Need a permit to play soccer in Surrey? Not quite, says city

Dec 20 2017, 12:02 am

So do you really need a permit to play soccer in a park in Surrey? The city says not quite.

In response to a video that surfaced online showing a group of people getting kicked off a field by a bylaw officer and two RCMP officers for playing soccer without a permit, the City of Surrey released this statement on Facebook:

As many of you have commented, there is a video going around regarding an issue that arose in one of our parks last week. Please be assured that the City’s Manager of Bylaws is looking into it and is taking the appropriate steps to address the situation.

We’d also like to reassure you that we encourage everyone to get out and play in our parks and a permit is not required unless you are an organized or semi-organized group who play on a regular basis. For example, if you had two teams with jerseys and cleats who play soccer every Thursday in a park, then we would ask that you get a permit. This is to maintain the quality of our fields and prevent overuse.

If you have any questions whether you require a permit, please contact our Sport Booking Hotline at 604.501.5174.

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It is unclear whether the people playing were “an organized or semi-organized group.”

“Listen to me, I’m in charge here today!” One of the RCMP officers said in the video with a clap of her hands.

“Today, you will pick up your cones, and you will go home. You will make a complaint to the City of Surrey. There’s no signs, you don’t agree with the bylaw, you don’t like the rule. That’s your prerogative.”

One of the men in the group asked the bylaw officer if it was just for this field.

“It’s for all the city parks, sir,” she replied.

Watch the video below:

Since when do we need a permit to take our kids to a park in Surrey? A Surrey resident sent this to me:My cousins and I took our kids to play at Brookside Elementary School around 7pm on June 28, 2015. While we were playing pass with our kids a bylaw officer named Hemu Narayan I.D (204350) came and told us that we had to leave the park because we did not have a permit to play there. We refused and explained how we are just playing pass with our kids and kicking a soccer ball around. We told her that we were not a team or a club of any sort we are just dads spending time with our kids. There were 6 of us adults and 6 kids just playing around. She called the police on us and had forcibly kicked off of the field. So my questions to city officials are that since when do we need permission from the city to play with our kids? If not our local parks then where do we take our kids to spend time with them? Why are we paying tax dollars to build parks that we do not have access to? The file number of the incident is 15-91-1427 and the RCMP officers name is V. Churchille.Update; July 3rd, Friday 5:30 pmStatement from Manager of Bylaw Enforcement regarding Surrey park use: Hello, thanks for bringing this issue to our attention, I want to clarify that city parks are for everyone to enjoy. There has been a miscommunication here that I will address. Organized sports require a permit and take priority once a permit is issued. We want everyone to enjoy this beautiful weather and our parks. Regards,Jas RehalManager, Bylaw Enforcement City of Surrey

Posted by Gurpreet Singh Sahota on Friday, July 3, 2015

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