Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum delivered annual 2022 State of the City Address on June 1 at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, where he highlighted City’s achievements over the past few years despite natural or man-made challenges, that stood before the Council.
He said despite the challenges from the COVID pandemic, Council never strayed from the goals we set at the start of City’s mandate. “The vision of what Council wanted to achieve in four years was ambitious and demanding. It required massive change, not for the sake of change, but for what is best for Surrey.”
According to himthere has been no shortage of critics, doubters, and naysayers. “I have always said you need a thick skin to do this job, and to the Council members who have stood fast, I thank you. The promises we made to the people of Surrey, we have kept and we have delivered.”
He highlighted that from holding residential property taxes to 2.9 percent, to investing in 21 capital projects through the $428 million Surrey Invests program, to purchasing 225 acres of new parkland, this Council has delivered on its promises.
“The City’s progress and rise in prominence has not gone unnoticed. Senior levels of government are investing in the City, from funding new housing to rapid transit expansion, from replacing an aging bridge to a new hospital, Surrey is on the radar,” he said.
Whether it is for work, affordability or lifestyle reasons, more and more people are choosing to make Surrey their home. To accommodate this growth, Council has made available a wide spectrum of options throughout Surrey. “Housing starts in Surrey totaled over 5,800 last year, which is 6% more than Vancouver,” he said.
The Surrey Langley SkyTrain line, he said, will be the first rapid transit this city has seen in 28 years.
He also highlighted that the Guaranteed Permitting Timelines program has surpassed its target of 10 weeks, reducing the average processing time for a single-family permit from nearly 15 weeks in 2021 to 8.9. “Not knowing when a building permit will be issued has been a point of frustration for builders. Surrey’s Guaranteed Permitting Timelines program brings a level of certainty.”
Despite two challenging years of pandemic, he said, there’s been a “surge in businesses setting up shop in Surrey” with 1,500 opening, bringing the total to 21,000 businesses operating in Surrey, all told.
Along with traditional industries, Surrey is now attracting advanced enterprises such as clean tech company Delta Controls, electric vehicle maker Damon Motorcycles, plant-based meat alternative companies such as Nanak Punjab Foods and Boosh Foods. Established businesses have also relocated here. In April, Walmart officially opened its 300,000 square foot, $175 million facility in Campbell Heights. This new state-of-the-art grocery distribution centre is the provincial hub that will supply all 45 Walmart stores located in BC.
Mayor McCallum also provided an update on the City’s municipal police service transition. “The transition from RCMP to a city police started three and half years ago, and in this short time the Surrey Police Service has evolved from a motion in Council to Surrey Police Service officers patrolling the streets. To date, 85 uniformed SPS officers have been deployed to work alongside RCMP. That number will increase to 295 SPS officers in the next 12 months,” said McCallum.
The mayor highlighted City’s investment in future projects. But he that he was especially proud that the City was able to achieve all the progress without raising property taxes. “For four straight years, Council has kept the residential property tax rate at 2.9%, which puts Surrey in the bottom third in all of Metro Vancouver. Only Port Coquitlam, the Langleys and Pitt Meadows are lower.”
The Mayor at the end said his favourite thing about Surrey is, “The people”. He made special mention of Surrey’s Sikh Temple community that came together during BC floods and to send 3,000 plus homemade meals to people who were stranded in Hope.
Mayor reiterated his faith in people of Surrey later when he was asked by the reporters about some protesters asking him to resign. “I have certainly understood that but I think a lot of it’s political,” he said of calls for his resignation. “We’re in an election time right now and I will not step down.”
McCallum said he has seen “tremendous public support” in the past few weeks — the kind of support he has never seen in his 15 years of being mayor.
“People have differences of opinion. I respect that and we need to listen to those people. Our only request is not for them to be shouting and swearing in council chambers.”
