Surrey, British Columbia - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Surrey is a city in the province

Provinces and territories of Canada

The provinces and territories of Canada combine to make up the world's second-largest country by area. There are ten provinces and three territories...

of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District

Greater Vancouver Regional District

Metro Vancouver is the brand name of the board of the inter-municipal administrative body known as the Greater Vancouver Regional District , a regional district in British Columbia, Canada...

. It is the province's second-largest city by population after the city of Vancouver

Vancouver

Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...

.

The six "town centres" the City of Surrey comprises are: Fleetwood

Fleetwood Town Centre

Fleetwood Town Centre or Fleetwood is a town centre of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. According to the 2006 census, the population of Fleetwood was 50,284.-History:...

, Whalley/City Centre, Guildford

Guildford Town Centre

Guildford Town Centre is a town centre of Surrey, British Columbia. It is a neighborhood of Surrey and is known for its retail corridors down 104 Avenue and 152 Street, at the intersection of which is found the 200-store Guildford Town Centre Mall . The community is named after Guildford...

, Newton

Newton Town Centre

-See also:*Surrey-Newton provincial electoral district*Surrey-Panorama Ridge provincial electoral district*Newton-North Delta federal electoral district-External links:*...

, Cloverdale

Cloverdale, British Columbia

Cloverdale is an historic town and designated town centre of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, located near Langley, which is east of Vancouver. The town was founded initially as a small farm community in 1870 for its fertile land and temperate climate, and has since become enveloped by suburban...

, and South Surrey

South Surrey

South Surrey is a neighborhood of Surrey, British Columbia. It borders on the city of White Rock, and at 10,535 people, South Surrey has the largest concentration of persons over the age of 60 of all Surrey's town centres...

History

Surrey became incorporated in 1879, and encompasses land formerly occupied by a number of Halqemeylem-speaking aboriginal groups. When Englishman H.J. Brewer looked across the Fraser River

Fraser River

The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...

from New Westminster and saw a land reminiscent of his native County of Surrey

Surrey

Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...

in England

England

England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...

, the settlement of Surrey was placed on the map. The area then comprised forests of douglas-fir

Douglas-fir

Douglas-fir is one of the English common names for evergreen coniferous trees of the genus Pseudotsuga in the family Pinaceae. Other common names include Douglas tree, and Oregon pine. There are five species, two in western North America, one in Mexico, and two in eastern Asia...

, fir

Fir

Firs are a genus of 48–55 species of evergreen conifers in the family Pinaceae. They are found through much of North and Central America, Europe, Asia, and North Africa, occurring in mountains over most of the range...

, red cedar

Thuja plicata

Thuja plicata, commonly called Western or pacific red cedar, giant or western arborvitae, giant cedar, or shinglewood, is a species of Thuja, an evergreen coniferous tree in the cypress family Cupressaceae native to western North America...

, hemlock

Tsuga

Tsuga is a genus of conifers in the family Pinaceae. The common name hemlock is derived from a perceived similarity in the smell of its crushed foliage to that of the unrelated plant poison hemlock....

, blackberry

Blackberry

The blackberry is an edible fruit produced by any of several species in the Rubus genus of the Rosaceae family. The fruit is not a true berry; botanically it is termed an aggregate fruit, composed of small drupelets. The plants typically have biennial canes and perennial roots. Blackberries and...

bushes, and cranberry

Cranberry

Cranberries are a group of evergreen dwarf shrubs or trailing vines in the subgenus Oxycoccus of the genus Vaccinium. In some methods of classification, Oxycoccus is regarded as a genus in its own right...

bogs. A portion of present-day Whalley (named after Harry Whalley, who owned and operated a gas bar at the bend in King George Blvd, (formerly King George Highway) at 108 Avenue, "Whalley's Corner") was used as a burial ground by the Kwantlen

Kwantlen First Nation

The Kwantlen First Nation is the band government of the Kwantlen subgroup of the Stó:lō people in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, Canada, located primarily at Fort Langley. They traditionally speak the Downriver dialect of Halkomelem, one of the Salishan family of languages...

(or Qw’ontl’en) Nation.

Settlers arrived first in Cloverdale and parts of South Surrey, mostly to farm, fish, harvest oysters, or set up small stores. Once the Pattullo Bridge was erected in 1937, the way was open for Surrey to expand. In the post-war 1950s, North Surrey's neighbourhoods filled with single family homes and Surrey (not yet a city) became a bedroom community, absorbing commuters who worked in Burnaby or Vancouver.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Surrey witnessed unprecedented growth, as people from different parts of Canada and the world, particularly Asia, began to make the municipality their home. Surrey is projected to surpass the city of Vancouver as the most populous city in BC by 2020 - 2030.

