SURREY Mayor Doug McCallum caught the attention of Surrey residents, and what seemed like the rest of the world with his plans to build Canada’s largest stadium in the City of Surrey, the Safe Surrey Coalition pointed out on Thursday.

McCallum, who has a proven track record of delivering on all of his election promises, garnered the attention of Surrey-ites with his announcement. Vancouver is a city in decline and the future lives south of the Fraser River, right here in Surrey, said the SSC.

It argued: “It’s important to remember that we’re not talking about building a ground-breaking facility in the middle of nowhere. It will be a transit-oriented stadium built along the new SkyTrain line. The City of Surrey is one of the largest cities in the country, and one of the fastest growing cities in Western Canada. This proposed project is about giving the city what it deserves and what it needs to become the number one City in Canada, as it continues to accommodate for its growing population and economy.”

Here are some of the important benefits that this facility would bring to the city, and that the Safe Surrey Coalition wants to highlight:

· A boost to the local economy / tourism. This facility would allow millions of dollars to stay in Surrey and help small businesses grow.

· Create stable jobs for residents of Surrey.

· A multi-use facility for events like conventions, tournaments, and cultural celebrations that can actually accommodate for the large and rapidly growing population of the city. Comparatively, the City of Regina which has a population of just over 260,000, already has a stadium (Mosaic Stadium) that can host up to 40,000 people.

· Ability to finally accommodate Surrey’s own professional sports team. When there is a hockey game, football game, soccer game, baseball game, or concert, the majority of attendees are from Surrey and South of the Fraser River. This stadium will allow Surrey residents to keep millions of dollars spent, in their own city.

· Encourage the use of active transportation. The United Nations has declared Surrey as a Tree City three years in a row, and there will be no parking space at the facility to reduce carbon emissions and deliver on Doug’s climate action plan to be net-zero by 2030.

The SSC said that in all of his time as the Mayor, McCallum has consistently fought and advocated for the City of Surrey to be a world class city, and this is right in step with all that he’s already accomplished. One thing is clear, the mayor has a plan and he will deliver from Day One.

For more information on the Mayor and the Safe Surrey Coalition, contact info@safesurreycoalition.ca.