Surrey gets B.C.'s South Asian heritage museum after competing with Vancouver
The province signed a memorandum of understanding Friday to advance planning for the museum in Surrey, home to Canada's highest-density South Asian community.
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B.C. will build a museum in Surrey honouring Canadians of South Asian heritage, the province announced Friday, September 18. The decision closes a competition that stretched back to 2020, when the BC NDP first promised the museum during the election campaign. As recently as 2025, both Surrey and Vancouver lobbied for the project.
The province signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Surrey to move planning forward. The agreement sets out how they'll work together on the next phase: exploring options for the museum, identifying potential sites and spaces, identifying support mechanisms, further engaging with communities, and developing implementation plans. The province has not announced specific locations, a timeline, or a budget for the project.
Canadians of South Asian heritage—those with origins in Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan—make up approximately 9.6 per cent of B.C.'s population and are the province's second-largest racialized group.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke called the decision a recognition that "there is no better place than Surrey for a museum dedicated to Canadians of South Asian heritages." The Surrey & White Rock Board of Trade said the museum will "provide an important place to preserve and share the stories of South Asian Canadians, while also creating an opportunity to strengthen Surrey's economy and tourism sector."
The facts
Which city will host B.C.'s South Asian heritage museum?
Surrey will host the museum. The province signed a memorandum of understanding with the City of Surrey on Friday, September 18, 2026, to advance planning for the project.
When did B.C. first promise this museum?
The BC NDP first promised the museum during the 2020 election campaign. The decision on Friday, September 18, 2026, closes a competition between Surrey and Vancouver that had stretched back to that original promise.
What percentage of B.C.'s population are Canadians of South Asian heritage?
Canadians of South Asian heritage make up approximately 9.6 per cent of B.C.'s population and are the province's second-largest racialized group.
