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Cloverdale sites star in Doors Open

Twenty-one heritage and cultural sites across Surrey open to the public June 18
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Drop by the horse barns at Elements Casino (clockwise from top left)

When it comes to heritage and culture, there is an embarrassment of riches in Cloverdale, Surrey’s historic gateway and vital service hub since its founding in 1874.

Those assets will be proudly on display this Saturday.

Unique spaces and places in Cloverdale, Grandview Heights, Newton and City Centre are hosting activities for all ages for Surrey Doors Open, June 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

It’s a free celebration that highlights 21 places, many of which are in Cloverdale – from the Veteran’s Square Community Hub at 17710 56A Street and the Surrey Museum, to the Fraser Valley Heritage Society’s operations at 17630 56 Avenue.

Meet firefighters and check out the historic engine during a tour of Surrey Fire Services Hall 8 (17572 57 Ave.), where the city’s fire services began with the Cloverdale Fire Brigade in 1928.

Surrey’s first church, Christ Church at 16631 Old McLellan Road, built in 1884 is also participating.

There will be free hop-on, hop-off trolley service every 30 minute (parking available at 13313 Bell Road).

Horse and racing fans are invited to tour the barns at Elements Casino (formerly Fraser Downs Racetrack and Casino), where 40 years of harness racing are being celebrated in 2016. Meet the drivers, trainers – and the friendly, four-legged stars harness racing. Open to all ages. Elements Casino is open as well (note: must be age 19 and up to enter casino and restaurant).

Next door is the B.C. Vintage Truck Museum, home to a collection of freight trucks and vehicles that are lovingly preserved and learn more from volunteers about this exciting chapter of B.C. history.

The Surrey Animal Resource Centre at 17944 Colebrook Road is a 7,000 sq. ft., state-of-the-art facility for stray and at-large domestic animals. Meet pets up for adoption and tour the building, where visitors will learn the process a stray animal goes through.

Other local stops include the Surrey Museum, 17710 56A Avenue, where you can join the curator on tour of collections in storage and watch performances by the Re-Enactors heritage troupe – and the Honeybee Centre at 7480 176 Street for live beekeeping demos, extraction shows and interactive presentations, and sample honeys.

Highlights further afield include a behind-the-scenes tour of Surrey City Hall, a pop-up exhibition at Newton Gallery, a stroll through the gardens at Darts Hill Garden Park, City Centre Library and City Hall.

Surrey’s main RCMP detachment – the largest in Canada – is another stop (14355 57 Avenue). Learn about the history of the RCMP, and an overview of contemporary policing services in the city of Surrey, plus there will be fun activities for kids.

For more, visit surrey.ca/culture-recreation/15240.aspx

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