Welcome to fall! As usual, there’s a lot going on at Metro Vancouver, including repairs to the Cleveland Dam spillway, a commitment to having the region become carbon neutral by 2050 and construction on the First Narrows Pump Station.
Metro Vancouver’s Liquid Waste Services Department was also recognized for its work on the South Surrey Interceptor, which conveys sewage from South Surrey, White Rock and Langley to the Annacis Island Wastewater Treatment Plant. The project was named 2019 Canadian Project of the Year and also recognized as runner up for new installations.
In other news, Regional Parks staff have been working in Pacific Spirit Regional Park to boost the survival rate of a number of amphibians, including B.C. species at-risk, while Metro Vancouver has updated two campaigns – Hey! Food scraps aren’t garbage and Wipe It, Green Bin It – to remind people to compost veggie scraps and fats, oils and grease.
This summer Metro Vancouver participated in a Community-to-Community Forum with the Musqueam Indian Band. The Board has also endorsed a business plan for a new Regional Economic Prosperity Service in an effort to attract new strategic investment that will contribute positively to the region’s livability and sustainability. And don’t forget the Zero Waste Conference, which is coming up on October 30-31 in Vancouver.
Metro Vancouver is a federation of 21 municipalities, one Electoral Area and one Treaty First Nation that collaboratively plans for and delivers regional-scale services. Its core services are drinking water, wastewater treatment and solid waste management. Metro Vancouver also regulates air quality, plans for urban growth, manages a regional parks system and provides affordable housing.