Surrey votes to pull out of Metro Vancouver growth strategy

Some municipal politicians are turning their backs on a decades-old agreement guiding development in the Lower Mainland. Surrey is pulling out of Metro Vancouver’s regional growth strategy in the latest sign of growing tensions between cities and the regional government.

“Metro Vancouver region residents are frustrated and I think it was to echo their sentiments that the City of Surrey is also frustrated with the way the governance of the board is operating,” Pardeep Kooner, the Surrey city councillor who tabled the motion, told CTV News on Tuesday.

The housing minister is watching the situation closely – but ultimately wants improvements at Metro Vancouver rather than individual cities working in silos.

“Clearly Metro Vancouver is having a tough time right now, and during tough times is when people need to get together and actually find a solution,” Housing Minister Ravi Kahlon told CTV News on Tuesday. “It’s easy to walk away, and I appreciate some communities are saying it’s easier to walk away, but what we need them to do is get to the table and find solutions.”

This comes with the regional body undergoing a governance review following major criticism of its spending and handling of major projects like the North Shore wastewater treatment plant, which will cost billions more than initially budgeted.

“We’re very prudent with our finances here in the City of Surrey, and I believe there’s a lot of wasteful expenses happening at Metro Vancouver, and we’re trying to work with Metro Vancouver to get to the bottom of that,” Kooner said.

But University of British Columbia political scientist Stewart Prest said it was unclear to him what Surrey wants.

“If Surrey is unhappy with that document, it really is important to figure out what it is they’re unhappy about and what they would like to see change, because the region will continue to be a region, and we continue to have a need to plan collectively,” Prest told CTV News.

The regional body has never had a city withdraw from a growth strategy since they were first agreed to in 1996.

Metro Vancouver Chair Mike Hurley told CTV News in a statement he will reach out to Surrey to hear the city’s concerns.