Thanks to long-term investments in public safety, Delta continues to be recognized as one of the safest communities in Canada, with a crime index score that reflects both low incidences of crime as well as severity. Achievements on safety include:

• Delta’s police department continues to be one of the best-resourced in the region, which supports Delta’s ability to carry out its ‘No Call Too Small’ approach to public safety
• In 2021, Mayor and Police Board Chair George Harvie enabled Delta Police Department to become the first police department in B.C. to pilot body-worn cameras to intercept potential gang activity and log interactions with those involved in the gang conflict
• New Boundary Bay Fire Hall Training and Emergency Operations Centre, the first dedicated facility of its kind in Delta
• Road safety initiatives such as the Neighbourhood Liveability and Safety Improvements project which included investments in sidewalk upgrades, LED lighting and traffic calming measures across Delta
• Action on youth vaping, including supporting other agencies, providing reliable information on the health effects of vaping and prohibiting advertising of vaping products on public property
• Partnership with Delta Police Department and the Delta School District to launch End the Stigma – a campaign designed to raise awareness of the overdose crisis and educate Delta residents on the various mental health and substance use supports that exist in our community
• Advocacy with senior levels of government regarding:
  • Police training resourcing at the Justice Institute of BC, to ensure Delta’s law enforcement pipeline is adequately filled with the next generation of recruits
  • Response to growing gang conflict in the Lower Mainland, including pressing the province for Daily Air 1 helicopter coverage and tougher consequences for “dial-a-dope” operators
  • Proposed reforms to The Police Act to modernize the current structure and governance of police boards to increase council and school board representation and oversight into spending decisions and increased accountability for taxpayers
  • Localized emergency response to ensure provincial level paramedic staffing shortages do not affect overdose and other critical emergency response times in Delta
• Working with Fraser Health, the Delta Hospital Foundation, and Delta’s emergency responders to respond to the localized challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic and advocating for increased access to vaccines in Delta by:
  • Providing free transportation for Delta residents to get vaccinated at one of Delta’s immunization clinics, with priority going to seniors and people with mobility challenges
  • Working with the Province of BC to bring a vaccination clinic to North Delta, which was previously unserviced by Fraser Health

• Critical to livability is our work to increase housing options for young families and seniors, including:
  • Approval of the City’s Housing Action Plan, developed with extensive public and stakeholder engagement
  • Building and permitting more housing options in town centres, including the revitalization of Ladner Village, Tsawwassen’s Southlands and the Scott Road corridor
  • Offsetting purchase prices and adding more rental supply by increasing the number of homes eligible to host secondary suites, while ensuring the distinct character of our neighbourhoods is maintained and parking issues are mitigated
  • Delivering historic housing agreements that put the priorities of Delta communities first, including fighting for investment in below-market rental housing and greenspace, ensuring that new mixed-use development projects include accessible rental units and negotiating provisions to put Delta residents at the front of the line for purchases and rentals
  • Completion of Mayor’s Housing Task Force for Scott Road Final Report
  • Completion of Ladner Village Renewal Advisory Committee Final Report
  • Free admission passes to all Delta Parks, Recreation, and Culture facilities and drop-in activities for all Delta youth aged 10 to 18 or enrolled in grades 5 to 12
  • Free admission for all seniors over the age of 75
  • Two-week priority registration for Delta residents to provide greater access to preferred programs
  • A Baby Daze program to provide parents and their babies the chance to attend free weekly two-hour drop-in information sessions with a public health nurse
  • Preferential admission pricing for all Delta residents
  • Creating much-needed childcare spaces for Delta families by:
    • Completion of Delta’s Childcare Needs Assessment
    • Working with developers to include daycare centres in new mixed-use developments, including approval of a proposal for a retrofitted facility in North Delta, creating 50 future spaces
    • Supporting operators to invest in existing commercial facilities that can be easily converted into new childcare centres
  • Supporting our seniors by:
    • Investing in our seniors’ mobility by implementing a fourth free senior’s bus service
    • Funding seniors’ programs through new annual funding for Deltassist, a critical component of Delta’s social fabric, to support phone, shopping and counselling services, as well as Better at Home, a program that provides light housekeeping services at a heavily discounted rate
    • Extending free admission passes to all Delta Parks, Recreation, and Culture facilities and drop-in activities for seniors over 75
    • Fighting for high-quality palliative services in Delta
  • Modernizing our communities by:
    • Re-imagining and revitalizing our community hubs through our We Love Delta pop-up park program – an initiative that connects Delta residents through free outdoor activities and art activations while promoting local business
    • Expanding Delta’s outdoor patio program and piloting “alcohol allowed zones” in Delta parks to allow adults to enjoy social activities safely during COVID-19 while supporting local businesses
    • Modernizing engagement with City Hall through Let’s Talk, an online engagement portal that allows Delta residents to connect on civic priorities and issues from the comfort of their homesSupporting the needs of Delta residents through our Delta Families First policy, which includes:
    • Enabling ridesharing to provide more options for Delta residents to get around, while others voted against it

Mayor George Harvie has delivered on his commitment to fairness for all residents of Delta and equality when it comes to access to civic engagement, investment in facilities and services, and policy outcomes.

