Surrey city hall has updated its communications to reflect a changing demographic as nearly 70 per cent of the city's population identify as "visible minorities" and more than 40 per cent speak a language other than English at home.
A report by Joey Brar, Surrey's general manager of corporate services, explains the City of Surrey's policy is translation of city messaging "may occur" into languages that are spoken most often at home by five per cent or more of Surrey residents city wide or in a given town centre.
For example, 18 per cent of Surrey's residents speak Punjabi at home.
"To date, the City has issued 100 media statements and releases in Punjabi," Brar noted.
"Over the past year, the City has made significant strides in expanding multilingual communications to better serve its residents," he said.
"These initiatives have improved access to City services and information, while also helping to build trust and a stronger sense of community belonging."