Government and politics

Surrey is governed by an eight-member city council. The current mayor of Surrey is Dianne Watts

Dianne Watts

Dianne L. Watts is the mayor of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada and was elected in 2005 to this office as the city's first female mayor.She ran as an independent candidate, defeating incumbent Doug McCallum at the polls on November 19, 2005, who had been her political ally as recently as 2003...

. The last elections were held in November 2008.

In the recent 2009 provincial elections

British Columbia general election, 2009

The 39th British Columbia general election was held on May 12, 2009 to elect members of the Legislative Assembly in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The BC Liberal Party formed the government of the province prior to this general election under the leadership of Premier Gordon Campbell...

, the British Columbia New Democratic Party won four of Surrey's seats, all of them in the more urbanized north and centre of the city, while the BC Liberal Party

British Columbia Liberal Party

The British Columbia Liberal Party is the governing political party in British Columbia, Canada. First elected for government in 1916, the party went into decline after 1952, with its rump caucus merging with the Social Credit Party for the 1975 election...

won four seats in the more rural east and south.

Following the 2008 federal election

Canadian federal election, 2008

The 2008 Canadian federal election was held on Tuesday, October 14, 2008 to elect members to the Canadian House of Commons of the 40th Canadian Parliament after the previous parliament had been dissolved by the Governor General on September 7, 2008...

, the Conservative Party of Canada

Conservative Party of Canada

The Conservative Party of Canada , is a political party in Canada which was formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in 2003. It is positioned on the right of the Canadian political spectrum...

holds three of Surrey's four seats (Surrey North

Surrey North

Surrey North is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1988. It covers the northern part of Surrey....

, Fleetwood—Port Kells

Fleetwood—Port Kells

Fleetwood—Port Kells is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-Geography:...

, and South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale

South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale

South Surrey—White Rock—Cloverdale is a federal electoral district in British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004.-History:...

) in the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

, with the remaining seat (Newton—North Delta

Newton—North Delta

Newton—North Delta is a federal electoral district in the province of British Columbia, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 2004...

) held by the Liberal Party of Canada

Liberal Party of Canada

The Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...

. In the 2011 election the NDP captured Newton—North Delta and Surrey North.

Geography and climate

The city is characterized by low population density urban sprawl

Urban sprawl

Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a multifaceted concept, which includes the spreading outwards of a city and its suburbs to its outskirts to low-density and auto-dependent development on rural land, high segregation of uses Urban sprawl, also known as suburban sprawl, is a...

, typical of western North America, which includes areas of residential housing, light industry and commercial centres and is prone to strip development and malls. Approximately 35 percent of the land is designated as part of the Agricultural Land Reserve. The city is mostly hills and flatland, with most of the flatland in Tynehead, Hazelmere, south of Cloverdale, and Colebrook.

The climate is typically inter-coastal Pacific-Northwest: rainy, wet winters, often with heavy rainfall lasting into early spring, with mild, sunny summers and cool autumns.

Demographics

, the population of Surrey is 394,976, a 13.6% increase from 2001. The non-minorities population is 211,445, or 53.9% of the city's population. The foreign-born population is 150,235, constituting 30.3% of the city's population. Visible minorities number 181,005, or 46.1% of the population, while Aboriginal people constitute 1.9% of the population.

As of 2011, the racial makeup in Surrey is as follows:

53.7% White
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
27.5% South Asian
5.1% Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
4.2% Filipino
Filipino Canadian
Filipino Canadians are Canadians of Filipino ancestry. Filipino-Canadians are the fourth-largest subgroup of the Overseas Filipinos.Canada only had a small population of Filipinos until the late 20th century. To date, there are currently around 400,000 Filipino Canadians in Canada, most of them...
2.4% Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia, South-East Asia, South East Asia or Southeastern Asia is a subregion of Asia, consisting of the countries that are geographically south of China, east of India, west of New Guinea and north of Australia. The region lies on the intersection of geological plates, with heavy seismic...

n
2.0% Korean
Korean people
The Korean people are an ethnic group originating in the Korean peninsula and Manchuria. Koreans are one of the most ethnically and linguistically homogeneous groups in the world.-Names:...
1.3% Black
1.1% Multiple Visible Minority
1.0% Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...

n
0.5% Japanese
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
0.5% Arab
0.5% West Asian
0.2% Other Visible Minority

Religion

The predominant religion in Surrey is Christianity. More than 60% of people in Surrey are Christian.
The next largest religious group of people in Surrey are Sikh. There are approximately 19.2% Sikhs in Surrey, with the majority being in the Newton area of Surrey which is home to nearly 50,000 Sikhs.

