Thanks so much to everyone who voted, supported us, volunteered with our campaign, and sent good wishes our way. This is a great win, but we know we still have lots [...]]]> Thank you to the residents of our city who have honoured myself, Dianne Watts, and our entire Surrey First Team, by selecting us to represent them for the next three years on City Council and on the Surrey School Board.

Thanks so much to everyone who voted, supported us, volunteered with our campaign, and sent good wishes our way. This is a great win, but we know we still have lots of work to do. We are excited to have the mandate to finish the job we started – creating great jobs for our citizens, maintaining low taxes for both residents and businesses, securing funding for schools, expanding transit for seniors and youth, and investing in recreation facilities.

Thanks for your support; our team will continue to work to help deliver a better future for our residents and Keep Surrey First!

“The Fraser River is a marine highway and we need to start treating it as such. Port Metro Vancouver, which includes several facilities along the Fraser River, [...]]]>

Mayor Dianne Watts and the Surrey First team are calling on Port Metro Vancouver to approve a minimum of an additional 1.3 meters in dredging in the Fraser River, which will result in over 1,300 jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars of economic activity.

“The Fraser River is a marine highway and we need to start treating it as such. Port Metro Vancouver, which includes
several facilities along the Fraser River, is responsible for 47,700 family supporting jobs and $2.2 billion economic
activity in the region,” says Mayor Watts. “For Surrey, the Port is responsible for 4,000 direct and indirect jobs and
$220 million in wages annually. With a minimum of 1.3 meter dredging required, important local businesses, like
Fraser Surrey Docks, will see significant expansion – up to 800 direct jobs, 500 direct trucking jobs and hundreds of
millions of dollars in increased economic activity. Our city cannot wait any longer for the Port to move forward and do
the dredging required to support the expansion of this industry. We are calling on Port Metro Vancouver to act now.”

Fraser Surrey Docks is the only regional port that has direct access to all major Northern American railways, truck
access via the south Fraser Perimeter road, centralized proximity to all the major industrial parks and direct access to
the second largest border crossing in the country.

“Fraser Surrey Docks is currently 70% underutilized,” says Surrey First Councillor and Vice-Chair of the Port Metro
Vancouver Board of Directors Linda Hepner. “Fraser Surrey has the potential to more than double its economic
activity and job growth over the next three years if Port Metro Vancouver continues ongoing maintenance dredging
and approves a minimum of an additional 1.3 meter of increased depth over the key sections of the Fraser River.
This needs to happen, and it needs to happen now.”

Surrey First is calling on the Port to move ahead immediately with the dredging and to develop a sustainable joint
funding formula with stakeholders, including the ports located along the waterway and the federal government.

About Surrey First: Surrey First is an independent, non-partisan team of people seeking positive change in Surrey. Surrey
First was founded in 2007 by Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and is made up of Mayor Watts and Councillors Tom Gill, Linda
Hepner, Mary Martin, Barinder Rasode, Barbara Steele, Judy Villeneuve, Marvin Hunt, as well as 2011 election candidate Bruce
Hayne.

To learn more about Surrey First please visit: http://www.surreyfirst.ca.

That’s the new marketing tag line for the city of Surrey.

And the statistics bear it out. Surrey is British Columbia’s second largest city – having surpassed Victoria – and the fastest growing city in the province.

Its population (460,000 in 2010) swells with over 10,000 new residents each year. Right now, the greatest challenge is how to manage this explosive population growth while not just retaining, but in [...]]]>

The Future Lives Here.

That’s the new marketing tag line for the city of Surrey.

And the statistics bear it out. Surrey is British Columbia’s second largest city – having surpassed Victoria – and the fastest growing city in the province.

Its population (460,000 in 2010) swells with over 10,000 new residents each year. Right now, the greatest challenge is how to manage this explosive population growth while not just retaining, but in improving, the quality of life for its citizens.

Cultural diversity, affordable housing, thousands of acres of parkland and green space, and a wide variety of retail and civic services have attracted homeowners and developers. This burgeoning population has also created plenty of new business opportunities – it’s been voted Best Place to Invest in British Columbia for four years in a row.

Compared to other regions of the Lower Mainland, it’s is a young city with over 100,000 children. If current population growth continues, Surrey will surpass Van-couver as B.C.’s largest city.

Surrey’s 3,000-square-kilometre area – larger than Vancouver and Burnaby combined – consists of a complex number of dissimilar neighbourhoods and communities. This massive grab-bag runs the gamut from Crescent Beach on the Strait of Georgia to the rodeo grounds of Cloverdale to the farms and market gardens along the Fraser River to the original Surrey that sprung up across from the first provincial capital in New Westminster.

A large percentage of Surrey still lies within the agricultural land reserve or is preserved as regional parkland, but there’s little doubt that urban development and real estate are a major driver of Surrey’s economy. Aided by a pro-development mayor, council, and planning department collectively dedicated to cutting red tape and facilitating project status through web-based reporting services, Surrey is attracting major employers who can hire employees from a vast region stretching from Chilliwack into Vancouver. For prospective home purchasers, the major attraction is of course value – families can find spacious houses in Surrey for less than half of comparable detached homes in the city of Van-couver.

