【环球中文网 www.cbeiji.com讯】Global Chinese Network | April 24, 2025, 07:17:31
[Reported by Surrey Correspondent, Global Chinese Network]

An application has been submitted to build a crematorium in a residential area of Surrey. As the Surrey City Council prepares to discuss the proposed land-use change for the crematorium, residents have been taking turns protesting outside City Hall since Tuesday (April 22) through Friday (April 25), voicing their opposition.

Residents argue that constructing funeral and cremation facilities in a residential area would cause an environmental disaster. Citing a city report, they point out that the proposed site is close to a river, potentially disrupting fish migration, and is also near schools—making it an unsuitable location for such facilities.

Residents Oppose Proposed Crematorium in Surrey Neighborhood

It is reported that an applicant plans to build funeral and cremation facilities at 9280 and 9350 168th Street in Surrey. While the City Council was set to discuss the land-use change application, the meeting has been repeatedly delayed. Residents have organized multiple spontaneous gatherings to express their opposition.

Residents Organize Offline Meeting to Oppose Crematorium Project

Upon learning of the proposal, residents quickly organized an offline meeting to rally against the crematorium project.

Earlier, a resident-organized meetup and shared lunch event took place as scheduled at Erma Stephenson Park. The gathering aimed to unite the community in opposition to the proposed crematorium at the intersection of 168th Street and 92nd Avenue and encourage broader public participation.

Volunteers arrived early to set up the venue. At 10:30 AM, the event began with opening remarks from organizer Andy, who recounted the origins and progress of the anti-crematorium campaign. When he first learned that the crematorium was planned near his home—adjacent to Tynehead Regional Park and his child’s school, Pacific Academy—he was shocked. He refused to accept the idea of future generations being exposed to potential toxic emissions, vividly describing the scenario: “I keep picturing black smoke rising from the heart of our clean community, spreading over schools and homes… This would be an environmental disaster.”

At a January 28 information session hosted by the developer, Andy raised concerns: “Why tear open a wound in this vast green ecological zone? Do residents actually agree?” Despite serious questions from attendees, the developer failed to provide convincing answers. After the meeting, Andy and other Chinese and Indo-Canadian opponents formed a coalition, launching a three-month campaign that included petitioning, contacting the mayor and councilors, and mobilizing public engagement. His WeChat group rapidly grew to over 500 members, with multiple subgroups for volunteers.

As the City Council repeatedly postponed discussions on the project and with elections approaching, organizers decided to hold this offline gathering to thank volunteers, strengthen community solidarity, and foster dialogue. Notably, two federal MP candidates were invited to attend.

At 11:30 AM, Conservative candidate Tako van Popta arrived, joining the crowd in singing O Canada before speaking. He highlighted his long-standing ties with the Chinese community and his efforts in advocating for justice in the Burnaby Chinese student case. He expressed understanding of residents’ concerns and promised to investigate the project’s background to offer concrete support. Later, Mark, a community representative, presented Tako with a calligraphy piece commemorating his contributions to the Chinese community.

At 1:00 PM, Liberal candidate John Aldag arrived, engaging with residents and pledging to relay their opposition to the municipal level. The next day, he sent an open letter to the mayor and council members reflecting residents’ concerns.

Over 50 residents, mostly from the Chinese community, attended the sunny event, which concluded at 2:00 PM. Afterward, active members held a brief strategy meeting to plan next steps, demonstrating the community’s unwavering commitment to the cause.

Applicant Seeks to Convert Agricultural Land for Crematorium

The applicant, Five Rivers Community Services Society, plans to build funeral and cremation facilities at 9280 and 9350 168th Street in Surrey. A city report dated October 30, 2023 (No. 7923-0127-00) indicates that the applicant seeks to rezone the land from A-1 (General Agricultural) to CD (Comprehensive Development). However, the Planning and Development Department recommended rejecting the application, noting that the site lies entirely within the 200-year floodplain of the Serpentine River.

The department warned that large-scale landfilling for the project could worsen flooding and drainage issues for downstream farmland. The council initially returned the application to staff, requesting flood risk mitigation measures. However, recent development notices on the property have alarmed nearby residents. Reports suggest the council planned to revisit the application in February, but discussions have been repeatedly delayed.

Residents Question: Why Build a Crematorium in a Residential and School Zone?

An online petition opposing the funeral home and crematorium has been launched.

The petition lists several objections:

• Crematoriums emit harmful particulate matter, posing environmental hazards.
• The site is less than 1 km from a K-12 school, endangering students’ health.
• The area has only single-lane roads in each direction, raising traffic concerns.
• The proposed location faces Boswell Park, borders the salmon-spawning Serpentine River, and is adjacent to agricultural reserve land.
• “Any particulate emissions and runoff would directly enter this sensitive environment.”

Surrey residents also note that Five Rivers already operates a funeral home and crematorium on industrial land in Delta and question why the developer doesn’t expand there instead of targeting a Surrey residential area.

Chinese and Indo-Canadian communities have united against the project, collecting over 1,000 signatures. As of press time, the online petition has garnered more than 4,360 signatures.