Education

Schools

School District 36 Surrey

School District 36 Surrey operates schools in Surrey, White Rock, and Barnston Island, British Columbia. It is the largest school district in British Columbia with 66,100 students during the 2005/2006 school year. District 36 includes 99 elementary schools, 20 secondary schools, and 6 learning...

oversees 100 public elementary and 21 public secondary schools, making it the largest public school district in British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

. Private schools in Surrey include Holy Cross Regional High School

Holy Cross Regional High School

Holy Cross Regional High School, or "HCRHS," is a Catholic school, under the administration of CISVA school board. Located in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada....

, Pacific Academy

Pacific Academy

Pacific Academy is a private Christian school in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada that spans from preschool to Grade 12. The school generally has 3 or 4 classes per grade, and has over 200 staff members as well as 1500 students. It was started by Jim Pattison, a billionaire who donated money to...

, Surrey Christian School, and Southridge School

Southridge School

Southridge School is a K-12 independent coeducational school in South Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. It is a regional school, serving from as far away as Richmond and Ladner, though most students are from the White Rock, South Surrey area.-Facilities:...

. There are no public middle schools in Surrey, so a typical elementary school includes kindergarten through grade 7, and secondary school starts at grade 8 and continues through grade 12. There are around 65,000 students enrolled in public and private schools.

Universities and colleges

Surrey is home to the third campus of Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University

Simon Fraser University is a Canadian public research university in British Columbia with its main campus on Burnaby Mountain in Burnaby, and satellite campuses in Vancouver and Surrey. The main campus in Burnaby, located from downtown Vancouver, was established in 1965 and has more than 34,000...

(SFU), which opened in 2002. SFU took over the space and programming that was initially built for TechBC

Technical University of British Columbia

The Technical University of British Columbia was a special-purpose university in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, that operated from 1999 until 2002, when it was closed by the BC government...

, a technical university proposed for south of the Fraser River

Fraser River

by the then-NDP led provincial government. SFU Surrey offers a number of cutting-edge programs, including TechOne and Explorations; first-year cohort options; and studies in Applied Sciences, Criminology, World Literature, Business Administration, and Interactive Arts and Technology.

Surrey is also the home of Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Kwantlen Polytechnic University

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is a public degree-granting undergraduate polytechnic university with four campuses located in the South Fraser region of British Columbia’s Lower Mainland...

. Kwantlen opened its doors in the Newton Town Centre

Newton Town Centre

-See also:*Surrey-Newton provincial electoral district*Surrey-Panorama Ridge provincial electoral district*Newton-North Delta federal electoral district-External links:*...

of Surrey in 1981. Since then, it has expanded to provide satellite campuses in Richmond

Richmond, British Columbia

Richmond is a coastal city, incorporated in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Part of Metro Vancouver, its neighbouring communities are Vancouver and Burnaby to the north, New Westminster to the east, and Delta to the south, while the Strait of Georgia forms its western border...

, Langley

Langley, British Columbia (city)

The City of Langley is a municipality in Metro Vancouver. It lies directly east of the City of Surrey, adjacent to Cloverdale, and surrounded on the north, east and south by Township of Langley.-History:...

, a trades and technology centre in the Cloverdale Town Centre

Cloverdale, British Columbia

of Surrey. The Surrey campus focuses on sciences, business, arts, and health, including a publicly accessible wellness centre, while the new Cloverdale campus trains apprentices for the skilled trades industries.

Surrey also has many private post-secondary institutions to choose from including; Sprott-Shaw Community College, CDI College, and Vancouver Career College, among others.

Attractions

The Surrey Museum is affiliated with CMA

Canadian Museums Association

The Canadian Museums Association is a national organization for the promotion of museums in Canada.The Canadian Museums Association is the national organization for the advancement of the Canadian museum sector, representing Canadian museum professionals both within Canada and internationally. The...

, CHIN

Canadian Heritage Information Network

The Canadian Heritage Information Network is a Canadian government-supported organization that provides a networked interface to Canada's heritage, largely through the World Wide Web. It aims to give access to Canada's heritage for both Canadians and a worldwide audience, by supporting the...

, and Virtual Museum of Canada

Virtual Museum of Canada

The Virtual Museum of Canada is Canada's national virtual museum. With a directory of over 3,000 Canadian heritage institutions and a database of over 600 virtual exhibits, the VMC brings together Canada's museums regardless of size or geographical location.The VMC includes virtual exhibits,...

