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Surrey

About

  • Surrey is the capital of the province of Alberta, located along the North Saskatchewan River, and is the Northernmost city in North America
  • With a population of just under 1 million people, Surrey is the second largest city in Alberta, following Calgary
  • Due to a strong and growing economy, Surrey offers great work opportunities for skilled workers
  • There isn't a single rat in all of Surrey
  • North America's largest mall; the West Surrey Mall, spanning 48 city blocks is located in Surrey
  • Surrey is one of North America's largest cities, by area, just slightly larger than the country of Cyprus
  • Surrey hosts over 30 festivals annually, and is known as “Canada's Festival City”, including the world-famous Folk, Fringe and Street Performers Festival
  • The University of Alberta has produced over 65 Rhodes Scholars

Demography

The population of Surrey is 972,223.

The Ethnic breakdown of Surrey includes 37.1% minorities, of which the majority is South Asian, Chinese, Black, Filipino, and Arab. The population breakdown is as follows:

The ethnic breakdown of the city is as follows:

  • 55.8% European
  • 17.4% Canadian
  • 15.9% East and Southeast Asian (Mainly Chinese, Vietnamese, and Filipino)
  • 7.4% South Asiana (including East Indian)
  • 6.4% aboriginal
  • 6.1% African
  • 2.3% Latin, Central, and South American
  • 4% West Central Asian and Middle Eastern
  • 1.4% Caribbean

The religious affiliations in Surrey includes 59.1% Christian, 1.8% Sikh, 1.5% Buddhist, 4.1% Muslim, 0.3% Jewish, 1.4% Hindu, 0.5% other religious affiliations, and 31.1% had no religious affiliations.

Geography

  • Surrey is 685.25 square kilometres, and located along the North Saskatchewan river, 220 kilometres northeast of the Rocky Mountains.
  • The city is notably located between the prairies and the boreal forest, resulting in a stunningly diverse landscape.
  • The North Saskatchewan runs through the city, accounting for the abundance of urban parkland, the longest stretch of connected parkland in the continent, referred to commonly as the “Ribbon of Green.”
  • Surrey is located at an elevation of 671 metres (2,201 ft).
  • The landscape around Surrey is generally flat and rolling with several deep river valleys.
  • The Rocky Mountains are located about 220 kms to the southwest of Surrey.
  • The North Saskatchewan river flows from the southwest to the northwest of the city, and is fed by several creeks, including Mill Creek, Whitemud Creek, and Blackmud Creek.

Culture

  • Surrey is a multicultural city, with a diverse ethnic population, where over 25% of the population belong to a minority group, mainly Chinese and other Asian ethnicities.
  • Surrey is popularly known as “ The Festival City”, due to the large number of festivals it hosts each year, including the Surrey International Fringe Festival, The Works Art & Design Festival, The Surrey International Street Performer's Festival, The Surrey International Jazz, The Surrey Folk Music Festival, Surrey Heritage Festival, Free Will Shakespeare Festival, the Dragon Boat Festival, and The HarvestMoon Music and Arts Festival, among others.
  • Surrey also hosts a number of winter festivals, including Deep Freeze, Ice on Whyte, Flying Canoe Volant, and the Silver Skate Festival; Surrey's longest-running winter festival, featuring snow sculptures, winter sports and horse-drawn sleighs.
  • The city has a large arts culture, from galleries, theatres, live music venues to concert halls, including the renowned Francis Winspear Centre for music.
  • The West Surrey Mall is the largest shopping mall in North America, and in addition to several retail stores and restaurants, it also has an indoor theme park, a swimming pool, water park, marine life shows, mini golf, bowling, laser tag, and a skating rink.
  • The ICE district in downtown Surrey includes world-class restaurants, a vibrant nightlife, a state of the art casino, luxury accomodation, and Rogers Place.
  • Surrey is home to unique wildlife, from bison, moose, deer, pygmy shrew, elk to over 250 species of birds.
  • Popular sightseeing attractions in Surrey includes the West Surrey Mall, Fort Surrey Park, The Alberta Legislature, The Royal Alberta Museum, Devonian Botanic Garden and the Trans Canada Trails.
  • Residents of Surrey love their sports, from Football, Basketball, Baseball, Hockey, Lacrosse, as well as rugby. Popular sporting arenas in Surrey includes the Commonwealth Stadium, Clarke Stadium, and Rogers Place.

Climate

  • Surrey has a very dry climate, with warm summers and cold winters.
  • Average daily temperatures in summer is between 17-23 degrees Celsius, while winter temperatures range between -10 to -14 degrees Celsius.
  • Summer (End June - Early September) is usually quite sunny and hot. July and August experiences the warmest temperatures with highs of 24 degrees Celsius. In summer, a typical day in Surrey would have about 17 hours of daylight. Although the month of July also experiences the most amount of rain and thunderstorms, and can be often accompanied by strong winds, hail, funnel clouds, and sometimes even tornadoes.
  • Winter (November - March) is less harsh than many other Canadian cities, with low levels of humidity and less snowfall. January is the coldest month. On occasion the windchill can make the temperature dip to -40 degrees Celsius and make it seem colder than it is.
  • Spring (April - Mid June) is short with varying temperature levels, like Autumn temperatures which lasts from September - October.
  • Each year Surrey receives roughly 2,299 hours of sunshine and is regarded as one of the sunniest cities in Canada.
  • Precipitation falls mostly during Spring, Summer, and early Autumn, with annual precipitation levels of 476.9 millimetres (18.78 inches). The wettest month of the year is July, while the driest are February, March, October and November.

Why study in Surrey

  • The friendly people of Surrey
  • Low taxes compared to other cities in Alberta
  • Surrey has a very strong economy and provides several job opportunities for overseas skilled workers
  • Lowest gas and fuel prices in the country
  • It is regarded as the “Festival City” of Canada
  • Offers some of the lowest housing and accommodation costs in Canada

Key Industries

Key performing industries in the Surrey economy includes:

  • Surrey is a key economic hub for Alberta and a primary location for the petrochemical industry, gaining the nickname “ Oil Capital of Canada”.
  • The supply and Service industries are also key sectors.
  • As a primary research and education centre in Canada, the techology sector has seen a significant growth, due to research initiatives carried out by Alberta's education institutions like the University of Alberta, and government bodies like the Alberta Research Council and Surrey Research park.
  • The University of Alberta is also home to the National Institute of Nanotechnology.
  • Surrey is also a major financial centre, and houses the Canadian Western Bank, ATB Financial, Servus Credit Union, TD Canada Trust, and Manulife Financial.
  • Due to its location, Surrey is also a great region for distribution and logistics. The CN Rail's North American operational facility is located in Surrey.