Presentation to Ladner Rotary Club

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Presentation to Ladner Rotary Club

• Tuesday, October 7, 2008
• The Changing Face of Delta

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History

• Originally first nations settlement, followed by
  farming and fishing
• Followed by residential development with
  associated amenities and services
• Delta is now a rurban community with
  agriculture, residential development,
  port-related industry co-existingsomehow

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Recent controversies

• Power lines
• New arterialsand dustand noise
• Manure spreading
• Land claims settlements
• Port-related development
• Other.?

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Population

• 1996 2006 Delta one of only two lower mainland
  municipalities to experience net population loss
• Deltas population is agingschool age population
  is diminishinghealth services are stressedjust
  like other municipalities
• Why, then, is Delta showing a slight population
  decrease?

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Population Pt. Deux

• Higher than average own their homes legally
  married have higher family incomes
• Conservative, stable population
• Deltas immigrant population is unchanged with
  72 living in delta for 10 years
• Not a lot of newer immigrants, not as much
  diversity especially in Ladner and Tsawwassen

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Population Pt. Trois

• Seniors appear to be leaving Delta to downsize
  their homesbutreturning for socializing,
  recreation and services

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Some random thoughts and ideas

• No post secondary education available within
  Deltahow can delta replace its lost youth?
• Residential development appears not to be
  directed at Delta residents
• Additional tensions between agriculture and
  residential land uses
• Delta truncated by highways and intra municipal
  transportation inadequate

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Random thoughts for the future

• Vancouver Foundations Vital Signs reported
  widening gap between rich and poor and that
  housing, even for the middle class is rapidly
  becoming less affordable
• Crime rates, already low, will become lower in
  delta, simply because older folks commit less
  crimes

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Changing Face of Delta

• Can anticipate new immigrant groups as
  agriculture expandsintegrated or housed
  separately within Delta?
• Affordable housing mix to attract families with
  children and to allow seniors to age in place to
  ensure a demographic balance
• Land claims treaties will change land use

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Changing Face of Delta Pt Deux

• quality of life issues will have increasing
  attention
• More Delta residents will be working from home or
  closer to home will change the housing mix,
  may reduce traffic, more demand for coffee shops
• Public transportation need to be addressed to
  assist in moving people within Delta

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Changing Face of Delta Pt Trois

• How can agriculture, industry and residential
  development co-exist in the future?
• How can industrial, commercial development
  co-exist with agriculture and residential
  development?
• How can every ones concerns and issues be
  satisfied?

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(No Transcript)