Pitting two incredible community organizations against one another makes no sense: Councillor Linda Annis
Surrey, B.C. (August 25, 2025): Surrey First Councillor Linda Annis says the city’s eviction next month of three local Rotary Clubs from the iconic Rotary Fieldhouse at South Surrey Athletic Park “is needlessly pitting two important community organizations against one another” and no way to treat Rotarians who were instrumental in building and paying for the 25-year-old building.
“The Rotary Fieldhouse carries the Rotary name because Rotarians put up nearly $1 million to help construct the building, and were instrumental in making the building a reality for the community,” explained Annis. “One of the original objectives of the building was to be a home for the storage and sorting of books for the annual Rotary book sale, a major community fundraiser. Over the past 25 years, the fieldhouse has been a critical part of Rotary’s charity work, including renting meeting space to community groups for a nominal fee. The original 25-year lease with the city has ended, and the city wants to turn the facility over to Coastal FC, which needs equipment storage space for some 4,000 young soccer players. At the end of the day, Rotary and Coastal FC are important community organizations and a more creative solution needs to be found that meets the needs of both groups. No one has to be the loser here.”
Annis said the issue highlights the shortage of community facilities across the city, and in the case of the Rotary Fieldhouse, the city’s lack of a more creative solution means there can be just one winner. “At the same time, I don’t think the city has taken the clause in the original lease that gives the Rotary Fieldhouse Society first right of refusal for another lease seriously,” added Annis.
Annis said Coastal FC definitely needs storage space, but that can be accommodated in a number of ways, including secure storage containers, or working with the club to build something to their specifications, the same way Rotarians came together to fundraise for the fieldhouse more than 25 years ago.
“Frankly, I just don’t think there was much creative thought put into this,” said Annis. “I’d like to see the city, Rotary and Coastal FC working together to find a more creative and equitable solution to the space issue. The work of both groups is important to our city, and city hall should be encouraging youth sports, as well as the incredible charitable work of Rotary in our community. It is incredibly unfair to evict Rotary after 25 years from the building that carries their name as recognition for the good work of local Rotarians across Surrey, and the tremendous effort they made to take the fieldhouse idea off the drawing board and turn it into a community asset and reality.”
“The Rotary Fieldhouse carries the Rotary name because Rotarians put up nearly $1 million to help construct the building, and were instrumental in making the building a reality for the community,” explained Annis. “One of the original objectives of the building was to be a home for the storage and sorting of books for the annual Rotary book sale, a major community fundraiser. Over the past 25 years, the fieldhouse has been a critical part of Rotary’s charity work, including renting meeting space to community groups for a nominal fee. The original 25-year lease with the city has ended, and the city wants to turn the facility over to Coastal FC, which needs equipment storage space for some 4,000 young soccer players. At the end of the day, Rotary and Coastal FC are important community organizations and a more creative solution needs to be found that meets the needs of both groups. No one has to be the loser here.”
Annis said the issue highlights the shortage of community facilities across the city, and in the case of the Rotary Fieldhouse, the city’s lack of a more creative solution means there can be just one winner. “At the same time, I don’t think the city has taken the clause in the original lease that gives the Rotary Fieldhouse Society first right of refusal for another lease seriously,” added Annis.
Annis said Coastal FC definitely needs storage space, but that can be accommodated in a number of ways, including secure storage containers, or working with the club to build something to their specifications, the same way Rotarians came together to fundraise for the fieldhouse more than 25 years ago.
“Frankly, I just don’t think there was much creative thought put into this,” said Annis. “I’d like to see the city, Rotary and Coastal FC working together to find a more creative and equitable solution to the space issue. The work of both groups is important to our city, and city hall should be encouraging youth sports, as well as the incredible charitable work of Rotary in our community. It is incredibly unfair to evict Rotary after 25 years from the building that carries their name as recognition for the good work of local Rotarians across Surrey, and the tremendous effort they made to take the fieldhouse idea off the drawing board and turn it into a community asset and reality.”