Statement from Mayor Brenda Locke on the Rotary Fieldhouse
For immediate release: Aug. 27, 2025
The Rotary Clubs have been, and remain, valued partners in our community. The lease agreement between the City of Surrey and the South Surrey Fieldhouse Society, which has managed the facility for the White Rock, South Surrey and Semiahmoo Rotary Clubs, Coastal FC, Bayside Rugby Club and Surrey Eagles, expired on Dec. 31, 2024. Prior to the lease expiring, numerous discussions were held, and the Society was not able to come to an agreement with its members on the shared space.
In a letter dated Aug. 1, the City provided the Society with legal notice that caused confusion about the Rotary Clubs’ future at the facility, and I want to address that directly.
I want to be absolutely clear: the Rotary Clubs are not being evicted from the Rotary Fieldhouse. They continue to have a home for office and meeting space, and that will not change.
The Aug. 1 letter was a legal notice required under the current month-to-month arrangement as we prepare for a competitive process. I recognize that the wording created confusion. The intent of the notice, as communicated to the Society, was not to remove Rotary from the building, but to comply with contract requirements while we plan for the next operating agreement.
At the same time, our city is growing and thousands of local families rely on youth soccer. Coastal FC has an urgent and critical need for equipment storage. We have been and continue to work toward a solution that supports both youth sport and Rotary’s charitable work. City staff will meet on site with Rotary representatives to identify an alternative for Rotary’s book storage that sustains their successful fundraising efforts.
In the fall of 2025, the City will run an open RFP for the facility operator. Rotary is welcome to submit a proposal. Regardless of the RFP outcome, Rotary will continue to have access to office and meeting space at the Fieldhouse. The only matter under discussion is how best to accommodate bulk book storage.
It’s disappointing to see this issue being politicized. My focus, and Council’s, is on practical, community-first solutions. We can, and will, support both Rotary’s traditions of service and the needs of thousands of young athletes. I’m confident we’ll land on a fair, creative outcome that reflects the best of Surrey’s community spirit.
Mayor Brenda Locke
City of Surrey