Mayor Brenda Locke’s First State of the City Address

Surrey, BC – In her first State of the City address, Mayor Brenda Locke outlined her vision to prepare Surrey to become a city of one million people. Surrey’s large land mass, which is the equivalent of Vancouver, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam combined, gives it the advantage to accommodate growth in a number of sectors.

“Surrey will soon be the largest city in the province and is projected to reach one million people as early as 2042,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “Whether it be in the residential housing, entertainment, commercial or industrial sector, Surrey has the space to grow.  As prominent new companies set up shop in Surrey and more post-secondary education options expand, my Council colleagues and I are laying the foundation to prepare our city for the opportunities of tomorrow by investing in the future today.”

The City of Surrey has launched a number of initiatives that will continue to raise the city’s profile as the premier place to live, work or play in B.C.:

• A feasibility study on the development of a 12,000-seat stadium or arena in Surrey.
• The creation of two entertainment districts for City Centre and Cloverdale.
• $18 million in funding secured to create 370 new childcare spaces at 11 locations in Surrey by 2025.
• The relaunch of Innovation Boulevard to attract more cleantech, agritech and advanced manufacturing in Surrey.
• With 22% of the industrial land available in the region, Council is working to open an additional 340 acres in Campbell Heights.
• $105 million dollars approved for road infrastructure projects that include the widening of major and overburdened arterial routes such as 72^nd Ave, 80^th Ave and 132^nd St. as well as the replacement of the Nicomekl Bridge.
• Continued streamlining of the permitting process, which includes the introduction of the Development Inquiry Assistant. The virtual assistant uses advanced artificial intelligence technology that will allow the user quick and accurate responses to their query. 

Council’s initiatives are complemented by the continued robust investment in Surrey by the private sector and senior levels of government. Over 5,200 building permits were issued last year with another 64,405 housing units in the approval pipeline. Prominent local and multinational companies, such as Nanak Foods, CTK Bio Canada and Delta Controls have opened or expanded operations in Surrey, bringing a wealth of new jobs to Surrey.  Along with KPU and SFU, UBC will now be the third major university to offer programming in Surrey. The new Surrey-Langley SkyTrain and a new hospital with a cancer centre have been approved and are waiting for construction to begin.