A woman was crying and visibly distraught.

� e bus driver radioed Magar who dispatched a supervisor to the scene and called police.

He � gures he spent 35 minutes to an hour on that call alone. But the job is not always that excit-ing.

“� ere are lulls, thank goodness,” said Magar.So how does he handle the stress that comes with

the territory of working at T-Comm? “I try to do it with some humour. And maintain

a civilized tongue,” said Magar.

Newton the hub for Metro busesEVAN SEAL / THE LEADER

A bus is hoisted up for maintenance work at the Transit Communications Centre in Surrey.


Supervisor Jay Midha takes a call inside the T-Comm at Coast Mountain Bus Company.

fast facts

Surrey Transit Centre:

• 528 bus drivers• 61 mechanics • 40 communications centre staff

• New Coast Mountain Bus Company employees start with three weeks paid vacation and 17 personal days off per year.

• The Surrey Transit Centre is home to 182 conventional, 12-metre buses and 37 community shuttles.

• Life span of a bus is 800,000 to one million kilometres or approximately 17 years.

• Price tag of a new bus is approximately $400,000.

• Two 90,000-litre fuel tanks are fi lled every three days at the Surrey Transit Centre.

• One bus can burn through 120 litres of fuel in one day.

Up to 1,250 vehicles are monitored during peak times at Surrey Transit Centre

557 businesses


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by Maria Spitale-Liesk

Don’t let the name fool you: Burnaby Lake Greenhouses may have originated in that city, but the floral whole-saler has been blossoming in Surrey since the 1960s.

Dutchman Herb vanderEnde and his family came to Canada in 1954 with few personal possessions but a lot of horticulture wherewithal.

After a decade in the greenhouse business, vanderEnde had his sights set on an expansive property at the corner of 100 Avenue and 152 Street in Surrey – better known today as a bustling thoroughfare.

He continued to cultivate the family business, opening up production facilities in Richmond and Langley. Fifty years later, the company is headquartered at 172 Street and 80 Avenue in Surrey – a block of interlocking, rectangular glass greenhouses with peaked roofs.

There is 1.8 million square feet of growing space on this property, which explains the scattering of cruiser bicycles for traveling to and from workspaces in the greenhouses.

On this October afternoon, the exterior of the greenhouse is getting whipped with rain. And once inside, you quickly accli-matize to the perfumed and colourful environment.

There are rows of workstations piled high with cut flowers – a rainbow of gerbera daisies invading one table alone. The filler greenery waits in buckets on the floor.

Employee Barb (who did not want her last name used) has been professionally playing with flowers here for 10 years.

“Most of the time it’s kind of relaxing,” she said, adding that her co-workers are a fine bunch.

But it’s not always glamourous working with pretty, some-times barbed, plants – Pam Materi can attest to that.

“You just get really sick of seeing (flowers) after awhile. That and allergies can be a problem,” said Materi.

Ivan Wen, a former floral arrangement instructor, is the only man working in the bouquet department. He exhibits a real passion for the job.

“You can use your imagination to create a beautiful thing,” said Wen.

Seeing the employees simultaneously snipping and shaping offers an appreciation for the labour and creativity infused in a beautiful bouquet of flowers sitting in a store.

In fact, as part of Surrey’s wholesale trade industry – one of the city’s biggest sectors – Burnaby Lake Greenhouses supplies cut flower arrangements, hanging baskets and potted plants to major grocers and big box stores in Western Canada and the U.S. Pacific Northwest. There’s a good chance the company’s floral creations have unknowingly graced your special occasion.

This is company CEO Robert vanderEnde’s favourite time of year.

“I like it because you see a sea of poinsettias blooming,” he said, moving about the massive, tropical conservatory.

Burnaby Lake Greenhouses grows 750,000 poinsettias each year starting in mid-summer. Some varieties of this Christmas staple take eight to 10 weeks to grow, others four months.

Clarence Schramm passes by in shorts and a T-shirt. It’s casual Friday every day in the greenhouse.

