A Brief History of Surrey BC

Surrey was incorporated in 1879, and encompasses land formerly occupied by a number of Coast Salish speaking aboriginal groups. Settlers arrived first in Cloverdale and parts of South Surrey, mostly to farm, fish, harvest oysters, or set up small stores. Once the Pattullo Bridge was erected in 1937, the way was open for Surrey to expand. In the post-war fifties, North Surrey's neighbourhoods filled with single family homes and Surrey (not yet a city) became a true bedroom community, absorbing commuters who worked in Burnaby or Vancouver. In the 1980's and 1990's Surrey witnessed unprecedented growth, as people from different parts of Canada and other parts of the world, particularly Asia, began to make the municipality their home.