The Vancouver Giants are relocating to Surrey with a new 10,000-seat arena; British Columbia developers are skeptical about the Carney-Eby housing deal to reduce development fees; and a search continues off the coast of Vancouver for six people who went missing after four were rescued.
Vancouver Giants Move to Surrey: 10,000-Seat Hockey Arena
The Western Hockey League (WHL) Vancouver Giants are preparing for another move — this time to Surrey, one of the fastest-growing cities in British Columbia. The agreement to build a new arena was announced by city officials, and it will become the club’s new home, after the team has not played directly in Vancouver for a decade. While the club still carries the “Vancouver” name, its actual location in recent years has been in Langley. As reported in a CBC article, the new 10,000-seat arena will be nearly twice the capacity of the current stadium in Langley (5,276 seats), though it will still be smaller than the old home of the Pacific Coliseum in Vancouver, which could seat 15,713.
Construction is expected to be completed around 2030, so fans in Langley will still have time to enjoy games for the team at its current arena.
The Surrey arena will be part of a larger development project that includes a hotel, a conference centre, and a residential complex. Its location near a SkyTrain station and Surrey City Hall will make it accessible to spectators throughout the region. Club owner and president Ron Tvergo expressed excitement about the team becoming part of an “incredible facility” that will reshape Surrey. Notably, the Vancouver Giants left the Pacific Coliseum in 2016, moving to Langley, where they played after being founded in 2001. Now the club is taking a step toward a denser, growing market.
The project is estimated to cost $360 million. To put that in context, the scale of investment underscores Surrey’s ambitions to become the province’s new sports and entertainment hub — particularly important as Vancouver already has major arenas but is increasingly facing a shortage of venues for a wide range of events. Key takeaways from the article: the team has not played in Vancouver for nearly 10 years, and the move to Surrey is less about a return and more about entering a new market. Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke emphasized the economic benefits — creating jobs, attracting investment, and hosting major concerts and sporting events.
A complicating factor: for readers unfamiliar with the region’s geography, it’s important to know that Surrey is a Vancouver-area satellite city that’s rapidly growing and has its own large population. The WHL is a junior league for players aged 16 to 20, one of the key “feeder” leagues for the NHL. The new arena could attract not only hockey, but also concerts, making it a multi-purpose venue. Key details: 10,000 seats, delivery expected in 2030, budget of $360 million. Ron Tvergo’s quote reflects the owner’s enthusiasm, while Mayor Locke focuses on city growth. The implications: for fans in the central part of the region, it will be more convenient than traveling to Langley; for the club, more opportunities for revenue and increased popularity; and for Surrey, a significant step toward becoming a standalone venue for major events — not just a bedroom community. The move is scheduled for 2030, but it’s already clear that hockey in Langley will remain a temporary chapter ahead of the next stage of the team’s story.
BC Developers React to the Carney-Eby Deal: Skepticism and Waiting for Details
The agreement between Prime Minister Mark Carney and British Columbia Premier David Eby, signed on June 18, sparked mixed reactions among developers in the region. Under the deal, each side committed to contributing $1.6 billion over 10 years to reduce Development Cost Charges (DCCs) for multi-unit housing — in some municipalities, by as much as 50%. These charges are collected from developers by local and regional governments to cover the costs of new water and sewer infrastructure for new homes, and they can add tens of thousands of dollars to the price of each condo. In addition, the agreement includes a “condo conversion” program: a partnership between the federal government and the province to convert more than 2,200 vacant units in “priority growth areas” into affordable housing. However, as noted by Business in Vancouver, many builders received the news cautiously, pointing to the lack of key details and questioning whether the so-called “landmark” deal will truly be the right step.
Rick Dhohall, president of Zenterra Developments Ltd., called the announcement ironic. In his view, it was the provincial government that previously introduced all these changes, which effectively “killed” the condo market. “After the market crashed and we’re in the situation we’re in, the government comes in and tries to make up for all of this, saying, ‘Hey, surprise, why don’t we help you with some sort of statement?’” Dhohall said. “They help us with statements because there’s nothing else — we don’t have details, it’s just announcements.” He pointed to the fact that in the early 2020s, BC NDP government was “obsessed” with scaring away investors and did everything it could to reduce demand for condos. In his view, the province successfully pressured cities into increasing supply, but demand-side measures “completely destroyed” the market. “Why don’t you just undo all the measures you put in place to drive away investors?” he asked. “Wasn’t that a better use of our public policy? Instead of spending taxpayers’ money, why not just stop doing foolish things?”