“I’ve always liked tropicals. I’m lucky that I get to work with them.”

Burnaby Lake Greenhouses employs approximately 250 people. There are jobs in office administration, sales and ship-ping. Most employees arrive by 7:30 a.m. and leave by 4 p.m.

The company, which is overseen by four generations of van-derEndes, operates like an extended family. Robert vanderEnde

says his grandfather always embraced immigrant employees because he once made that same pilgrimage.

And then there’s the floral philanthropy. Burnaby Lake Greenhouses has donated flowers to Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation’s Tulips for Tomorrow campaign, Union Gospel Mission, as well as many seniors’ homes.

TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: WHOLESALE TRADEHorticultural careers in bloomHundreds of employees work among the greenery at

a family-run Cloverdale-based greenhouse


Sahsha Langenbach works at Burnaby Lake Greenhouses tubing Gerbera daisies.

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From the time you walk in the door and are welcomed by the friendly receptionist you feel comfortable.

The o� ce is modern with a large screen TV and magazines in the waiting room for your enjoyment.

While most dentists do a fairly good job at check up time Dr. Dhanju performs a very thorough examination.

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Finalists in the Surrey Board of Trade’s Business Excellence Awards have been announced.

The 14th annual awards, set for Nov. 15, will recognize Surrey’s best businesses in eight categories, as well as pay tribute to Flag Mitsubishi owner Sherrold Haddad, who is retiring after “at least 40, maybe 50 years” in the car dealership business.

Finalists are Complete Home Design, Dale’s Alignment and Brakes, and Milestone Events (one to 10 employ-ees); Frontline Real Estate Services Ltd., Novo Textiles Co., and Reliance Foundry (11-40 employees); and Aggressive Tube Bending, Keywest Asphalt Ltd., and Norwood Packaging Ltd. (41-plus employees)

Not-for-profits are to be honoured in two categories: under $500,000 budget (finalists are Child Partnership of Surrey-White Rock, Surrey Christmas Bureau and Surrey Urban Mission), and over $500,000 budget (Alexandra

Neighbourhood House, Fraser Valley Real Estate Board and Progressive Intercultural Community Services Society).

In the running for Business Person of the Year are Barry Forbes of Westmin-ster Savings Credit Union, Balraj Mann of Polycrete Restorations and Jason Zanatta of Novo Textiles Co.

New Business of the Year finalists are All Care Medical Centre, Kitply Industries and The Shops at Morgan Crossing.

The Student Entrepreneur of the Year Award will go to either Michael Cheng (WittyCookie), Julian DeSchutter (The DeSchutter Group) or Sukhi Sangha (Sangha’s Learning Centre).

The awards ceremony, to take place at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel Nov. 15, will take the form of an Academy Awards-style dinner. Set for 6-10 p.m., tickets are $105 each or $1,000 for a table of 10.

To purchase tickets, or for more information, visit www.businessinsurrey.com or call 604-581-7130.

Business excellence � nalists announced

Surrey Board of Trade awards event is Nov. 15


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fast facts

Employment by the numbers:

• Cloverdale has the highest employment participation rate – 73.8 per cent – and the lowest unemployment rate – 3.9 per cent.

• Whalley has an unemployment rate of 7.2 per cent – the highest in Surrey.

• Surrey’s unemployment rate is 5.7 per cent –marginally higher than the Metro Vancouver average of 5.6 per cent.

• Sales and service are the most common jobs in Surrey, accounting for 22-27 per cent of the employed labour force.– City of Surrey Labour Force Fact

Sheet, 2006 census

SURREY IS WORKING


Looking for employment is hard work and o� en overwhelming.

If you’re feeling frustrated and hopeless, it might be time to let those

who are in the business of � nding their cli-ents the quickest route to ful� lling employ-ment lend a hand.

Paci� c Community Resources operates a WorkBC Employment Services Centre in the Fleetwood-Guildford area.

� ere is a full range of free job search resources and career planning programs available through this facility – open to any-one who is eligible to work in Canada.

