Teresa & Helmut Shandl

This lucky couple, lovely Teresa and husband Helmut of Surrey, are the excited winners of our getaway to the gorgeous Georgian Court Hotel in downtown Vancouver.  They’ll be dining at the well-loved William Tell Restaurant and at a culinary extravaganza on Granville Island with Edible BC!

Warm thanks to our generous sponsors, the Georgian Court Hotel, the William Tell Restaurant and Edible BC at Granville Island.

Roger Cooksley of Langley, BC is our second Getaway BC winner with a great trip over to Vancouver Island’s Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Resort & Spa! A special thanks to Tigh-Na-Mara and the great folks at BC Ferries for providing this trip!

Sandra Baines of Vancouver was thrilled when I contacted her to confirm her winning our first getawaybc.com getaway…the trip to Whistler and The Adara Hotel.  Our thanks to Bellstar Hotel & Resorts and Tourism Whistler for their generous contributions!

Eaglequest at Coyote Creek, 7778 152nd St. 604-597-4653

Full-length course, plus 76-stall, two-tier driving range, and golf lessons.

Riverside Golf Course, 3600 King George Hwy, 604-531-3555

Boasts one of most difficult par 3 layouts in B.C.

Guildford Golf & Country Club, 7929 152 St. 604-594-0282

18-hole golf course tests the skills of beginners and advanced golfers.

Sunrise Executive Par 3 Golf Course, 5640 – 188th St. 604-576-1995

Fast-playing 9-hole course is perfect for corporate or family tournaments.

Hazelmere Golf & Tennis Club, 18150 8th Ave. 604-538-1818

Nestled among Hazelmere Valley’s many farms, this course features elevated greens and level fairways.

Morgan Creek, 3500 Morgan Creek Way 604-531-GOLF

This championship course is home to Morgan Creek Golf School and full-service facilities for tournaments, corporate functions and weddings.

Northview Golf & Country Club, 6857 168 St. 604-576-4653

This world-class course boasts two Arnold Palmer-designed courses, a fine dining restaurant and lessons with CPGA professionals.

Surrey Golf Course, 7700 168 St. 604-576-8224

Golfers can choose between a 9 hole or an 18-hole championship course, with B.C.’s longest par-5 hole.

Birdies and Buckets Family Golf Centre, 5228 King George Hwy 604-592-9188

This family-friendly facility includes five target greens and a 76-stall driving range.

Fraser Golf Driving Range, 17015 Fraser Hwy 604-574-5488

Improve your swing at this facility’s driving range.

Meridian Golf, 1054 168 St. 604-541-1213

This par-3 family owned course was built on a former hazelnut farm.

Nico Wynd, 3601 Nico Wynd Dr. 604-535-9511

Set against the backdrop of the Nicomekl River, this course offers level terrain for easy walking.

Peace Arch Golf Centre, 765-172 St. 604-541-1214

A short drive from the border, this facility includes a driving range.

Peace Portal Golf Course, 16900 4th Ave. 604-538-4818

Open since 1928, this course offers beautiful scenery and challenging terrain.

Riverside Golf Course, 3600 King George Hwy 604-531-3555

Designed by Gordon Piorier in 1969, this course has one of the most difficult layouts in the province.

Sunrise Executive Par 3 Golf Course, 5640 188 St. 604-576-1995

Open from April to November, this fast-playing 9-hole course is perfect for family tournaments.;

“There is whole range of programs,” Laurie Cavan, manager of Community and Leisure Services for the City of Surrey, pointed out. “There is a wide variety of offerings.”

While some of Surrey’s town centres feature their own specific seniors’ facilities, explained Cavan, “others offer a variety of programs within our community centres.”

Those programs are widely diverse, ranging from the basic act of coming together to socialize with peers, to physical fitness/wellness activities, card games, drama activities and even computer clubs.

Where the seniors’ services are integrated with rec centres, thus providing access to gyms, you can add such sports as badminton and carpet bowling to the mix.

Seniors’ services are available at the following venues:

Bear Creek Pavilion

88 Avenue & King George Hwy.

604-502-6385

Cloverdale Seniors’ Centre

17671 – 56 Avenue

604-502-6432

Fleetwood Community Centre

15996 – 84 Avenue

604-501-5030

Guildford Recreation Centre

15105 – 105 Avenue

604-502-6362

Newton Seniors’ Centre

13775 – 70 Avenue

604-501-5010

Sunrise Pavilion Seniors’ Centre

10341 – 135 Street

604-502-6380

The Guildford Community Partners Society is working closely with several government agencies to have an Olympic-sized pool built at the Guildford Recreation Centre.

