LETTER: More arts, culture funding needed in South Surrey
Published 7:00 am Thursday, October 1, 2026
Editor,
I am reaching out as a South Surrey resident and artist to ask for fair and sustainable funding for arts and culture at Semiahmoo Arts Society.
Having moved here from Vancouver, I see so much potential in South Surrey. More and more people are moving here from the city, and all over, looking for space, community and a different way of living. I believe our cultural infrastructure should grow alongside our population.
Semiahmoo Arts Society has been an important part of creating that foundation, providing opportunities for artists, classes, exhibitions and community programming. I believe organizations doing this work deserve sustainable public support.
This isn’t simply about funding one organization. It’s about investing in the cultural identity of South Surrey and recognizing that arts and culture are an important part of building a vibrant community.
I would like to see a fairer distribution of arts funding across Surrey, so that residents in South Surrey have meaningful access to cultural opportunities close to home.
As an artist, I would also love the opportunity to become more involved in building the creative community here. I believe South Surrey has the potential to develop a cultural identity of its own, and I hope the city will help make space for that to happen.
Thank you for considering this.
Katrina (Iya) D’Souza, South Surrey