Frankly Speaking

One of the SkyTrains heads for King George Station, the final one on the Expo Line. It opened in 1994 and represents the final extension of rapid transit into Surrey. Stock photo by Alamy. The University of B.C. wants an extension of the SkyTrain Millennium line to come all the way to its Point Grey campus, and is prepared to help pay for it. The cost to extend the line from the current proposed end point of Arbutus Street in Vancouver could top $3 billion. While UBC’s concern for students is understandable, it is this type of thinking that has punished Surrey and other South Fraser residents for decades. Residents of the South Fraser area have endured substandard transit service, along with congested roads and bridges, with no significant transit improvements for more than two decades. Meanwhile, the population of the South Fraser region continues to grow at a rate far higher than the Burrard Peninsula. Residents need to let TransLink and local mayors know, in no uncertain te...

The lack of parking in East Clayton is due to the City of Surrey allowing coach houses to be built on small lots, on the same lots as adjacent homes which have plenty of room for a suite to be added. The city compounded its initial mistake in approving this type of development by sitting on its hands in regards to urban infrastructure. Clayton has no library, no recreation centre, very poor transit (with the exception of the 502 route on Fraser Highway), not enough schools and many other deficiencies which urbanized areas should not have to wait two or more decades for. Whether it was due to detailed reporting, a meeting with representatives of the housing industry, or simply a change of heart, Surrey Mayor Linda Hepner has done the right thing in putting plans to evict tenants of 175 suites on hold. Hepner said Oct. 16 that the city would be looking at additional options , and holding off enforcement of a letter sent to property owners in August, giving them six months to g...