SURREY, B.C. — With general local elections set for Saturday, October 17, 2026, Surrey city council candidates gathered at a public forum in Cloverdale to outline their competing platforms for managing British Columbia’s fastest-growing city. Organized with a two-candidate-per-slate format to allow for focused debate, the event brought together representatives from Surrey First, SurreyNow, Imagine Surrey, Surrey Connect, the Conservative Party of Surrey, the Safe Surrey Coalition, New Surrey+, and independent contenders.
Housing affordability and municipal permitting delays dominated the early debate. Candidates across the political spectrum agreed that City Hall’s bureaucracy is slowing construction, but proposed vastly different remedies. Calvin vanDopwick of the Conservative Party of Surrey raised eyebrows by proposing a one-week building permit turnaround, arguing City Hall should shift inspection liability directly to certified engineers and architects. Meanwhile, Imagine Surrey’s Kevin Wilkie pitched a 180-day permit guarantee coupled with standardized building designs. SurreyNow’s Jesse Dhaliwal emphasized that high carrying costs during approval delays are passed directly onto homebuyers, advocating for city-backed Rent-to-Own programs to help young families build equity.
Public safety and youth gang prevention generated strong consensus regarding school-based intervention. Almost all slates—including SurreyNow, Surrey First, the Safe Surrey Coalition, and the Conservatives—pledged to re-establish dedicated School Liaison Officers (SLOs) in every public school. Candidates also emphasized the need to subsidize youth sports and extracurricular activities to eliminate financial barriers that leave youth vulnerable to gang recruitment.
On the topic of transportation, debate flared over how to handle mounting congestion on key arteries like Highway 10 and 176th Street. While the Safe Surrey Coalition touted its track record in securing funding for the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension, opponents like SurreyNow’s Jesse Dhaliwal warned against relying on multi-billion-dollar rail projects that take decades to complete. Imagine Surrey advocated for immediate investments in Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) routes, while several candidates expressed support for studying passenger commuter rail along existing Fraser Valley heritage tracks.
The sharpest divide emerged over the toxic drug and housing crisis. Conservative, Independent, and SurreyNow candidates voiced strong opposition to safe injection sites and harm reduction models, calling instead for provincial investment in mandatory treatment facilities, recovery beds, and long-term care. Conversely, candidates from Surrey Connect and Imagine Surrey stressed the need for wraparound supportive housing and stronger intergovernmental partnerships to secure delayed provincial funding.
With advance voting starting October 7, 2026, Surrey electors will decide which vision will guide the city’s next four years.
Leave a Reply