Sunnyside Cemetery consultation

SEMIAHMOO TRAIL
IS AT RISK
Our hundred-year-old mature forest along the Semiahmoo Trail is at risk of being clear-cut to make space for a cemetery expansion.
This forest has already been cut back several times.

THIS IS SHORT-SIGHTED, NOT A LONG-TERM SOLUTION!
Losing the forest is permanent. We demand a different solution!

Save the Semiahmoo Trail Forest Map - v1.png

Remaining forested section of Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery

(City of Surrey Mapping Online System)

The following concerned groups have organized an opposition campaign opposing the Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery Expansion.

We ask for your support in halting the Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery Master Planning Project.

There is high demand for city cemetery space.

Surrey has the lowest burial costs in the Lower Mainland.
Surrey has the lowest non-resident pricing.
Surrey has the lowest ministry burial pricing (for those lacking funds).
Surrey is effectively subsidizing the cost of burials for non-residents.

Review the City Cemetery Pricing. Surrey’s cemetery pricing is notably lower than other communities, leading to increased demand from non-residents and BC Ministry burials, which prioritize the lowest-cost option. This strains cemetery inventory and accelerates expansion, that will result in the clear-cutting of a 100-year-old second-growth forest on the remaining Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery property.

(*) Surrey has a special lowest cost BC Ministry of Social Development & Social Innovation pricing.

Explore Alternate Expansion Options. We strongly encourage the city to explore cemetery expansion alternatives that do not impact the historic forest at Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery, through which the heritage Semiahmoo Trail passes.

What Can You Do?

Ask our Mayor and Councillors (link to email address) to:

Halt the current expansion of Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery.
Stop doing BC Ministry burials at City of Surrey cemeteries.
Review the pricing and inventory management of our cemeteries.
Respect our remaining natural assets for future generations to enjoy.
Focus new cemetery space on less biodiverse land.
Honour the City’s own Climate Change Action Strategy that aims to increase tree canopy by 30% by 2038.

If you are interested in being more involved or want to stay informed, fill out the contact form.

The City of Surrey is developing a master plan for the expansion of the Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery (14850-28 Avenue) to increase the cemetery capacity and create diverse interment options. The City is seeking community input to shape their plan. The area of concern is approximately 30 acres of mature second-growth mature forest South of 28th Avenue and East of 148th Street (marked in red in the image above). The Semiahmoo Trail and adjacent trails pass through this forest. This is a bio-diverse mature forest that recovered from logging 140 years ago that is enjoyed daily by our community, wildlife, and birds.

More Information

The Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society, White Rock and Surrey Naturalists, SORCE Bike Club, Surrey Environmental Partners, Friends of Semiahmoo Bay, Peninsula Sunrunners, Friends of Semiahmoo Trail, Nature Canada, and Hike Canada / En Marche want to promote strong community participation as part of the public engagement process with the city. The previous expansion of the Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery resulted in the removal of forest. We would like the City of Surrey to honour the recommendations they make in their Biodiversity Conservation Strategy document that we should preserve the remaining high-quality habitats.

We are asking the public to speak up and advocate for the adoption of environmentally responsible options that minimize the impact on the existing second-growth forest. It is also important to recognize the heritage of the Semiahmoo Trail and preserve this last remaining significantly forested section of this historic trail.

The position of Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society and our partner societies is aligned with the city’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy in that we need to preserve as much of the last remaining natural “Mature Forest” areas in Surrey, and as contiguous areas rather than fragmented pieces.

The Sunnyside Acres Heritage Society recommends adoption of environmentally responsible options that minimize the impact on the existing second-growth forest and recognize the heritage of the Semiahmoo Trail as this is the last remaining forested section of this historic trail. The track record of the Sunnyside Lawn expansion in the last couple of years unfortunately has been to clear-cut the forest. These actions were directly against the City of Surrey’s own Biodiversity Strategy.

Finally, aside from the heritage and conservation aspects, 148th Street is a key traffic corridor into South Surrey Athletic Park, South Surrey Arena, Softball City, and the South Surrey Recreation and Arts Centre enjoyed by residents and visitors. Driving south from 32nd Avenue, the 148th Street corridor is flanked by Sunnyside Acres Urban Forest Park to the west and the last remaining forested section of Semiahmoo Trail to the east as shown in the image. Aesthetically this is a majestic entrance to Sunnyside Acres and the White Rock/Surrey Peninsula that really showcases Surrey as a "City of Parks”.

In Summary:

We need to explore options that minimize the impact on the existing second-growth forest. Preserving the remaining forest of Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery aligns with the City of Surrey’s own Biodiversity Conservation Strategy.

Preserving this forest would avoid further reducing the remaining 0.6% mature forest in Surrey and protect this area for future generations to enjoy as a place to recover and rejuvenate from the ever-increasing urban pressures.
A cemetery lawn is an extremely low biodiversity option that serves a single purpose. As a community we need to strike a healthy balance and explore alternate burial options and allocating less biodiverse land for traditional burial interments.

We need to recognize and protect the heritage of the Semiahmoo Trail and preserve this last remaining significantly forested section of this historic trail.

We need to ask ourselves what environmental legacy do we want to leave for future generations?

See our detailed info guide for more information (download).

City of Surrey Timeline

The City of Surrey is developing a master plan (link) for the expansion of the Sunnyside Lawn Cemetery at 14850-28 Avenue and invite the community input to shape the plan. Through the Sunnyside Cemetery Master Plan, the City claims it is aiming to:

increase cemetery capacity,
offer diverse interment options,
ensure compliance with archaeological and environmental regulations, and
protect the Semiahmoo Trail, which runs through the property, and other important site features.

Their timeline is shown below. The next opportunities for public participation are in red.

Project start up: October, November, 2024

Initial site analysis and background research

Public engagement: November, December 2024

November 12 (or 14) to December 5, 2024

Draft master plan concepts: Winter 2024 / 2025

Public engagement: Spring 2025

Draft master plan concepts presented to the public for comment

Final master plan: Spring 2025

Final master plan developed and presented to the public