The province’s decision follows years of community advocacy, with the Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade calling it confirmation of what local supporters have long believed.
SURREY, B.C. — The B.C. government has confirmed that Surrey will be the site of a new provincial museum dedicated to the history, culture and contributions of Canadians of South Asian heritage, an announcement welcomed by the Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade.
The decision follows years of advocacy and public engagement led by the province, with Surrey identified as the top choice in a provincial engagement report examining where the museum should be located. Roughly 40 per cent of Surrey’s population is of South Asian descent, and the city is home to the largest South Asian community in B.C.
The museum traces back to an October 2020 election commitment by the BC NDP to build a museum devoted to the province’s South Asian history. Government-led public engagement on the project began in 2023, with consultations held across the province to gather input from South Asian communities and other stakeholders on the museum’s vision, name and location.
Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade CEO Joslyn Young said the announcement confirms what the organization has believed for years about the city’s suitability as the museum’s home.
The board of trade said it has advocated for Surrey as the museum’s location since 2024, including through community engagement sessions that brought together perspectives from people of diverse cultural backgrounds, lived experiences and sectors. That engagement informed a report submitted to the Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport identifying Surrey as the recommended site.
The City of Surrey has separately supported the project, with council unanimously passing a motion in December 2024 committing to collaborate with the province on the museum’s development. The city has also identified potential land holdings that could support the facility’s construction, though a specific site has not yet been finalized.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke has previously said the city’s large South Asian population and cultural diversity make it a natural fit for the museum, which is intended to honour the community’s history while serving as a broader cultural landmark for the province.
Proponents of the project say the museum has the potential to serve a dual role, functioning as a cultural institution while also generating economic benefits through tourism and increased business activity for the surrounding area.
No construction timeline, final museum name, or specific site within Surrey has been announced. The province says further engagement will determine additional details of the museum’s vision and programming in the coming phases of the project.
