Frankly Speaking

Brenda Locke has left Safe Surrey Coalition, citing problems with Mayor Doug McCallum's approach to his job.  The Safe Surrey Coalition is no longer safe for those with dissenting opinions, and it isn’t much of a coalition any more. Coin. Brenda Locke left the coalition on Thursday (June 26), citing numerous actions by Mayor Doug McCallum. She is also seeking legal advice about comments McCallum made about her, when she expressed concern about how the size of the proposed Surrey Police force would affect Sophie’s Place, an agency which helps children who are victims of abuse.   She is the second of the seven councillors who were elected from the slate in October (along with McCallum), to depart. Coun. Steven Pettigrew left several weeks ago. McCallum threatened Pettigrew with expulsion from the council chambers on Monday night (June 24), which may have been a last straw for Locke. Locke’s departure is much more ominous for McCallum. She was the only person elect...

The SkyTrain system in Surrey will finally expand past King George Station, if the new Surrey council has its way. It voted Monday to scrap plans for LRT and put the money committed to it towards a SkyTrain line along Fraser Highway. Surrey has had no rapid transit extensions since 1994, despite a huge influx in its population since that time. Surrey council’s inaugural meeting Monday night was a very different type of meeting. While the usual formality was still part of the meeting, the most important part of the meeting came after the formal swearing in of council members. Council held a “special regular meeting,” where two motions were passed – one to begin the process of changing from the RCMP to a local Surrey police force, and another to scrap LRT in favour of SkyTrain. Both of these motions are a direct result of Mayor Doug McCallum’s successful campaign with the Safe Surrey Coalition. A new police force and a push for SkyTrain instead of LRT were the coalition’s two ...

LRT has been a major issue in the municipal election campaign in Surrey, which culminates when voters go to the polls tomorrow. Guest writer Harpinder Sandhu, an urban geographer, employee of B.C. Assessment Authority and vice-president of local 1767 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, says this is a croissroiads point for Surrey. (Editor's note - This is a guest column. It is very relevant to an issue on the minds of Surrey residents - LRT, and whether it is the best transit system for Surrey. Harpinder Sandhu is an urban geographer, employee of the B.C. Assessment Authority and vice-president of local 1767 of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, says this is a croissroads point for transit in Surrey.) by Harpinder Sandhu In this year’s municipal election, the citizens of Surrey have a choice to elect candidates envisioning a range of different futures for the city. What the citizens do not have is a choice between two different rapid transit lines. Follo...

Photo from the Surrey Archives Voters in Surrey (or those who want to vote) are more than confused as election day approaches. There are 83 candidates in total in Surrey – far more than any individual has time to check out. I’ve been following Surrey politics for more than 50 years, first taking interest in it as a youngster. I’ve seen many mayors, councillors and school trustees come and go, and known many of them personally. I worked as a poll clerk at many elections in the 1970s, and have covered Surrey politics as a reporter, editor, columnist and, more recently, blogger since the 1978 election (when Bob Bose first won election as a councillor). In my opinion, this current election is one of the most crucial ones in decades. Those who choose to vote will decide whether the city will be an open institution, one that takes public input and commentary seriously, or whether it continues the trend towards tight control of information and opinions. The debate over LRT an...

The funds are in place to build the Newton-Guildford LRT line, but a number of candidates for Surrey council are questioning whether the line should be built at all. Even some of those supporting it, such as Coun. Bruce Hayne, are now wavering in whether a second LRT line along Fraser Highway should be built. Many members of the public want SkyTrain to be built in Surrey, instead of LRT. .   Nominations for Surrey council and Surrey Board of Education close Friday. Already, candidates for Surrey council are offering diverging perspectives to voters who are considering the merits of LRT vs. SkyTrain. Outgoing Mayor Linda Hepner hosted the prime minister and premier last week, as they once again announced that the Guildford-Newton LRT project was going ahead. Construction will begin in 2020, and the line will be in operation by 2024 – six years later than Hepner promised in 2014, when she was running for mayor. The costs are also rising significantly, due mainly to land ...