Pride flag flies at Surrey City Hall for 4th year
Published 1:45 pm Friday, June 19, 2026
The vibes were high outside Surrey City Hall Friday (June 19) morning as the mayor and members of the community raised the progress Pride flag on the city flagpole.
Two dozen community members from various local 2SLGBTQIA+ groups, including Surrey Pride, Sher Vancouver and Surrey Rainbow Project, gathered outside city hall for the event. Mayor Brenda Locke, Coun. Pardeep Kooner and Senator Baltej Dhillon also attended.
Surrey Pride president Donald Crowe, who performs as Myria Le Noir, said seeing the Pride flag raised for the fourth consecutive year means a lot, especially in light of recent events.
Just a few weeks before the rainbow crosswalk, less than 400 metres from City Hall, was vandalized with black spray paint. One individual has since been arrested, and charges have been forwarded to the Crown.
“Because of what just happened at the crosswalk, it’s really important that we have a show of unity and solidarity around this flag, because we won’t be stifled, we’re not going away, and we stand here proud, because love is love, and believe me, you’ll never get rid of us,” Crowe said.
Sher Vancouver president Annie Ohana agreed.
“So after a rough couple of weeks, where once again we saw … a hate crime be committed like steps away from here, this means everything, right, to have a city that has our back,” Ohana said. “We can be loud, and we belong. We belong in Surrey. We belong everywhere. So it’s really meaningful to have this happen today.”
Mayor Locke said, “Surrey is a city where everybody matters.” She thanked many of those in attendance for their work to ensure “Surrey is an inclusive city for everyone.”
Seeing the flag on the city flagpole is especially important for younger people, Crowe added. “It shows that there is space for them, and we’re looking at a community that is being harassed right now because of SOGI stuff, and they need to know that we have their backs and that they belong.”
The city flew the flag after the Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida in 2016, said former Surrey Pride president Martin Rooney in a previous interview, after a unanimous council vote to show “solidarity, sympathy and support for the LGBTQ community.”
The city also issued a proclamation declaring June 2026 “2SLGBTQ+(Rainbow Community) Pride Month in the City of Surrey.”
“The City of Surrey is actively involved in embracing its true diversity raises the Pride Flag on city property in recognition and acknowledgment of the struggles of the Rainbow Community over the past decades; There is no room in our city for homophobia, trans phobia, drag phopia or any kind of hate towards marginalized peoples, Indigenous peoples, people of colour and other minorities,” reads the proclamation.
On Saturday (June 20) Surrey Pride is hosting its 27th annual Surrey Pride Festival from noon to 7 pm. at Central City plaza.
Admission is free at the family-friendly event, which includes vendors, speeches, dance and good vibes on the plaza outside Surrey City Hall. The schedule and other festival details are posted on surreypride.ca/surrey-pride-festival-2026.
About the Author: Anna Burns
I cover breaking news, health care, court, Vancouver Rise FC, Vancouver Goldeneyes and social issues-related topics for the Surrey Now-Leader. anna.burns@surreynowleader.com Follow Anna on Twitter.