Whalley, Surrey

Last updated

Whalley
Surrey City Centre
Town centre of Surrey
King George Hub District, Surrey 2018.jpg
Skyline viewed from King George station
15 Metro Vancouver Regional District British Columbia.svg
Red pog.svg
Whalley
Location of Whalley within Metro Vancouver
Coordinates: 49°11′30″N122°50′45″W / 49.19167°N 122.84583°W / 49.19167; -122.84583
CountryCanada
ProvinceBritish Columbia
Region Lower Mainland
Regional District Metro Vancouver
City Surrey
Incorporated1948
Government
 •  Mayor Brenda Locke
 •  MP (Fed.) Randeep Sarai (Liberal) [1]
 •  MLA (Prov.) Bruce Ralston (NDP)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total102,555 [2] [3]
 Including City Centre
Time zone UTC−8 (PST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC−7 (PDT)

Whalley is the most densely populated and urban of the six town centres in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. It encompasses City Centre, the city's central business district, and is home to the Surrey City Hall, the main branch of Surrey Libraries, Central City, SFU Surrey [4] and the site of Kwantlen Polytechnic University's (KPU) Civic Plaza campus. [5] It is the only town centre in Surrey served by Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. Expo Line stations serving Whalley include Scott Road, Gateway, Surrey Central and King George.

Contents

Based on the city of Surrey statistics, Whalley is the second-most populous community in Surrey after Newton. [6] As of 2018, the population of Whalley is 75,610, [7] while the population of City Centre, the central subarea in the Whalley core, is 26,945. [8] The total population of the area is 102,555. Whalley is represented in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia by the Surrey-Whalley riding and in the House of Commons of Canada by the Surrey North riding. Randeep Sarai is Whalley's Member of Parliament, and Bruce Ralston is its MLA.

History

As early as the 1880s, people began settling what is now Whalley. [9] In 1908, the municipal council requested a grant to construct a roadway from Fraser Bridge to present-day 108 Avenue. This provided a much safer path to the river compared to the steep, winding Old Yale Road, and the new road later became part of King George Boulevard. [9]

In 1925, Arthur Whalley moved his family from Cloverdale to a three-acre triangle of land at the future intersection of Ferguson Road (108 Avenue), Grosvenor Road and King George Boulevard. After clearing the land and spending their first winter in tents, they built a service station, which included a general store, soft drink stand, and tourist cabins. [9]

The community officially adopted the name of Whalley in 1948, after the board of trade held a contest to rename what had become known as "Whalley's Corner". "Binnieville" had also been recommended, in honour of Tom Binnie, a local real estate and insurance broker who had fostered Whalley's growth as a commercial centre. [9]

In the mid-20th century, Whalley saw numerous debates regarding its secession from Surrey to become a separate city or municipality. In 1976, Metro Vancouver (then known as the GVRD) identified Whalley as one of four regional town centres, sparking revitalization of the town centre. [10] The City of Surrey adopted the "Whalley–Guildford Plan" in 1985, proposing high-density commercial development along 104 Avenue between the Whalley and Guildford areas. [10]

In 2016, Coast Capital Savings moved their headquarters into City Centre at the King George Hub complex. [11] In September 2020, Westland Insurance announced that they planned to move their headquarters into the district in 2022. [12]

Culture and cityscape

Holland Park facing southeast towards the King George Hub Holland Park, Surrey (20210922 231412247).jpg
Holland Park facing southeast towards the King George Hub

Whalley is home to several public facilities such as Surrey City Hall and the Surrey City Centre Library. On December 22, 2019, the North Surrey Recreation Centre closed for redevelopment. The facility had an indoor swimming pool and two ice rinks. [13]

Whalley also has the largest concentration of high-rises, both office and residential buildings, south of the Fraser River. As of 2022, the tallest building in Surrey is 3 Civic Plaza, at 50 stories and a height of 164 metres (538 ft). It consists of residential and office units, as well as a hotel.

Demographics

In 2016, the City of Surrey began publishing data separately for a subarea of Whalley called "City Centre". [14] City Centre is located directly in the heart of the original Whalley neighbourhood.

Whalley

City Centre

Climate

Temperature extremes range from 37.0 °C, recorded on 29 May 1983, to −21.7 °C, recorded on 28 January 1969.

