Campaign says proposed investments would target recreation, public safety, parks, transportation and community infrastructure
SURREY, B.C. — October 1, 2026 — Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke and the Surrey Connect team have released their 2026 municipal election platform, proposing approximately $1.496 billion in strategic capital investments across recreation and culture, public safety, parks, transportation and community infrastructure.
The platform, titled “A Safer, Healthier, More Connected Surrey — Building the Surrey We Deserve,” was unveiled Thursday alongside an endorsement from the Surrey Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1271.
Surrey Connect says the plan is intended to address infrastructure demands associated with Surrey’s continued growth. The campaign describes the proposal as a five-priority plan centred on recreation, public safety, parks and green space, connected streets and overall quality of life.
Four major spending categories
The campaign’s proposed $1.496-billion capital program is divided into four financial categories:
| Area | Proposed investment |
|---|---|
| Recreation, Culture & Community Facilities | $625 million |
| Public Safety & Emergency Services | $484.5 million |
| Parks & Green Space | $211.5 million |
| Streets, Transportation & Active Mobility | $175 million |
| Total | $1.496 billion |
The fifth priority identified in the platform is a broader commitment to improving quality of life for Surrey residents.
The figures are campaign proposals for the 2026 municipal election, rather than a new City of Surrey-approved capital budget.
$625 million for recreation, culture and community facilities
The largest proposed category is Recreation, Culture & Community Facilities, at $625 million.
Surrey Connect says the proposed investments would include:
- $120 million for a new City Centre Aquatic Centre
- $120 million for a new Cloverdale/Clayton Aquatic Centre
- $150 million for three new South Surrey ice sheets
- $150 million for a Surrey Concert Hall
- $80 million for a new Fleetwood Library
- $5 million for a Newton Athletic Clubhouse
The campaign says the proposed facilities are intended to expand access to recreation, culture, libraries and community programming.
The announcement also references existing projects such as the Cloverdale Sport and Ice Complex and the Newton Community Centre.
Construction on the $310.6-million Newton Community Centre began in September, according to the City of Surrey. The facility is planned to include recreation, culture and library services.
$484.5 million for public safety
Public safety represents the second-largest component of the platform, with $484.5 million in proposed investments.
The campaign identifies four specific commitments:
- $350 million — Public Safety Campus
- $120 million — Green Timbers Firehall
- $12 million — additional four-person fire vehicles
- $2.5 million — support for victims of domestic violence
Surrey Connect also says it has committed to hiring 560 additional public-safety personnel over four years.
The proposed Public Safety Campus would bring emergency-service facilities and infrastructure together, according to the campaign. The Green Timbers Firehall proposal is intended to increase emergency-response capacity.
The campaign is presenting these commitments against the backdrop of Surrey’s ongoing expansion of municipal policing. The City says its approved 2026 budget includes funding for public safety, while the Surrey Police Service’s 2026 budget proposal was $284.5 million.
$211.5 million for parks and green space
Surrey Connect is proposing $211.5 million for parks and green-space initiatives.
The platform includes:
- $75 million for three major park expansions — Surrey Lake Park, Colebrook Park and Bridgeview Waterfront Park
- $60 million for 12 new neighbourhood parks
- $40 million for eight new sports fields
- $20 million for upgrades to existing parks
- $15 million for city-wide tree planting
- $1.5 million for Crescent Beach lifeguard tower and park improvements
The campaign says park upgrades would include walking paths, washrooms, shelters, accessibility improvements and other amenities.
The proposed investments are separate from the City’s existing capital program, which already includes funding for parks, recreation facilities and other community infrastructure. The City’s approved 2026–2030 capital budget totals approximately $1.6 billion.
$175 million for streets, transportation and active mobility
The fourth major category is Streets, Transportation & Active Mobility, with $175 million proposed.
Surrey Connect’s breakdown includes:
- $50 million for residential street upgrades and traffic calming
- $50 million for bike-path upgrades
- $50 million for city-wide beautification
- $25 million for Vision Zero pedestrian upgrades
The campaign says the objective is to make neighbourhood streets safer and improve walking and cycling infrastructure.
Transportation is already a significant part of Surrey’s approved capital program. The City currently identifies $358.5 million in five-year funding for roads and transportation improvements.
Property taxes
The platform also makes a commitment regarding property taxes.
Surrey Connect says it will seek to keep property-tax increases at or below the rate of inflation while pursuing the proposed investments.
