Wheatley said he plans to talk to Surrey City Hall and South Surrey MP Ernie Klassen, before possibly making a more formal pitch to Farnworth, although what he has in mind is quite modest and would primarily serve local business.<\/p>\n
Although Surrey once had an small private airport<\/a>, it, like Vancouver, now does not have an airport within city limits. As the city grows, it will likely become more difficult to find a large enough piece of land to accommodate an airport.<\/p>\n Farmer Tyler Heppell posted a video<\/a> to TikTok to share his thoughts on using farmland for an airport, in particular a 1.2 square kilometre field in Campbell Heights that was once a federal government radar site.<\/p>\n Heppell, whose family leases the field to grow potatoes and other vegetables, has spent the last four years advocating to keep the field in agricultural production.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re talking about developing our farmland that feeds all of Vancouver for two to three weeks a year at a time when basically no other fields are producing food,\u201d he said in the video. \u201cProtecting farmland shouldn\u2019t be this difficult.\u201d<\/p>\n A file photo shows early potatoes grown on a field in Campbell Heights in Surrey.<\/p>\n At the business event, Farnworth appeared to take Wheatley\u2019s question seriously.<\/p>\n As reported<\/a> in the Surrey Now-Leader, he said airports are federal jurisdiction, so it would need to be a \u201ccase of the province working with the federal government to say \u2018Hey, we think there\u2019s an opportunity here for an airport.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n Farnworth said that in order to advance a proposal, he would need a better understanding of the location, size and \u201cthings like that,\u201d and invited Wheatley to send his ideas.<\/p>\n Wheatley said that as the City of Surrey continues to grow, it makes sense to be thinking about an airport.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if an airport should be the top priority, but I think it\u2019s something we could see in the next 20 years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Wheatley said Campbell Heights, with its proximity to the U.S. border, is one of the Lower Mainland\u2019s employment centres. He has heard from businesses that would like easier access to the area for private jets carrying executives and, in the case of the movie industry, talent. That would require some kind of customs building and longer runways than what is available in some neighbouring cities.<\/p>\n As the U.S. continues to put pressure on Canadian businesses through tariffs, he is worried about some deciding to relocate south to Washington.<\/p>\n \u201cI think (an airport) would make the city more attractive to business, and from a chamber perspective, anything I can do for my members, to make things easier, I\u2019ll do it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Wheatley said he plans to talk to Surrey city hall, as well as South Surrey MP Ernie Klassen, before possibly making a more formal pitch to Farnworth.<\/p>\n But government seemed cautious about the idea.<\/p>\n In a statement, the City of Surrey said it has had \u201cno discussions with (other levels of) government about a new airport.\u201d<\/p>\n The B.C. Transportation Ministry reiterated that airport planning and certification fall under federal jurisdiction.<\/p>\n \u201cAny future proposal would need to be evaluated based on a range of considerations, including land use, environmental impacts, transportation integration and community interest. At this stage, neither the City of Surrey nor the federal government have approached the province on developing a new airport in the Campbell Heights area.\u201d<\/p>\n Transport Canada said it had not received a proposal for a new airport in Surrey.<\/p>\n In his video, Heppell urged governments to prioritize food security.<\/p>\n The field, which the federal government has indicated it is planning to divest, can be planted and harvested in even the wettest conditions, providing a supply of local potatoes, carrots and cabbage before any other B.C. field crops are ready, he said.<\/p>\n For years, it had been eyed for a new industrial park, but in 2022, a petition signed by 80,000 people and supported by some local politicians led to a movement to add it to B.C.\u2019s farmland reserve.<\/p>\n That idea stalled after three B.C. First Nations made it clear they were seeking the field\u2019s return in \u201cgovernment-to-government\u201d discussions<\/a>, as it is the last substantial piece of Crown land in their shared traditional territory and a key part of their cultural and economic future.<\/p>\n Semiahmoo Chief Harley Chappell said at the time that the Semiahmoo, Katzie and Kwantlen Nations had been \u201cat the table on and off\u201d with the federal government for over 20 years discussing the land.<\/p>\n Wheatley said he isn\u2019t proposing an airport on the potato field, but there are several other sites that might be appropriate in Campbell Heights if the discussion ever gets off the ground.<\/p>\n \u201cBut honestly, at this point, I\u2019d rather get buses into Campbell Heights than airplanes,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n![\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/04\/611fa452e4fda549dcc507b566701005.jpeg\"\/)
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