Agenda Item No.: E.5.b.
2004 Annual Report and Audited Financial Statements – Northwest Industrial Business
Revitalization Zone Association
Recommendation:
That the 2004 Annual Report and Audited
Financial Statements of the Northwest
Industrial Business Revitalization Zone
Association be received for information.
Report Summary
The Northwest Industrial Business
Revitalization Zone Association has
submitted its 2004 Annual Report and the
Audited Financial Statements for the year
ended December 31, 2004.
Report
 Under Bylaw 12926, the Northwest
Industrial Business Revitalization Zone
Association is required to annually
submit to Council an activity report and
audited financial statements. Under the
Procedures and Committees Bylaw
12300, the Association reports to
Council through Executive Committee.
 All documents have been reviewed by
the Planning and Development
Department to ensure conformance with
all applicable provincial and municipal
requirements for ongoing maintenance
of Business Revitalization Zones in
Edmonton.
Background Information Attached
1. Northwest Industrial Business
Association Annual Report 2004
2. Northwest Industrial Business
Association Financial Statements for the
Year Ended December 31, 2004 and
Auditor’s Report to the Members
Routing:
Delegation:
Written By:
June 6, 2005
File: 2005CBZN01
Executive Committee
A. Marshall, Executive Director
V. Gunderson, Office of the City Manager
Northwest Industrial Business Association
(Page 1 of 1)
E
5
b
Attachment 1
Northwest Industrial Business Association Annual Report 2004
Annual Report
2004
Al Marshall – Executive Director
June 1, 2005
Attachment 1 - Page 1 of 7
Attachment 1
Northwest Industrial Business Association Annual Report 2004
Background
The NorthWest Industrial Business Revitalization Zone Association was
incorporated as a BRZ in December 2001. We are located in the north-west
corner of Edmonton, an area west of 170 Street and north of 109 Avenue.
Our members are primarily larger industrial businesses, the majority of
whom are involved in manufacturing, distribution and industrial sales. There
is a mix of locally owned, national and international business operations.
Efficient transportation access and egress is a priority issue for the area.
The Association is managed by a board of directors elected from the
membership at the Annual General Meeting held in October each year.
There are currently six directors.
The 2004 Association Board of Directors are:
Chair
Arthur Langner
President and General Manager,
Nortrux
Vice Chair
Mark Caines
Regional Vice President, Western
Canada, Quebecor World Edmonton
Secretary
Kenneth Zender
President, Western Sterling Trucks Ltd.
Treasurer
Jim Riddell
Controller, Edmonton Kenworth Ltd.
Director
Peter Ewaskow
Fleet Supervisor, The Pepsi Bottling
Group
Director
Henry Noppers
Director, Ford Credit, Edmonton
Service Centre
All Board members are affiliated with businesses operating within the
Association area. The Board meets on a bi-monthly schedule and at the call
of the chair.
The day to day administration and management of the Association is
provided by Al Marshall, who is contracted as a part-time Executive Director.
His responsibilities are to provide the Association with a business office
Attachment 1 - Page 2 of 7
Attachment 1
Northwest Industrial Business Association Annual Report 2004
presence and manage the Association’s business affairs, to be the initial
point of contact for the membership/business community and represent the
Association at community, municipal and provincial levels.
2004 Activity
The Association area has seen tremendous industrial construction
development with in excess of one million square feet of building space
developed in 2004 and similar growth projected for 2005. The majority of
the buildings were large industrial warehouses and distribution centres.
Local Real Estate brokers state that they have waiting lists of industrial
tenants looking for property in the area. The Association membership list
increased 17% in 2004 with the majority of these being large industrial
business expansions from other areas of the City.
2004 was the third year of operation for the Association. The Board
pondered the question of “life after the overpass project”. The question
initiated the decision to develop a rolling multi-year business plan to help the
strategic planning process. The Association, being industrial in nature, has
somewhat different member issues and infrastructure requirements than the
other nine BRZ Associations in Edmonton. The business plan, completed
with input from members and approved by the Board, identified a number of
current and future issues and projects that the Association would focus on in
2004. One of these projects was to create a recognizable identity for the
Association. This was accomplished with the valuable assistance of the City
Planning and Development Department.
The single largest impact affecting our area this year was the completion and
opening of the 184 Street and Yellowhead Trail interchange and CN grade
separation project. This project had closed one of our primary truck routes
to Yellowhead Trail for sixteen months. Vehicles were required to use
detours and endure heavy peak hour traffic congestion. The opening has
reconfigured all the traffic patterns in the area.
The NorthWest Industrial Business Association annual general meeting was
held October 12, 2004 at the Simply Delicious Restaurant. The 2005 budget
was presented and approved. The current Board agreed to stand for
nomination and were re-elected for 2005. Two new board members also
Attachment 1 - Page 3 of 7
Attachment 1
Northwest Industrial Business Association Annual Report 2004
were elected bringing the Board up to eight members. Kenneth Zender took
over from Arthur Langner as chair of the Board.
