Mayoral Jeopardy debuts in Surrey
Published 4:30 pm Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Seven Surrey mayoral candidates played a post-breakfast game of mock-jeopardy on September 23 at Whalley’s Civic Hotel in a bid to scoop up some votes as the October 17 civic election approaches.
Troy Van Vliet of Surrey NOW – not connected to the Now-Leader whatsoever – Doug McCallum (Safe Surrey Coalition), Brenda Locke (Surrey Connect), Linda Annis (Surrey First), Mike Starchuk (Imagine Surrey) Honveer Singh Randhawa (Conservative Party of Surrey) and Igal Ammons II (New Surrey+) picked questions from topics including housing, public safety, growth and economic development, transportation and leadership.
The format didn’t allow for questions from the floor. The event was moderated by Jordan Bateman, dressed in a blindingly sparkly chrome-green game show host jacket which drew some laughs.
The event was staged by the Downtown Business Improvement Association.
Though the seven will likely disagree, there were no clear slam-dunk winners in this essentially polite event. McCallum likely didn’t endear himself to some audience members when during his closing remarks he remarked “let’s get some energy in this room, you’re all sitting out there you know, not even smiling. You’ve got seven great candidates that are running for your mayor. Where’s the energy in this room?”
He said his slate if elected will freeze taxes for four years, bring in a police helicopter and build three indoor pools, and tracks among other goodies. “We’re going to make a motion first council meeting to approve it all.”
Randhawa said in closing that Surrey needs “young-blood people who come up with new leadership.”
Annis said she’d provide an “open-door” policy at City Hall. “People want to be able to be connected to their city council and it’s very important we continue this dialogue not just today and not yesterday but moving forward.”
Van Vliet said he’s running with the “new generation” in mind. Safer streets, “smart growth,” families first and a rent-to-own housing policy are top of mind for him.
Locke said it’s been an “absolute privilege” being mayor and she looks forward to continuing projects already started. “You can never do it all in one term,” she said. “Surrey has put up their hand in the last four years and we’re going to continue to make sure that everybody knows we’re here.”
Starchuk said voters want change. “What we’ve seen over the last eight years is the same old faces doing the same old things and having the same old results that don’t work for everybody that’s here.”
Ammons II said there are so many people without jobs, without houses. “They can’t afford it,” he said. “Talk to me.”
“Everything I do is outside the box,” he said.
Incidentally, in July 2025 Locke was actually a clue on the real Jeopardy program where contestants were posed with the following puzzler, which aired on Chek TV: “IN CANADA, HIS OR HER WORSHIP IS FOR PEOPLE WITH THIS GOVERNMENT JOB, LIKE SCOTT GILLINGHAM OF WINNIPEG & SURREY, B.C.’S BRENDA LOCKE.”
The program was aired in Canada and the U.S.