Society president Rob Terris said the new facility would benefit not only the Guildford town centre, but also all of Surrey and the Lower Mainland.

“People would come from all over the world to train and swim here,” he said. “There will be huge opportunities to host B.C. events, Canadian events and international events.”

The spin-offs for Guildford are what really interest the GCPS. “The whole philosophy behind the project is to get the community actively involved,” Terris said.

That community had an estimated population in 2004 of 52,500. One of the largest in Surrey, Guildford sees its boundaries run along 144 Street up to 96 Avenue, before doglegging over to 84 Avenue up to the Langley border. Those perimeters run clear through and along the Fraser River, and encompass such neighborhoods as Fraser Heights and Tynehead.

There are a high percentage of single parents and youths in Guildford and Terris and his organization are working hard with the RCMP and other social agencies to ensure that the community is safe and thriving.

“We want to try to reduce risks and offer better options to raise awareness of the problems, to get the police out in walking patrols, in bike patrols,” Terris explained.

A new pool would go a long way towards adding pride to the mixture, and offering an exciting option for activities and social interaction.

While no start date for construction has been tabled, Terris noted that all parties involved are committed to seeing the project completed.

“We’re still working out the details,” he said. “But it’s coming along favorably.”

Guildford Notes:

The folks here sure are accommodating.

The Sheraton Guildford, long a landmark of the area, has been joined in the past year by the Sandman Suites and the Hampton Inn & Suites. Sleeping in style is obviously taken seriously in an area long considered one of the strongest retail sectors in Surrey.

That’s largely due to the Guildford Town Centre, one of the city’s largest malls, whose selection is augmented by neighboring businesses, strip malls and restaurants. Coming soon: a new auto mall adjacent to the freeway northwest of the Sheraton.

Guildford Highlights:

Surrey Chamber of Commerce

14439 104 Avenue

604-581-7130

www.surreychamber.org

It just makes good business sense to be a member of the Surrey Chamber of Commerce. Since moving away from its tourism commitments, the chamber has focused its considerable energy on encouraging the growth of the Surrey business sector. As the city’s collective business voice since 1918, the chamber, which is the third largest in the province, has a made a determined effort to be hands-on in its involvement with the numerous initiatives for members of the business community. Located within the chamber’s office is the Business Resource Centre, which offers one-stop business registration, name search/name approval registration and a wealth of information and support for businesses of all sizes. Special events, such as the Business Excellence Awards, employee appreciation events, keynote speakers for ongoing luncheons, the Police Officer of the Year awards and several others are held on a regular basis, providing both networking opportunities and resources.

Guildford Recreation Centre

15105 – 105 Avenue

604-502-6360

Anyone looking to validate how valuable the $11-million centre is to Surrey need look no further back than 2003 when it was awarded the prestigious B.C. Recreation and Parks Association Facility Excellence Award. That’s a whole lot of recognition. Adjoining the Surrey Public Library, the 65,000-sq.-ft. operation features three full-size tournament gymnasiums, a 1/8th-mile indoor running track, a 9,000-sq.-ft. cardio/weight room and fitness class space, massage therapy, and the very popular “Planet Youth” room.

Guildford Community Partners Society

Contact: Rob Terris, president, 604-582-3342

This organization was conceived with one purpose in mind – to make Guildford a better community to live in. Since 1984, the GCPS has attracted some of the strongest, most vibrant voices in Surrey to lobby for recreational facilities and anything else that would raise the quality of life in the city. Membership is $2 per year, or $5 for five years.

Alzheimer Society of B.C. 604-541-0606

Canadian Cancer Society 604-574-2361

Heritage Volunteer Opportunities 604-502-6458

Special Events Department 604-591-4203

Surrey Arts Centre 604-501-5566

(NEW) Youth Services 604-502-6322

prcvolunteer@city.surrey.bc.ca;

Fleetwood, named for an early pioneer who died in action during the First World War, is reaping the benefits of the Fraser Highway expansion. The route is a major factor in the lives of the nearly 50,000 people who populate Fleetwood, whose boundaries extend from 96 Avenue to 72 Avenue, and between 176 Street and 144 Street.

The latest phase of roadwork, from 160 Street to 168 Street, will help the development of housing as well as the town centre, said Rick Hart, president of the Fleetwood Community Association.

“Such a project just improves the access to Fleetwood and the economic viability of the business sector. It will add to the vitality of the community.”

The Fleetwood Community Association has been looking after the better interests of the area since it was first established in 1923 to deal with community business. A strong advocate for the pioneering town centre, the FCA is a volunteer-based, non-profit society comprised of local business owners and residents.

