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Central CityOrigins of Surrey BC
The City of Surrey is located in British Columbia, Canada and is a member of the Greater Vancouver Regional District. Surrey is located south of Vancouver and her northern boundary is the Fraser River and the southern boundary is Semiahmoo Bay and the U.S.A.
In 1792, Dionisio Alcala Galiano in the Sutil and Cayento Valdes in the Mexicana were ordered to map the area of South Surrey which included Boundary Bay. This was the first contact local Indians had with Europeans. In the same year captain George Vancouver was also mapping the area and indeed met up with the Spaniards near Burrard inlet….In 1824 James McMillan’s exhibition crossed Surrey on its overland route to the Fraser River
In 1875, J.T. Scott contracted to build a wagon road south from Brown’s Landing to meet the Ladner Trunk Road at Oliver Slough. Scott was unable to complete his contract, and the Provincial government undertook to finish the road the following year. Scott Road provided a shorter road link between Ladner and New Westminster. Settlers in Ladner could market their products in New Westminster rather than ferrying them up the Fraser, and New Westminster residents had an ice free port in winter as ice blocked the New Westminster Harbour. Today this is the present 120th Street.
Surrey's name.
Queen Victoria had named New Westminster, thus it is called the Royal City. In England, across the Thames from Westminster is the County of Surrey. It seemed appropriate that across the river from New Westminster there should also be a Surrey. Surrey was named by the first Clerk of the Municipal Council, Mr. H. J. Brewer, around 1880. "Due to the geographic similarity of this district to that of County Surrey in England, in relation to Westminster, I suggest it be named Surrey, British Columbia."