Events

Attracting 15,000 people every February since 2004, WinterFest is a day of live music, sporting activities, food, and fireworks, held at the Central City Plaza

Central City Shopping Centre

Central City Shopping Centre is a shopping mall and office tower complex in Whalley, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, which is owned by Blackwood Partners Management Corporation. It is near Surrey Central Station of the SkyTrain system in the Whalley neighbourhood...

.

Since 1888, the town centre of Cloverdale

Cloverdale, British Columbia

has hosted the annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair

Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair

Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair is an annual rodeo and fair located in the town of Cloverdale in Surrey, British Columbia. It is held annually at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds during the Victoria Day holiday weekend, from the Friday to Monday....

at the Cloverdale Fairgrounds

Cloverdale Fairgrounds

The Cloverdale Fairgrounds are located in the town of Cloverdale in Surrey, British Columbia. Since 1938, it has been the host site of Canada's second largest rodeo, the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair....

every May long weekend. The Fair is Canada's second largest rodeo

Rodeo

Rodeo is a competitive sport which arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain, Mexico, and later the United States, Canada, South America and Australia. It was based on the skills required of the working vaqueros and later, cowboys, in what today is the western United States,...

, and it features 150 acre (0.607029 km²) of family-oriented entertainment including agricultural/horticultural exhibits, a western tradeshow, parade, community stages, and the Pacific Northwest Firefighter Combat Challenge.

Due in part to having one of British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

's youngest populations, with nearly one-third of all citizens under 18, Surrey has become known for its annual Children's Festival, which began 2004. The free, multi-day festival features circus and clay arts, world rhythm music and movement, popular children's performers, storytelling sessions, and a parade.

Every year on April 13, the Sikh community celebrates Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi

Vaisakhi is an ancient harvest festival celebrated across North Indian states, especially Punjab by all Punjabis regardless of religion. In Sikhism the Khalsa was founded on same day as the Vaisakhi festival, so Sikhs celebrate twice as much....

, which often includes a nagar kirtan, or parade, and free food is often handed out. Roughly 100,000 people attended in 2008.

Surrey has the largest Canada Day

Canada Day

Canada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...

event of its kind in Western Canada. Presented every July 1 at Cloverdale

Cloverdale, British Columbia

's Millennium Amphitheatre Park, the event includes amusement rides, a tea ceremony, booths, musicians and performers, and a fireworks show at night.

In 2008, the City, thanks to the federal government's designation of Surrey as Canada's Cultural Capital for the year, put on a three-day multicultural festival. The Fusion Festival celebrated over 60 different cultures through food, music, and dance. The event attracted 60,000 attendees, and will return for 2009. It is expected that the Fusion Festival will become an annual event for Surrey.

Following the success of the Surrey Regional Economic Summit, held in September 2008 at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel, in Guildford Town Centre

Guildford Town Centre

, it is anticipated that this too will become an annual event. The first summit featured BC Premier Gordon Campbell and VANOC

Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

The Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games was the non-profit organization responsible for planning, organizing, financing and staging the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics...

CEO John Furlong

John Furlong (Canadian)

John Furlong, O.C, O.B.C was the President and Chief Executive Officer of VANOC which oversaw the preparation and execution of the 2010 Winter Olympics and 2010 Winter Paralympics Games...

as speakers and a keynote speech by former New York City

New York City

New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...

Mayor Rudy Giuliani

Rudy Giuliani

Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....

. The event attracted 400 business and community leaders for a day-long conference to discuss issues including public safety, transportation, and sustainability. The second summit is being planned, and will feature former British Prime Minister Tony Blair

Tony Blair

Anthony Charles Lynton Blair is a former British Labour Party politician who served as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2 May 1997 to 27 June 2007. He was the Member of Parliament for Sedgefield from 1983 to 2007 and Leader of the Labour Party from 1994 to 2007...

as keynote speaker.

Every October since 1991, Surrey has hosted the Surrey International Writers' Conference

Surrey International Writers' Conference

The Surrey International Writers’ Conference is held every October in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. “To inspire, educate and motivate aspiring and experienced writers alike” has been the goal of the Surrey International Writers’ Conference since its inception...

. This event brings established writers, agents, editors and publishers from all over the world to the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel in Guildford Town Centre

Guildford Town Centre

.

The Surrey Festival of Dance, an annual event since 1966, is one of the largest dance competitions held in North America, with over 10,000 dancers participating in the multi-week festival.

The Surrey RCMP hold an annual basketball tournament with participation from all the city's secondary schools. The event is the city's largest annual sports tournament.

