Jinny Sims criticises Doug McCallum on new stdium issue, Gordie Hogg calls it White Elephant

Just three of the thousands of reasons Surrey does not need a 60,000 seat stadium from Jinny Sims, Surrey Forward Mayoral candidate.

"First, cost of living: Surrey taxpayers cannot pay for Doug McCallum’s folly," says Sims. "Already we are paying over $1,000 per resident for the ill-advised move to the Surrey Police Service, we simply cannot afford to pay thousands more for new stadium."

"Second, who is supposed to play there? The BC Lions? The Whitecaps? This is not a case study for Field of Dreams; Doug McCallum is no Kevin Costner in Iowa. Even if we had an anchor tenant lined up, and McCallum gives no indication he does, no one wants to try to fill 60,000 seats."

"Third, yes we need to build facilities for Surrey’s children and adults. Cricket, pickle ball, hockey, baseball, football, soccer and the arts. How many hockey rinks could we build for the same investment? Let’s focus on creating opportunities for the youth and families of Surrey, not another dream of a Ferris wheel or canal."

Gordie Hogg's comments:

Surrey First mayoral candidate Gordie Hogg says Doug McCallum’s promise of a 60,000-seat stadium in Surrey just doesn’t add up.

"Doug McCallum has put absolutely no thought into this idea, because if he did, he’d know Surrey would be saddled with a white elephant that would cost taxpayers an arm and a leg each and every year," noted Hogg. "BC Place is heavily subsidized by the provincial government, which gives you some idea of how costly a facility like that is, not just in construction costs, but ongoing costs. We have more important priorities for Surrey than the Doug McCallum Fantasy Stadium, starting with public safety.