Surrey delays opening of Clayton Community Centre due to COVID-19 deficit

SURREY (NEWS 1130) — Faced with a deficit in the $40 million range due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the City of Surrey is delaying the opening of a new community centre.

According to a new report, the shortfall is estimated to be between $37 million and $42 million, and pushing back the opening of the Clayton Community Centre by three months will save Surrey about $2.5 million.

“Staff are deferring the opening of Clayton Community Center until the first quarter of 2021. This facility will provide net new services to our residents and as such does not reduce current service levels. Furthermore, there is significant concern that given the COVID-19 pandemic there will be significantly reduced demand by the public for the remainder of the year. In addition, staffing of the facility will result in hiring challenges given that some staff from other facilities are currently laid off,” the report reads.

Mike Bola is the president of the Cloverdale Community Association, and said he thinks there are other ways to cut spending.

He said he’s surprised that a deficit has come up in Surrey when he was under the impression from Mayor Doug McCallum that everything was in good shape financially at the start of the pandemic.

“The mayor had said there was no issue with the financial stability and that everything was good. After that announcement, now we find out [the City] is going to be short $42 million.” Bola told NEWS 1130.

Bola is disappointed that the opening of the new community centre is being delayed while spending is going forward on the transition from the Surrey RCMP to a municipal police force

“It would be better if [the City] delayed this police transition project for six months, maybe that would help re-gather that $42 million. Then once the economy is back up fully, then it would be better for them to go out and continue on with that project.” Bola added.

Most parks and major civic facilities in the area will be kept closed until September. Bola knows that’s going to have a big impact on parents this summer.

“We all know that most families have kept their children at home during the pandemic. When they’re at home they have nowhere else to go. Now that the economy is slowly opening up, parents are going to want to send their kids out and be able to socialize and spend some time at community centres,” he said.

“This Clayton Community Centre was certainly needed in that area because there was nothing there serving that neighbourhood. The mayor and council are saying that what they’re doing is for the children of Surrey, that’s not true.”

Bola says his side views this as, “The police project vs. the children of Surrey.”

“This is how we are looking at it.”