One of the lesser-known events in Surrey is the annual Nicomekl River Race. Every year, in early June, teams of four meet at Nicomekl Park in Langley, British Columbia

Langley, British Columbia (city)

to begin the race. Unlike most traditional boat races, the Nicomekl River Race requires that all boats be made by the participants. The racecourse extends from Nicomekl Park to Blackie Spit Park at Crescent Beach. The first team to reach the mouth of the river is awarded a prize of $1,000. Additional prizes are awarded to the most creative boat and costume. All proceeds go towards the BC Cancer society.

News media

In addition to news media from Vancouver

Vancouver

, the community is served by The Surrey Now
The Now (newspaper)
The Now newspaper, also referred to as The Surrey Now, is a tabloid that publishes twice a week to 115,000 households in Surrey, North Delta and White Rock in the Canadian province of British Columbia....

newspaper, the Surrey Leader newspaper, and the Peace Arch News
Peace Arch News
The Peace Arch News is a weekly newspaper serving the White Rock/South Surrey area two times a week on Wednesday and Friday.The Peace Arch News is delivered to more than 32,000 homes and businesses in White Rock and South Surrey every Wednesday and Friday. It has been a part of the Black Press...

newspaper (for South Surrey).

Sports

Every summer, Surrey hosts the Canada Cup

Canada Cup (softball)

The Canada Cup is an annual international women's softball tournament held at the Softball City Complex in South Surrey, British Columbia.-Format:...

International Women's Fastpitch Tournament. It began in 1993 as an international women's fastpitch

Softball

Softball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of 10 to 14 players. It is a direct descendant of baseball although there are some key differences: softballs are larger than baseballs, and the pitches are thrown underhand rather than overhand...

developmental tournament

Tournament

A tournament is a competition involving a relatively large number of competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses:...

to help teams prepare for the Olympics by facing top-calibre competition. The event continues to be a fan favourite with gate attendance reaching 93,000 for the nine-day tournament in 2004.

The BCHL

British Columbia Hockey League

The British Columbia Hockey League is a Junior "A" ice hockey league from British Columbia under Hockey Canada, a subsection of the Canadian Junior Hockey League. Founded in Vernon in 1961, the BCHL now includes 16 teams. These teams play in two conferences, known as the Coastal and the Interior...

Surrey Eagles

The Surrey Eagles are a Junior "A" Ice Hockey team based in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. They are members of the Coastal Conference of the British Columbia Hockey League . They play their home games at South Surrey Arena.-New Westminster:...

hockey

Ice hockey

Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...

team plays at the South Surrey Arena in Surrey. The Eagles won the BCHL championship, the Fred Page Cup

Fred Page Cup

The Fred Page Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won by tournament, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The award is given to the winner of a round robin and playoff between the Bogart Cup champions of the Central Junior Hockey League, the Kent Cup champions of the Maritime...

, in 1997, 1998 and 2005; the western championship, the Doyle Cup

Doyle Cup

The Doyle Cup is a championship ice hockey trophy, won through a best-of-7 series, conducted by the Canadian Junior Hockey League. The series is played between the Fred Page Cup champions of the British Columbia Hockey League and the Enerflex Cup champions of the Alberta Junior Hockey League...

, in 1997 and 1998; and the national championship, the Royal Bank Cup

Royal Bank Cup

The Royal Bank Cup is an annual ice hockey tournament held to determine the Canadian Junior A champion. The winner of the tournament wins the Royal Bank Cup...

, in 1998.

Surrey hosted the Canadian national qualifying tournament in 2006, and sends a local team to compete for a spot in the Little League World Series

Little League World Series

The Little League Baseball World Series is a baseball tournament for children aged 11 to 13 years old. It was originally called the National Little League Tournament and was later renamed for the World Series in Major League Baseball. It was first held in 1947 and is held every August in South...

in Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Williamsport, Pennsylvania

Williamsport is a city in and the county seat of Lycoming County, Pennsylvania in the United States. In 2009, the population was estimated at 29,304...

.

Surrey is also home to Canada's first kabaddi

Kabaddi

Kabaddi is a South Asian team sport...

-specific stadium.

History

Surrey was first settled near Crescent Beach, in South Surrey, and Bridgeview/Brownsville, in North Surrey. Early trails and roads helped to encourage the settlement of Surrey. The first trail built by a settler was the 1861 the Kennedy Trail

Kennedy Trail

The Kennedy Trail was the first settler built trail in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia.James Kennedy first proposed "a trail from some point opposite New Westminster, across to some other point near to Semiahmoo Bay" in a letter written to Governor James Douglas in June 1860.He said "it...

