Surrey’s newest riding is also the city’s most contested.
To keep up with the growing population, the geographical size of Surrey-White Rock, Surrey-Panorama and Surrey-Cloverdale ridings were reduced to make room for Surrey South in 2015.
The BC Electoral Boundaries Commission reported that 57,746 people live within the 125-square-kilometre Surrey South boundary – the largest geographical riding in Surrey.
Voters in the area have shown a history of voting for the right-leaning BC Liberals.
The last time a Liberal was unseated in one of the three ridings was when Jagrup Brar (NDP) won Surrey-Panorama Ridge in 2004.
The BC Liberal candidate eyeing the new Surrey South seat is Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Stephanie Cadieux. She was first elected as a BC Liberal MLA in 2009, representing Surrey-Panorama. In 2013, she was elected for the Surrey-Cloverdale riding.
She is currently the minister of children and family development, and has previously served as minister of social development, minister of labour, citizen’s and open government and minister of community, sport and cultural development.
Cadieux will be one of seven candidates vying for the seat.
The NDP nominated Jonathan Silveira as a suitable fit for the new riding. Silveira is a realtor and mortgage broker and founder of Surrey Kids Matter. He unsuccessfully ran for Surrey School District trustee in 2014.
According to his campaign website, Silveira successfully negotiated the UPAS, a universal transit pass for students. He sat on SFU’s board of governors and served the Canadian Federation of Students and Simon Fraser Student Society.
Pascal Tremblay was selected to represent the BC Green Party in the riding. His BC Green Party webpage says he has been working in technology, design, communications and entrepreneurship for the past 15 years.
A Green Party news release says he’s the co-founder and creative director of The Good Kind design strategy agency, which helps organizations and campaigns amplify their impact and outreach efforts. The BC Greens website said he is also the founder of appeal company, Hello Positive.
Paramount Computers president Gary Hee is running as an independent. He named removing bridge tolls from the Port Mann Bridge as a key reason behind his decision to run.
He claims to have been a Block Watch captain for approximately four years in the Clayton area. Hee also expressed a concern over the condition of area hospitals and homelessness.
Fabiola Palomino hopes to take the seat under the Your Political Party of BC banner.
Originally from Peru, she worked as a TV and radio journalist in her home country. Moving to B.C. in 2005, Palomino has been the host of Shaw’s TV show called “The Immigrant’s Magazine.”
She describes honesty and transparency as two virtues that can define her personality. She enjoys reading, cooking, writing and running.
UBC political science student Josh Barrett is running as a Libertarian in the riding. He said he was inspired to pursue politics was after Ron Paul’s 2012 U.S. presidential campaign.
He says he was compelled by Paul’s message of individual liberty and limited government.
Dr. Peter Njenga is likely the most controversial candidate on the ballot.
Defining himself as a “liberal at heart,” Njenga announced he would be running as an independent after being “rejected” by the BC Liberals.
In 2015, he ran unsuccessfully for nomination in the federal election as a Liberal candidate for South Surrey-White Rock, but was then named Liberal candidate for Abbotsford and finished second.
For the 2017 election, Njenga said he applied for nomination with the BC Liberals for Panorama-Surrey riding, but his application was denied.
In a Facebook post Jan. 26, Njenga took issue with the BC Liberal party’s candidate nomination process. In the post, he says he wrote a letter to Premier Christy Clark, asking for her blessing to be a candidate for Surrey-Panorama.
“There should be no discrimination for party members seeking election offices,” said Njenga’s online post (sic). “I also question why you did not reply to my letter. I need your advise: If there is no chance of ever been given a chance in our party as a black candidate, should I then go to another party. Somebody told me there is no chance and I want to here from you publically.”
The boundary riding includes Mud Bay and follows 24th Avenue to Highway 99 where it jets south to the border. The riding follows 0 Avenue to 196th Street where it goes straight north to 76th Avenue. The northern chunk of the riding zig-zags southwest to 188th Street, then south to 56th Avenue and lines west back to Mud Bay.