Neal Cristal, president of Polygon Homes Ltd., says infrastructure investment is generally good for the economy and the housing sector. Reducing DCCs is a short-term measure that will allow developers to move forward, knowing that with a market in place they can deliver their projects. However, he stressed that the details are still unclear: “We don’t know which municipalities are going to opt in.” On the condo conversion program, Cristal said it could give the province an opportunity to acquire problem units at a significant discount, which would be cheaper than building new homes from scratch. If that scenario plays out, it could be a decent way to provide affordable housing for those who need it. Cristal added that the public may not support a “rescue” or subsidy, but the government would not be buying units at full price. Taxpayer money should be spent wisely, and there should be processes to ensure future residents truly need affordable housing. “I don’t think they discussed whether those units would be rented out or used for affordable ownership. There are a lot of different options, but without details, it’s hard to criticize,” he concluded.
Bo Jarvis, president and CEO of Wesgroup Properties LP, called the promise to reduce DCCs by 50% welcome news. Fees, taxes, and levies like DCCs have grown so much that they seriously affect whether projects can go forward and increase construction costs. However, he said he was puzzled that British Columbia did not receive the same broad GST exemption that Ontario received in its March agreement with Ottawa. As for the condo conversion program, Jarvis was unsure whether the policy will be good or bad. He disliked how it is being presented to the public as a “developer rescue,” because, in his view, if the government begins buying finished units, it will in some cases purchase them at a loss to the developer and almost always at a price far lower than it would cost to build a new project. “We were surprised,” he admitted. “This isn’t necessarily what the industry asked for.”
So while the agreement includes significant funding for infrastructure and a potential mechanism for quickly creating affordable housing, developers agree that without specific details — such as the list of participating municipalities, the criteria for condo conversions, and clear terms for developers — it’s impossible to assess how effective it will be in practice. Many also point to the policy’s contradictions: first, the government created a demand crisis, and now it is trying to address the fallout by relying on taxpayers. Whether this will mark the start of real change or just another “big announcement” remains to be seen.
Search for Six People Off Vancouver’s Coast: Four Rescued, Operation Continues
On Sunday, a major search and rescue operation was underway off the coast of Vancouver. Around 11:45 a.m. local time, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre (JRCC) in Victoria received a signal from a civilian vessel: people were reportedly seen in the water, about 10 nautical miles southwest of Vancouver International Airport, without life jackets. At the time of the report, the exact number of people involved was not yet known, but it became clear it was a mass incident.
All available resources were mobilized immediately: a CH-149 Cormorant helicopter and a CC-295 Kingfisher aircraft from 19 Wing Comox; a Canadian Coast Guard hovercraft, Siyay; a rescue station from Ganges; and the Royal Canadian Navy search and rescue units (stations 6, 7 and 8). Two BC Ferries vessels that were traveling the Vancouver–Nanaimo route also joined the response. The first vessel, which departed Tsawwassen for Duke Point at 11:30, was diverted to assist, and then the second vessel joined it. As a result, sailings were delayed: the arrival in Nanaimo was pushed back by about 75 minutes, and the evening departures were also running 30 to 45 minutes behind schedule.
By 1:15 p.m., rescuers had pulled four people from the water. They were taken to the Si-Aisland shore station and handed over to emergency medical services. However, as the Canadian Forces Maritime Command’s Pacific (MARPAC) said by 3:15 p.m., six people were still missing. The search continued throughout the day, and at the time of publication, the outcome remained unknown. Authorities have not disclosed further details about the incident — including what exactly happened and how many people were initially in the water.
Large-scale rescue operations off the British Columbia coast are not uncommon due to difficult weather and busy shipping traffic. Still, the incident raised serious concern: the absence of life jackets for people in the water is a critical factor, especially in cold Pacific Ocean waters. As reported by CHEK News, the operation also affected ferry service, creating additional inconvenience for passengers.
A quick glossary of terms: JRCC Victoria is a joint centre coordinating maritime and air searches; CH-149 Cormorant is a heavy search-and-rescue helicopter; CC-295 Kingfisher is an amphibious aircraft capable of landing on water; 19 Wing Comox is a military air base on Vancouver Island; and the Coast Guard hovercraft Siyay is used to move quickly over shallow waters and ice. These aircraft and vessels allow crews to search effectively even under challenging conditions.
For now, the fate of the six missing people remains the key question. Searchers continue to sweep the area using every available method. The causes of the incident have not been determined yet, raising questions about whether it was an accident involving a small craft, a boat overturning, or something else. The incident once again highlights the importance of wearing life jackets and ensuring swift response by emergency services. In the meantime, residents and visitors are being advised to keep an eye on updates and factor in possible delays to ferry crossings.
