June 10, 2025
Parteek Singh Mahal
A proposed 10,000-seat arena in Downtown Surrey has become the focal point of a heated debate within the city’s council, with Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis projecting a cost exceeding $600 million and challenging the project’s viability without a confirmed anchor tenant. Her claims, however, are being directly countered by Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke, who has publicly cited voting records to indicate Councillor Annis’s past support for the very project she now opposes.
In a move aimed at enhancing transparency, the Surrey City Council convened a Special Closed Meeting on Monday, where members voted in favor of making the voting record on the Downtown Arena project public. This decision comes amidst growing scrutiny over the project’s financial implications and strategic direction.
Mayor Brenda Locke wasted no time in addressing Councillor Annis recent criticisms. In a press release, Mayor Locke stated that while Councillor Annis is now publicly criticizing the vision to develop a vibrant entertainment zone in the city’s downtown core, previously confidential records from in-camera meetings tell a different story. These records, from sessions held on October 21, 2024, November 4, 2024, and April 14, 2025, reveal that all members of the Surrey City Council, including Councillor Annis, had previously voted in favor of advancing the arena project.
“It’s essential that the public has fact-based information about the decision-making process,” Mayor Locke emphasized. “I understand that opinions can change, and discussion should continue, but it is important for people to have accurate information.”
Mayor Locke also took aim at Councillor Annis’s projections regarding the project’s cost. “It’s unclear where those figures came from or what their source is,” Mayor Locke noted. She clarified that the arena’s final capital budget would be determined through a detailed process, incorporating a “blended financial approach” that includes revenue from naming rights and targeted city funding, all subject to future Council approval.
Further highlighting what she views as inconsistencies in Annis’s stance, Mayor Locke pointed out that Councillor Annis has recently advocated for prioritizing new recreation facilities and parks over the arena. Yet, Mayor Locke stated that Councillor Annis voted against the city’s budget in meetings on April 14 and April 28. “That’s the very budget that earmarked $701 million for 36 capital projects, including the Newton Community Centre, the expansion of the Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, and the Cloverdale Sport and Ice Complex,” Mayor Locke concluded, stressing the broader implications of Annis’s voting record.
Councillor Annis had said that spending more than $600 million on an arena makes “absolutely no sense” given the myriad of local needs across the city. She has expressed a desire to see a comprehensive 20-year plan developed for more recreation and sport facilities throughout Surrey, suggesting a strategic long-term vision is paramount.
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