Editor:
Surrey has social problems and challenges like any growing metropolis. It has been the butt of jokes for decades. Time for that to change!
Surrey is soon to be the largest city in B.C. and one of the best places in Canada to invest.
It is interesting that people tarnish all of Surrey due to some of the social problems found largely in Whalley and, perhaps, Newton. People do not tarnish all of Vancouver due to social problems found in the Downtown Eastside. There is no comparison between what is happening in Whalley and what is happening in the Downtown Eastside, yet this societal discrimination exists against the people of Surrey by uninformed locals.
As far as I am concerned, clean up your own house and your own city before bashing others. Have we forgotten the Downtown Eastside is home to some of the poorest postal codes in the entire country, despite being located next to some of the richest?
Some comments about Surrey in the news and social media are bordering on “geographic hate speech.” There is even an official Facebook page designed to do nothing but make fun of and bash Surrey and the people of Surrey. This crosses a red line because the people of an entire city are impacted unfairly. Many are hard-working families just trying to get by. The last thing these families and their children need is your social stigma thrown at them.
If Surrey was so bad, there would not be over 1,000 new residents moving here every month, and Surrey would not be one of the fastest-developing cities in the country.
Just walk around the new Surrey City Centre and you will feel the pulse of an exuberant city in transition – with the new city hall, Civic Plaza, Surrey Central Library, SFU Surrey and Kwantlen, not to mention Central City Shopping Mall and Holland Park, as well as numerous new affordable residential highrises.
Furthermore, there are major companies and organizations, such as the RCMP, Fraser Health, Coast Capital Savings and Canada Revenue Agency, all having major offices in the evolving downtown core.
With that said, why do Surrey bashers even exist? Do they feel superior when they put down the people of an entire city? Whatever the reason, I feel they risk having their negative thoughts, feelings, and behaviours adversely impact their life energy, vibe and karma.
Alex Sangha, Surrey
