Whalley (City Centre)
Encyclopedia
Whalley is a town centre
/ city centre of Surrey, British Columbia
. It is the commercial centre of Surrey and is the most densely populated of all the town centres. It is the only town centre in Surrey to be serviced by the SkyTrain (Scott Road
, Gateway
, Surrey Central
and King George
stations) and is home to the SFU Surrey campus within the Central City Shopping Centre
, the main shopping center in Whalley.
Based on City of Surrey Population Estimates and Projections, Whalley is the second most populous community in Surrey next to Newton Town Centre
.
The municipal council in 1908 requested a grant to construct a roadway from Fraser Bridge to present-day 108 Avenue. This provided a much safer path to the river compared to the steep, winding Old Yale Road, and the new road later became part of the King George Highway.
In 1925, Arthur Whalley moved his family from Cloverdale to a three-acre triangle of land at the future intersection of Ferguson Road (108 Avenue), Grosvenor Road and the King George Highway. After clearing the land and spending their first winter in tents, they built a service station, which included a general store, soft drink stand, and tourist cabins.
The community officially adopted the name of Whalley in 1948, after the board of trade held a contest to rename what had become known as “Whalley’s Corner”. “Binnieville” had also been recommended, in honour of Tom Binnie, a local real estate and insurance broker who had fostered Whalley’s growth as a commercial centre.
In the mid-20th century, Whalley saw numerous debates regarding its secession from Surrey to become a separate city or municipality. In 1976, Metro Vancouver (then known as the GVRD) identified Whalley as one of four regional town centres, sparking off revitalization of the town centre. The City of Surrey adopted the “Whalley-Guildford Plan” in 1985, proposing high-density commercial development along 104 Avenue between the Whalley and Guildford areas.
by the Surrey-Whalley
riding and in the Canadian House of Commons
by the Surrey North
riding. Dona Cadman
is Whalley's Member of Parliament
, and Bruce Ralston
is the MLA
.
Town centre
The town centre is the term used to refer to the commercial or geographical centre or core area of a town.Town centres are traditionally associated with shopping or retail. They are also the centre of communications with major public transport hubs such as train or bus stations...
/ city centre of Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey, British Columbia
Surrey is a city in the province of British Columbia, Canada. It is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver, the governing body of the Greater Vancouver Regional District...
. It is the commercial centre of Surrey and is the most densely populated of all the town centres. It is the only town centre in Surrey to be serviced by the SkyTrain (Scott Road
Scott Road Station
Scott Road Station is located on an elevated portion of the Expo Line, a part of Vancouver, British Columbia's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station itself is in northern Surrey.-Location:...
, Gateway
Gateway Station
Gateway Station is a station on an elevated portion of the Expo Line, a part of Vancouver, British Columbia's SkyTrain rapid transit system.Gateway Station is located in the northern end of the downtown of Surrey, also known as Whalley. It is situated on 108th Avenue, near King George Highway...
, Surrey Central
Surrey Central Station
Surrey Central Station is a station in Surrey, British Columbia, on an elevated portion of the Expo Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system.-Location:...
and King George
King George Station
King George Station is located on an elevated portion of the Expo Line, a part of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station itself is in Surrey and is the current eastbound terminus of the Expo Line.-Location:...
stations) and is home to the SFU Surrey campus within the Central City Shopping Centre
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...
, the main shopping center in Whalley.
Based on City of Surrey Population Estimates and Projections, Whalley is the second most populous community in Surrey next to 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:*...
.
History
As early as the 1880s, people began settling what is now present-day Whalley.The municipal council in 1908 requested a grant to construct a roadway from Fraser Bridge to present-day 108 Avenue. This provided a much safer path to the river compared to the steep, winding Old Yale Road, and the new road later became part of the King George Highway.
In 1925, Arthur Whalley moved his family from Cloverdale to a three-acre triangle of land at the future intersection of Ferguson Road (108 Avenue), Grosvenor Road and the King George Highway. After clearing the land and spending their first winter in tents, they built a service station, which included a general store, soft drink stand, and tourist cabins.
The community officially adopted the name of Whalley in 1948, after the board of trade held a contest to rename what had become known as “Whalley’s Corner”. “Binnieville” had also been recommended, in honour of Tom Binnie, a local real estate and insurance broker who had fostered Whalley’s growth as a commercial centre.
In the mid-20th century, Whalley saw numerous debates regarding its secession from Surrey to become a separate city or municipality. In 1976, Metro Vancouver (then known as the GVRD) identified Whalley as one of four regional town centres, sparking off revitalization of the town centre. The City of Surrey adopted the “Whalley-Guildford Plan” in 1985, proposing high-density commercial development along 104 Avenue between the Whalley and Guildford areas.
Government
Whalley is represented in the Legislative Assembly of British ColumbiaLegislative Assembly of British Columbia
The Legislative Assembly of British Columbia is one of two components of the Parliament of British Columbia, the provincial parliament ....
by the Surrey-Whalley
Surrey-Whalley
Surrey-Whalley is a newly formed provincial electoral district for the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia, Canada. The riding's name was resurrected from a former riding in the same area, with similar but not identical boundaries...
riding and 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...
by the 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....
riding. 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...
is Whalley's Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
A Member of Parliament is a representative of the voters to a :parliament. In many countries with bicameral parliaments, the term applies specifically to members of the lower house, as upper houses often have a different title, such as senate, and thus also have different titles for its members,...
, and Bruce Ralston
Bruce Ralston
Bruce Ralston is the current MLA for Surrey-Whalley in the Canadian province of British Columbia.He was born in Victoria and grew up in Vancouver. He has degrees in history and law from the University of British Columbia and a degree in history from the University of Cambridge in England...
is the MLA
Member of the Legislative Assembly
A Member of the Legislative Assembly or a Member of the Legislature , is a representative elected by the voters of a constituency to the legislature or legislative assembly of a sub-national jurisdiction....
.