Riverview Reminisces - 50 highlights from 50th year

2023 marked the Town of Riverview’s 50th anniversary. It was a year of celebration, with augmented community events, as well as progress on many important projects across the town. We’ve compiled some of the top takeaways from the year to commemorate a milestone birthday – and take a moment to reflect on what we’ve accomplished as we dive into an exciting new year. 

1. Rung in the new year with a 50th anniversary Levee at Town Hall, featuring past mayors Cudmore, Sweetland, Fitch, and Seamans. 
2. Reduced tax rate by seven cents to 1.4826 per $100 of assessed property value.  
3. Enhanced seven playgrounds, including McAllister Park, Goldsboro Park, Coverdale Recreation Centre, Wentworth Park, Park on Patirica Drive, Edison Park, and Manchester Park.   
4. Updated winter parking ban to allow more flexible parking rules for residents for the 2023-2024 season.
5. Launched Riverview Alerts – a new Emergency Management system to proactively prepare Riverview’s response plans.
6. Celebrated funding announced for Riverview Recreation Complex, allowing the project to move forward in anticipation of opening the doors in 2026.
7. Awed spectators at Winter Carnival Ignite with augmented 50th anniversary fireworks.
8. Completed Housing Needs Assessment and Affordable Housing Strategy to inform the future of housing in Riverview.
9. Filled 56 positions in 2023 to maintain high service standards across all departments. 
10. Showcased our community’s rich history and growth across social media with Riverview Rewinds.
11. Awarded 50th anniversary community grants to enhance local events, projects, and celebrations.
12. Published 50 business spotlights showcasing the diversity of Riverview businesses and their many community contributions.
13. Recognizing Riverview Gala brought resident recognition for youth, volunteers, sports, and business into one fantastic night of celebration.
14. Invested over $400,000 into the expansion of Mill Creek Nature Park, to continue development of the trail south of the reservoir, implement a storm water attenuation project, and acquire targeted land to expand the park in the future. 
15. Improved many town streets in 2023. The annual paving schedule brought asphalt seal and resurfacing projects on Montgomery Ave (phase 2 – Coverdale to Fairfax), Bradford East Road (Cleveland to Montgomery), and Fairfax Road (Cleveland to Montgomery). Asphalt mill and overlay improved Lakeside Drive and Pinder Road. Street reconstruction projects included Windsor, Elmore, Darwin, Birkdale, and Inwood.  
16. Completed two watermain replacement projects for Yale Avenue, Biggs Drive, and Hillsborough Rd (Old Coach to Harmony). The Runneymeade water tank received new interior recoating in 2023 to prevent rusting and prolong the life of the tank. The boosted zone was also expanded in the Carriage Hill subdivision to increase water pressure in the area.       
17. Held first in-person Riverview Business Forum with a sold-out crowd of local business owners, developers, and professionals invested in Riverview’s future. 
18. Completed and delivered the Riverview Commercial Market Threshold Report identifying industry opportunities for the town.  
19. Welcomed Stephen M. Gouzoules who was elected as new Councillor At-Large.
20. Rocked the Byron Dobson arena for the official 50th Anniversary party on July 5, 2023 with musical guests - Signal Hill! 
21. Engaged residents to name our snow clearing fleet in November - resulting in thousands of votes and seven plows named for the season. 
22. Donated over 420 lbs of food to the Albert County Food Bank from the Coverdale Community Garden.
23. Installed new greenhouse at the Coverdale Community Garden to increase the capacity to grow fresh food throughout the year.
24. Commemorated 50th Anniversary with a custom painting by Mi’kmaq artist, Pauline Young.
25. Launched Riverview's seed library to support community food security.
26. Engaged residents in the 2023 Community Mandala project where people of all ages created a legacy art piece.
27. Residents collected 50th pins and branded items to show off their Town pride.
28. Hosted first zero-waste BBQ to celebrate the end of Clean Up Month.
29. Over 1000 people participated in Clean Up Month this year, helping Riverview shine. 
30. Purchased new line painting equipment so the Town can do this yearly activity in-house. 
31. Added 4500 sparkly lights to Light Up Riverview experience in honour of the Town’s golden anniversary.
32. Established the "Embracing Responsibility Scholarship in Recognition of Barb Hurlbut's Contributions to Aquatics" for Riverview Lifeguards.
33. Received the Age-Friendly Community Designation from the province of New Brunswick, with the official ceremony to be held in early 2024. 
34. Celebrated 14 business grand openings.
35. Hired 24 summer students to put on a summer program like never before.
36. Offered 4 free sunscreen dispensers to the public across Town and at special events to keep residents sun safe.
37. 33 million achieved in Riverview building permits in 2023, the result of another strong construction year.
38. Named the ‘new’ bridge – officially the Honorable Brenda Robertson Bridge as of October 2023.
39. Planted 21 Northern Oak trees in honour of our Recognizing Riverview award winners thanks to our friends at the Fundy Biosphere. 
40. Hosted first-ever community cold plunge event during Winter Carnival in support of PRO Kids. 
41. Riverview got moving in June and ranked #45 in Canada for the ParticipACTION Community Challenge. 
42. Over 35 Parks for All and Accessibility rides were enjoyed at Mill Creek Nature Park.  
43. Riverview's lifeguards and swim instructors collectively dedicated almost 1,000 hours in training to enhance their expertise in swim instruction, first aid, aquatic rescues, and fitness skills. 
44. Riverview Fire and Rescue firefighters underwent 3,183.5 hours of training in 2023 to further protect citizens and respond to emergencies in our community.
45. 51 groups enjoyed the picturesque views of the riverfront trail from inside a horse drawn carriage. 
46. Mill Creek Trail Blazer volunteers (ages 60+) blazed approximately 1 km of single-track trail on the north side of the park. 
47. Performed 99 fire inspections of local businesses, apartments, schools, and facilities. 
48. Welcomed many newcomers into the community - Immigrants and non-permanent residents account for 7% of Riverview’s population. 
49. Completed file storage and retention automation project to create efficiency in records management and allow employees to access documents where and when they need them. 
50. Riverview was named a NB Power Energy Champion for upgrades to the Riverview Fire and Rescue facility, including reinsulating the attic and installing energy efficient LED lighting throughout the building. 

While 2024 may not be a milestone anniversary, it’s sure to bring some big changes to Riverview; not the least of which will be breaking ground on the highly anticipated Riverview Recreation Complex! More streets are also set for improvements, including asphalt seal and resurfacing projects on Yale, Wilson, and Hillsborough Rd (Old Coach to Harmony). Curb and sidewalk reconstruction will improve Point Park to Emery, with street reconstruction projects including Mitton, Suffolk, Westview Terrace, Sherwood and Manning in 2024. The Town will also invest in upgrading LED lighting along Gunningsville Boulevard, among many other illuminating projects to continue to make Riverview a great place to live, work, and play.