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Harry Bains is the only Surrey councillor outside McCallum’s majority
Safe Surrey Coalition won eight of Surrey’s nine council seats, leaving Surrey Connect’s Harry Bains as the lone councillor outside Doug McCallum’s majority. Former lone non-SSC councillor Linda Annis says experience and respectful debate can help him navigate the role.
Surrey Connect incumbent Harry Bains is the only member of his slate to win re-election. He topped the councillor polls Saturday with 31,362 votes, ahead of Safe Surrey Coalition (SSC) incumbent Doug Elford, who received 30,833.
Doug McCallum’s SSC swept the civic election, taking eight of the nine City Hall seats and forming a majority. The SSC councillors include Elford, Meera Gill, incumbent Mandeep Nagra, Suhana Gill, Allison Patton, Laurie Guerra and Cheney Cloke, as well as McCallum.
Bains’ position echoes Linda Annis’s after the 2018 election. Annis, then with Surrey First, was the only non-SSC member on council. Steven Pettigrew later left McCallum’s group to sit as an independent, while Brenda Locke and Jack Hundial broke away to form Surrey Connect.
Annis recalled being shocked by the 2018 result. She said she had little political experience when elected and had entered the race late. She compared the experience to jumping into the deep end of a pool without knowing how to swim or having a life raft. Although the role was difficult, she said she had good mentors and city staff were very helpful in bringing her up to speed.
Annis was a political newcomer; Bains is a lawyer who already has one term on council. Annis said McCallum made her feel included, assigned her considerable committee work and gave her more as she gained experience. She said being alone was difficult when she knew little about municipal politics, but McCallum enabled her to be an active council member.
Annis advised Bains to stand up for what he believes is right, use his voice and speak up when something is wrong. She also urged him to bring forward good ideas for consideration. She acknowledged that being on her own was difficult, while reiterating that McCallum had included her in council work.
Bains said he is entering the new council’s reality with his eyes open, looks forward to working with the new council and understands his role. He knows he is in the minority. He said he welcomes collaboration where possible, but will speak openly when he disagrees or believes the direction is wrong. Respectful discourse, he said, is mandatory throughout the process.