‘This mayor has embarrassed our city’: Surrey elects Brenda Locke to replace Doug McCallum

Surrey has elected Brenda Locke as the next mayor.

Locke won over incumbent Doug McCallum in a tight race

She was a member of Surrey city council and previously served as MLA in Surrey-Green Timbers with the BC Liberal Party.

“I want to thank all the other candidates, the other mayor candidates, the other council candidates, and school trustees. It takes a lot to run and so thank you for ensuring that democracy is alive and well and working in Surrey, thank you,” Locke said in her victory speech Saturday.

“Surrey, you really had something to say, you stood up like never before and you made your voices heard. I have to just admire this city and that’s why I love this city. It’s all about moving forward.”

Her platform includes bringing ethics and integrity back to Surrey, reducing wait times for building permits, and putting public safety first by increasing the fire service and retaining the RCMP.

While MLA, Locke served as minister of state for mental health and addictions. She has also been the executive director of the RMT Association and the BC Liquor Retailers Association.

As a councillor for the last four years, she supported the Harmony Apartments, the Cloverdale Arena, and other community sport and leisure infrastructure projects.

Speaking to CityNews, Locke says she’s humbled and honoured that Surrey residents “chose me.”

Locke says the last four years under McCallum have been “very rough.”

“For many of us and for the residents of this city, we have been embarrassed by a mayor who was criminally charged for lying to the police,” she said. “This mayor embarrassed our city and we deserve so much better. And I am absolutely committed to opening up city hall. This is the residents’ house, city hall belongs to the residents.”

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McCallum delivered a concession speech shortly after the results put Locke ahead.

He was first elected mayor of Surrey in 2018. He also previously served as mayor of Surrey from 1996 to 2005.

Speaking to CityNews, McCallum congratulated Mayor-elect Locke and councillors.

“From my point of view, I have a bit of a smile on my face, because I’ve worked very, very hard for the city for many years. I’ve done a lot of things in our city, and our city is moving forward. And I love all the residents in our great city,” he said.

“I sort of see now that the residents want to see a change. I respect the decision that our residents have made, and it gives me the opportunity then to reflect on my life, and how it’s about time that I started enjoying, and maybe not working quite as hard, and enjoying my life and my family that all lives in Surrey,” he said.

On Locke’s promise to stop the transition to a municipal police force, McCallum says that decision will ultimately be up to the provincial government.

“There is a very vocal segment of the population that is against the changeover, [and] it may have had some results from it. Certainly, some of the residents would have taken it into consideration, but I don’t know whether it had a big effect overall,” he said.

The Surrey Board of Trade is among the first groups to congratulate those who were elected on Saturday night.

In a release, President and CEO Anita Huberman says the board hopes the new government will “always be open for new dialogue even when we have different perspectives.”

“We need to restore the soul of Surrey and ensure that Surrey has a solid economic and jobs plan,” she said.

In addition to Locke and McCallum, Amrit Singh Birring, Sukh Dhaliwal, Gordie Hogg, Kuldip Pelia, Jinny Sims, and John Milton Wolanski were also in the running for mayor.

-With files from Robyn Crawford and Martin MacMahon