Surrey—Newton

Surrey—Newton covers the Newton neighbourhood in the southern-central portion of Surrey, one of Metro Vancouver’s fastest-growing communities. The riding is bounded roughly by Highway 10 to the north, 120th Street to the west, and 144th Street to the east, and includes a dense mix of residential subdivisions, commercial strips along King George Boulevard, and the Newton Town Centre.

Candidates

Sukh Dhaliwal (Liberal) — A professional engineer, land surveyor, and small business owner, Dhaliwal co-founded a land surveying company in Surrey. He previously served as MP for Newton—North Delta from 2006 to 2011, winning that seat by exactly 1,000 votes in his first successful run. He won the Liberal nomination in December 2014 for the newly created riding.

Jinny Sims (NDP) — The incumbent MP, Sims was elected in Newton—North Delta in 2011 and ran in the newly drawn Surrey—Newton riding. Before entering federal politics she was president of the British Columbia Teachers’ Federation from 2004 to 2007, having spent years as a classroom teacher and union activist. She held a Bachelor of Education from the University of Manchester.

Harpreet Singh (Conservative) — Singh ran as the Conservative candidate in the riding.

Pamela Sangha ran for the Green Party.

About the Riding

Surrey—Newton was a new riding created by the 2012 redistribution. Newton is one of Surrey’s most populous neighbourhoods, with a young population and a community in which a significant share of residents reported a mother tongue other than English. The area has a large South Asian community. The Newton Recreation Centre and Wave Pool serves as a community hub, and the neighbourhood contains numerous municipal parks. Local issues in 2015 centred on public safety, transit improvements, and the need for expanded community infrastructure to keep pace with rapid population growth. Small businesses along the King George Boulevard corridor and light industrial operations form the economic backbone of the neighbourhood.