SURREY, B.C. - BC NDP Leader David Eby congratulated Doug McCallum on his election as Mayor of Surrey on Sunday, and laid out a list of projects he says he is ready to work with the mayor-elect on, from SkyTrain to Newton to a second hospital for the city.
“Congratulations to Doug McCallum on his election as Mayor of Surrey, and to the councillors and school trustees elected last night. Thank you to Brenda Locke for four years of service to the city, and to every candidate who put their name forward,” Eby said in the October 18 statement.
McCallum, 82, won the October 17 municipal election with 42,741 votes (31.94 per cent), defeating incumbent Brenda Locke, who finished with 30,886 votes (23.08 per cent). His Safe Surrey Coalition also swept all eight council seats, giving him a strong mandate heading into the provincial election on October 24.
Eby said he had a good conversation with the mayor-elect on Sunday morning. “We’ve worked together before to get SkyTrain to Langley underway, and I’m ready to work with him again on the things Surrey needs,” he said.
Transit is at the top of that list. McCallum campaigned on extending the Expo Line along King George Boulevard from Surrey City Centre to Newton, a fast-growing town centre where many South Asian families live and work. Eby said he welcomes that conversation.
“On SkyTrain to Newton, I welcome that conversation. Newton is growing fast, and the people who live and work there deserve fast, reliable transit. I’m glad to sit down with the mayor-elect McCallum, Prime Minister Carney, TransLink and the Mayors’ Council to talk about what it would take,” Eby said.
Healthcare is the other major file. Eby said the province is building the new hospital in Cloverdale now, and has committed to working with the City on another new health care facility in Surrey, with a municipal offer of land.
“Surrey families deserve care close to home. We’re building the new hospital in Cloverdale now, and we’ve committed to working with the City on another new health care facility in Surrey, with a municipal offer of land. I look forward to working with the mayor-elect to move it forward,” he said.
McCallum had promised during the campaign to advocate for the provincial government to build a new hospital on City-owned land in Newton. The details of the provincial offer, including the location, have not yet been announced.
Housing costs also featured in the statement. Eby said a re-elected BC NDP government would bring in a 30-day Small Builder Permit Guarantee, work with the federal government to lower development cost charges, and implement standardized, province-wide technical code and permit application requirements for small residential builds.
The goal, he said, is to bring down costs for homebuilders so more homes get built for Surrey families, sooner.
“Surrey voters asked for results. That’s what we’ll work on together,” Eby said.
The outreach comes six days before the October 24 provincial election, in which Surrey’s 10 ridings will be among the most closely watched in the province. McCallum’s decisive win, and the Safe Surrey Coalition’s council sweep, signals a shift in the city’s political mood that both the NDP and Conservatives are watching closely.
Source: BC NDP
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