THE City of Surrey on Friday clarified the “inaccurate information [that] has been circulated regarding the approval and establishment of an ash-scattering site in Surrey.”

The VOICE reported on Thursday that NDP candidates in Surrey — Baltej Dhillon and Rachna Singh — had announced “a new commitment to remove barriers that prevent families from practicing their religious and cultural funeral rites after they’ve lost a loved one,” adding that their party “will do this by working towards making ash scattering areas and sites accessible in waters across the province, beginning in Surrey.”

We also reported that BC Conservative members and supporters hit back on social media by pointing out that then-Surrey mayor Doug McCallum had made a similar announcement for Surrey back in October 2022.

On Friday, the City of Surrey cleared up the matter in a statement. It said that in 2021, under the previous administration of Doug McCallum, staff was asked to meet with the Five Rivers Community Services Society about the possibility of building a pier for ash-scattering at Brownsville Park. Under the direction of the previous Mayor, the pier would be funded privately through the Five Rivers Society. While further discussions occurred, no agreement was reached on funding the project.

The City noted: “It is also important to note that this matter was never discussed by the previous Council as a whole nor did the previous Council provide any approvals to move forward with this project.”

It added: “Under the current administration of Mayor Brenda Locke, staff initiated dialogue with the Province regarding the requirements to allow for mourning families to spread ashes of their loved ones. The province has advised the City that a dedicated dock is needed for this purpose.

“Staff are preparing a report for Council. The report would outline the steps required to allow for the scattering of ashes and a cost estimate for the construction of the pier. The report will be presented to Council this fall for consideration.”