Surrey, British Columbia facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Surrey
City
City of Surrey
From top, left to right: Surrey City Centre skyline, Crescent Beach, Holland Park, Surrey City Hall, Newton Town Centre
Flag Coat of arms Logo
Nickname(s):  City of Parks
Motto(s):  Progressio per diversitatem "Progress through diversity"
Location of Surrey in Metro Vancouver
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Regional district	Metro Vancouver
Incorporated	November 10, 1879 (municipality status)
	September 11, 1993 (city status)
Named for	Surrey
Seat	Surrey City Hall
Government
• Type	Mayor-council government
• Body	Surrey City Council
Area
• Land	316.11 km2 (122.05 sq mi)
Area rank	3rd in British Columbia
Highest elevation	134 m (440 ft)
Lowest elevation	0 m (0 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	568,322
• Estimate  (2023)	662,561
• Rank	11th in Canada 2nd in British Columbia 2nd in Metro Vancouver
• Density	1,797.9/km2 (4,657/sq mi)
Demonym(s)	Surreyite
Time zone	UTC−08:00 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−07:00 (PDT)
Forward sortation area	V3R–V3X, V3Z–V4A, V4N–V4P
Area codes	604, 778, 236, 672

Surrey is a large city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River and close to the Canada–United States border. Surrey is part of the Metro Vancouver area. It is mostly a suburban city. Surrey is the second-largest city in British Columbia by population, after Vancouver. It is also the third-largest by land area.

Surrey has seven main neighbourhoods, called town centres. These are Cloverdale, Fleetwood, Guildford, Newton, South Surrey, and City Centre, which includes Whalley.

History of Surrey

Surrey became an official municipality in 1879. The land was originally home to several Indigenous groups. These included the Semiahmoo, Katzie, and Kwantlen peoples. An Englishman named H.J. Brewer saw the land from New Westminster. It reminded him of his home, the County of Surrey in England. This is how Surrey got its name.

The area was once covered with forests and bogs. Part of what is now Whalley was a burial ground for the Kwantlen Nation. Early settlers came to Cloverdale and South Surrey. They mostly farmed, fished, or opened small shops.

The Pattullo Bridge opened in 1937. This helped Surrey grow and expand. After the 1950s, many single-family homes were built in North Surrey. Surrey became a "bedroom community." This means people lived there but worked in nearby cities like Burnaby or Vancouver.

In the 1980s and 1990s, Surrey grew very quickly. Many people from different parts of Canada and the world moved here. By 2013, experts thought Surrey would become the most populated city in BC. This was expected to happen within 10 to 12 years.

Surrey's Geography

Whalley City Centre, a busy part of Surrey

Surrey is known for its spread-out urban areas. These areas include homes, light industries, and shopping centers. About 27 percent of Surrey's land is for farming. This land is part of the Agricultural Land Reserve. It can only be used for growing food. The city has both hills and flat areas. Most of the flat land is in places like Tynehead and Hazelmere.

Surrey's Climate

Surrey has an oceanic climate. This means it has rainy, wet winters. Heavy rainfall often lasts into early spring. Winters are cool but not freezing. Summers are mild and sunny. Autumns are cool and cloudy.

People and Cultures in Surrey

In 2021, Surrey had a population of over 568,000 people. This makes it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also the second-largest city in the Metro Vancouver area. Surrey and Vancouver together make up almost half of the region's population.

Surrey's downtown area, called Downtown Surrey, is growing fast. It is becoming a second main center for the Metro Vancouver region.

Diverse Neighbourhoods

Surrey has many unique neighbourhoods. These include City Centre, Whalley, Newton, Guildford, Fleetwood, Cloverdale, and South Surrey. Each area has a mix of different cultures.

For example, South Surrey and Cloverdale have many people of European background. Newton and Whalley are home to many people of South Asian heritage.

Immigration and Languages

Since the 1980s, many immigrants have moved to Surrey. This has made the city very diverse in terms of cultures and languages. About 52 percent of people in Surrey do not speak English as their first language.

Around 38 percent of the city's residents are of South Asian heritage. Many South Asian families moved to Surrey from Vancouver in the 1990s. This was because housing costs were rising in Vancouver. This movement, along with new immigration, made Surrey one of the largest South Asian communities in North America.

Other large groups in Surrey include East Asians (10.9 percent) and Southeast Asians (9.7 percent). Surrey also has the largest Black population in British Columbia. Most residents of European heritage in Surrey have roots in the British Isles.

