rodeo
Cloverdale Rodeo comes to Downtown Surrey
May 10, 2012 | Paul HillsdonCentral City Mall is bringing to Rodeo spirit to Downtown Surrey with a kick-off pancake breakfast on Thursday, May 17th from 7am to 10am. The event will include live entertainment, prizes for best-dressed attendees, and free horse carriages. The … Read More
Cloverdale Rodeo subsidized for another year
May 12, 2011 | Paul HillsdonThe Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair, held annually on May long weekend, will once again receive a subsidy of hundreds of thousands of dollars from the City. Earlier this spring, Council approved a $225,00 grant to the Lower Fraser … Read More
Shannon Hall to be replaced by hotel?
February 22, 2011 | Paul HillsdonAccording to community members who have been briefed by the City, the Cloverdale Fairgrounds will begin a major transformation in the next few months. With the Cloverdale Recreation Centre wrapping up completion, and set to open to the public … Read More
University Drive: the City Centre’s future parade route?
August 9, 2010 | Paul Hillsdon
Cloverdale Rodeo Parade
When I used to work at the Downtown Surrey BIA, there were frequent conversations about events and festivals as a means of attracting people back into the area. Parades, of course, are one of those community events that residents enjoy and it was frequently suggested that King George be closed down for one. Logically, as King George is Surrey’s equivalent to Vancouver’s West Georgia, it makes sense that it would be adopted as the local parade route.
However, while such an experiment delights the amateur urban planner within me, I doubt it would ever happen in the near future. Until the South Fraser Perimeter Road is built, goods movement will continue to rely heavily on King George, as well as 108th and 104th. Additionally, King George remains a relatively rundown strip in the City Centre and will likely remain so for at least a decade. All the civic investments that have been made in recent years are located west of King George, roughly in the strip of land between University Drive and City Parkway. For these reasons, King George, in my opinion, would be an unsuitable route for a parade.
Bright green trees line University Drive
That said, there is a bright, attractive alternative: University Drive. The street, previously West Whalley Ring Road, features a planted median and is well kept, unlike King George or the incomplete City Parkway. It connects Gateway with the Whalley Athletic Park, Tom Binnie Park, and Chuck Bailey Recreation Centre, as well as new developments such as D’Cor, Urban Village, and the future SFU Residences towers. Further south, it runs past the new Library and City Hall, the North Surrey Recreation Centre and Surrey Central SkyTrain station, Central City Mall, SFU Surrey, and finally, Holland Park at its terminus. Not only is it beautiful and well connected to civic venues, it’s also relatively lightly used traffic wise, making it easy to close for a parade.
University Drive near Whalley Atheltic. Sidewalks are narrower, though there are plenty of trees and the street is -dead-
University Drive opposite Central City. The greenery is lush and the sidewalks are wide and clean.
Read more after the jump!
It’s Rodeo Weekend in Cloverdale!
May 19, 2010 | Paul Hillsdon
The 64th annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair is already upon us! One of Surrey’s most popular attractions returns this year with a wide array of activities and events for the entire long weekend.
Festivities begin Thursday … Read More
Successful turnout at the Cloverdale Rodeo
May 21, 2009 | Paul HillsdonThe 63rd annual Cloverdale Rodeo and Country Fair proved to have yet another successful year.
With a new format, and $360,000 in prize money, the Rodeo attracted over 20,000 attendees for the five performances over four days. The 120th annual Country … Read More
