LETTER: Surrey is no longer safe or livable for its citizens
Published 7:30 pm Saturday, February 28, 2026
Editor,
Hello, I am a longtime resident of Surrey; over 30 years.
Every day on the regular now, I get to witness something that is either deeply disturbing or very traumatic that I am thinking, why am I supposed to accept this as normal as I will never accept it.
Surrey has become a Third World country. I have never seen so much garbage and dumping going on in all my years here.
It is beyond disgusting. I have started picking up garbage when I walk my dog, but it is everywhere.
Also feces – so many people have dogs and let them do their number 2 business and leave it behind. It is a major biohazard. I have reported this to the City Of Surrey various times, and today I am at my wits’ end.
In the last 24 hours I have experienced the following:
Yesterday when I was walking home with my groceries I found two drug-induced individuals lying in the entrance of the Staples on 10136 King George Hwy. so got someone to call 911.
Then in my condo building later on in the evening got to hear high-pitched screaming as a woman was being attacked, so called 911 along with other residents of my building. Five Surrey police cars were outside our residence for many hours dealing with this situation.
This morning at 8 a.m. while walking my dog down 108th Avenue to grab a coffee, I saw a gentleman passed right out on the sidewalk where I had to walk, I was beside the roadway of traffic of 108th. I started to ask if he was OK, a group of people told me he is fine, to just leave him alone. So now people being passed out due to drugs or alcohol is what we call fine?
Today I am feeling very perplexed and very, very frustrated. I am expected as a citizen to pay taxes to the City of Surrey.
This city has become a Third World country. If I could jump on a plane today with my dog and my belongings, I would seriously get the hell out of here.
I ask this question. What about my safe space? Do I not matter? When I walk down the road day or night should I not be able to look around and see trees and hear birds instead of seeing garbage everywhere? Should I not feel safe and secure?
This is not normal. There are constant sirens all the time.
I live right across from Forsyth Elementary. There is garbage and cigarette butts everywhere. How does this teach kids to take pride in their surroundings, in their environment where they live and play?
In my latest email to the City Of Surrey I have asked for a manager to respond to me to have a conversation to take action to clean up the city before more infrastructure is built.
I respectfully request that the citizens of Surrey that have contributed and built it to the level it is at now be taken seriously and consulted about what matters to them, to be able to live as a productive and safe citizen without the needs of everyone else being considered. If I don’t matter, then the City Of Surrey should be fine without my taxes and others’ taxes.
Trina Allen, Surrey