Surrey municipal election and mayoral transition

During the 2026 Surrey municipal election, mayoral candidate Doug McCallum campaigned on a platform to restore harness racing to the Cloverdale Fairgrounds. His proposal aimed to rebuild the horse barns and racing oval that were demolished following the termination of the Fraser Downs lease in 2025.

Following the election on October 17, McCallum successfully reclaimed the mayoralty, defeating incumbent Brenda Locke by a margin of approximately 10,000 votes. Running with the Safe Surrey Coalition, McCallum secured his fifth term with approximately 42,241 votes (31.78 per cent), while Locke received 30,750 votes (23.14 per cent). In his victory speech, McCallum pledged to focus on public safety, infrastructure, and affordability.

Following his victory, McCallum outlined specific plans for sports infrastructure, rejecting the previous administration’s $360-million, 10,000-seat City Centre Arena. While Locke maintained that contracts for that project were “already signed and irreversible,” McCallum indicated his council would conduct a forensic audit of the associated land deals. Instead, he proposed expanding Bear Creek Stadium to a 10,000-seat capacity through low-cost additions.

Regarding harness racing, McCallum intends to work with the province and Harness Racing BC to restore a full racing season in Cloverdale, aiming to have horses back on the track by the fall 2027 meet. He noted that B.C. Conservative Leader Lorne Doerkson has committed to supporting the rebuilding of Fraser Downs. McCallum’s broader platform also includes bringing the SkyTrain to Newton and constructing a new hospital on city-owned land.