Surrey-Cloverdale

Surrey-Cloverdale occupies the eastern portion of the City of Surrey, encompassing the historic Cloverdale town centre, portions of the Clayton Heights neighbourhood, and rural areas along the city's southern and eastern boundaries. The riding had elected BC Liberal MLAs in every election since its creation in 1991, most recently Stephanie Cadieux, who moved to the newly drawn Surrey South riding for 2017. Former long-time Surrey city councillor Marvin Hunt, who had won the Surrey-Panorama riding for the Liberals in 2013, was redeployed to contest Surrey-Cloverdale following redistribution.

Cloverdale retained a semi-rural character in its southern reaches, with hobby farms, horse properties, and the Cloverdale Fairgrounds — home to the annual Cloverdale Rodeo — coexisting with rapid suburban development in Clayton Heights to the north.

Candidates

Marvin Hunt (BC Liberal Party) — Hunt was first elected to Surrey City Council in 1988 and served continuously until 2013, accumulating twenty-five years of municipal experience. During that time, he chaired the Metro Vancouver Board, served as president of the Union of BC Municipalities, and chaired the International Committee of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities. He initiated the development of Metro Vancouver's Sustainable Region Initiative in 2002. Hunt was first elected to the Legislature in 2013 representing Surrey-Panorama.

Rebecca Smith (BC NDP) — Smith served as executive director of the Surrey Hospice Society and had previously been executive director of the BC Psychological Association. She also ran her own consulting firm. Smith had previously run federally for the NDP in Cloverdale-Langley City in 2015.

Aleksandra Muniak (BC Green Party) — Muniak was a small business owner and long-time Cloverdale resident. Her campaign focused on housing affordability, education, reform within the Ministry of Children and Family Development, homelessness, and mental health and addiction services.

Peter Poelstra ran for the Libertarian Party and received a small share of the vote.

Local Issues

Public safety and gang violence were prominent concerns across Surrey heading into the 2017 election. While overall crime statistics had trended downward in some categories, the perception of rising gang activity — particularly among young people — kept the issue at the top of many voters' minds. In 2017, Surrey experienced multiple gang-related homicides, and residents called for increased police resources and prevention programs. The question of whether Surrey should transition from RCMP policing to a municipal police force was already percolating as a political issue.

Transportation infrastructure was a major campaign topic throughout Surrey. The proposed light rail transit line connecting Surrey's town centres was a point of contention, with debate over whether LRT or an extension of the SkyTrain system would better serve the rapidly growing city. For Cloverdale residents specifically, improved transit connections to the broader Metro Vancouver network were a priority, as many commuters faced long journeys to employment centres in Vancouver and Burnaby.

The opioid crisis was making itself felt in Surrey with increasing urgency. Overdose deaths had risen sharply across British Columbia in 2016 and into 2017, and Surrey was among the hardest-hit communities. Candidates were pressed on their plans for expanded harm reduction services, treatment beds, and support for community organizations like the Surrey Hospice Society, where NDP candidate Rebecca Smith served as executive director.