Surrey-Panorama

Surrey-Panorama takes in the fast-growing subdivisions of Panorama Ridge and the Sullivan neighbourhood along the 152nd Street corridor, a landscape of recent townhouse complexes, single-family homes, and commercial development that has made the area one of the most family-dense parts of Metro Vancouver. The riding was created in 2009 and has been a competitive battleground in every election since, reflecting the broader tug-of-war between the NDP and the centre-right for Surrey's suburban vote.

Jinny Sims, a former federal NDP MP and president of the BC Teachers' Federation, had held the seat since 2017, though her tenure included a resignation from cabinet in 2019 and a 2022 mayoral campaign under the Surrey Forward banner. She sought a third term in 2024 against Conservative Bryan Tepper, a former RCMP officer.

Candidates

Bryan Tepper (Conservative Party) — Tepper was a former RCMP police officer who had been transferred to Surrey in 2004, where he led a watch team in Newton and Panorama Ridge. He had resided in the Ocean Park area of Surrey for two decades. Originally nominated as the Conservative candidate in Surrey-White Rock, he was reassigned to Surrey-Panorama after BC United's campaign suspension allowed the incumbent, Trevor Halford, to run as a Conservative in Surrey-White Rock.

Jinny Sims (BC NDP) — Sims was the incumbent MLA, first elected provincially in 2017 after representing Newton—North Delta as a federal NDP Member of Parliament from 2011 to 2015. She was born in Punjab, India, moved to England at age nine, and eventually settled in Canada, where she taught high school before leading the BC Teachers' Federation as president from 2004 to 2007. She had served as Minister of Citizens' Services before her resignation from cabinet in October 2019.

Paramjit Rai (Freedom Party of BC) also contested the riding.

Local Issues

School capacity remained the defining frustration for families in Surrey-Panorama. The Panorama Ridge and Sullivan neighbourhoods continued to grow faster than the Surrey School District could build new classrooms. Portable classrooms dotted the grounds of elementary and secondary schools throughout the riding, and despite provincial investments in new facilities, enrolment growth consistently outpaced construction timelines. The NDP government had directed more than two hundred million dollars to Surrey school construction since 2017, but parents in one of the province's youngest demographics questioned whether the pace was adequate.

The policing transition affected the riding's sense of security. Surrey-Panorama sat at the intersection of multiple policing districts, and residents accustomed to RCMP coverage expressed uncertainty about the changeover to the Surrey Police Service. Property crime and vehicle theft in the newer subdivisions were persistent irritants, and the Conservative candidate's own RCMP background gave him particular credibility on public safety issues. Tepper's policing experience in Newton and Panorama Ridge allowed him to speak directly to the neighbourhood-level concerns that residents raised at candidates' forums.

Housing affordability, which had originally drawn many families to Panorama Ridge as a more accessible alternative within Metro Vancouver, had eroded significantly. Townhouse and detached home prices in the riding climbed during the NDP's second term, and renters in newer apartment and townhouse developments faced rising costs. The NDP's pandemic-era eviction ban had expired, and tenants worried about rent increases in an inflationary environment. The Conservatives promised to eliminate the speculation tax and reduce regulatory constraints on new housing supply, while the NDP emphasized its investments in affordable housing construction and rental protections.