During its long history, the association has been a keen advocate for the area, lending guidance to emerging businesses sectors and encouraging such projects as the Fleetwood Youth Park. The facility, complete with a games court and concrete skate park, is located on the south side of the Surrey Sports & Leisure Complex. The association has also worked in conjunction with the City of Surrey to develop Fleetwood Park, Fleetwood Community Centre, the Fleetwood/Guildford Community Station and guidelines for the Fleetwood Town Centre.

The Sports & Leisure Complex, Surrey’s largest aquatic facility, was conceived under the critical eye of the FCA and now is a hub of activity for everyone from children to seniors. It boasts a 52-metre competition pool, as well as a leisure pool, swirl pool, water slide, wet steam room and dry sauna. For those who prefer to work out on dry land, there is also a 10,000-sq.-ft. fitness centre featuring the latest in cardio and weight equipment.

Another key involvement has been with the Fleetwood Community Plan, which was passed in 1999, incorporating the overall City of Surrey vision.

Fleetwood’s appeal has attracted several significant, high-profile businesses, including Terasen, whose expansion into the area including establishing its regional office, as well as Mercedes Benz.

Fleetwood Highlights:

Surrey Sports & Leisure Complex

16555 Fraser Highway

604-501-5950

The aquatic area features an Olympic-size pool and all the fun you can have in a bathing suit. The arena area, which opened in the fall of 1999, is a state-of-the-art facility containing two NHL-size rinks, and nine dressing rooms, including one that is female-only. Combined seating for 360 spectators is available. The 380-sq.-ft meeting room can accommodate 30 people theatre-style or 12 for boardroom seating.

Fleetwood Recreation Centre

15996 84 Avenue

604-501-5030

Offers programs for all ages, from pre-schoolers to seniors. A workout area features fitness classes and a weight room.

Fleetwood off-leash dog park

Fleetwood was the first Surrey community to receive a dedicated off-leash park. Initiated by Surrey Parks, Recreation and Culture, the site is a seven-hectare area located at 84 Avenue near 154 Street. It includes 25 parking stalls, open grass areas and a trail system.

The Fleetwood Community Association

The association’s Web site (www.fleetwood.surrey.bc.ca) is a wealth of information about the area. Its menu links to community groups, sporting associations, churches and much more. An active event calendar is also posted, and there is no charge for organizations and non-profit associations to communicate their special events on-line.

That may be a slight exaggeration on how quickly one of Surrey’s oldest communities is growing and changing, but there is no denying that plans to revitalize the area are making a huge difference.

“I think everyone has finally understood that Whalley’s time has come,” noted Pete Nichols, president of the Whalley Business Improvement Association.

The area, named after its first gas station and general store, opened in 1925 by Arthur Whalley at the triangle where Grosvenor and Ferguson Roads now meet at King George Highway.

Old Arthur wouldn’t recognize the place now.

“The area is just booming,” Nichols said, pointing out that the commercial Gateway Towers is now 100 per cent occupied, and such prestigious firms as JP Morgan have moved their operations to the award-winning Central City complex.

“A community can’t grow until a community comes together,” he said.

“And that’s what has happened here the last two years. The city, the residents, and the businesses are starting to express their pride in the area. They see the potential.”

The BIA is doing its bit, conforming to the City of Surrey’s $10-million Whalley Enhancement Strategy that will see services and facilities upgraded, the launch of such beautification projects as roadwork, parkland and waterfront acquisitions and the upgrading of recreation centres.

The project with the sexiest buzz was the $70-million satellite campus of Simon Fraser University in Central City.

“The people in the community now have the option to go to university here, rather than travel,” Nichols said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for this community.”

And opportunity is the key word when it comes to Whalley’s future.

“Surrey is here for people to discover; it’s here for people to live,” Nichols said. “Whalley is taking advantage of that. It’s a prime location just waiting for the right push from every player.”

Whalley Highlights:

Central City

13450 102 Avenue

This valuable addition to the Whalley skyline was named the world’s best real estate development at the 2004 Marche International des Professionals de L’Immobiliser Awards. Designed by Bing Thom, the $250-million complex was voted the best Business Centre and the sole recipient of the Special Jury Prize. As the hub of the Whalley city centre, Central City combines the elements of a 23-storey tower, the existing SkyTrain station, Surrey Place Mall and the North Surrey Recreational Centre. The development also includes a five-storey podium, an atrium and a three-story linear galleria.

Surrey Tourism and Convention Association

#175 – 13450 102 Avenue

604-581-1415

www.tourismsurrey.ca

Anyone wondering just how popular Surrey is as a destination need only ask Janet Marwick, the executive director of the Surrey Tourism and Convention Association (STCA). The number of people stopping by the association’s Visitors Info Centre is on the constant upswing.