Current Projects
 CN Rail Grade Separation on 184 Street:
The first project undertaken by the Association was to administer the
Association membership’s financial commitment to the City in support of the
CN Rail grade separation project on 184 Street. Through the support of the
area business community, contributions from the Province and CN Rail, the
City was able to move this project forward in the planning cycle to allow it to
be completed in conjunction with the planned Yellowhead Trail/184 Street
interchange. The membership financial support commitment totals
$795,000, paid in equal instalments over 5 years.
 Crime Patrols:
Crime in the industrial areas is a huge problem.
Unlike residential
neighbourhoods, the industrial areas are generally completely vacated by
employees in the evenings and weekends. This is when the majority of the
property crimes are committed.
The Community Police Radio Network (CPRN) are a civilian volunteer
organization of General Radio Service (GRS) operators who assist the
community in the detection and prevention of crime.
They were initiated in 1978 by the Crime Prevention Unit of the Edmonton
Police Service (EPS).
Under the direction of divisional police officers,
members of CPRN undertake special directed patrols designed to provide
additional information to investigators regarding criminal activity. Their
observe and report role, utilizing their radio equipment, may provide
immediate police response when a crime in progress is detected.
These patrols have traditionally focused on crime in residential
neighborhoods, but thanks to the work of Cst. M. Letourneau at the West
Police Station, a few patrols started working the industrial area.
To
Attachment 1 - Page 4 of 7
Attachment 1
Northwest Industrial Business Association Annual Report 2004
encourage more patrolling in our industrial area the Association developed a
pilot project of providing the patrollers with a gas coupon each time they
patrolled in our area. This project has been very successful in increasing the
number of CPRN members participating in each industrial patrol.
Edmonton Police Service statistics have shown a marked decrease in
criminal activity in our area on the nights that the CPRN patrols were in the
area.
 Crime Signs:
In discussion with the Edmonton Police Service (EPS) it was felt that a static
crime prevention tool would also help deter crime in our area. A project was
developed for the industrial area along the theme of the residential “Crime
Watch” signage.
This project was funded jointly by the Association and EPS. Sixty two of the
24” X 30” signs were produced with twelve signs placed on poles at the
Attachment 1 - Page 5 of 7
Attachment 1
Northwest Industrial Business Association Annual Report 2004
entrances to the industrial area and fifty signs made available to Association
members for posting on their properties.
 Parkland Project:
The Association recognized that the hundreds of our member’s employees do
not have access to any parks or green spaces to take a break from work.
Discussions were initiated with Edmonton Community Services with a view
to identifying, allocating and developing some parkland space within our
Association area. In late 2003 a provincially owned lowland area with a 30
metre wide shoreline (developer owned) was identified as a parkland area.
It is designated as municipal/environmental reserve.
A second area,
contiguous to the first, is awaiting development approval and will also be
designated environmental reserve. This area is currently undeveloped and
not accessible.
This area is currently under negotiation with the City by a developer who
assures the Association that if he is successful in obtaining a development
permit, he will respect our desire to develop parkland space for our
employees.
 Roadway Projects:
The portion of 111 Avenue between 170 Street and 178 Street was
completed and opened in 2004. Traffic travelling west on 111 Avenue from
downtown can now connect directly with Anthony Henday Drive. This route
is becoming heavily used by local truck traffic and will eventually precipitate
a request to Alberta Transportation for an interchange at 111 Avenue and
Anthony Henday Drive.
The Association has been lobbying the City to upgrade 118 Avenue between
170 Street and 184 Street. The road bed requires rehabilitation and the
entire length meets the criteria to be upgraded to four lanes with curb,
gutters and sewers throughout.
Attachment 1 - Page 6 of 7
Attachment 1
Northwest Industrial Business Association Annual Report 2004
 Safety
The Association has been keeping a close watch on traffic patterns in the
area and has requested numerous traffic signal and crosswalk requirement
studies be undertaken by the City. The safety of pedestrians crossing our
busy roads is a priority.
We have also requested the City to modify / repair a dangerous curve in the
road at the west end of 118 Avenue.
 Public Transportation
Along with land and building development, the employee population in our
area is growing very quickly.
We are moving from the employee
requirement that “you will require your own transportation to work here” to
“there is some peak hour public transportation available in the area”. The
Association is monitoring the demand for public transportation to the newly
developed areas and keeping an open communication with Edmonton
Transit.
Summary
This was a “booming” year for the Association. The Northwest corner of the
city is recognized as the distribution centre of Edmonton and there continues
to be a high demand for developed space and City services to the area.
The Association will continue to spend its time looking into issues and
potential projects, welcoming new members, responding to members’
inquiries and managing our current projects.
We endeavour to continue to stay in touch with our 130 members through
newsletters and personal contact where possible. The nature of the large
industrial businesses makes it difficult to ensure our information is always
getting to the decision makers in each business.
AM
Attachment 1 - Page 7 of 7