Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum promises stadium, SkyTrain to Newton at re-election launch

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum made big promises at the launch of his re-election campaign on Thursday, prompting questions about his plans to build a 60,000-seat stadium in the city as well as a SkyTrain extension to Newton.

McCallum, who has been the mayor of Surrey four times, has been successful in the past with bold promises and is now working to win the next municipal election in October.

“Another four years,” said McCallum to a crowd of supporters at the city’s Aria Banquet Hall .

McCallum said transit to Newton — a culturally diverse part of the city made up of businesses and residential neighbourhoods — is a priority.

“We’re going to build SkyTrain from our city centre to Newton,” promised McCallum.

Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum speaks at a news conference in August 2019 about the transition from the RCMP to a municipal police force. (Ben Nelms/CBC)

McCallum had scrapped plans for Light Rail Transit through the area when he was elected mayor in 2018.

He reiterated a promise that he made the day before to build a 60,000-seat stadium for sports and cultural events which would make it bigger than B.C.Place stadium in Vancouver — an idea that drew immediate criticism calling it  unrealistic.

McCallum said the new stadium will be built likely in Fleetwood with no parking lot.

“There won’t be any cars allowed to be at it. People, to get to it, will have to come by rapid transit,” he said.

McCallum also wants the city to build more homes for middle-class residents and double the number of building permits the city issues in the year ahead.

He is running on his record of fulfilled election promises during his last term including the transition from the Surrey RCMP to the city’s new municipal police force and fast-tracking an extension of SkyTrain from Surrey to Langley.

The Surrey Central SkyTrain platform during the morning commute in 2017. (Submitted by Kayla Faustman)

However, McCallum has faced opposition from residents who want to keep the RCMP in Surrey and was charged with public mischief after an incident at a parking lot in South Surrey.

The case has yet to go to trial, but McCallum is not letting the incident get in the way of his political dreams.

McCallum’s party, the Safe Surrey Coalition, is running with a full slate of eight candidates for council.

McCallum is being challenged by several high-profile candidates including former South Surrey MP and former MLA Gordie Hogg, federal MP for Surrey Newton Sukh Dhaliwal, Surrey city councillor Brenda Locke, NDP MLA Jinny Sims and Independent Kuldip Pelia.