Creating cohesion within this community is one of the goals of Build Surrey – an ambitious infrastructure plan that is already radically transforming housing, commerce, recreation, culture, and transportation throughout the region. The focal point is North Surrey (a.k.a. Central City), where the vision is to create the Lower Mainland’s second largest downtown. Very much a workin-progress, Central City features a state-of-the-art public library, a gleaming new city hall, a multiuse recreation centre, performing arts theatre, a welcoming community plaza, and a covered youth park. Even more jobs and infrastructure will be added by the expansion of Surrey General Hospital, Simon Fraser University (Surrey campus), the Surrey School District, and a new RCMP headquarters. All told, over $5 bil-lion will be spent by various levels of government and land developers in Central City.

Andrew Aurie Jefferson was convicted for attacking three women in Calgary back in 2006.

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Drew Grainger says Jefferson is considered a high risk to re-offend.

“His method of operation was to randomly grab a female from behind who is walking down the [...]]]> SURREY (NEWS1130) – Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts is outraged a convicted sex offender known as the Falconridge Rapist is being released into a halfway house in her community.

Andrew Aurie Jefferson was convicted for attacking three women in Calgary back in 2006.

Surrey RCMP Cpl. Drew Grainger says Jefferson is considered a high risk to re-offend.

“His method of operation was to randomly grab a female from behind who is walking down the street,” Grainger said. “He would threaten to kill the female if she screamed and use a knife during the commission of the sexual offence.”

He was convicted for attacking three women in Calgary back in 2007.

He was released from prison earlier this month.

Jefferson spent a brief amount of time in Kelowna and Mission and is now being released into Watts’ community.

“As the mayor of this city I am absolutely outraged,” Watts said. “There has to come a time when the public safety of a community outweighs those of a convicted sex offender.”

Grainger says RCMP will be keeping tabs on Jefferson, making sure he doesn’t break any of the conditions of his release.

That doesn’t do much to ease Watts’ concerns.

“I think the RCMP is between a rock and a hard place,” Watts said. “They will do everything in their power to protect the community from this individual; however this individual is free to wander wherever he pleases.

“I go back to the fact that a third of our population is under the age of 19 and we’re a city of families. To release someone like that into our community is ridiculous. It’s absolutely ridiculous. The federal government needs to change some laws and put in a mechanism where this person is behind bars.”

Jefferson isn’t allowed to go outside between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m. and he’s been ordered not to have any weapons.

If he gets into a relationship with a woman he has to tell his probation officer.

He can’t continue with that relationship until the woman has been told about his criminal past.

“The safety of Surrey residents should always trump those of a convicted sex offender,”  said Surrey First Mayor Dianne Watts. “Eight months ago, this man was deemed such  a high-risk to reoffend that he was denied [...]]]> Surrey, B.C.: On the heels of an RCMP warning regarding a convicted sex offender in  Surrey, Surrey First is calling on the federal government to give tougher sentences and  conditions to repeat, high-risk, sex offenders.

“The safety of Surrey residents should always trump those of a convicted sex offender,”  said Surrey First Mayor Dianne Watts. “Eight months ago, this man was deemed such  a high-risk to reoffend that he was denied early release. We need stricter policies for  these types of criminals.”

RCMP issued the warning in regards to 26-year old Andrew Aurie Jefferson, after he  moved to a Surrey halfway house from Mission. Police say he has a high likelihood of  reoffending. Jefferson terrorized a Calgary neighbourhood with a series of armed rapes  in 2006. He was convicted of three attacks and gained notoriety as the “Falconridge  rapist”. He was sentenced to just six years incarceration in 2007.

“High-risk sex offenders should be given stiff sentences that make public safety a  priority,” said Watts. “There is no reason why this man, who committed his crimes in  Alberta, is being released in Surrey.”

About Surrey First: Surrey First is an independent, non-partisan team of people seeking positive  change in Surrey. Surrey First was founded in 2007 by Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and is made up of  Mayor Watts and councillors Tom Gill, Linda Hepner, Mary Martin, Barinder Rasode, Barbara Steele, Judy Villeneuve, Marvin Hunt, as well as 2011 election candidate Bruce Hayne.

Watts has six candidates running against her for the mayor’s chair but she’s expected to easily win her third term in office. Her campaign has been focusing on the city’s economy.

“Jobs are number one,” she says. [...]]]> SURREY (NEWS1130) – She’s one of the most popular politicians in BC and a recent poll gave Dianne Watts a 68 per cent approval rating; that’s the fourth-highest for city mayors across Canada.

Watts has six candidates running against her for the mayor’s chair but she’s expected to easily win her third term in office. Her campaign has been focusing on the city’s economy.

“Jobs are number one,” she says. “We want to make sure that we have access to jobs in this city. Our young people, our people with families, our single moms need to feed their children.”

