Monday Morning Gob Smack- She Said What???

Woke up this morning to see Shelley Fralic's glowing report  in the Vancouver Sun on Surrey mayor Dianne Watts.

 Fralic writes that "Watts has cleaned up the grimy bits" and is "hell-bent on cleaning up the grungier parts of town.." 

Nearly sprayed coffee all over the kitchen windows. Didn't know whether to laugh out loud or cry.  

South Newton residents, especially those living near the King George corridor between 72nd & 60th, can only shake their heads at these pronouncements.  Despite well-timed promises for revitalization of the Newton downtown area  no action has been taken and well  friends, THIS is what greets drivers  at one of the busiest intersections in all of Surrey daily. And it's been like this for over a decade.  

If Watts  and Co. continue to neglect Newton- home to Surrey's largest population ( and growing) the result will be seen come next election.  And that's a crying shame, because  up until now, I have voted for her every time.

The Future Lives Here?

The decaying former Surrey Public Market   stands at one of the busiest intersections in town  King George & 64th Avenue.
70,000 drivers daily look at this and think "The Future Lives here??? "

Read  full Vancouver Sun piece here

Time for the Suburbs to Grow Up...

You have a night out planned. 

These are your options:

 A one stop complex  that offers restaurants and entertainment options including a  show theatre  but is located in a neighbouring community?

or .... an aging bingo hall ?

Quick-Where are you going to spend your money?

Bingo Country Surrey BC

Coast Hotel and Cascades Casino Langley BC

What do you think- did Bruce get it right? Ouch!

Click here for Bruce Allen's Reality Check re: Surrey Casino Jan 22

How about International Village for Newton?

Time to think outside the box and build something wonderful that ALL  of Surrey residents can feel good about!

What now for Downtown Newton?
Some thoughts...

Holland Park in Downtown Surrey is home to the Fusion Festival, a popular annual event that   thousands  of families enjoy every year.  Always a wonderful opportunity to showcase our city's amazingly diverse cultures and nationalities. 

 Last summer we attended  with 3 kids from Mexico who said the best thing by far was the delicious food! They  enjoyed the chicken satay with peanut sauce so much that I had to make my version of it for dinner  later that evening! Got everybody talking about how great it would be for Surrey and in particular Downtown Newton to showcase  our multi-culturalism  for more than  just a few weekends a year.  Newton  has the largest population in Surrey many of whom are immigrants bringing with them their own unique gifts and artistic skills.

Wouldn't it be great to see Downtown  Newton transformed into an International Village? Imagine the food!    We'd love to see a farmer's market  that caters to everyone's cultural heritage. 

Bringing cultures together is  what builds a strong community and contributes to

 healthy, safe and vibrant neighbourhoods. 

What do you think? 

Mother and son shopping at open air marketplace

International Village for Newton?

Casino Royale-Time to Shuffle the Deck and Deal

  This weekend Surrey city council  in a close vote  turned down the proposal to build a casino and entertainment complex in South Surrey.

It's a victory for South Surrey residents,  and there's an element of Nimbyism for sure.

 The  No vote has unfortunate consequences for South Newton where Gateway's current Bingo Country operates.
Several months ago council voted to allow slots at that facility on a "temporary" basis until  the new casino in South Surrey was built and the gaming license transferred. 

 At the time it was said by many that  "temporary" had a way of becoming permanent.
And guess what folks, it has.

 The  aging Newton facility will keep operating as it is, and  plans for a new retail complex, complete with Planet Organic as anchor tenant?   Well that's unlikely to happen any time soon if ever.

Newton deserves the same attention and consideration as those  whose wishes were granted late Friday night.

  The city of Surrey must get working with developers to revitalize the South Newton/King George corridor.  

Clearly a need exists for  arts, entertainment and convention facilities. And what better place than  South Newton, the heart of Surrey. It's a no-brainer.

  Compromises will be necessary. We can't have everything we ask for. 

  But the time has come for the suburbs to grow up. Literally and figuratively.

Casino Royale

Tonight Surrey city council hears the second night of  speakers for and against the proposed casino plans for south Surrey.
Whichever way the vote goes, it has an impact here in South Newton.  If the casino is approved for  south Surrey, it looks as though Bingo Country (at Hall Rd and King George ) will be gone (Gateway will be moving the license to the new complex).
That's good news.
 A new retail complex is needed and very much wanted by the booming population in the Hyland, Sullivan Heights and Panorama community.

If the casino proposal doesn't go through it means that  the bingo hall and the slots, which despite much protest from the community were allowed by council  on a "temporary basis" will stay.

It'll be interesting to see how this goes. Will council listen to the wishes of the south Surrey community and vote no, and if so, why didn't they listen to the voices of Newton residents over  the same issue. Time will tell if there are different rules for different areas of Surrey.

Creating inviting public places- Good design means creating a welcoming atmosphere.

 Came across this blog post from People for Public Spaces and had to post it.
It shows great examples of why cutting edge design often falls flat.
 People like friendly welcoming buildings and places, not concrete and 'artsy' design.
 Check it out.

 Where would you want to spend time visiting?