Climate data for Whalley (Elevation: 83.3m)
MonthJanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecYear
Record high °C (°F)15.6
(60.1)		19.5
(67.1)		24.5
(76.1)		29.5
(85.1)		37
(99)		34.4
(93.9)		36.7
(98.1)		35
(95)		36
(97)		29
(84)		19
(66)		16.5
(61.7)		37
(99)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)5.7
(42.3)		8.1
(46.6)		10.8
(51.4)		13.9
(57.0)		17.3
(63.1)		19.6
(67.3)		22.9
(73.2)		23.2
(73.8)		20.2
(68.4)		14.7
(58.5)		8.6
(47.5)		5.7
(42.3)		14.2
(57.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)−0.3
(31.5)		1.1
(34.0)		2.5
(36.5)		4.7
(40.5)		7.7
(45.9)		10.2
(50.4)		12.1
(53.8)		12.5
(54.5)		9.9
(49.8)		6.4
(43.5)		2.4
(36.3)		0.2
(32.4)		5.8
(42.4)
Record low °C (°F)−21.7
(−7.1)		−14
(7)		−12.2
(10.0)		−2.8
(27.0)		−1.7
(28.9)		2.2
(36.0)		5.6
(42.1)		4.4
(39.9)		0.6
(33.1)		−4
(25)		−17.5
(0.5)		−20.6
(−5.1)		−21.7
(−7.1)
Average precipitation mm (inches)187.7
(7.39)		169.2
(6.66)		143.2
(5.64)		115.4
(4.54)		88.9
(3.50)		73.9
(2.91)		53.7
(2.11)		53.8
(2.12)		71
(2.8)		131.8
(5.19)		231.8
(9.13)		228.3
(8.99)		1,548.5
(60.96)
Average rainfall mm (inches)163.3
(6.43)		155.0
(6.10)		139.3
(5.48)		115.1
(4.53)		88.9
(3.50)		73.9
(2.91)		53.7
(2.11)		53.8
(2.12)		71.0
(2.80)		131.6
(5.18)		226.7
(8.93)		208.1
(8.19)		1,480.4
(58.28)
Average snowfall cm (inches)24.4
(9.6)		14.2
(5.6)		3.9
(1.5)		0.2
(0.1)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.0
(0.0)		0.2
(0.1)		5.1
(2.0)		20.2
(8.0)		68.2
(26.9)
Source: Environment Canada [15]

Crime

Whalley was once regarded as one of the most dangerous parts of the Lower Mainland and was notorious for its crime. Until 2018, its streets were home to Surrey's "tent city": a strip along one of its inner neighbourhoods which was home to hundreds of homeless people. [16] [17] [18] Since the early 2010s, after redevelopment of the area, violent crime has shifted south to Newton, which has taken over Whalley's reputation as being the most dangerous part of Surrey. [19]

Surrounding communities

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrey, British Columbia</span> City in British Columbia, Canada

Surrey is a city in British Columbia, Canada. It is located south of the Fraser River on the Canada–United States border. It is a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver regional district and metropolitan area. Mainly a suburban city, Surrey is the province's second-largest by population after Vancouver and the third-largest by area after Abbotsford and Prince George. Seven neighbourhoods in Surrey are designated town centres: Cloverdale, Fleetwood, Guildford, Newton, South Surrey, and City Centre encompassed by Whalley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langley, British Columbia (district municipality)</span> Municipality in British Columbia, Canada

The Township of Langley is a district municipality immediately east of the City of Surrey in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It extends south from the Fraser River to the Canada–United States border, and west of the City of Abbotsford. Langley Township is not to be confused with the City of Langley, which is adjacent to the township but politically is a separate entity. Langley is located in the eastern part of Metro Vancouver.

Highway 10 is a minor east-west route through the southern portion of Greater Vancouver. Highway 10 is used mainly as a local access route in North Delta, Surrey and Langley, its former connector role between South Delta and Highway 1 having been taken over by the Highway 17.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King George station</span> Metro Vancouver SkyTrain station

King George is an elevated station on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station is located in the south end of the Surrey City Centre district of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, and is one of the outbound termini of the Expo Line, the other being Production Way–University station. The station is located at the corner of King George Boulevard and 100 Avenue, just north of Fraser Highway.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langley, British Columbia (city)</span> City in British Columbia, Canada

The City of Langley, commonly referred to as Langley City, or just Langley, is a municipality in the Metro Vancouver Regional District in British Columbia, Canada. It lies directly east of Surrey, adjacent to the Cloverdale area, and is surrounded elsewhere by the Township of Langley, bordered by its neighbourhoods of Willowbrook to the north, Murrayville to the east, and Brookswood and Fern Ridge to the south.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kwantlen Polytechnic University</span> University in Greater Vancouver

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is a public degree-granting undergraduate polytechnic university in British Columbia, Canada, with campuses in Surrey, Richmond, Cloverdale, Whalley, and Langley. KPU is one of the largest institutions by enrolment in British Columbia garnering a total of 20,000 students and 1,400 faculty members across its five locations, encompassing the gestalt of the Metro Vancouver district. KPU provides undergraduate and vocational education including bachelor's degrees, associate degrees, diplomas, certificates, apprenticeships, and citations in more than 140 diverse programs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Surrey Central station</span> Metro Vancouver SkyTrain station