Watts was harshly criticized for inviting former US Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush to Surrey for an economic summit, but that’s not expected to have much of an impact on election night.

Mayoral candidate Ross Buchanan has slammed Watts for relocating city hall to Surrey Central, which he calls a big waste of taxpayers’ money. The other high-profile candidate, Vikram Bajwa says he wants to bring transparency to city hall, and scrap the RCMP for a municipal police force.

It’s expected most of the incumbent city councillors under the Surrey First banner will keep their seats.

Although the [...]]]> 36 hours from now, the polls close and the decision about who will represent the residents of Surrey for the next three years will be made. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank our dedicated supporters and volunteers who have worked tirelessly towards the goal of electing the Surrey First team, allowing us the honour of representing this great city and continuing our work in keeping Surrey First.

Although the campaign has been difficult at times, I am extremely proud of our team, who have consistently taken the high road and stood on a record of solid, responsible government.

The Surrey First team has accomplished so much over this term, and I am optimistic about the road ahead, but we have much more work to do. We appreciate your interest and commitment in helping us achieve even more for our city, and we are counting on your support on Election Day, Saturday, November 19th.

Please VOTE!

On Saturday, November 19, 2011Surrey voters will elect a new Surrey City Council, consisting of the Mayor, eight Councillors and the Surrey Board of Education comprising of six [...]]]> Mayor Dianne Watts and the entire Surrey First team thanks the Pacific Eagles Athletic Society for their support in their endorsement! Our entire team is committed to providing great parks and recreation facilities for our city.

City of Surrey – “The Future Lives Here”

On Saturday, November 19, 2011Surrey voters will elect a new Surrey City Council, consisting of the Mayor, eight Councillors and the Surrey Board of Education comprising of six School Trustees. Voters have the option of visiting any one of 50+ locations in Surrey to cast a ballot and polls will be open from 8:00am to 8:00pm.

There are currently 8 Mayoral, 27 City Councillor and 14 Surrey School Trustee candidates.

Pacific Eagles Athletic Society would like to encourage its members and friends to consider the Surrey First Team as their voice and choice of leadership for the City of Surrey Municipal elections, while casting votes on November 19th 2011.

Vote:Surrey First Team
On November 19, 2011

This Saturday, November 19th the residents of Surrey will go to the polls to elect our next City Council. After interviewing and researching the candidates running for election, we would like to inform you of those candidates that our Bayside Executive Members feel best represent the vision for our Rugby Club, as well as sports throughout our community. The Surrey First Team supports centre [...]]]> Dear Bayside Members,

This Saturday, November 19th the residents of Surrey will go to the polls to elect our next City Council. After interviewing and researching the candidates running for election, we would like to inform you of those candidates that our Bayside Executive Members feel best represent the vision for our Rugby Club, as well as sports throughout our community. The Surrey First Team supports centre of Sports Excellence for the city, and holds recreation and the right to play as a top priority. Please remember to get out and vote on Saturday!

SURREY – Surrey First has received several endorsements over the last week, and some members of the team have done some endorsing of their own.

On Nov. 16 Surrey First announced that members of the Surrey Fire Fighters Union Local 1271 have endorsed Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and all eight members of the Surrey First team.

Also endorsing Watts and her team is Guildford Athletic Club.

On Wednesday, [...]]]> BY AMY REID, SURREY NOW

SURREY – Surrey First has received several endorsements over the last week, and some members of the team have done some endorsing of their own.

On Nov. 16 Surrey First announced that members of the Surrey Fire Fighters Union Local 1271 have endorsed Surrey Mayor Dianne Watts and all eight members of the Surrey First team.

Also endorsing Watts and her team is Guildford Athletic Club.

On Wednesday, Watts, Coun. Linda Hepner and Coun. Judy Villeneuve all endorsed Surrey independent school trustee candidate Paul Hillsdon on Twitter.

Watts tweeted “Elect Paul Hillsdon for trustee as he is a great candidate.”

Shortly after, Hepner and Villeneuve followed. “Already voted for you as well as my husband. Right behind Mayor Watt’s endorsement. Education for the future. Go guy!” tweeted Villeneuve.

In the 2008 election, then 18-year-old Hillsdon gave both council and trustee veterans a run for their money, garnering 11,443 votes and 14,399 votes respectively.

CityCaucus.com also endorsed Hillsdon, as well as Surrey First Education trustee candidates Reni Masi, Pam Glass and Shawn Wilson.

CityCaucus endorsed the majority of the Surrey First slate, including incumbent councillors Barinder Rasode, Linda Hepner, Tom Gill, Barbara Steele and Judy Villeneuve as well as Surrey First council hopeful Bruce Hayne.

CityCaucus endorsed independent former councillor Judy Higginbotham and Surrey Civic Coalition former mayor and incumbent Coun. Bob Bose.

In October, Surrey teachers endorsed the whole SCC slate.

The civic election is on Nov. 19.