SURREY NOW & THEN: Stardust painting launches artist\u2019s Surrey Series<\/p>\n
Published 10:30 am Friday, June 19, 2026<\/p>\n
Surrey Now & Then series stories focus on the history of Surrey landmark sites, buildings and events.<\/p>\n
Stardust is long gone in Surrey, but the memories roll on.<\/p>\n
Mark Prosser never skated at the popular gathering place in Whalley but remembers the vibe of similar roller rinks decades ago.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was the craze, right?\u201d said Prosser, an artist who grew up in Thompson, Man., and moved to Metro Vancouver in the late-1990s.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn the \u201980s when I was a kid, we had birthday parties at the roller rink, the all-night skates, I remember the loud music. Everyone of that era has a type of Stardust memory, and I tried to tap into that feeling, that nostalgia.\u201d<\/p>\n
A new painting of Stardust is first in Prosser\u2019s emerging Surrey Series, to focus on landmark buildings and businesses no longer standing \u2014 the original Rickshaw restaurant on King George Highway, Turf Hotel, Rodeo Drive-in and more.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll do The Flamingo bar and hotel, too, which was one of the first places I ever went to in B.C. back in 1998, believe it or not,\u201d noted Prosser, who got serious about painting during the pandemic, after a career in sales.<\/p>\n
Back in 1964 Mel Ross and neighbour Bud Allen opened the first Stardust rink in North Vancouver, then expanded the \u201croller disco\u201d fad to other cities including Surrey, where the rink did business in Whalley from 1971 to 2005.<\/p>\n
One final skate was held in the building in <\/a>2017<\/a> before it was razed for site redevelopment, which hasn\u2019t happened yet.<\/p>\n In the fall of 2024, a \u201cpop-up\u201d Stardust rink<\/a> opened at Guildford Town Centre mall with all the lights and music of a different generation. Close to 15,000 people put on roller skates during the seven-week run, raising $45,000 for Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society from fees for skate and helmet rentals.<\/p>\n \u201cStardust has been mentioned to me as a subject many times since I\u2019ve been painting Metro Vancouver spots for five years now,\u201d said Prosser, whose wife, Richelle Prosser, helps with framing, shipping and administration.<\/p>\n \u201cEvery time I read a comment or hear someone say something about a place they remember, I\u2019ll mark it down. I\u2019ve been wanting to do a Surrey Series for quite a few years, so I\u2019m excited to start with Stardust and keep it going with other places that people loved.\u201d<\/p>\n Prosser creates both original paintings and prints for sale.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m lucky because 99 per cent of my original paintings sell. Out of 200, I have, like, four or five left. Then I make prints of those on canvas, on paper, ready for framing. I do them in multiple sizes to give options. People want these memories and I try to give them options that fit their needs.\u201d<\/p>\n Prosser is ultra-active on Facebook<\/a>, where he recently posted a photo of himself with Stardust co-founder Ross, who bought a canvas print of Prosser\u2019s work. His original Stardust painting, acrylic and florescents on canvas, was sold to another buyer. Prints are $85 and up on prosserart.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n ============<\/p>\n READ MORE: <\/p>\n SURREY NOW & THEN: Where old Expo 86 structures still stand in Surrey<\/a>.<\/p>\n SURREY NOW & THEN: How Newton\u2019s Winter Wonderland was reborn in Cloverdale<\/a>.<\/p>\n