Surrey’s $27.5M Bear Creek Stadium officially opens

Surrey City Council marked the completion of Bear Creek Stadium with a ribbon cutting ceremony today. The facility includes a covered grandstand with three times the seating, an upgraded track and new changerooms. 

The $27.5 Bear Creek Stadium was designed with accessibility and adaptability in mind, featuring extra wide passageways, accessible public washrooms, universal change rooms with accessible showers, and an elevator to bring spectators and sport officials to the upper levels of the grandstand. 

“The completion of the upgraded Bear Creek Stadium is an exciting milestone for our community and will serve as a premier venue for sporting events for the Lower Mainland,” said Mayor Brenda Locke. “With 2,200 seats and a track that meets international standards, we’re positioning ourselves to host major events that will bring visitors and economic benefits to our community. Our Council is committed to ensuring the sports and recreation amenities in Surrey are keeping pace with the tremendous growth of our city. That’s why we continue to make historic investments, including our $710 million capital program, to ensure our growing city has the amenities it needs to thrive.” 

Since the 1950s, the track and field at Bear Creek Park has hosted countless sporting and community events and has seen various improvements over the decades. The new stadium will position Surrey to bid on major sport tourism opportunities through organizations like Athletics Canada and World Athletics that can generate significant economic benefits to the community. Pending Class 2 Facility Certification, Bear Creek Stadium will be eligible to host high-profile events, including World Athletics Continental Tour Gold and Silver events, Bronze-level meets, and Challenger Series events. Key organizations including BC Athletics and BC School Sports will also benefit from this new facility, which will support a wide range of provincial and regional level events. This will help strengthen the athlete development pathway and enhance Surrey’s overall hosting capacity.  

“By investing in facilities like Bear Creek Stadium, we are building an environment that fosters new opportunities for our community to lead a healthy and active lifestyle,” said Councillor Gordon Hepner, Chair of the Parks, Recreation and Sport Tourism Committee. “As one of the fastest growing communities in B.C., expanding our park infrastructure is one way we are strengthening Surrey by providing facilities for local sporting and community groups that also serve as premier destinations to host major regional tournaments and events.”