FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, October 9, 2026

SURREY, BC — Last night Troy van Vliet did not attend the Surrey Citizen debate, making Mike Starchuk the only candidate in the race for mayor to do the work and show up for every single debate. This morning Doug McCallum missed his sixth recent debate, skipping the CKNW debate, earning him the dubious title of most absent candidate on the campaign trail.

“Surrey deserves leadership that shows up,” said Starchuk, “Brenda hasn’t worked for you. Doug hasn’t worked for you. Linda hasn’t worked for you. And they’ve all missed their fair share of debates. I haven’t. Because this is a job interview for the greatest job on Earth.”

Surrey votes on October 17th.

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About Imagine Surrey

Imagine Surrey is a civic party running a full slate of candidates in the October 17, 2026 municipal election. Led by mayoral candidate Mike Starchuk – a former firefighter and Chief Fire Prevention Officer, former City Councillor, and former MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale – Imagine Surrey is committed to making Surrey the City of Champions by delivering: safe streets, fast commutes, smart investments, lower costs, and strong services.

Council candidates: Yousef Aldabainah-Barakat, Chandan Chahal, Perminder Chohan, Narima Dela Cruz, Ashiyana Hanif, William Li, Dr. Margaret Mubanda, and Kevin Wilkie.

Contact

Trevor Loke, Campaign Manager
604-838-5178
[email protected] / [email protected]