“The interest in Surrey is certainly up as people become more aware of all the different attractions we have to offer,” said Marwick.

Those attractions are displayed to their full advantage whenever the association hosts a familiarization excursion for tourism industry types. A typical day-long agenda would start with breakfast with a view from the top of Central City, followed by a tour of Northview Golf & Country Club, Fraser Downs Raceway, the Cloverdale Antique Mall, Bear Creek Park, the Surrey Art Gallery and historic Stewart Farm before finishing off with a turn in a sea kayak.

“The point we’re trying to make is that, while Surrey is part of the Lower Mainland, you can do just about anything in the course of one day here,” Marwick said. “We have all these different venues and attractions, so that we can serve everyone’s interest. It’s pretty wonderful.”

The SCTA moved its office to the tower of award-winning Central City late in 2003 and, according to Marwick, the organization is “proud to be part of this location.”

“It’s one of the first steps in the revitalization of Whalley,” Marwick pointed out. “We’re having a lot of people coming out just to see the building. That’s great for us because it gives us the opportunity to introduce them to all sorts of other things that are happening within the city.”

Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre

13629 108 Avenue

604-584-2008

Its name means “Welcome” in Chinook, the ancient coastal trading language, and that attitude of acceptance and invitation is what makes the Kla-how-eya Aboriginal Centre such an integral element of Whalley, which has a large First Nations population.

“The purpose is to help aboriginal people move forward in their lives,” facility executive director Sue Hammell said.

“To give a hand-up when it’s needed.”

The only aboriginal community centre south of the Fraser River, Kla-how-eya offers a plethora of services to assist families and children. These include an Outreach Department to support at-risk families, a Culinary Arts Program and a Youth Project that provides a vital link to the culture, language and history of First Nations. Among the centre’s many activities is the annual June 21 celebration of Aboriginal Day.

Although the popular doughnut outlet, located in the Scottsdale Centre Mall, is the first of its kind in Western Canada and has proven very popular with assorted sweet teeth from across the Lower Mainland.

Add in a large townhouse complex in development at 68 Avenue and Scott Road, and the application process for a new K-Mart, and there’s no lack of happy tradespeople in the area.

“There is lots of development going on,” noted Mark Pratley, president of the Surrey Delta Business Association. “And that’s encouraging.”

Scott Road, which forms the main border between Surrey and North Delta, was named after one Col. J.T. Scott. A provincial contractor, Scott was hired in 1873 to construct what is now 120 Street, from Brownsville to Mud Bay. Although the colonel never did complete the wagon road he was to have forged, his name lives on.

Spanning from the Patullo Bridge right through to Highway 10, the Scott Road town centre has been one of Surrey’s fastest developing areas over the past 30 years. With big box retailers, including the new Real Canadian Superstore in the Delta Shoppers Mall, super centres framing the south end of the road and a unique and colorful Punjabi Market capping the north end, Scott Road is a melting pot of commerce and interests.

“Scott Road used to be the suburbs but it’s a metropolitan area now,” Pratley said.

“A lot of people are moving here so they can get a better deal on housing and still be close to the Alex Fraser Bridge and still be close to shopping.”

Scott Road Highlights:

Surrey Delta Business Association

The SDBA is a non-profit, non-partisan group once known as the Scott Road Business Association. It has now expanded its membership to include the surrounding Delta area.

“It’s good for other businesses that are not just on Scott Road,” Pratley said.

“We’re growing now on a fairly steady business.”

The SDBA works to influence and assist future development of the Scott Road business corridor, and to enhance business growth and establish networking systems. Part of its mandate is also to create awareness of the area with consumers, governments at all levels, and both the Surrey and Delta chambers.

Other initiatives for the SDBA include the revitalization of the Delta business zones along Scott Road, as well as addressing the issues of Surrey and Delta signage bylaws.

For more information, contact Mark Pratley at markp@sdba.ca

Take that house on Bell Road, for instance.

“It was slated for demolition,” Smith explained, “so we rigged it up and blew it to smithereens.”

Now before you start thinking that Smith is some kind of menace to society, it should be pointed out that the reason for all that destruction was so it could be captured on celluloid. And Smith’s involvement had more to do with permits than plastic explosives

The movie in question was Chaos, starring Wesley Snipes, Jason Statham and Ryan Phillippe. For Smith, as the City of Surrey’s manager of filming and special events, it was just one of many projects that kept his office busy during the first half of 2004.

“We’re off to a roaring start this year,” Smith said, adding that revenue was up more than 150 per cent over the same time period the previous year.

