Surrey’s Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy Honoured with Two National Awards

October 1, 2020, Surrey, BC

Surrey's Coastal Flood Adaptation Strategy received national recognition from the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA) and the Canadian Institute of Planners (CIP) for excellence in environmental planning. The City is taking action on this award-winning strategy with 13 projects funded in part by the Government of Canada, including the Nicomekl Riverfront Park.

“Our CFAS plan is making historic investments to protect and improve the environment and natural infrastructure our residents depend on,” said Mayor Doug McCallum. “These awards demonstrate our unwavering commitment to building Surrey’s resilience to coastal flooding and sea level rise, further protecting our communities, economy and environment.”

The City was presented the 2020 CAMA Environment Award, in the 100,000+ population category, during the Virtual Awards of Excellence Ceremony held on October 1, 2020. CAMA’s Environment Award recognizes the commitment of environmentally sustainable governance in combating climate change. Surrey’s CFAS was honoured for making a positive impact on the environment by presenting innovative nature-based solutions to flood control and prioritizing the environment as a key value in the decision-making process in developing the strategy.

This award follows recognition from the Canadian Institute of Planners’ awards on July 8, 2020, with CFAS receiving the Award of Merit for Planning Excellence for Climate Change Planning. Honouring planning projects on their excellence, innovation, impact on the profession and implementation potential, CFAS was praised for developing actions with a comprehensive, community-driven approach. The jury highlighted Surrey’s method in engaging citizens and stakeholders using a range of innovative planning techniques to help increase understanding of technically complex challenges.

The City is taking action on this award-winning strategy with 13 projects funded in part by the Government of Canada. Learn more at surrey.ca/coastaltakingaction.