Case managers and facilitators can help with everything from polishing your resume, enhancing interviewing skills, and setting up apprenticeship training.

All clients are triaged when they � rst walk through the door, said Sue Clough, operations coordinator of the Fleetwood-Guildford Employment Services Centre.

First they see the self-serve coordinator, Kathy Helman. She is the one who will do a quick assessment of the client’s needs.

If it’s a simple resume touch-up or Internet access that they are a� er, clients are directed to workstations in the main area equipped with computers and telephones.

Most clients are referred to second-level unemployment triage – where a case man-ager can take a more in-depth look at their needs.

� ey are o� en encouraged to attend a four-day, on-site career-planning workshop.

Surrey resident Christine Wilson is

currently taking the course. Wilson was a housing support worker who experienced burnout. Her psychologist advised her to explore a new career path.

Wilson needed government assistance to help keep her on her feet.

“It was humbling for me to go on EI,” said the 40-year-old. “It’s the clientele I used to represent.”

She enrolled in Langara College’s Arts and Sciences undergraduate program until her Employment Insurance ran out mid-semester.

� at’s when Wilson turned to the Fleetwood-Guildford Employment Services Centre for help. She is now learning how to apply for student loans and bursaries, crediting her career planning instructor for keeping her motivated.

“When you are unemployed for many months, there are � nancial challenges and you are feeling low,” says Wilson. “When you have someone like this, she is just so positive.”

� e centre has 700 open � les � lled with stories just like Wilson’s. � ere are also plenty of reality checks for people with multiple degrees and highly educated immi-grants seeking employment in what Clough calls a “fairly tough job market.”

Making it easier for clients is the one-stop shop model. With services for immigrants, youth and disabled clients under one roof, you don’t have to visit a variety of centres to tell your story, said Clough.

� e Surrey Fleetwood-Guildford Employ-ment Services Centre is located at #202-10334 152A St. More information is available at www pcrs.ca.

When the job search isn’t workingThe WorkBC Employment Services Centre in Fleetwood-Guildford helps

thousands of people with career planning each year

Kathy Helman, a self-serve coordinator at the WorkBC Employment Services Centre in Fleetwood-Guildford, chats with client Tia Luker.



Employment centre client Christine Wilson uses a computer to look for job opportunities.



The kids’ smiles say it all at � e Centre for Child Development in Surrey.

Helping children with special needs reach their potential may be the centre’s

mission statement, but its stakeholders are more like a large extended family.

Established in 1953, the non-pro� t organization assists more than 2,000 children each year, from newborns to age 19, across Surrey, Langley, Delta and White Rock.

� e centre is a one-stop shop for children with special needs, with a variety of specialized pediatric professionals collaborating under one roof.

At the centre, located at 94 Avenue an 140 Street, children’s artwork, along with accolades from com-munity partners, adorns the walls of the sprawling complex.

Heather Basham, acting director of supported child development, began her career at the centre 33 years ago in the preschool. Multi-decade service and starting out in the preschool is common among workers at the centre.

“� ere have been so many changes – di� erent sta� , di� erent CEOs, renovations to the building, program changes,” said Basham. “I have fond memories of many di� erent places in time here.”

Linda Wieler works in casting and splinting. Having this department on-site sets the centre apart from other pediatric special needs programs.

Unlike casting for broken limbs, the centre creates corrective treatments for children with orthopedic needs – many of which are the result of a genetic condition.

“� ey are not necessarily happy with what we are doing. So they cry,” said Wieler, who does her best to placate them with TV and toys.

She can relate to what the parents are going through. Wieler’s son, who was born with cerebral

palsy, came here for physical therapy 30 years ago. “It was wonderful. Everyone was so helpful,” she

said of the experience.Five years later she wound up working for the

centre as a rehabilitation assistant. In another area of the building is the centre’s

most inviting space: the pool.

Helping others is job oneEmployees at the not-for-pro� t Centre for Child Development

stick around for the kids and camaraderie

fast facts

#1 sector:• Surrey’s top businesses are in construction, professional, scientifi c and technical services, retail, manufacturing, health care, wholesale trade, fi nance and insurance/real estate, transportation and education.