. James Kennedy built the trail to provide a route between New Westminster and the natural pasture land on the Mud Bay Flats next to the Serpentine River.
The Semiahmoo Wagon Road was built in 1873 between Brownsville opposite New Westminster and Semiahmoo (Blaine).
The first regular ferry service across the Fraser River started in 1882 on the steam ferry K de K with the point of departure at Brownsville. The ferry landed on the Surrey side at the start of the Old Yale Road, which connected directly inland to Yale, and was a major gold rush trail.

The New Westminster Rail Bridge was opened in 1904, allowing personal vehicles to cross the Fraser River

Fraser River

on the upper deck. The lower deck, for rail, enabled BC Electric Railway

British Columbia Electric Railway

The British Columbia Electric Railway was a historic Canadian railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia.Originally the parent company, and later a division, of BC Electric, the BCER operated public transportation in southwestern British Columbia from its establishment in the...

to finally construct the Interurban line, an electric suburb commuter rail route connecting Chilliwack to Vancouver. It opened for service in 1910, and ran through Kennedy, Newton

Newton Town Centre

-See also:*Surrey-Newton provincial electoral district*Surrey-Panorama Ridge provincial electoral district*Newton-North Delta federal electoral district-External links:*...

, Sullivan, and Cloverdale

Cloverdale, British Columbia

.

In 1937, the then two-lane Pattullo Bridge linking New Westminster and Surrey was opened.

In the early 1950s, BC Electric Railways ceased operating its interurban line, thus increasing the number of vehicles on Surrey roads. Highway 10 was built in 1953, and Highway 15

British Columbia Highway 15

Highway 15 , known locally as the Pacific Highway, is a long north–south highway primarily located in the City of Surrey, British Columbia. The southern terminus is with Interstate 5 near Blaine, Washington as Washington State Route 543...

in 1957. In 1964, the provincial government completed Highway 401 and the Port Mann Bridge

Port Mann Bridge

The Port Mann Bridge is a steel tied arch bridge that spans the Fraser River connecting Coquitlam to Surrey in British Columbia near Vancouver. The bridge consists of three spans with an orthotropic deck carrying five lanes of Trans-Canada Highway traffic, with approach spans of three steel plate...

; that section of roadway would later be renamed Highway 1. In 1966, the George Massey Tunnel

George Massey Tunnel

The George Massey Tunnel is a highway traffic tunnel in the Metro Vancouver region of southwestern British Columbia. It is located approximately 20 km south of the city centre of Vancouver, British Columbia, and approximately 30 km north of the Canada-U.S...

was opened, along with what is known as Highway 99. With the completion of the new Highways 1 and 99, the Fraser Highway and King George Boulevard became major arteries.

In the early 1990s, Surrey saw the return of rail transit with the SkyTrain

SkyTrain (Vancouver)

SkyTrain is a light rapid transit system in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. SkyTrain has of track and uses fully automated trains on grade-separated tracks, running mostly on elevated guideways, which helps SkyTrain to hold consistently high on-time reliability...

Expo Line expansion into Surrey. Stations include Scott Road, Gateway, Surrey Central (bus depot center) and King George.

Current network

The Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway

The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....

, BNSF Railway

BNSF Railway

The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...

, and Southern Railway of British Columbia

Southern Railway of British Columbia

The Southern Railway of British Columbia, branded as SRY Rail Link is a Canadian short line railway operating in the southwestern mainland of British Columbia. The main facility is the port at Annacis Island with major import of cars, export of forestry products, and other shipments...

systems are active and stretch across Surrey to eastern provinces and southward into the United States.

Public transport

Public transport

Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which is available for use by the general public, as distinct from modes such as taxicab, car pooling or hired buses which are not shared by strangers without private arrangement.Public transport modes include buses, trolleybuses, trams...

, operated by TransLink, connects some of Surrey's centres to each other and to other Lower Mainland municipalities. The SkyTrain Expo Line provides 35-minute service to Downtown Vancouver via four stations.

Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver International Airport

Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...

, is 35 kilometres (21.7 mi) from Surrey by road. Vancouver Airport offers direct daily service to destinations in Canada, North America, Europe, and Asia.

Notable people

Nuvraj Bassi
Nuvraj Bassi
Nuvraj Singh Bassi is a defensive tackle who is currently on the practice roster of the BC Lions of the Canadian Football League. He was drafted 43rd overall in the 2005 CFL Draft by the Lions...

