Proposal to name a future Surrey-Langley SkyTrain station after former Mayor Doug McCallum
Annis did not suggest precisely which future station should be named after McCallum, who was one of Surrey’s longest-running mayors from 1996 to 2005 and again for one term from 2018 to 2022.
McCallum responded just hours later, thanking Annis for the sentiment but rejecting the idea of naming a station after him.
“I appreciate the sentiment expressed today, but I do not agree that a SkyTrain station should be named after me,” said McCallum in response, asserting that proceeding with the SkyTrain extension along the Fraser Highway corridor — instead of proceeding with the planned Surrey Newton-Guildford street-level light rail transit (LRT) project at the time — was about the greater good.
“The decision to move forward with SkyTrain was never about one individual. It was about the long-term interests of Surrey residents. It was about reducing commute times, supporting economic growth, and ensuring our city had the modern transit infrastructure it deserves.”
Surrey Mayor Doug McCallum. (City of Surrey)
During the 2018 civic election campaign, McCallum won the mayoral race based on two key platform issues — transitioning Surrey’s policing from the RCMP to a new municipal police department and cancelling the Surrey Newton-Guildford LRT in favour of proceeding with a SkyTrain extension along the Fraser Highway corridor. At the time, McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition and others campaigned heavily on the argument that street-level LRT would not meet Surrey’s long-term needs in terms of speed, travel times, capacity, reliability, economic benefits, and its overall ability to encourage people to shift away from driving.
Some of the region’s most significant monuments and transportation infrastructure are named after the politicians or prominent figures who advocated for and spearheaded those projects.
This includes the 1937-built Pattullo Bridge, which was named after former Premier Thomas Dufferin Pattullo, who led British Columbia throughout most of the Great Depression and the early years of the Second World War. However, the newly opened replacement bridge does not honour his legacy, as it is instead named stal̕əw̓asəm/Riverview Bridge — a name chosen by local First Nations.
The George Massey Tunnel, which opened in 1959, was named after former MLA Nehemiah George Massey, who advocated for its construction. The new replacement tunnel currently planned by the provincial government will not retain his name. The 1975-built Arthur Laing Bridge is named after former MP Arthur Laing.
Jack Poole Plaza, the location of the Vancouver Olympic Cauldron, at the Vancouver Convention Centre’s West Building, bears the name of Jack Poole, who was the head of the bid committee that brought the 2010 Olympic Winter Games to Vancouver and Whistler, and subsequently the chairman of local organizing committee VANOC. The plaza was named after him after he died from cancer in October 2009.
No SkyTrain stations currently carry the name of an individual, as station names are generally based on location and wayfinding. However, TransLink has named a Mark II SkyTrain car — “The Spirit of John Furlong” — after John Furlong in recognition of his role as CEO of VANOC and his leadership in delivering a successful Olympic Games.
“Major public infrastructure projects are the result of collaboration between municipal leaders, the Province, TransLink, and many dedicated public servants,” continued McCallum.
“The focus should always remain on the people these projects serve, not on the politicians who happened to be in office at the time.”
Instead, McCallum suggested that station names be opened up to sponsorship naming rights as an additional revenue-generating source.
“If stations are to be named, I believe naming rights should be used strategically to generate revenue. Those funds could help expand transit service, improve affordability, and support housing initiatives near stations so more residents can live close to rapid transit. That would create lasting value for the community,” said McCallum.
Map of the official station names of the eight new stations on the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. (Government of BC)
It should be noted that the official names of the eight stations on this Expo Line extension were jointly announced by TransLink and the provincial government in December 2023. At the time, the public transit authority stated that the names were chosen after extensive research and stakeholder consultation, reflecting unique community landmarks and ensuring the names are “simple, durable, logical, and self-locating.”
The official station names are Green Timbers Station, 152 Street Station, Fleetwood Station, Bakerview-166 Street Station, Hillcrest-184 Street Station, Clayton Station, Willowbrook Station, and Langley City Centre Station.
Annis’ proposal comes as part of her broader Surrey First party platform, which includes creating a mayors advisory council made up of former Surrey mayors to provide insight on key city issues.
“Every mayor has a different style and different priorities, but the thing they all have in common is that each is one of only a handful of people who have ever held the job,” said Annis.
“I want to put that experience to work if I’m elected mayor, and I’d like to have our former mayors provide insight into important city issues.”
She also pointed to differing leadership styles in recent years, citing the ongoing police transition as an example. Annis said she had called for a referendum on the transition, arguing it represented a fundamental change for the city and would have benefited from direct public input.
Linda Annis. (Surrey First)
While praising the SkyTrain extension as an “important new addition,” Annis renewed calls for a reconsideration of developing a street-level LRT network in Surrey.
Throughout most of the 2010s, Surrey First was historically the driving force behind the proposed street-level LRT network in Surrey.
Leading up to the 2018 civic election, Surrey First advocated for street-level LRT, while opposing and doubting the feasibility of a SkyTrain extension reaching Surrey’s areas of Fleetwood, Clayton, and Cloverdale, and neighbouring Langley.
“I want to see Light Rail (LRT) in our future, with the capacity to connect neighbourhoods across the city, the way it does in Europe and other Canadian and American cities,” she said.
“We’re about to become our province’s biggest city and rapid transit has to be the sort of priority where we flex our political muscle in Ottawa and Victoria. Surrey residents are still forced to spend too much time in their cars, because we don’t have the transit we need to meet the needs of our growing city.”
McCallum has not confirmed whether he will be seeking re-election in the October 2026 civic election, but he has increased the frequency of his commentary on civic issues in recent months through Safe Surrey Coalition’s channels and news releases. In the 2022 civic election, he lost by a slim margin of just 973 votes to Brenda Locke under Surrey Connect.
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