Surrey

Surrey is the fastest-growing major city in British Columbia and is poised to overtake Vancouver in population. A trip to Surrey shows you a different side of the region: beaches on Boundary Bay, farms, South Asian markets, and one of the largest Sikh parades in the world.

From Farmland to Big City

The area along the Fraser River was home to the Semiahmoo, Katzie, and Kwantlen peoples. Named after the English county of Surrey, the municipality was incorporated in 1879 and was shaped by farming and logging for a long time. With the construction of bridges across the Fraser and later the SkyTrain line, Surrey grew rapidly. Today it is a city of several centers: Whalley with the new City Centre, Guildford, Fleetwood, Newton, Cloverdale, and South Surrey. A large part of the population has South Asian roots, especially from Punjab.

Sights in Surrey

In City Centre, modern buildings such as City Hall, the award-winning library, and Civic Plaza have sprung up. Bear Creek Park, with its gardens, miniature railway, and arts center, is a popular destination for day trips. In Cloverdale, a historic town center with wooden buildings has been preserved, often used as a film set; the Museum of Surrey and the Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair in May recall the area's rural past. To the south you'll find Crescent Beach and the White Rock promenade on Semiahmoo Bay, with a pier, sunsets, and views of the mountains in the U.S. Green Timbers Urban Forest offers woodland in the middle of the city.

Vaisakhi and Food

Every April, Surrey celebrates the Sikh harvest festival Vaisakhi with a parade that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors and ranks among the largest of its kind outside India. Tens of thousands of worshippers walk from the Gurdwara Dashmesh Darbar through Newton, and free food is handed out everywhere. Surrey's restaurants are known for their Indian and Pakistani cuisine, from butter chicken and chole bhature to sweets such as jalebi and barfi. In Newton and along Scott Road, sweet shops, fabric stores, and goldsmiths line the street. In Guildford and in the north, there are also many Chinese, Korean, and Filipino restaurants.

Nature and Recreation

Surrey is a green city with plenty of parks and bike paths. Along Boundary Bay and the Serpentine River, bird-watchers spot migratory birds and bald eagles. In the fields to the east, farms sell berries, pumpkins, and corn directly at the roadside in summer. Anglers catch salmon in the Fraser River. Nearby are the communities of Langley, with its wineries and horse paddocks, and White Rock, whose white boulder on the beach gave the city its name. In summer, Holland Park hosts the Fusion Festival, where cultures from around the world present their music, dances, and foods.

Getting There and Best Time to Visit

The SkyTrain Expo Line connects the center of Surrey with downtown Vancouver in about 40 minutes; an extension to Langley is under construction. Vancouver International Airport is about 22 miles (35 km) away, and the U.S. border at Blaine is only a few minutes from South Surrey. The best time to visit is from May to September, when it is dry and warm. Winters are often rainy, and snow is rare.