, professional football player
Rick Bognar, professional wrestler
Lisa Brokop
Lisa brokop
Lisa Brokop is a Canadian country music singer/songwriter and actress. Active since 1990 in the country music field, she has released a total of six studio albums, and has charted more than twenty singles on the country music charts in her native Canada...

, singer
Chuck Cadman
Chuck Cadman
Charles "Chuck" Cadman was a Canadian politician and Member of Parliament from 1997 to 2005, representing the riding of Surrey North in Surrey, British Columbia.- Early life :...

, politician
Dona Cadman
Dona Cadman
Dona Cadman is a Canadian politician, who represented the electoral district of Surrey North in the Canadian House of Commons from 2008 to 2011, as well as the widow of Chuck Cadman, a former Member of Parliament for the same district. She served in the Conservative Party of Canada...

, politician
Brant Campioni, the First Officer of DHL Flight 611, lost in the Überlingen Disaster.
Gina Choi (G.NA)
G.NA
Gina Choi , better known by her stage name G.NA, is a Korean Canadian singer under Cube Entertainment, born on September 13, 1987. She released her first mini-album, Draw G's First Breath, on July 14, 2010...

, South Korean singer
Ranj Dhaliwal
Ranj Dhaliwal
Ranj Dhaliwal is an Indo-Canadian author, who published the gangster novel Daaku.-Novels:...

, best-selling author
Sukh Dhaliwal
Sukh Dhaliwal
Sukh Dhaliwal, MP is a businessman and politician in British Columbia, Canada, who was the Liberal Member of Parliament for Newton—North Delta from 2006 to 2011....

, politician
Elise Estrada
Elise Estrada
- 1987–2006: Early life and career beginnings :Elise Estrada was born in Philippines and moved to Canada when she was 4. While growing up in Vancouver, Estrada had participated in many pageant and singing competitions. At age 17, Estrada won the title of "Miss Vancouver Princess" and later became...

, singer
Colin Fraser
Colin Fraser
Colin Fraser is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre. He is currently playing with the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:Fraser was born in Sicamous, but raised in Surrey, British Columbia...

, professional hockey player; forward for the Los Angeles Kings
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles, California. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
Curtis Fraser
Curtis Fraser
Curtis Fraser is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre who currently plays for SG Cortina of the Italian Serie A.-Playing career:...

, professional hockey player; forward for the Peoria Rivermen
Peoria Rivermen
The Peoria Rivermen are a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League. They play in Peoria, Illinois, USA at the Carver Arena.-History:...
Kamal Heer
Kamal Heer
-Compilations:-Music videos:-Videography:-Concerts/Tours:-Other:-Awards and nominations:-External links:* * *...

, Punjabi singer
Jacob Hoggard
Jacob Hoggard
Jacob William Hoggard is a Canadian singer. He finished in third place on the second season of Canadian Idol. He is currently the lead singer of Hedley.-Early years:...

, Lead Singer of Hedley
Hedley
Hedley may refer to Places:* Hedley, British Columbia* Hedley on the Hill, Northumberland* Hedley Hill, county Durham* Hedley, TexasHedley may refer to People or Groups:...
Daniel Igali
Daniel Igali
Baraladei Daniel Igali is a Canadian freestyler wrestler who is an Olympic gold medalist. He lives in Surrey, British Columbia.-Wrestling career:...

, 2000 Olympic gold medalist freestyle wrestler
Britt Irvin
Britt Irvin
Brittney Elizabeth "Britt" Irvin is a Leo Award-nominated Canadian actress and singer, as well as a regular voice actor for Ocean Productions. She is typically credited as Britt Irvin in works since 2003, and as Brittney Irvin in works prior to 2003, though exceptions exist both ways...

, actress, singer; 2008 Leo Award nominee
Jazzy B
Jazzy B
Jaswinder Singh Bains, more popularly known as Jazzy B, is a Punjabi language bhangra singer-songwriter. He was born on April 1, 1975 in Durgapur, Nawanshahr, Punjab, India. When he was 5 years old, his family moved to Vancouver, Canada. He has released 12 studio albums, including two religious ones...

, singer
Adam Loewen
Adam Loewen
Adam Alexander Loewen is a Canadian professional baseball outfielder and infielder for the New York Mets of Major League Baseball. He bats and throws left-handed...

, baseball player; first baseman/outfielder under minor-league contract for the Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
Harbhajan Mann
Harbhajan Mann
Harbhajan Mann is a Punjabi singer and actor. Although not known much for his singing he soon became a Punjabi all rounder star in the entertainment industry. He got spotlight in Punjabi music industry with his astonishing performance and miraculous voice in "Husn Jawani"...