Surrey Central is an elevated station on the Expo Line of Metro Vancouver's SkyTrain rapid transit system. The station is located in the Whalley / City Centre district of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, just east of the North Surrey Recreation Centre. The station is within walking distance of the Central City shopping centre, Surrey City Hall, and SFU Surrey, the Surrey campus of Simon Fraser University.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cloverdale, Surrey</span> Town centre of Surrey in British Columbia, Canada

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Guildford is a town centre and neighbourhood of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada. It is known for its retail corridors along 104 Avenue and 152 Street. At the intersection of these two streets sits the 200-store Guildford Town Centre. The community is named after Guildford in Surrey, England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newton, Surrey</span> Town centre of Surrey in British Columbia, Canada

Newton is a town centre of the city in Surrey, British Columbia. It is the location for the previous Surrey City Hall and Courthouse, a local Surrey Public Library branch, and a Kwantlen Polytechnic University campus. The studios of radio station Red FM are also located here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fraser Highway</span> Highway in British Columbia, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">R1 King George Blvd</span> Express bus service in Metro Vancouver, Canada

The R1 King George Blvd is an express bus service with bus rapid transit elements in Metro Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Part of TransLink's RapidBus network, it travels along King George Boulevard and 104 Avenue in Surrey and connects Guildford, Whalley / City Centre, and Newton. The service replaced the 96 B-Line on January 6, 2020. It is operated by Coast Mountain Bus Company and funded by TransLink.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King George Boulevard</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">3 Civic Plaza</span> Mixed-use complex in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

3 Civic Plaza, also referred to as 3 Civic Tower is a mixed-use complex in the Whalley / City Centre neighbourhood of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, near Surrey City Hall. The building was completed in late 2018.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South Westminster</span> Neighbourhood of Surrey in Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada

South Westminster is an industrial neighbourhood in the Whalley town centre of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, located on the Fraser River south of the city of New Westminster.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">King George Hub</span> Mixed-use development

King George Hub is a mixed-use development with retail, office and residential high-rises in Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, located at the northeast corner of King George Boulevard and Fraser Highway in the Surrey City Centre district. Developed by the PCI Group and designed by MCM Partnership, the project is located adjacent to the transit hub at King George station.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bridgeview, Surrey</span> Neighbourhood of Surrey in Lower Mainland, British Columbia, Canada

Bridgeview is a neighbourhood in the Whalley town centre of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada, that stretches south from the Fraser River to King George Boulevard. The neighbourhood consists of all the low-lying area between the Port Mann Bridge in the east and the Pattullo Bridge in the west.

An electoral redistribution in British Columbia is underway by the BC Electoral Boundaries Commission. On October 21, 2021, the Government of British Columbia appointed Justice Nitya Iyer, Linda Tynan and Chief Electoral Officer Anton Boegman to serve as the 2021 commissioners. Justice Iyer was appointed the chair.

References

  1. ↑ "Official Voting Results".
  2. ↑ "Whalley" (PDF). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  3. ↑ "City Centre" (PDF). Retrieved 20 October 2023.
  4. ↑ "Surrey Campus". Simon Fraser University. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  5. ↑ "KPU Civic Plaza". Kwantlen Polytechnic University. Retrieved 27 February 2019.
  6. ↑ "Surrey Population Estimates and Projections". City of Surrey. Archived from the original on 18 October 2008. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  7. ↑ "Neighbourhood Profile-Whalley" (PDF). City of Surrey. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  8. ↑ "City Centre Neighbourhood Profile" (PDF). City of Surrey. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "Whalley". Community Profiles. City of Surrey. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  10. 1 2 "Surrey Central Transit Village Planning Process" (PDF). City of Surrey. 6 January 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 December 2007. Retrieved 20 April 2009.
  11. ↑ Lam, Elsa (17 February 2016). "Coast Capital Savings headquarters opens". Canadian Architect. Archived from the original on 18 February 2016. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  12. ↑ Chan, Kenneth (29 September 2020). "Westland to lease seven office floors as anchor tenant of King George Hub". Daily Hive. Archived from the original on 21 December 2020. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  13. ↑ Zillich, Tom (18 December 2019). "North Surrey rec centre doors will close for good this weekend". Surrey Now-Leader. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
  14. ↑ "Surrey Communities". City of Surrey. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
  15. ↑ Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, accessed 27 January 2019
  16. ↑ "Steel-fisted Surrey enforcer who terrorized the streets of Whalley meets his bloody end". The Province. Retrieved 23 October 2014.
  17. ↑ "Teen beaten, stabbed near Whalley ball park in Surrey". The Now. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  18. ↑ "Rally against gentrification gives birth to new tent city in Surrey's downtown". 23 June 2020.
  19. ↑ "Newton taking over Whalley's crime reputation". The Vancouver Sun. Retrieved 18 August 2014.

Further reading

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