Religions in Surrey

Surrey has the largest percentage of Sikh people in Canada, at 27.4 percent.

In 2021, the main religions in Surrey were:

• Christianity (30.2 percent)
• No religion (28.6 percent)
• Sikhism (27.4 percent)
• Islam (5.5 percent)
• Hinduism (5.4 percent)

Languages Spoken

Surrey is a city where many languages are spoken. While English is common, many people speak other languages at home.

Surrey's Economy

Partial view of Surrey from a plane

Surrey is a major industrial hub in British Columbia. It has growing sectors in high technology, clean energy, and advanced manufacturing. Health, education, agriculture, and arts are also important.

In 2017, 189 film productions took place in Surrey. This shows the city's growing role in the film industry. In 2018, Surrey opened a $68 million biofuel facility. This was the first of its kind in North America.

Many large employers have staff across BC. These include Fraser Health (25,000 staff) and School District 36 (10,560 staff). The City of Surrey itself employs 3,400 people.

Central City, a tall building in Surrey

Farming in Surrey

Farming is very important to Surrey's economy. About one-third of Surrey's land is set aside for farming. This helps produce local food for the city's growing population. It also creates many local jobs. Farming employs about 3,300 people in Surrey.

Manufacturing is also a diverse industry. It produces items for many different fields. This ranges from cutting lumber to building wind turbines. Many Surrey-based companies are working in the clean energy sector.

Technology Sector

Surrey has a growing technology sector. The city is planning an incubator. This will help local innovators and entrepreneurs start new companies. This will boost the tech industry in Surrey.

Culture and Fun in Surrey

Places to Visit

The Museum of Surrey in Cloverdale

The Museum of Surrey is a great place to learn about the city's history. It reopened in 2018 after a big renovation. The museum is now much larger.

The Surrey Art Gallery is the second-largest public art museum in Metro Vancouver. It opened in 1975.

The historic Surrey Municipal Hall complex includes the Cenotaph in Heritage Square. It also has the Surrey Museum and Cloverdale Library. The Surrey City Centre Public Library is the second-largest library in Metro Vancouver.

"REMEMBRANCE" is a large bronze statue in Heritage Square. It shows a World War I soldier. The statue honors fallen soldiers.

Exciting Events

The lively Fusion Festival at Holland Park

• WinterFest: This event happens every February. It includes live music, sports, food, and fireworks. About 15,000 people attend each year.
• Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair: Held every May long weekend since 1888. It is Canada's second-largest rodeo. The fair has family entertainment, farm exhibits, and a parade.
• Vaisakhi Parade: Every April 13, the Sikh community celebrates Vaisakhi. This includes a large parade called a nagar kirtan. Free food is often given out. It is the biggest Vaisakhi parade outside India. Over 500,000 people attended in 2019.
• Surrey International Writers' Conference: This event has been held every October since 1991. Writers, agents, and publishers from around the world come to Surrey.
• Nicomekl River Race: An annual boat race in early June. Teams build their own boats and race from Nicomekl Park to Blackie Spit Park. Prizes are given for the fastest and most creative boats. Money raised goes to the BC Cancer society.

A wide view of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds

News and Media

Surrey has its own local newspapers. These include The Surrey Now-Leader and the Peace Arch News for South Surrey. The city also has ethnic radio stations like ReD-FM and the Asian Journal newspaper.

My Surrey FM 107.7 FM was the first English-language radio station based in Surrey. It is now called Pulse FM 107.7.

Sports and Fun Activities

Every summer, Surrey hosts the Canada Cup International Women's Fastpitch Tournament. This event started in 1993. It helps softball teams get ready for the Olympics. It is very popular, with many fans attending each year.

The BCHL Surrey Eagles hockey team plays at the South Surrey Arena. The Eagles have won the BCHL championship several times. They also won the national championship, the Royal Bank Cup, in 1998.

Surrey hosted the Canadian national qualifying tournament for the Little League World Series in 2006. The city is also home to Canada's first stadium built specifically for kabaddi.

The dance company "Brotherhood" from Surrey won gold at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in 2013 and 2014. Another dance team, "PraiseTEAM," won silver in 2013.

Cricket is also popular in Surrey. There are over 85 teams in the British Columbia Mainland Cricket League. Surrey has more than 20 cricket pitches.

Getting Around Surrey

History of Transportation

Early trails and roads helped people settle in Surrey. The Kennedy Trail was built in 1861. It connected New Westminster to the Mud Bay Flats. The Semiahmoo Wagon Road was built in 1873.