, Punjabi singer
Gary Nylund
Gary Nylund
Gary Nylund is a retired former professional ice hockey player who played 608 National Hockey League games for the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and New York Islanders. Following his retirement, Nylund became a firefighter in Delta, British Columbia...

, former professional hockey player (Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

, Chicago Blackhawks
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . They have won four Stanley Cup championships since their founding in 1926, most recently coming in 2009-10...

, and New York Islanders
New York Islanders
The New York Islanders are a professional ice hockey team based in Uniondale, New York. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...

)
Prab Rai
Prab Rai
Prabh Rai is a Canadian professional ice hockey player who currently plays within the Vancouver Canucks organization of the National Hockey League...

, hockey player
Gordon Rice
Gordon Rice
Gordon Rice is a Canadian artist active in the Vancouver BC area.-Biography, Education:Born in Los Angeles, California and educated at Los Angeles City College, University of California at Berkeley, U.C.L.A., and the University of Hawaii , Gordon Rice exhibited in Los Angeles and Hawaii 1961-1968...

, artist
Sangtar
Sangtar
Sangtar Heer, more commonly known as just Sangtar, is a Punjabi singer, music composer, songwriter and poet. He has written songs and made music for many singers such as Kamal Heer, Manmohan Waris and Debi Makhsoospuri...

, Punjabi songwriter
Kalib Starnes
Kalib Starnes
Kalib Axel Starnes is a retired Canadian mixed martial artist of Metis descent. He was featured in the third season of the reality TV series, The Ultimate Fighter...

, professional mixed martial artist
John Tenta
John Tenta
John Anthony Tenta was a Canadian professional wrestler known for his work in the World Wrestling Federation as Earthquake and later Golga, and in World Championship Wrestling as Avalanche and The Shark.-Early life:John Tenta was born in Surrey, British Columbia...

, professional wrestler, known as Earthquake
Aaron Voros
Aaron Voros
Aaron Voros is a professional ice hockey winger. He is currently playing with the Connecticut Whale of the American Hockey League. He was originally drafted by the New Jersey Devils with the 229th overall pick in the 2001 NHL Entry Draft...

, professional hockey player; forward for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are a professional ice hockey team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. They are members of the Northeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
Manmohan Waris
Manmohan Waris
Manmohan Waris is an award-winning Indian Punjabi folk/pop singer. Manmohan Waris was born in Halluwal, District Hoshiarpur, Punjab, India. He is the elder brother of Sangtar & Kamal Heer...

, Punjabi singer
Daniel Wesley
Daniel Wesley
- External links :* official site* at CBC Radio 3* Fitzgerald, Nicole. "", Pique Newsmagazine, 11 October 2007.*...

, singer/songwriter

Affiliated cities and municipalities

Surrey has two sister cities:

Country	City	Province	Date
Japan	Kōtō Koto Koto may refer to:Koto , a Japanese musical instrumentKoto , a traditional dress made by Creole women in SurinameKoto , Italian/Dutch synth pop groupKōtō, Tokyo, a ward in Tokyo, Japan...	Tokyo Tokyo , ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...	1989
People's Republic of China	Zhuhai Zhuhai Zhuhai is a prefecture-level city on the southern coast of Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai borders Jiangmen to the northwest, Zhongshan to the north, and Macau to the south. Zhuhai was one of the original Special Economic Zones...	Guangdong Guangdong Guangdong is a province on the South China Sea coast of the People's Republic of China. The province was previously often written with the alternative English name Kwangtung Province...	1989

Surrey also has two Friendship Cities:

Country	City	Province	Date
People's Republic of China	Ningbo Ningbo Ningbo is a seaport city of northeastern Zhejiang province, Eastern China. Holding sub-provincial administrative status, the municipality has a population of 7,605,700 inhabitants at the 2010 census whom 3,089,180 in the built up area made of 6 urban districts. It lies south of the Hangzhou Bay,...	Zhejiang Zhejiang Zhejiang is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. The word Zhejiang was the old name of the Qiantang River, which passes through Hangzhou, the provincial capital...
People's Republic of China	Taicang Taicang Taicang is a coastal city in Jiangsu Province of People's Republic of China. It is approximately to the northwest of Shanghai, and to the east of Suzhou. It is a county level city under jurisdiction of Suzhou prefecture level city. In 2008, the registered population was at 466,300, and total GDP...	Jiangsu Jiangsu ' is a province of the People's Republic of China, located along the east coast of the country. The name comes from jiang, short for the city of Jiangning , and su, for the city of Suzhou. The abbreviation for this province is "苏" , the second character of its name...

External links

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