Surrey and Vancouver are both lobbying to be home to B.C.'s new museum celebrating South Asian Canadians.
Last December, Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke publicly pushed to have the city be the home of the province's planned Canadians of South Asian Heritages Museum, or Cultural Centre. Then in July a City of Surrey-launched petition cited a provincial "What We Heard" engagement report naming Surrey as the top choice for the museum.
Now the City of Vancouver and "community partners" champion that city as the future home of the new museum.
Vancouver is "uniquely positioned to host this landmark institution,” Mayor Ken Sim stated Wednesday, Oct. 15.
“As the historic heart of South Asian settlement in British Columbia and one of the top visitor destinations in Canada, our city offers an ideal setting to reflect on the past and celebrate and share stories of South Asian Canadians with the world.”
In 2024 Vancouver council passed a motion supporting the museum, committing to covering one-third of the capital costs, including land, for a Vancouver location, subject to a financial and project review.
Authorities there say Vancouver was among the first places South Asian people settled in B.C., was home to North America’s first community-owned Gurdwara and also the historic Punjabi Market area, billed as "North America’s first 'Little India,'" on Main Street.
Next steps for the museum will soon be announced by the B.C. government, according to Vancouver authorities.
Plans for the facility date back to the B.C. election campaign of October 2020, when the BC NDP promised to build a museum in Surrey devoted to B.C.’s South Asian history.
Released in August, the "What We Heard" engagement report said Surrey was the most suggested location for the museum.
"Those who favoured this location noted the high number of Canadians of South Asian heritages who live and work in Surrey, as well as the number of people that travel to Surrey to shop for South Asian groceries, cuisine, and clothing," the report said.
"Some participants mentioned that Surrey is a more convenient access point for surrounding cities such as Burnaby, Coquitlam and Abbotsford, than downtown Vancouver. Additionally, it was acknowledged that Surrey would offer a greater opportunity to find the necessary land required to build a museum at a lesser cost, compared to downtown Vancouver."
The report suggests "additional work will be required to inform any future decisions regarding the vision, mission, name, and location of the museum," with no timeline set.
