This year SurreyCares collaborated with the Surrey Board of Trade to create the Vital Signs report, which recently made headlines in local media. Century Group sponsored the Vital Signs report believing that generating such an in-depth report is a huge step forward for the city, which grows by 2,000 people every month. Previously, Vancouver Foundation has done Metro Vancouver-wide Vital Signs reports that included Surrey information, but this is the first time Surrey has ever done its own Vital Signs report and SurreyCares’ first attempt at compiling community knowledge about Surrey.

Surrey’s ability to collect its own data and identify holes in the services offered is a pivotal step in being able to manage the city’s growth in an informed way. This will help identify community needs and strengths, and ensure that future leaders of Surrey know what issues are most important to the communities that make up Surrey.

The report studied 11 distinct performance indicators using the methodology established by Community Foundations of Canada. It began with statistical data from both Statistics Canada and the City of Surrey and studied research such as the National Health Survey and the Canadian Public Library survey. To ensure the report represented the full picture, researchers also obtained ratings and comments from local citizens. This was achieved by gathering responses through an online survey completed by 571 citizens of Surrey.

The research found that the top 10 things to celebrate about Surrey are its parks, festivals and events, locally grown food, natural environment, diverse cultures, growing economy, recreation opportunities, friends and family, good governance, and people.

We’re happy to have had a part in a report so pivotal for the growth of Surrey and we look forward to seeing how the report positively affects future decision making.