City of Surrey Metro Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia

City - A populated place with legally defined boundaries, incorporated as a city municipality under the provincial Municipal Act. S side of Fraser River, between Delta and Langley (municipalities), New Westminster Land District

Mapped Location

City of Surrey: The mapped location is an approximation and should not be used for navigation or wayfinding.

 

Information

General information on City of Surrey

  • Feature Type: Incorporated

 

Official, historical, colloquial and alternative toponyms for City of Surrey

A brief list of names that this geographic feature has been named

Name Description
City of Surrey Official

 

Origin Notes and History of City of Surrey

References to City of Surrey that document the origin of its place name

Incorporated 10 November 1879 as "The Corporation of the District of Surrey"; confirmed 11 February 1936 on 92G/2. Re-incorporated as a City municipality, 11 September 1993.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
BC place name cards, or correspondence to/from BC's Chief Geographer or BC Geographical Names Office  |  Province of British Columbia

After Surrey in England (Gosnell Year Book, 1897-1901) [see also the municipality's own website.]

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Nelson, Denys; Place Names of the Delta of the Fraser River; 1927, unpublished manuscript held in the Provincial Archives  |  Province of British Columbia

Various residents credited or taking credit, as follows: "In January 1881 the Surrey Municipality Council held its first meeting at Brownsville, now known as South Westminster and of the few who are still living and who were present at the memorable meeting, Henry Thrift of White Rock remembers it well. [Known as] "the father of the municipality", Mr. Thrift had left his home in the beautiful county of Surrey, England in 1878 and crossed the continent to San Fransisco and from there travelled to British Columbia by boat. He chose for his home a spot on the banks of the Campbell river at Hazlemere, naming the district after his home in England..." (Vancouver Province 15 November 1925) "What I remember about the selection of the name was that Mr. Yeomans, Mr. H.D. Chantrell, my father the late Alex McDougall, Mr. William Woodward and his son John, and my brother and myself, met at the home of Mr. Woodward where the local Mud Bay post office was then established, and discussed the matter of a name for the proposed new municipality. It was either Yeomens or Chantrell who proposed the name of Surrey." (31 January 1927 letter from W.C. McDougall) "A man by the name of Brimer came from Surrey, England, and settled at Mud Bay, and he thought that Surrey would be a good name." (9 February 1927 letter from G.A. Boothroyd)

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Nelson, Denys; Place Names of the Delta of the Fraser River; 1927, unpublished manuscript held in the Provincial Archives  |  Province of British Columbia

Probably so named because it lies south of New Westminster, just as the county of Surrey lies south of Westminster (part of London) in England.

B.C. Geographical Names in Province of British Columbia
Akrigg, Helen B. and Akrigg, G.P.V; British Columbia Place Names; Sono Nis Press, Victoria 1986 /or University of British Columbia Press 1997  |  Province of British Columbia

 

Related Catalog Titles

A Bibliography for City of Surrey, Metro Vancouver Regional District, British Columbia

Land of the Royal Kwantlen. A history of North Surrey, B.C by John Pearson, John M. Reitz

Title Cover Image

"It gives me great pleasure to present this booklet to the people who now inhabit the 'Land Of The Royal Kwantlen,' North Surrey, British Columbia, and to those who love to read about the transition of a primeval wilderness to a modern civilization." - Quote taken from Presentation by W. Roy Eckert.

27 pages 24 cm

CIRC [ 0 ]
· 1st Edition · North Surrey Athletic Association, North Surrey? B.C., 1960?
Related Catalog Items: City of Surrey · Metro Vancouver Regional District

 


 

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Last updated: 2023-09-26