• Since 2018, Mayor George Harvie has delivered on the commitment to achieve fairness for North Delta by:
  • Bringing long overdue investments to parks, roads, sidewalks and facilities
  • Being the first Mayor in Delta history to bring equal access to civic engagement by alternating council meetings between North and South Delta
  • Overhauling unfair permitting processes by removing the North Delta Development Permit Area Guidelines from Delta’s Official Community Plan to ensure North Delta residents are not subjected to more stringent and expensive permitting rules that take longer to process than Ladner and Tsawwassen homeowners
  • Working with TransLink and the City of Surrey to deliver RapidBus service along Scott Road, bringing more frequent, connected and greener transportation options to North Delta
  • Working with the Province of BC to successfully advocate for an additional vaccination clinic in North Delta

Under Mayor Harvie’s leadership, Delta has achieved carbon neutrality for the ninth consecutive year. Mayor George Harvie believes it’s not enough to simply declare a state of emergency when it comes to climate change. It’s about taking measurable steps to reduce emissions, enhance biodiversity and build resiliency.

• In March 2020, Delta Council unanimously supported Mayor Harvie’s Climate Action Motion. Actions completed related to the motion and other initiatives include:
  • Amending Delta’s Official Community Plan to adopt the community greenhouse gas target reduction of 45% reduction of 2007 levels by 2030 and zero net emissions by 2050
  • Development of a Climate Action Reserve Fund using grant funding, which has supported numerous local energy and greenhouse gas reduction projects including record investments in new electric vehicle charging stations, in alignment with Delta’s finalized Electric Vehicle Strategy
  • Development of an Urban Forestry Action Plan to increase efforts towards enhancing Delta’s urban forest including adding to the tree canopy coverage in the city, resulting in comprehensive Urban Reforestation Projects
  • Partnership with the Provincial Government to allow for tree planting along provincial highway corridors
  • Development of a community-wide anti-idling bylaw
  • Continued implementation of Delta’s Flood Management Strategy and seeking additional funding for dike and drainage climate change adaptation work
  • Delta has implemented a new Climate Action and Community Livability Advisory Committee to provide recommendations on further measures to protect our environment

Delta is proudly home to one of the most diverse populations in the Lower Mainland. This diversity of perspectives and experiences — across age, race, religion, identity, culture and abilities — is what makes us strong and contributes to our reputation as one of the best cities in Canada to live, work and raise a family.

Under Mayor George Harvie’s leadership, Delta has undertaken initiatives that have led to positive change, including:

• Creation of new Mayor’s Task Force on Diversity, Inclusion, and Anti-Racism
• Visibility and allyship with LGBTQ+ communities, including:
  • Endorsement of a grant request to Sher Vancouver, a Delta-based non-profit group that supports LGBTQ+ people in the South Asian community
  • Visible reminders within the community that diversity is valuable to support the development of a welcoming and inclusive city, including:
    • Raising the Pride flag at City Hall for the first time in 2019 in support of the LGBTQ+ community
    • Installation of Pride benches at four facilities: Winskill Aquatic and Fitness Centre, Ladner Leisure Centre, Sungod Recreation Centre, and the North Delta Recreation Centre
  • Consistently nurturing a strong relationship with First Nations neighbours through partnerships and joint initiatives, including:
    • Working with Tsawwassen and Musqueam leaders to introduce an official Indigenous Land Acknowledgement at the beginning of Council and Committee meetings and City of Delta public events
    • Building a stronger relationship with the Musqueam Council through an event at the Musqueam Cultural Centre Gallery
    • Collaboration with Tsawwassen First Nation on servicing agreements for many years and other issues of mutual interest
  • Cultural recognition and celebration
    • Installing lights at City Hall that can be used to show support for various organizations, special days, and causes, including diversity and anti-racism
    • Implementing the #DifferentTogether pledge to uphold the values of inclusivity and diversity and to oppose racism and hate in all forms
    • Mayor George Harvie moved to officially recognize the tragic events of the Komagata Maru and promote diversity and inclusion in the community by installing a new storyboard at the North Delta Social Heart Plaza to tell the history of the Komagata Maru
    • Providing financial support to local non-profit organizations that work on diversity issues, including Tsawwassen Harmony Initiative Society to support an annual arts and culture festival
  • Achieving a more accessible Delta, including:
    • Creation of new Mobility and Accessibility Committee
    • Installation of new assisted listening systems at City Hall, recreation centres, and seniors’ centres to enhance accessibility for those with difficulties hearing
    • Accessibility upgrades at South Delta Recreation Centre
    • Changes to Delta bylaws to require more accessible parking for those with mobility challenges, including van accessible parking spaces

• Completion of Ladner Village Renewal Advisory Committee Final Report 
• Completion of Mayor’s Housing Task Force for Scott Road Final Report 
• Installation of new storyboard commemorating the Komagata Maru tragedy at the Social Heart Plaza in North Delta 
• Development of Cycling Master Plan 
• New Rural Roads Improvement Program (upgrades to 36 Avenue, 112 Street, and 41B Street)
• Modernizing engagement with City Hall through a new award-winning website, ‘Let’s Talk’, an online engagement portal that allows Delta residents to connect on civic priorities and issues from the comfort of their homes, and new Facebook virtual townhalls with Mayor Harvie and special guests to keep residents informed