Doug McCallum alleges City crews removed election signs but spared Surrey mayor's | Daily Hive

Doug McCallum alleges City bylaw officers removed election signs but spared Surrey mayor's

Before/after of the cluster of October 2026 municipal and provincial election signs at the southwest corner of the intersection of 72 Avenue and 132 Street in Surrey. (Safe Surrey Coalition)

Mayoral candidate Doug McCallum is accusing the City of Surrey’s bylaw department of favouring incumbent mayor Brenda Locke’s re-election campaign, alleging that bylaw officers removed other candidates’ signs from a street corner while leaving Locke’s in place.

McCallum’s Safe Surrey Coalition party claims bylaw officers removed signs belonging to every other candidate and party on a narrow City-owned grassy area, just outside of the private perimeter fence of a single-family detached house at the southwest corner of the intersection of 72 Avenue and 132 Street.

The party alleges officers cited the prohibition on election signs on City property, but left Locke’s sign standing on the same public land beyond that fence on Thursday.

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A photo shared by the party today showing the condition of the corner prior to bylaw officers taking action shows at least 22 signs — both small and large signs — for a wide range of candidates under various municipal and provincial political parties.

A subsequent photo — after bylaw officers allegedly took issue with the dense cluster of signs — shows only one large sign belonging to Locke’s Surrey Connect party remaining in place, with other signs removed and stacked to the side on the pedestrian sidewalk.

Daily Hive Urbanized has reached out to the City to address these allegations, but did not hear back in time for publication.

surrey election signs 72 avenue 132 street

Before/after of the cluster of October 2026 municipal and provincial election signs at the southwest corner of the intersection of 72 Avenue and 132 Street in Surrey. (Safe Surrey Coalition)

The City of Surrey’s election rules require campaign signs to be installed on private property with the owner’s permission. Signs are not permitted on City-owned land, including boulevards, road rights-of-way, medians, sidewalks, parks, and municipal facilities.

The City can remove signs that violate its rules without notifying the candidate or party. Its guidelines also state that removed signs will be disposed of, and the responsible campaign may be charged for removal and disposal.

McCallum’s party also alleges that election sign rules are being applied inconsistently elsewhere in Surrey, claiming Locke’s campaign has received more favourable treatment than other candidates.

“A bylaw office that does the mayor’s dirty work in an election is not a bylaw office any more, it is a political tool, and the people of Surrey are paying for it,” charged McCallum.

He is calling for the other candidates’ signs to be reinstated at the corner or for Locke’s sign to be removed as well.

Surrey’s civic election takes place on Saturday, Oct. 17.

McCallum served as the mayor of Surrey from 1996 to 2005 and again from 2018 to 2022.

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