RIDING PROFILE: Surrey North

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — In Surrey’s northwest corner there are the more densely populated Whalley and Green Timbers ridings that favoured the BC NDP in the last two provincial elections, with the Liberals trailing.

Just to the east are multi-generational and family-centric Guildford and Fleetwood ridings, where Liberal candidates held seats in close races in the last provincial election.

Surrey-Whalley
Population of 58,668

Candidates
BC Liberals: Sargy Chima, described on her website as an entrepreneur and a “long-time public servant and active community volunteer”
BC NDP: Bruce Ralston, critic for Natural Gas Development, Trade, Immigration, and Multiculturalism
BC Green Party: Rita Fromholt, described on her website as having “a background in strategic planning, project management and communications in the non-profit, education and private sectors.”
Communist Party of BC: Party Leader George Gidora

This is historically a NDP-leaning riding and incumbent Bruce Ralston’s fourth election.

The riding is a thriving urban centre, and home to ‘The Strip,’ a stretch of 135A Street notoriously known for its homeless and drug dependent community. The community is also watching developments with the future of the Pattullo Bridge, and two new proposed supervised injection sites

Surrey-Guildford
Population of 58,037

Candidates
BC Liberals: Amrik Virk, Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services
BC NDP: Garry Begg, recently retired RCMP inspector
BC Green Party: Jodi Murphy, described on her website as working at a locally-owned company, “that provides specialized technical services to the pulp and paper industry”
Christian Heritage Party: BC Chapter President Kevin Pielak

This is a riding to watch. The new riding was created for this election from part of the former Surrey-Tynehead riding. While Tynehead supported the Liberals in the last two elections, the boundary change could bring more NDP support, giving Liberal Amrik Virk a challenge as he runs for re-election.

This riding is culturally diverse with nearly half the population listing English as a second language. The riding is also family driven with the average age of residents just under the age of 40.

Surrey-Green Timbers
Population of 58,816

Candidates
BC Liberals: Brenda Locke, served as MLA from 2001-2005 as minister of state for mental health and addiction services
BC NDP: Rachna Singh, an anti-racism activist, drug and alcohol counsellor and domestic violence support worker
BC Green Party: Saira Aujla, a realtor and community spokesperson with a Canada-Wide East Indian television show

Long-time NDP MLA Sue Hammell, who has won almost every provincial election since the riding was created in 1991, is retiring from provincial politics.

Green Timbers is home to the crowded Surrey Memorial Hospital, working-class families. The community is awaiting a $15 million transitional housing and shelter project from the province for people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. More than half of the people in this riding list English as a second language while close to half the population speaks Punjabi.

Surrey-Fleetwood
Population of 60,477

Candidates
BC Liberals: Peter Fassbender, a former education minister and more recently the minister responsible for TransLink.
BC NDP: Jagrup Brarformer, a former MLA and former executive director of Surrey’s Self Employment and Entrepreneur Development Society
BC Green Party: Tim Binnema, previously ran in 2013. His website describes him has a businessman and engineering manager.

This is a riding to watch. Liberal candidate Peter Fassbender is defending his seat against NDP candidate Jagrup Brar, who lost in the 2013 election by about 200 votes. The 2017 ballot is a replica of candidates who ran in 2013’s election. There is one major difference — the riding’s borders have been adjusted which could bring in more NDP support.

Fleetwood is considered a suburban, family centric and multi-generational riding with a need for more support services.

The issues

Surrey Crime Prevention Society Executive Director Karen Reid Sidhu says the number one issue is the mental health crisis which is directly related to the opioid crisis. “I would say that number two is housing issues, specifically for individuals who are homeless, but again if we deal with the mental health crisis that will support that whole homelessness problem.”

She notes there needs to be more resources for those who are below the poverty line. Sidhu adds the Surrey Food Bank is struggling to keep up with the number of clients and Surrey Memorial Hospital is “bursting at the seams.”

Elizabeth Model is the CEO of the Downtown Surrey Business Improvement Association, which represents close to 1,500 local businesses and property owners, says they’re looking for someone to champion the homelessness issues.

“We’re looking at things from homelessness and housing, affordability, for those people who are at lower level of income. The homelessness issues that go into retail theft and crime. Obviously there is feedback form our members who are looking at such a small segment of the population requiring such huge funds being funneled into them and looking at their give-back in life too. What do they actually do for us as a bigger picture from a Canadian standpoint, which is a really interesting take that people are starting to look at.”

Dave Diewert, with the Alliance Against Displacement, says the homelessness issues in not gaining enough attention. “What is needed is not market solutions but non-market housing, housing that people on fixed income and low income folks can afford. The situation in Surrey is dreadful. Using police to patrol and do outreach to homeless people is just horrible. It makes their lives worse. Instead of putting money into police, we need to put money into housing.”

Anita Huberman, CEO of the Surrey Board of Trade, identifies the number on election issue in the area as Transportation. “It’s the way to get people to move around efficiently and effectively, and also in a cost effective way. We’re trying to take a look at education, making sure that Surrey students have the ability to be educated in university or in colleges south of the Fraser and then they can get those good quality jobs.”

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