In The Beginning
Many believe Surrey began with the European settlers, but actually it began much earlier – 6000 years to be exact, for this was an area rich with the Kwantlen (Qw’ontl’en) and Semiahmoo First Nations people with settlements along the Fraser River, at the mouth of the Campbell River, and along the sheltered bends where villages were established. Some of the communities were seasonal but some were more permanent.
The First Nations communities revolved around fishing and hunting, which is why they could be found along the shorelines of the Fraser River, which was rich in shellfish, oolichans, herring, and salmon, while the forests were home to deer, bear, elk, and birds.
Trade was important to the First Nations people and much of this occurred on the inland routes along the Nicomekl, Serpentine, and Campbell Rivers, which connected First Nations communities. The Douglas fir, red cedar, and hemlock where all native to the area, as were the cranberry bogs, and blackberry bushes so between land and water there was plenty of food for the First Nations that made this area home.
The Coast Salish people went to Kwomais for spiritual renewal (today it is known as Ocean Park in Surrey), which means place of vision. And from the top of the bluff it certainly was a view to the ocean and incorporating surrounding islands.
Since the ice age the area had been occupied by the Coast Salish First Nations people. Then during the latter part of the 1800’s European settlers began to arrive in South Surrey and Cloverdale. Around 1872 settlers began coming to the area currently known as Surrey Center. Abraham Huck and his wife Nancy arrived from Kansas, followed by the Shannon family, the Boothroyd family, and many other families. It was actually William Shannon that inspired the name Cloverdale because of the abundance of clover in the area. So he registered the name Clover Valley with Victoria, and postal delivery followed.
One of those settlers was an Englishman by the name of H.J. Brewer. From New Westminster he gazed across the Fraser River, what he saw was a land that reminded him of his native land – Surrey England. And thus not only was Surrey put on the map, in 1879 the settlement of Surrey, British Columbia was incorporated. Surrey actually encompasses Cloverdale, Whalley, Guilford, Fleetwood, and South Surrey. Today Johnston Road, Hjorth Road, and Sullivan Station are all named after early settlers.
Settlers began setting up family ran stores, and building farms. Two of the first industries to develop were fishing and oyster harvesting. With the forests rich in virgin cedar, hemlock, and fir that had never been logged, it wasn’t long before logging began, not just to clear space for the development of communities, but also as an industry.
The Early 1800’s
By 1880 Surrey had four schools and by 1890 there were an additional seven schools. Most of these were built in farming districts. Each school had a separate school board.
In 1881 at a cost of $400, a 20’ x 30’ building was constructed as the Town Hall, on an acre of land, which Abraham Huck donated. (Current address is 6022 – 176th Street) On May 2nd of 1881 the first Surrey council meeting was held. This would remain the Town Hall until 1912.
1888 to 1891
In 1888 Edward Carncross, a pioneer farmer settled on a 160 acre homestead (currently 32 Ave and 160 Street). There they farmed until 1895 when they sold their homestead and moved into Cloverdale. It was many years later when Edward, a successful businessman, established his real estate business (currently 5665 – 176 Avenue).
In 1890 the Starr family built the first hotel in Cloverdale (now Cloverdale Main Street). This was possible thanks to Mr. Robertson, who held the deed to the land, and offered Starr’s the land if they agreed to build a hotel that would be able to accommodate the men who were arriving to build the railway that would run from New Westminster to Blaine, Washington in the United States. The railway did result in a decrease in water transportation, and it allowed for transportation all year round.
The first rail line in Surrey was actually a logging spur built in 1887 for Royal City Mills. The locomotive Curley was brought up by scow on the Nicomekl River. It was landed about 1/4 mile west of Coast Meridian Road, and it was then hauled to the section of rail running west from the old Royal City logging ditch. It was in 1890 that the section east of the logging ditch to Hazelmere was built.
In 1887 the provincial government granted a charter to build a railway from connection at Blain to Liverpool located on the Fraser River. There was considerable opposition by the federal government but eventually the okay was given and the plan went ahead as planned. By 1989 the New Westminster and NWSR a subsidiary of the Great Northern Railway was under construction.
By April 1890 the clearing for the right of way had begun in Surrey, and by December the tract from Liverpool (now called Port Mann) to the Nicomekl River, which was just south of Coverdale, was completed. And February 14th 1891 was the day two trains met at the border as a part of a celebration to drive the last spikes in. Regular service to Seattle began that same month.
In 1891 the International Order of Odd Fellows, created the fraternal Lodge. However, in 1904 fire destroyed their first hall (current location 5791 – 176th Street). It was rebuilt at a cost of $1260, remaining open until 1951 when the hall site was sold to B&K Grocery Store so that they could move it to land on 58th Avenue they purchased from the Municipality.
1900 to 1915
In 1901 the first one room school house opened, which was home to eleven students ranging in age from 6 to 16. By 1912 the population had outgrown the one room school house and so it was replaced with a two room.
In 1903 the Victoria Terminal Railway and Ferry Company opens the 17.49 miles of road that ran from Port Guichon to Cloverdale where it connected t New Westminster. The rail line and the fast ferry ran freight between Vancouver and Victoria. In addition there was a regular steam service. In 1906 the passenger train began running from Surrey. Not only did it move people it was a way to move lumber and farm produce to Vancouver Island from Surrey.
In 1909 the Bank of Montreal was the first bank to open its doors to do business in Surrey. It was located in the Pemberton and Sons insurance and real estate building (currently 5683 – 176th Street), from whom the bank had leased half of the floor space. Mr. Dickson was the bank manager and living quarters were on the 2nd floor of the building. Today the building still stand with its original glass window panels, irregularities and all.
