Surrey-Newton - Home to the Vaisakhi Parade and the UPCC
The Surrey-Newton neighbourhood in South Surrey preserves a piece of our city's cultural heritage. It's home to one of the largest Vaisakhi parades outside India, and it's a thriving hub for authentic international cuisine and shopping.
When you're ready for some fun, head out and explore some family-friendly attractions like Bear Creek Park or Hi-Knoll Driving Range & Mini-Golf. There are plenty of cool pool retreats to choose from in Surrey-Newton, too.
The City of Surrey
With more organisation and company headquarters than any other county in the UK, Surrey is a hub of business. Many of the major global consumer goods multinationals have headquarters here, including Unilever, Pfizer and Sanofi-Aventis.
The City of Surrey is also home to many organisations and businesses that provide social services, education and job training. This includes WorkBC, which helps people in Surrey find jobs and improve their skills.
A variety of public libraries in the City offer English language learning, settlement services and more. The City also has many schools, colleges and places for continuing education.
The City has also been a leader in environmental sustainability for years, having introduced policies that protect wildlife habitats and promote the use of renewable energy. The City is also planning to build a new community centre that will be designed to the most stringent energy performance standards.
The City of Newton
Newton is the heart of the City of Surrey, located just north of Vancouver, Canada. It is home to several major institutions, including the Surrey City Hall and Courthouse, a local Surrey Public Library branch and a Kwantlen Polytechnic University campus.
The City of Newton is a highly diversified and culturally rich community with a thriving shopping, dining, arts and entertainment culture. It also is home to the Newton Cultural Centre and Bell Performing Arts Centre.
It is a vibrant, eclectic neighbourhood that is home to a variety of family run jewelry and bridal stores, hair salons, banquet halls, restaurants, sweet shops and more. It is also a cultural hub with authentic international cuisine and a host of South Asian businesses that have contributed to the diversity of this town.
The City of Newton is planning to build a new community centre on a vacant lot on King George Boulevard. It is estimated to cost $100 million.
The Surrey-Newton Union of Drug Users (SNUDU)
The Surrey-Newton Union of Drug Users (SNUDU) was a community space that provided mutual aid support, advocacy and education. It was the only publicly accessible space for and by drug users in Surrey.
The space was closed on May 10 after a hearing by the City of Surrey. The City decided to cancel SNUDU's business licence, despite presentations by longtime advocate and SNUDU founder Ann Livingston, and PIVOT legal.
As a result, SNUDU's activities have been severely curtailed. They no longer have the capacity to open a safe and welcoming space for drug use, sex work, and social justice organizing in Surrey-Newton.
The evictions are part of a broader pattern of criminalization and marginalization that is fuelling the opiate epidemic and killing people in Surrey-Newton. They are also the result of gentrification of Newton's city centre, where businesses have been aggressively targeting unhoused and drug users.
The UPCC
The UPCC is an urgent and primary care centre, operated by Fraser Health, that provides access to same-day, non-emergency health care. Its team of health-care workers, including family doctors, registered nurses, nurse practitioners and allied health providers (pharmacists, social workers and clinical counsellors), provide patient-centred care.
The UPCC provides same-day care for concerns such as minor injuries, sprains and strains, infections, less serious child illness and injury, cuts, wounds or skin conditions, and a variety of common illnesses and diseases. It is also a national Certified Regional Poison Control Center, so you can call if you have a poisoning emergency.
UPCC is supported by an integrated information system called CST Cerner. It ensures that the UPCC team can easily exchange electronic records with hospital partners like Lions Gate and St. Paul’s if you are transferred to a hospital. This reduces the need for repeat questions, duplicate tests and search for missing information. It also helps to minimize delays in your care and improves your overall experience at the UPCC.