The campaign says it intends to maintain what it describes as fiscal discipline while funding infrastructure and services.
That is an election-platform commitment, not a guarantee of a future tax rate. Property-tax rates are ultimately determined through the City’s annual budgeting process.
For 2026, Surrey City Council approved a 2.6 per cent general property-tax increase, which the City says adds approximately $75 per year to the City portion of the property-tax bill for an average single-family home.
Campaign says projects build on existing commitments
A notable point in the platform is that Surrey Connect describes the proposed projects as sitting alongside commitments already underway.
The campaign points to projects including the Newton Community Centre and City Centre Arena.
The City of Surrey says its approved 2026–2030 capital budget contains approximately $1.6 billion in capital funding. That includes roads, transportation, facilities, parks and other infrastructure.
The City also says its current major capital projects include the Newton Community Centre, the 72 Avenue improvements, Centre Block and the City Centre Arena.
The 10,000-seat City Centre Arena and Cultural Event Centre has already been announced as a planned project, with the City saying its estimated net cost is $360 million and that funding was provided for in the 2026 budget.
That distinction is important: the $1.496-billion figure is the Surrey Connect election platform, while the $1.6-billion figure refers to the City’s existing five-year capital budget. The figures should not simply be added together.
Proposed healthcare and education initiatives
The campaign platform also identifies several initiatives that are not simply municipal capital projects.
Surrey Connect says it would:
- Provide a piece of City land to the provincial government for a proposed women’s and children’s hospital
- Continue advocating for a veterinary college in Surrey
- Open eight additional city-supported medical clinics
These initiatives would involve provincial government, educational institutions, healthcare organizations or other partners and therefore would depend on decisions beyond City Council.
Firefighters endorse Locke and Surrey Connect
The platform launch coincided with an endorsement from the Surrey Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 1271.
In its October 1 letter, supplied as part of the campaign material, the association endorses Locke and the Surrey Connect team and cites investments in frontline staffing, fire-hall infrastructure, equipment and public safety.
The endorsement is an organizational position and is presented by the campaign as support for Locke and the Surrey Connect slate.
What is proposed and what is already approved?
For voters reviewing the platform, the distinction between campaign proposals and existing municipal commitments is significant.
Surrey Connect’s own website says its current record includes $1.6 billion in approved capital investment over five years, along with $358.5 million approved for roads and transportation.
The City of Surrey independently reports an approved $1.6-billion 2026–2030 capital budget.
The newly announced $1.496-billion platform is therefore best described as the campaign’s proposed future investment plan. Individual projects may overlap with, expand upon or sit alongside projects already included in the City’s existing plans.
Key numbers
$1.496 billion — total proposed capital investment
$625 million — recreation, culture and community facilities
$484.5 million — public safety and emergency services
$211.5 million — parks and green space
$175 million — streets, transportation and active mobility
560 — additional public-safety personnel promised by the campaign over four years
$350 million — proposed Public Safety Campus
$150 million — proposed South Surrey ice sheets
$150 million — proposed Surrey Concert Hall
$120 million — proposed City Centre Aquatic Centre
$120 million — proposed Cloverdale/Clayton Aquatic Centre
Bottom line
Brenda Locke and Surrey Connect’s newly released platform puts $1.496 billion in proposed capital investments at the centre of their 2026 municipal election campaign.
The proposal covers recreation and culture, public safety, parks, transportation and community infrastructure, while also promising to keep property-tax increases at or below inflation.
Several of the initiatives build on projects already approved or underway, making it important to distinguish the campaign’s new election proposals from Surrey’s existing five-year capital program.
StudioX News will continue covering the platforms and commitments presented by Surrey mayoral and council candidates ahead of the 2026 municipal election.
Harnaik Singh Rathor is the Founder, Publisher, and Editor-in-Chief of StudioX News Canada, Canada's multilingual digital news network serving diaspora communities across 44 languages. With a background in media production, public relations, and multicultural communications, he founded StudioX Film and TV Corporation to bridge the gap between mainstream Canadian media and the country's diverse immigrant communities. He is a member of the Canadian Association of Journalists (CAJ), RTDNA Canada, CPRS Vancouver, NEPMCC, and the Canadian Freelance Union (Unifor). Based in Surrey, British Columbia. | LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/harnaiksinghrathor/ | Muck Rack: https://muckrack.com/harnaiksinghrathor | Email: editor@studioxnews.ca