Petition Link:

 https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-the-crematorium-in-our-neighbourhood

编者注：环球中文网4月24日的本新闻被翻译成英文传给当地社区居民，为了方便英语读者，特在此刊发翻译后的英语全文，以上为全文翻译。

附原刊发的中文新闻原文：素里有申请机构拟把火葬场建在居民区，素里市议会将讨论火葬场土地用途变更申请会，在此之际，本周二（4月22日）至周五（4月25），素里居民自发轮流到素里市政府门口前举牌抗议表达反对意见，认为在居民区内设立殡仪馆及火葬场设施会造成环境灾难，他们引述市府报告指有关地区容易靠近河流，影响鱼群洄游，并加上靠近学校等，不宜在有关地点开设有关设施。

据悉，近期有申请机构计划在素里168街9280及9350号，兴建殡仪馆及火葬场设施，素里市议会将讨论火葬场土地用途变更申请会，但该申请会一再延误。居民为表达意见已经多次自发集会表达反对意见。

居民自发线下见面会，反对拟建火葬场项目

居民们知道这一消息后组织居民自发线下见面聚会，反对拟建火葬场项目。

早前，一场由素里居民自发组织的线下见面会暨共享午餐活动，仍在Erma Stephenson Park如期举行。此次活动旨在表达对拟在168街与92大道交界处建设火葬场项目的坚决反对，并凝聚社区力量，推动更广泛的民意参与。

当天一早，义工们便赶到现场布置场地。上午10点半，活动正式开始，由发起人Andy 致开场词。他回顾了整个反对项目运动的起源与进展。早些时候，当他首次得知火葬场选址位于自家附近，且毗邻Tynehead Regional Park及其孩子就读的Pacific Academy时，深感震惊。他无法接受让下一代长期暴露于潜在的有毒排放之中。他形象地描述道：“我脑海中常浮现一股黑烟从清新的社区深处升起，弥漫校园与居民区……这将是一场环境灾难。”

在今年1月28日由开发商主办的信息发布会上，Andy首次提出质疑：“为何要在一大片绿色生态区域上撕开一道伤口？居民真的同意吗？”尽管包括他在内的多位与会者提出了严肃问题，但开发商代表未能提供令人信服的回应。会后，他与其他华裔居民及印裔反对团体代表迅速建立联系，开启了为期三个月的持续行动，包括收集签名、递交请愿、联络市长及议员、推动公众参与等。他发起的微信社群在短时间内迅速扩大至超过500人，形成了包括义工群在内的多个子群。

随着市议会对该项目议程的一再推迟，加之选战临近，组织者决定举办此次线下聚会，既是对参与义工们的感谢和鼓励，也是一次团结社区、加强对话的重要机会。特别值得一提的是，活动当天还邀请到两位主要联邦议员候选人与会。

上午11:30，联邦保守党候选人Tako van Popta如约出席。他与大家一同高唱《O Canada》后发表讲话，介绍了他与华裔社区的长期联系，并强调他曾为本拿比华裔女生案件推动司法彻查。他表达了对本地居民关切的理解，并承诺在调查项目背景后提供实质支持。随后，由曾担任案件协调人的Mark代表社区致辞，并将一幅由书法家创作、纪念Tako对华裔社区贡献的书法作品赠与他。

下午1点，联邦自由党候选人John Aldag也来到现场，与居民交流。他承诺会将社区对火葬场项目的反对意见带到市政层面。次日，他便向市长和议会成员发出公开信，反映居民的诉求。

当天共有超过50位居民到场，大多数来自华人社区。活动在阳光明媚中于下午2点圆满结束。会后，部分活跃成员继续召开简短讨论会，筹划后续行动，展现出社区对该议题的持续关注与坚定立场。

申请机构建火葬场希望改变农地用途

申请机构Five Rivers Community Services Society计划在素里168街9280及9350号，兴建殡仪馆及火葬场设施。根据素里市政府早在2023年10月30日一份编号为7923-0127-00的报告，显示申请人希望将用地由A-1综合农业区用地，改为CD综合开发区用地，不过文件第二页就指出，规划及建设部门建议市议会拒绝有关申请。

该部门解释，上述申请地点完全位于Serpentine河200年洪水泛滥的平原内，加上拟议开发需要大规模填土，可能影响下游农田的排水与泛滥风险，最终市议会当日决定将申请退回市府职员，要求解决洪水泛滥的问题等。但有关地皮上最近出现开发申请的告示，惹来附近居民关注，消息指素里市议会计划在2月的会议上，再次讨论有关申请。但该讨论会一再延误至今未有召开。

市民质疑：火葬场建在居民生活区学校区 带来环境灾难

有市民在网上发起请愿，反对建殡仪馆和火葬场。

根据请愿书，反对该项目的理由有几个：

请愿书称，火葬场会排放有害悬浮粒子，对环境造成危害。火葬场距离一所幼儿园至12年级学生的学校不到1公里，亦会影响学生健康。

有关地点每个方向只有1条行车线，担心会对社区造成影响。请愿书中称：“拟建地点位于博斯韦尔公园街对面，背靠鲑鱼产卵地蛇形河，毗邻农业用地保护区。”

“任何颗粒物排放和径流都会直接沉积到敏感的环境中。”

素里居民亦指Five Rivers Community Services Society在三角洲一处工业用地亦设有殡仪馆及火葬场，质疑开发商为何不在原址扩建，而要在素里的住宅区建造有关设施。据悉，华裔联同印度社区已经联合反对有关项目，透露他们已经收集到逾千个签名，而目前截至记者发稿网上联署就已经接获逾4360个签名。）

 请愿链接：（https://www.change.org/p/say-no-to-the-crematorium-in-our-neighbourhood）