Surrey resident group plans legal action in bid to stop road extension through local park
Opponents of a plan to extend a road through a southern section of Surrey’s Bear Creek Park are now preparing to take legal action to stop the project from going ahead.
On Monday, city council was scheduled to consider approving the awarding of the construction contract for the 84th Avenue extension, which will connect the road between King George Boulevard and 140th Street.
On the project’s website, the city said the vehicle lanes will be built “within the existing road allowance and under the BC Hydro power lines, not in the Bear Creek Park Reservation Area.”
The project is intended to help ease traffic pressures in other areas, including the intersection of 88th Avenue and King George Boulevard.
Sebastian Sajda with the local residents group Friends of Bear Creek Park said the road extension will “disrupt the entire ecosystem.”
“A lot of people have said that these southern lands of Bear Creek Park aren’t really that important because they’re undeveloped,” he said. “But really, this where all the critters live.”
His group is planning to seek a court injunction in an attempt to halt the project. Construction is slated to get underway this summer.
“One of our biggest issues was the public consultation, which wasn’t much of a consultation,” he said. “It wasn’t asking whether we wanted the road, it was asking what we wanted the road to look like, and we just think that’s unacceptable.”
A report from the city’s general manager of engineering last May indicated a project survey that was issued sought feedback on “road design, cycling and pedestrian connections, improvements for park access and parking, and environmental enhancements opportunities,” and also included “open-ended comment boxes.”
Of the comments received, the report said 76 per cent did not express an opinion either way, while 16 per cent explicitly stated opposition, and eight per cent were supportive.
The report also noted the receipt of a hardcopy petition signed by 500 people in support of the project, the majority Surrey residents.
However, Surrey City Coun. Linda Annis said another petition was also presented to council bearing thousands of signatures against the project, and she wants the engineering department to look at other options to improve road safety.
“I think the mayor needs to put a pause on this. He needs to do proper public engagement,” she said. “Why would we put a road through an iconic park such as Bear Creek? It makes no sense to me.”
CTV News Vancouver requested to speak to Surrey’s mayor, but was told he was unavailable.
The extension route also crosses two salmon-bearing creeks. The city intends to build a bridge over one and a culvert at the other.
The environmental assessment also noted a small wetland area between the two waterways would be “partially disrupted” by the road. The city plans to mitigate the impact by creating a “large wetland pond” south of 84th Avenue, near an existing parking lot.
“It’s absolutely not a foregone conclusion,” Sajda said. “There’s a number of permits that the city has to file with both the provincial and federal authorities, and we’re also preparing a legal challenge to stop this road.”
While regulatory approval still has to be sought for some of the work, the city plans to start construction outside of environmentally sensitive areas first, and intends to complete the road by next fall.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
'Sophisticated' cyberattacks detected on B.C. government networks, premier says
There has been a "sophisticated" cybersecurity breach detected on B.C. government networks, Premier David Eby confirmed Wednesday evening.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
Biden says he will stop sending bombs and artillery shells to Israel if they launch major invasion of Rafah
U.S. President Joe Biden said for the first time Wednesday he would halt shipments of American weapons to Israel, which he acknowledged have been used to kill civilians in Gaza, if Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu orders a major invasion of the city of Rafah.
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs to start for Canucks in Game 1 vs. Oilers
Rookie goalie Arturs Silovs will start in net for the Canucks as Vancouver kicks off a second-round series against the Edmonton Oilers Wednesday night.
Nijjar murder suspect says he had Canadian study permit in immigration firm's video
One of the Indian nationals accused of murdering British Columbia Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar says in a social media video that he received a Canadian study permit with the help of an Indian immigration consultancy.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Quebec premier defends new museum on Quebecois nation after Indigenous criticism
Quebec Premier Francois Legault is defending his comments about a new history museum after he was accused by a prominent First Nations group of trying to erase their history.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.