In 1910 there were only a dozen telephone lines in the area and BC Telephone operated the lines on this exchange manually. The exchange was built by B.C. Mills Timber and Trading Company. Anywhere from 5 to 8 families shared a single line, each with their own code for calls. The number of lines grew to 120 lines by 1933.
By 1910 the roadways had developed nicely and Surrey Council passed the plans for the Pacific Highway. It was completed in 1923 and it provided a gateway between Blaine and Surrey, increasing the number of tourists that came to visit.
In 1912 the Cloverdale area was chosen to build the second Municipal Hall. This was largely because of the growth in the area. It cost just over $12,000 for construction and all the bricks that were used were manufactured right in Surrey at the Cloverdale Brick Plant.
By 1915 the first taxi was on the road. It was driven by George Huckin. Then in 1920 Ed Dupraz put his touring car into service. A full taxi service developed during WWII, called Seabrook Taxi. It was followed by the opening of White Rock Taxi.
1920 to 1949
In 1920 the building that would be home to the Royal Bank was built, but in 1924 the Royal Bank closed leasing the space the LCB (Liquor Control Board) which operated at the location until 1932. The building sat vacant for a year, which was then sold to Mr. Ernie Dann who owned a bicycle and radio repair business.
The early 1920’s post war slump ended and the latter part of the 1920’s actually saw the population grow. The logging and lumber industry continued to flourish, although by 1927 there first growth timber had all been logged. Pacific Highway (Currently Fraser Hwy & Hwy 15) was cemented in 1923 giving better access to Surrey central. With the increased truck and car traffic there was considerable demand for improvement in the roads. But a combination of an improved road network that allowed for easier travel to other areas, and a slow down in the economy the late 1920’s actually saw a decrease in rail service.
In 1930 the population of Surrey had already grown to around 6000 people. The dirty 30’s were felt here like in other parts of the country, which resulted in an economic slump. Prairie droughts had farmers walking away from their farms and heading to British Columbia in the latter 1930’s. They headed to BC in search of rain and because land was still very affordable in Surrey many settled there. 10 acre parcels were easily purchased and so small scale dairy farming and poultry family became the norm.
The area continued to grow and thrive and in 1937 the Pattullo Bridge was constructed to open new route to the city. The completion of this bridge opened the way for Surrey to expand even more. The King George Highway was also completed in 1940 improving access even more. Housing shortages in Vancouver saw more families heading to Surrey to reside. And although not yet a city, the neighborhoods filled with single family homes, becoming a bedroom community for commuters working in both Vancouver and Burnaby. By 1941 around 15,000 called Surrey home.
In 1945 Clarke Greenaway and Jack Shannon established the first rodeo in the area. Their catchy slogan “The West Goes Wilder” was adopted back then and today it’s still going strong along with the rodeo which is held annually at the Cloverdale Rodeo and Exhibition, and it remains the second largest professional rodeo in Canada, bringing spectators from around the globe. Today its remains a legacy of where Surrey/Cloverdale began and its strong western heritage.
1950 to 1979
The 1950’s saw the Pattullo Bridge tolls removed and the north end of Surrey saw a rapid population growth. However, those in the White Rock area felt money being spent in the development of North Surrey was not what was best for them and so a referendum was held and passed for White Rock to incorporate and this passed in the spring legislation in 1957.
Surrey had a difficult time creating employment opportunities and so as much as 75% of workers from Surrey were actually working north of the Fraser River.
By 1961 Surrey’s population was around 71,000, partially a result of huge improvements in transportation. These improvements included the George Massey Tunnel, and the completion of Hwy 99. This resulted in the west side of Surrey experiencing substantial growth. In 1964 the Port Mann Bridge opened as well as a four land Trans Canada Hwy, which resulted in the Guildford and Fleetwood areas of Surrey developing.
The 1970 continued to experience substantial growth and by 1971 there were around 96,000 people that called Surrey home. However, the baby boom was coming to an end so elementary schools faced declining enrollments with secondary enrollment still remaining high.
1980 to 1999
Surrey population didn’t miss a beat and continued to grow. By 1981 it was around 150,000 people, partially as a result of continuing road improvements, and partially because the Newton Industrial area with it’s lower prices was drawing business, and with business came workers.
The size of the family unit had significantly declined and by the mid 1980’s the average family was made up of only two children. This meant that the demands on school systems were reduced.
By 1991 the population in Surrey was over 245,000, and the focus seemed to remain on developing the town center, as well as the industrial parks. By the mid 1990’s more than 80% of the population was employed south of the Fraser River.
Surrey has a lot of protected park land and green space. In fact, a full 1/3 of Surrey land is tied up with parks and green space, which is why it earned the name “City of Parks.” There is no question that Surrey is a major player in the development of the surrounding area. In 1994 Whalley saw Sky Train arrive. There were then four stations – King George, Central City, Gateway, and Scott Road. The population continued to grow rapidly. In fact, over 304,000 called Surrey home.
From the mid 1990’s to now Surrey has experience rapid growth and council has encouraged that growth. Surrey is the fastest growing community in BC. Residential land complements spacious parks, farm lands, entertainment, and superb shopping experiences.
The Here And Now
Surrey is mostly single family dwellings, but condominiums, townhouses, apartments, and executive homes are also readily available. The relaxed lifestyle and open country spaces makes Surrey a very appealing destination. It is accessible by all of the Lower Mainland cities. Five major highways, an international airport, four railways, and deep sea docking facilities can all be found in Surrey.
Surrey encompasses 301.76 square kilometers and is the largest Lower Mainland city with the second highest population over 400,000. Surrey will continue to grow and thrive and it’s rich and colorful history will go on.