• But the number-one sector is listed as “other” services.

• “Other” services include repairs and maintenance on items, personal services, laundry, funerals, pet care, photofi nishing, religious and social advocacy organizations, and businesses in private households.

TOP SURREY INDUSTRY: ‘other’ SERVICES

See CENTRE / Page 30

Recreational therapist Peggy Beyak works with one of her clients in the specially designed therapy pool at The Centre for Child Development.


4,196 businesses


SURREY IS WORKINGCentre: Serves thousands of children the in Lower Mainland

Basham said it can be a popular place for not only phys-iotherapists, but also speech pathologists and occupational therapists looking for creative ways to engage children.

� e temperature in this specialized pool is about six degrees warmer than normal, keeping kids’ muscles loose. It’s also marked crosswise with black lines that indicate a distinct change in depth.

For some of the 700 kids who access the pool each year, it may be where they take their � rst steps.

From a chair at the edge of the pool, a mother observes her four-year-old daughter Tanvir splash in the water with her rec-reational therapist. Tanvir was born with spina bi� da. In just six months working with centre physiotherapists, her leg muscles have become stronger.

Soon, her “twisters” – braces around her hips – will come o� , as she slowly works towards a day when she can walk unaided.

� e mom expresses her gratitude for the sta� .“� e centre is very important. For our family, they are help-

ing us. � ey listen to us.”In another part of the building is the preschool. In the centre’s

early days, there were separate preschool classes for children with special needs. Today, all the children are integrated.

� e spirit of inclusion is alive in the room as a multicultural mural of kids holding hands is draped across one of the walls.

Mary Stoochno� is one of the early childhood educators at the preschool – a role she said is rewarding, with priceless perks.

“Like when the kids come up and hug you, or they turn around to put their hand on you,” said Stoochno� .

� ese are the experiences that Basham – who oversees intake for the entire centre – wishes she could o� er to all children with special needs in the community.

� e centre’s board of directors’ goal is to increase the number of children they serve by 200 a year. � ey estimate it costs

$5,000 per child per year for pediatric medical rehabilitation therapies.

Upstairs in the “tree top” room is the intake department – an objective realization of the need for these programs.

Sharon Murray, central coordinator for speech and language referrals, Murray � elds phone calls from parents, speech pathologists, and public health units. � e speech and language department receives between 120-130 new referrals a month.

Working alongside Murray is Carol Pointer, who does the rest of the intake and also works as a support teacher.

While acceptance into the centre can vary from two days to two years – hinging on funding availability and priority cases – Pointer has set a goal for herself: “To have the referral leave my desk and be downstairs as a set-up � le within 90 days,” she said. Outside of the North Surrey facility, additional Centre for Child Development sta� are scattered throughout the city, as well as Delta, White Rock and Langley, supporting 120 children in community programs.

Its core funding comes from the B.C. Ministry of Children and Family Development, the United Way, and the Child Development Foundation of B.C.

Asked what she attributes the centre’s strong employee reten-tion to, Basham says it’s rewarding to see progress and changes in children and families in such a supportive environment.

“� e sta� I work with are so supportive and caring, not only of the children, families and programs they support, but of each other too,” said Basham. “We have so much fun together celebrating anything and everything that happens.”

The Centre for Child Development:

• Has provided services for children with special needs and their families for 58 years.

• Employs 140 people. • Receives more than 1,200 referrals every year.• Provides specialized pediatric medical rehabilitation ser-

vices to nearly 2,000 children with special needs through 30,000 sessions a year in Delta, Surrey, South Surrey, White Rock, Langley and other areas of the Lower Mainland.

• Sophie’s Place, housed on the second fl oor of the Centre for Child Development, is an environment where children who have su� ered abuse can be interviewed by police and social workers.


Centre for Child Development teacher Mary Stoochnoff (left) and support teacher Colleen Gratz inside the centre’s preschool.

From page 29


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