Ferry service across the Fraser River began in 1882. The ferry landed in Brownsville, Surrey. This was near the start of Old Yale Road, a major gold rush trail.

The New Westminster Rail Bridge opened in 1904. It allowed cars and trains to cross the Fraser River. The BC Electric Railway then built the Interurban line. This electric train connected Chilliwack to Vancouver. It opened in 1910 and ran through parts of Surrey.

In 1937, the Pattullo Bridge opened, connecting New Westminster and Surrey. In the 1950s, the Interurban train stopped running. This led to more cars on Surrey's roads. New highways like Highway 10 and Highway 15 were built. In 1964, Highway 1 and the Port Mann Bridge were completed. The George Massey Tunnel opened in 1959.

In the early 1990s, train transit returned to Surrey with the SkyTrain Expo Line. Four SkyTrain stations were added in Surrey: Scott Road, Gateway, Surrey Central, and King George.

Current Transportation

The R1 King George Blvd bus provides frequent service in Surrey.

An Expo Line train at King George station.

TransLink manages public transit in Surrey. They provide frequent bus service throughout the city and to other areas. The SkyTrain's Expo Line connects Surrey to Downtown Vancouver.

Major railways like Canadian National and Canadian Pacific also have tracks through Surrey.

For air travel, Vancouver International Airport is about 28 km west of Surrey. It offers flights to many places in Canada, North America, Europe, and Asia. Bellingham International Airport in the US is 32 km south. Abbotsford International Airport is 24 km east.

The R6 Scott Rd bus connects Scott Road Skytrain Station to Newton Exchange.

Surrey also has Seaport facilities along the Fraser River.

Future Transportation Plans

Plans are underway to expand the SkyTrain system in Surrey. The idea for a light rail line was changed. Now, the existing SkyTrain line will be extended to Langley. This extension from King George station to Fleetwood was approved in 2019. It is expected to be finished by 2025. The goal is to extend the SkyTrain all the way to Langley by 2028.

Sustainable Development in Surrey

In 2008, Surrey's city council created the Surrey Sustainability Charter. This is a big plan to guide the city's growth for the next 50 years. It looks at all parts of society. In 2011, the city updated the report to show its progress.

Challenges for Sustainability

Holland Park and residential towers in Surrey

Creating an all-inclusive plan like this has many challenges. The city needs to work with provincial and federal governments. This is because they have more funding and power.

One challenge is urban sprawl. This means low-density housing with few businesses or industries. It causes a lot of traffic during rush hours.

The Gateway Program, announced in 2005, built new roads and bridges. This included the South Fraser Perimeter Road and the Port Mann Bridge. Some people worried these projects would increase traffic. They also thought it might go against Surrey's sustainability goals.

Transportation and Land Use

The Sustainability Charter aims to reduce how much people rely on cars. This needs a strong public transit system. Plans to extend the SkyTrain were delayed due to funding issues.

Protecting farmland is also key to the charter. The goal is to encourage local farming. This reduces the need to transport food from far away. It also provides fresh food to local people. The charter also supports food processing businesses.

Education in Surrey

The modern Surrey Central Library

In Surrey, about 23.7 percent of adults over 25 have a bachelor's degree or higher. This is close to the national average. Many people in Surrey work in professional and managerial jobs.

Schools in Surrey

School District 36 Surrey manages 100 public elementary schools and 21 public secondary schools. This makes it the largest public school district in British Columbia. It is also the largest employer in Surrey. The Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique operates one French-language school in Surrey, École Gabrielle-Roy.

Higher Education

Surrey has several options for higher education. The University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University are major research universities nearby.

Surrey is home to the Simon Fraser University Surrey Campus. It opened in 2002. This campus offers many programs. These include Health Science, Applied Sciences, and Business Administration. In 2022, plans were announced to open a new medical school at SFU Surrey by 2026. This would be the first new medical school in Western Canada in 55 years.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University is also in Surrey. It opened in 1981. It started as a college for vocational training. In 2008, it became a university. Kwantlen offers programs in science, business, arts, and health. Its Cloverdale campus focuses on skilled trades and technical careers.

In 2021, the University of British Columbia announced plans for a new location in Surrey.

Many other colleges in Surrey offer career training. These include Brighton College, Sprott Shaw College, and Vancouver Career College.

Famous People from Surrey

Surrey's Sister Cities

Surrey has two official sister cities:

Surrey also has six "friendship cities":