Both the British Columbia Conservatives and the New Democrats have promised to extend the SkyTrain transit line in Surrey, B.C., in an attempt to sway support in the vote-rich city, just days before the Oct. 24 provincial election. The campaigns issued news releases within minutes of each other Tuesday, pledging to develop a SkyTrain extension along the King George Boulevard corridor. NDP Leader David Eby said his party has earmarked $250 million in its costed platform for a transit expansion to Surrey’s Newton neighbourhood. His party had previously committed the amount for bus rapid transit along the corridor, stretching from Surrey to White Rock. But he said Tuesday that the New Democrats had worked with Surrey’s mayor-elect, Doug McCallum, on the ongoing project to extend the SkyTrain to Langley and they’re committed to partnering again for the spur along King George Boulevard. “There’s actually a massive factory that’s producing the giant concrete components for these things. It’s already up and running,” Eby added, saying it would help save money in the Newton expansion compared with starting from scratch. The Conservatives also committed to working with Ottawa to fund and build rapid transit along the King George corridor with a SkyTrain extension to Newton. The party issued a statement saying the area had been left at the back of the line for rapid transit for years. It said when plans for light rail to Newton were scrapped in 2018, residents were told transit would come, but eight years later they are still waiting. Speaking at an unrelated campaign announcement in Kelowna on Tuesday, Eby acknowledged there had been an initial proposal for light rail. But he said McCallum, the mayor at the time, wanted the SkyTrain, and the NDP worked with him. Eby was in Kelowna to announce his party was committing $30 million to build an in-patient unit on the unused sixth floor of the Kelowna General Hospital. The plan had been in place before the snap election call, but Eby said he was now able to confirm how much money a re-elected NDP government would contribute. Eby said the Conservative platform lacked costing for major campaign promises. The Conservative platform does not contain specific mention or costing of the party’s pledge to bring the SkyTrain to Newton, only saying the party would support transit expansion where communities demonstrate the need. The platform commits to “future corridors, rail capacity and grade separations,” with capital costs “set project by project through business cases” to be paid for through a new capital plan with federal, municipal and private cost-sharing. Eby was also asked about the results of the referendum in Alberta on Monday that resulted in resounding support for the province to remain in Canada. “It feels like a no-brainer to me, but I am glad to see (that) was confirmed by the people of Alberta,” he said. “I thank the people of Alberta for standing strong for Canada, and we’ll stand strong with Alberta. We won’t agree on everything, but we will work together to make this country strong.” Eby used the opportunity to say the referendum result illustrates “how out of touch” several Conservative candidates are with public sentiment. He pointed to three who had apparently joined a Facebook group linked to Alberta’s separatist movement. Interim B.C. Conservative leader Lorne Doerkson didn’t directly answer a question about potential separatist views in his party when he was asked on Monday, but he said the B.C. Conservatives stand for a strong and united Canada. Doerkson said Eby’s attempts to impugn his patriotism were “disgusting.” Elections BC released the latest figures on Tuesday showing the number of ballots cast during the first four days of advance polls was down by about four per cent compared with the 2024 election, with about 571,000 votes cast from Friday to Monday. That represents about 15 per cent of registered voters. Early voting continues at hundreds of places across the province until 8 p.m. Wednesday ahead of final voting day on Saturday. This report by Brenna Owen, The Canadian Press, was first published Oct. 20, 2026.
