Surrey residents will be given first chance to register for the city's popular parks, recreation and culture programs starting this winter.
A new "priority registration" system "addresses the need to stabilize high traffic volumes on surrey.ca on registration days," according to news release from Surrey City Hall, and is "a continuation of the improvements made last year, which included staggered registration dates, a virtual waiting room and simplified login."
Back in February 2023, registration for the City of Surrey’s spring recreation programs opened on a Sunday night and the online system promptly crashed, a situation that angered some residents and led to an apology from city hall. Surrey’s rec department blamed high traffic volumes on cityofsurrey.perfectmind.com.
On a City of Surrey Facebook post about the website crash, Heather Muir said Surrey residents need to be able to register first. “Every other city and municipality does this for their tax-paying residents," she posted.
Now, Muir and others will get their wish.
For the upcoming winter season (January to April), Surrey residents can register for most programs starting Nov. 24 at 9 p.m., with a "virtual waiting room" in place. Aquatic programs go live Dec. 8 at 9 p.m. A week later, non-residents can sign up for all programs starting Dec. 15.
Registration continues for Surrey's fall rec programs, running from September to December.
The new residents-first registration system "will make it easier for Surrey families to register for programs and reflects our commitment to making our community’s recreational opportunities more accessible and enjoyable," according to Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke.
