Council approves final concept plan for phase one of Surrey’s new 3km riverfront park

Surrey, B.C. – Council has approved the final concept plan for the first phase of a new 80-acre park along the Nicomekl River that balances the environment, recreation and culture.  

“We are pleased to approve the concept plan for Surrey’s new riverfront park,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “With input from First Nations, the concept plan is designed to protect the environment, support wildlife habitat and add new natural spaces for the public to enjoy. We are grateful to everyone that provided input through our public engagement and look forward to beginning phase one construction of the park.” 

The concept plan was developed based on site inventory, analysis, technical studies, and through exploration of three different site strategies. In summer 2023, the draft concept plan was shared publicly through an online survey, open house, and numerous meetings with rightsholders and stakeholders. Feedback was collected from the general public, First Nations, Surrey Urban Indigenous Leadership Committee (“SUILC”), Urban Indigenous Peoples, project stakeholders, City staff, and project participant National Research Council of Canada. The draft plan was revised based on this feedback. 

Surrey and the park are situated on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, including Katzie, Kwantlen and Semiahmoo First Nations. The park is also located on the traditional territory of the Snokomish Peoples who were decimated by Smallpox. The project team is using snəkʷəməɬəɬ as a temporary name for the park as a way of reconciliation and to educate and bring awareness to the local First Nations, their languages and culture. First Nations expressed the importance of naming park features using traditional names in Indigenous languages. snəkʷəməɬəɬ was the Snokomish Peoples’ name for the Nicomekl River and surrounding area and holds significance for the Semiahmoo First Nation. Formal name selection will occur later through appropriate First Nation protocol and City processes. 

The project is being developed in three phases over multiple years and when complete, it will extend from Elgin Road to 40 Avenue in South Surrey. Construction of phase one is expected to commence in Summer 2024.   

The project is one of 13 Surrey project components to be partially funded through the Government of Canada’s Disaster Mitigation and Adaptation Fund (DMAF). The project was also approved in the City’s 2023 Five-Year (2023-2027) Capital Financial Plan. 

Learn more at https://engage.surrey.ca/nicomekl-riverfront-park.