Township Mayor reacts to news of ‘potential’ Giants move to Surrey
Published 12:01 pm Tuesday, June 30, 2026
Langley Township Mayor Eric Woodward noted news of a Vancouver Giants move from Langley Events Centre to a planned new stadium in Surrey is happening during an election year.
“It’s not lost on me that this announcement is occurring at election time,” Woodward told the Langley Advance Times.
“We’ll wait and see if it actually moves forward.”
Woodward was responding to the Tuesday announcement by the City of Surrey of plans for a 10,000-seat arena with the Vancouver Giants as a tenant.
Woodward said the relocation of the Giants was something that won’t happen for several years.
“My first reaction is to congratulate the City of Surrey and the Vancouver Giants and [owner] Ron Toigo on what sounds like a pretty exciting announcement,” Woodward said.
“And we certainly [will] wait to see if their potential relocation moves forward. And we’re here to support them in any way that we can over the next five years.”
As for the possible impact on the Langley Events Centre, Woodward pointed out the LEC was operating for “six or seven years” before the Giants moved in.
“The LEC was created long before the Giants ever contemplated locating there,” Woodward commented.
“There are also great opportunities to review and investigate other options over the next five years to ensure that the LEC continues to be well used and taken care of.”
Giants moved to Langley ahead of the 2016-17 Western Hockey League season, playing their first game at the Langley Events Centre in September 2016, after spending their first 15 years in the PNE’s Coliseum.
At the time, the LEC was home to the junior ‘A’ Langley Rivermen of the BCHL, who relocated to the smaller George Preston arena in Langley’s Brookswood neighbourhood.
“I just think it’s important to note that sometimes we see these announcements at election time,” Woodward commented.
“We’ll wait to see a groundbreaking and a crane in the air, and then I think we’ll start to look at what the plan is.”
Ron Toigo, majority owner and president of the Vancouver Giants, said the team was “thrilled to be part of this amazing venue [in Surrey].”
“This is a transformational decision for the Vancouver Giants and one that positions our organization for long-term success,” Toigo said.
“Moving into a brand-new, state-of-the-art arena in Surrey City Centre gives us the opportunity to bid on premier events such as the IIHF World Junior Championship and the Memorial Cup. It will provide an outstanding experience for our players, fans and partners in a building that is designed for the future. We’re grateful to the Township of Langley for its support and look forward to spending at least three more seasons there. With Michael Dyck back in the fold, we’re excited to get back to our winning ways.”