Considering that one report showed unionized crewmembers alone made more than $40 million in taxable income in 2003, we’re talking big bucks here.

“Obviously we’re delighted with what’s happening,” Smith said. “But we always take this with a grain of salt because things can drop off quickly. You can be roaring along with three or four major motion pictures back-to-back, then, all of a sudden, it just dries right up. It’s a very unpredictable situation.”

Case in point: Stargate SG-1. The TV series practically claimed Stokes Pit as its home planet, but now construction on the Campbell Heights Industrial Park has forced the production to seek alternative shooting sites.

Sharp-eyed audiences can spot Surrey locales in such big-screen fare as Miracle, Catwoman, I, Robot and Walking Tall. Along with Stargate, other TV series taking advantage of Surrey’s unique look include Smallville (which has put Cloverdale on the map,) Jake 2.0 and the Stephen King miniseries Kingdom Hospital. In the day, The X-Files and Millennium were frequent visitors as well.

It’s no accident that film crews love Surrey. It has everything to do with being welcomed with open arms.

“We’ve developed an attitude within the industry that the Surrey film office is a one-stop shop for filming,” Smith said. “Everything that goes into setting up the movie shoot, you can come to us and we’ll take care of it.”

We’re talking about such items as electrical permits, insurance, site location fees, parking, traffic control and coordinating with the police and fire departments.

“It allows filmmakers to, very seamlessly, get the job done in quick fashion, and without the kinds of hassles that you’re going to get elsewhere,” he said.

Surrey tends to be kinder to a production’s budget than some other municipalities. Smith related how the Catwoman crew was charged $350 a day for parking during filming around Central City. The shoot moved to Vancouver for some scenes and the only place it could find to park was charging nearly $6,000 a day.

The idea, Smith said, is to not let greed interfere in the equation.

“We take every shoot on a case-by-case basis and, at times, we’ll waive fees,” Smith said. “We feel that the critical thing is getting the business in Surrey. The ancillary, offshoot revenues for the community are significant, and we don’t want to let prohibitive fees get in the way of the business.”

It also doesn’t hurt that the scenery here is so diverse.

“It’s a huge area – we’re one of the top 10 cities in Canada in land mass – and there are a lot of locations, a lot of different looks,” Smith said. “We’ve got farms, we’ve got an urban look, we’ve got beach front at Crescent Beach. We’ve got forests and parks and even abandoned places.”

When Smith isn’t schmoozing with location managers, he also has such events as the annual Canada Day Celebrations at the Cloverdale Amphitheatre on his plate.

“We want to lift the event up to the level in keeping with where the community is at in its growth,” he said.

“Surrey is a big city. Within 10 years it’s going to be bigger than Vancouver, with a half-a-million people. So we can’t put on some rinky-dink little country fair. We have to put on a big-time Canada Day.”

Exploding houses. Exploding fireworks. How much excitement can one man possibly endure?

Apparently it’s not all fun and games and Halle Berry in skin-tight leather.

“It’s one of those things where, when you get 10 things done, you’ve got 20 more to do,” Smith sighed. “I’m always really, really busy.”

Exhibitions

The Surrey Art Gallery is a contemporary art museum focusing on art made since 1975 including international travelling shows, and new works by local and nationally recognized artists. The Gallery’s TechLab presents an ongoing program of digital media artforms. Local art organizations display their work in the Surrey Arts Centre lobby. A full program of talks, workshops and family days accompany exhibitions. School programs explore exhibitions through tours and hands-on workshops. Admission to exhibitions in the Gallery and TechLab is by donation.

Surrey Art Gallery Association

SAGA is an independent, non-profit society dedicated to the support of the Surrey Art Gallery and local visual artists. SAGA operates a Gift Shop in the Surrey Arts Centre, as well as an Art Rental & Sale program. In addition, SAGA and the Gallery host monthly First Thursdays featuring illustrated talks by local and regional artists and crafts people.

How to Find Us:

88 Avenue & King George Hwy., in Bear Creek Park

How to Contact Us:

Tickets, Registration, Hours of Operation: 604-501-5566

Gift Shop: 604-501-5187

Theatre and Room Rentals: 604-501-5574

Volunteer Opportunities: 604-501-5198

On-line Ticketing and general information: www.arts.surrey.ca

Arts Council of Surrey

The programs of the Arts Council of Surrey create awareness of, pride in, and appreciation of the cultural achievements of our community through the delivery and/or sponsorship of public activities such as art exhibits, theatre performances, literary conferences and publications.

How to Find Us:

13541 – 102 Avenue #203

How to Contact Us:

Ph: 604-585-ARTS

www.artscouncilofsurrey.org ;