Surrey, BC (Aug 25, 2022): Surrey First mayoral candidate Gordie Hogg says Doug McCallum’s promise of a 60,000-seat stadium in Surrey just doesn’t add up.

“Doug McCallum has put absolutely no thought into this idea, because if he did, he’d know Surrey would be saddled with a white elephant that would cost taxpayers an arm and a leg each and every year,” noted Hogg. “BC Place is heavily subsidized by the provincial government, which gives you some idea of how costly a facility like that is, not just in construction costs, but ongoing costs. We have more important priorities for Surrey than the Doug McCallum Fantasy Stadium, starting with public safety.” Hogg said McCallum made the announcement at the groundbreaking of the Cloverdale Ice Centre, a project he cancelled and then brought back with a higher price tag. “Tax dollars don’t seem to mean much to Doug McCallum, if they did, he’d think before he speaks, something he didn’t do today,” added Hogg. “When you ask even the simplest of questions about a stadium this size it doesn’t take very long to realize that BC already has a major facility in BC Place, so why would Surrey taxpayers want to be saddled with a white elephant that bleeds the city dry? BC Place does a terrific job, but the Lower Mainland certainly doesn’t need another 60,000-seat stadium, and Surrey taxpayers don’t need the bills that come with it.”