DARPAN 10 with Doug McCallum, City of Surrey Mayor
1) Did you expect victory in the 2018 Surrey municipal elections? Why do you think people opted for Safe Surrey Coalition Party?
No, we didn’t expect victory and that’s why we campaigned hard and talked to as many people as possible in Surrey. We wanted to hear how they wanted their City Council to work for them and we made a promise to deliver on their top priorities.
2) What is the top priority on your agenda for the City of Surrey right now?
As we heard from the people, the top priorities for the City of Surrey are Skytrain, a city police force and Smart Development.
3) How will your approach be different from that of former Mayor, Linda Hepner?
My Council team and I are messengers of the people and we have been elected to carry out the commitments we have campaigned on.
4) You plan to cancel the LRT project in Surrey, what is your take on the project?
On the very first Council meeting we cancelled the LRT project and we are moving forward with SkyTrain.
5) What is your plan for the SkyTrain extension along Fraser Highway to Langley? When do you expect it to be completed?
The Surrey-Langley SkyTrain project is now in the planning and project development phase which is being lead by TransLink.
6) You have vowed to form Surrey’s own police force, why? How will it curb the issue of gang violence in the city?
While the RCMP has served Surrey exceptionally for 68 years, the City of Surrey is the only major metropolitan in Canada that does not have its own municipal police department. Just as Surrey has evolved its infrastructure as the city has grown, we are now evolving how policing is delivered.
7) You have promised a clean Surrey. How will you make it happen and get people motivated for it?
As a city we have numerous programs to ensure our city stays clean from our large item pick-up program to Pop-Up Drop Junk events.
We are also planning a big clean up campaign for this spring. More importantly, the people of Surrey have tremendous pride in their city and I know they will do their share to help us keep our city beautiful.
8) What lessons/experiences as past Mayor will you be contributing to the current role?
I was privileged to serve three terms previously as Mayor of Surrey, and I will be using my experience and knowledge to ensure Surrey gets its fair share as this city continues to grow and rise in stature.
9) What will be your biggest challenge?
We have already taken action on some of the top priorities, such as moving ahead with SkyTrain and a Surrey Police Department. I am focused on ensuring these projects continue to move forward in a timely manner.
10) What is your message to the people of Surrey in your new role as Mayor?
My message is that we were elected by the people of Surrey and we are here for you. What we are doing as a City Council is carrying out the wishes of the people and we are fully committed to that.