Harrison Hot Springs officials recently released and reviewed the 2023 annual report. The report offers a historical retrospective that reviews the accomplishments of the various departments of the village.
Finances
Chief financial officer Scott Schultz said the village faces opportunity and challenge as it has grown significantly in recent years. From the 2016 census to the 2021 census, the village has grown by about 30 per cent, which places additional demand on the village's infrastructure. This demand would only increase during the high tourism season.
Most of the larger projects are funded through grants or through Resort Municipality Initiative funding as the tax base in Harrison is not sufficient to fund major projects.
While the village has limited land for development, there continues to be strong interest in both residential and commercial undertakings.
"I believe that this very positive report speaks to the ongoing efficient and dedicated work of village staff while also recognizing the good governance of council's ongoing commitment to prudent financial management," Schultz wrote.
Emergency operations
This past year, the village's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) moved into the second floor of the newly renovated fire hall. The EOC now has new equipment to serve as a communications hub in the event of emergencies.
Statistics
According to the most recent report from Statistics Canada, the village has 1,905 full-time residents in 1,045 dwellings. 620 residents are age 65 or over. Tourism Harrison River Valley estimates there are 550,000 visitors to the village every year.
The unemployment rate in Harrison Hot Springs is slightly higher than the Fraser Valley average at 8.3 per cent. Approximately 136 business licenses were issued in the village this past year, 114 of which are run by residents of the village. The village government itself employed 16 full-time and three seasonal employees.
Development
Building permits trended mostly downward since 2019, hitting a low in 2023 with 17 permits issued; the year before, the village issued 28. The permits issued in 2023 valued at about $5.6 million compared to the 28 issued in 2022 at $12.9 million. The year 2019 had the most permits issued in the past five years at 39, yet the following year's permits, 35 in 2020, brought the most value to the village at $23.8 million.
Bylaw enforcement
Bylaw tickets reached a five-year low in 2023 with only 138 tickets issued. 2022 was the five-year high at 250 tickets.
In 2023, as with the past five years, a majority of the tickets were related to highway and traffic violations at 131. The other tickets came from noise abatement (1), property/premises (2) and zoning (4) violations.
Resort Municipality Initiative
RMI funding comes from the Ministry of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport and provides crucial assistance in a variety of tourism-related and infrastructure projects around the village. RMI funding makes a variety of events possible, including the upcoming Sasquatch Days, Harrison Festival of the Arts and Lights by the Lake.
RMI funding is currently going toward a boat launch upgrade, a new accessible playground, shade structures at the beach and an enhanced walkway along the Harrison Lake lagoon.
