By Rey Fortaleza and Noemi Victorino
In her 2025 State of the City Address on May 14, Mayor Brenda Locke laid out her vision for the Surrey of tomorrow.
At the helm of what will become the biggest city in B.C. on or before 2030, the former city councillor and Member of the Legislative Assembly of the province said that as the “city enters a new era, our vision is for a community where opportunity, diversity, and innovation flourish side by side—a city where everyone matters”.
“Together, we are building a Surrey that is vibrant, inclusive, and ready to embrace the opportunities of tomorrow,” Locke said in her remarks at the Sheraton Vancouver Guildford Hotel.
The mayor expounded on her vision for Surrey in a wide-ranging interview Wednesday (July 30) with the ReyFort Media, publisher of Philippine Asian News Today and Philippine Showbiz Today.
Locke explained that Surrey is a great city because of its people.
“Our people are incredible,” Locke said.
As of July 1, 2024, Surrey’s population was estimated to be 682,235
Surrey is projected to surpass Vancouver as B.C.’s largest city by 2029, with an anticipated population of 785,619.
By 2042, Surrey is predicted to have a population of one million.
In addition to their rapidly growing number, Surrey’s residents are entrepreneurial, Locke also noted.
Based on the city’s official figures, there are 24,320 licensed businesses in Surrey. Also, there has been an 37 percent increase in the total number of business licences in the city since 2018.
“They’re down to earth. They get it done. They understand what it takes to earn a living,” she said about residents in the city.
With the rate the city is growing, Locke said that Surrey will become the “economic engine” of B.C.
“Surrey is ready. Surrey is always ready,” Locke said about the city’s eagerness to embrace a leadership role in the province.
In the interview, the mayor emphasized the need for both provincial and federal governments to step up and support the city’s increasing infrastructure needs.
“Surrey deserves its fair share,” Locke said.
She also cited the need to expand services in the city, from education to health and public transit, which will require dollars from senior levels of government.
Locke also agreed to a suggestion that Surrey could also become a “sports city” in Canada. The mayor noted that the city has great sports fields and ice arenas that are recognized by outsiders.
Locke likewise noted that diversity thrives in Surrey.
Based on the city’s data, 45 percent of Surrey residents are immigrants. As well, 19 percent of Metro Vancouver’s Indigenous population live in the city.
Locke also related that Tagalog, which is the basis of the national language of the Philippines, is one of the most-spoken non-English languages in Surrey.
“We’re always a strong city because of our diversity,” Locke said.
In previous pronouncements, Locke has expressed her support for the creation of a Filipino community and cultural centre.
Emphasizing her commitment to this initiative, the mayor stated her preference to see a Filipino centre developed in Surrey. “It needs to be here,” she said in the July 30 interview with ReyFort Media.
Locke was first elected mayor in 2022. With the next election scheduled in the fall of 2026, Locke is set to ask voters for a new mandate.
“To run and win,” Locke said about her plans for the 2026 municipal election.
Locke encouraged members of the Filipino community to participate in Surrey’s civic life by volunteering their time and talents.
[Editor’s note: Coming soon – watch the full interview with Mayor Locke on reyfortmedia.com and the TV news program Philippine News Canada Balitang Vancouver.]
ReyFort Media 
Leave a comment