Doug McCallum pledges to rebuild Cloverdale horse racing facilities

Mayoral candidate Doug McCallum has promised to rebuild the demolished horse barns and racing oval at Surrey’s Cloverdale Fairgrounds if elected on October 17, 2026. Running with the Safe Surrey Coalition, McCallum aims to bring harness racing back to the area by the fall of 2027.

The proposal seeks to reverse the closure of Fraser Downs, which ended nearly 50 years of racing after the City of Surrey terminated the lease held by Great Canadian Entertainment in August 2025. While the casino operations at the site were permitted to continue, the racetrack and associated barns were demolished at the end of 2025.

McCallum’s platform includes enacting a bylaw that would require a public vote before any redevelopment or sale of the Cloverdale Fairgrounds occurs. He also intends to work with the province and Harness Racing BC to restore the industry to the community. McCallum, a former mayor of Surrey and former CEO of Harness Racing BC, noted that the closure resulted in job losses for approximately 75 to 100 workers.