BC NDP chooses Surrey for South Asian museum location, instead of Vancouver | Daily Hive

Vaisakhi Parade in Surrey. (ProPics Canada Media Ltd./Shutterstock)

The BC NDP-led provincial government and the City of Surrey have reached an agreement to work together on plans to create a provincial museum dedicated to Canadians of South Asian heritage, years after the provincial government first began planning for the project.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the provincial and municipal governments was reached on Sept. 18, 2026, just four days before Premier David Eby called a snap provincial general election on Sept. 22. British Columbians will vote for the MLA in their riding on Saturday, Oct. 24, just a week after the municipal elections across the province on Saturday, Oct. 17.

The provincial government was also considering putting the museum in the City of Vancouver, but it has now chosen the City of Surrey.

You might also like:

A public consultation report released by the provincial government in 2025 states that Surrey was the “most suggested” location for the new museum — due in large part to its high number of South Asian people who live, work, and shop in the city. Nearly 40 per cent of Surrey’s residents are of South Asian descent, with heritage rooted in countries such as India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and the Maldives.

In addition to a critical mass of the diaspora, Surrey was also identified to have some technical advantages, such as lower land acquisition costs for finding a suitable site. Vancouver also had its advantages, such as a potential downtown site that could serve to provide a museum with more international exposure — capitalizing on pedestrian traffic and tourism. A previously assumed potential location in Vancouver’s struggling Punjabi Market — located on Main Street around the intersection with East 49th Avenue — was not mentioned in the provincial report.

Artistic rendering of the never-built cultural gate for the Punjabi Market on Main Street near East 50th Avenue in Vancouver. (Government of B.C.)

Moving forward, the MOU outlines how the provincial government and City will handle the next steps of planning, including examining possible precise locations, consultation, and developing a strategy to advance the project. Last month’s announcement did not identify a specific site, budget, or timeline.

The proposed museum would explore how Canadians of South Asian heritage have helped shape B.C., while preserving and sharing the histories of the varying communities.

“Canadians of South Asian heritages have made extraordinary contributions to British Columbia’s social, cultural, economic and political development for generations,” said Anne Kang, the province’s minister of tourism, arts, culture, and sport, and the BC NDP MLA candidate for Burnaby-Deer Lake.

“Their stories, achievements and contributions are an important part of our province’s success, past and present. This agreement is an important step toward creating a place where people can learn about, celebrate and connect with these stories for years to come.”

Incumbent mayoral candidate Brenda Locke of the Surrey Connect party welcomed the choice of her city. She lobbied the provincial government to choose Surrey.

“There is no better place than Surrey for a museum dedicated to Canadians of South Asian heritages,” said Locke.

“I sincerely thank the provincial government for choosing Surrey and advancing this important project. The success of this museum will be shaped by the community itself. We look forward to listening to community members, learning from their perspectives and working together to create a space that honours the stories, contributions and experiences of South Asian Canadians for generations to come.”

Surrey’s municipal government is also in the early stages of planning a new standalone building next to Civic Plaza to establish a new Interactive Art Museum, backed by the City.

The provincial government’s decision to select Surrey for the South Asian museum comes after its decision to open the provincial Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s historic Chinatown district. The non-profit organization overseeing the museum, which opened in Summer 2023, received over $50 million in funding from all three levels of government.

chinese canadian museum vancouver chinatown

Opening of the Chinese Canadian Museum in Vancouver’s Chinatown, July 2023. (Kenneth Chan/Daily Hive)

The provincial government is also in the very early stages of considering creating a provincial Filipino Cultural Centre. The federal government has already indicated it will provide some financial support. No decision on a location has been made, but it is expected to be in Vancouver. A leading proposal envisions mixed-use hotel towers on Main Street in Mount Pleasant, with a large space for the cultural centre within the base of one of the towers. The proposal has received preliminary support from Vancouver City Council, and the proponent’s next step is to submit a rezoning application.

In September 2025, work was well underway on converting the former Blenz Coffee space inside the atrium of Library Square in Downtown Vancouver into a temporary Filipino Cultural Centre. Spanning more than 1,500 sq. ft., the interim centre — opening soon — is intended to serve the community until a permanent space is ready.

“While Filipino Canadians are a core part of Vancouver’s diverse fabric, until now, we have not had a cultural home in our city,” said Warren Flandez, the chair of the Filipino Legacy Society.

“For decades, we have had to gather in borrowed spaces. With this interim space at Library Square, an iconic location in Vancouver, the Filipino community will have a place we can proudly call home, for now.”

interim filipino cultural centre library square vancouver september 13 2026 f

Celebration event for the interim Filipino Cultural Centre at Library Square in Downtown Vancouver on Sept. 13, 2026. (Filipino Legacy Society)

You might also like: