About Mike Starchuk

Mike Starchuk — Mayoral Candidate for Imagine Surrey – a new civic slate

Mike Starchuk has spent nearly his entire life in Surrey — serving, protecting, and championing the people who call the city home. From decades as a first responder, to years in elected office, Mike has dedicated his career to public service, and to ensuring Surrey is a safe, vibrant, and thriving community.

Mike retired as Surrey Fire Services’ Chief Fire Prevention Officer in 2014 after 32 years of service as a first responder, firefighter, and public safety leader. His decades on the frontlines have given him a firsthand understanding of the complex challenges facing Surrey — and what the community needs to feel safe, supported, and heard.

At the Surrey Fire Fighters Association, Mike championed health and safety initiatives locally and provincially. He is a founding member of the Surrey Fire Fighters Charitable Society, now one of Surrey’s leading charities. Mike has also personally funded bursaries at three Surrey high schools, believing strongly in supporting young people as they pursue their goals.

Mike’s advocacy extends provincewide through his work with the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, where he stood up for firefighters facing work-related cancers and occupational injuries. Following his retirement, Mike was named an honorary member of the organization for his years of dedication.

On the national stage, Mike served the International Association of Fire Fighters as a Partnership Education Program Facilitator, one of only three Canadian firefighters selected to deliver leadership development programs across Canada and the United States.

His service and ongoing dedication to the City of Surrey have been recognized with the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013) and King Charles III Coronation Medal (2024).

Mike was first elected to Surrey City Council in 2014. During his term, he chaired the Agriculture, Environmental, and Diversity Advisory Committees, and co-chaired the Seniors Advisory Committee. In these roles, he helped launch new farm-to-table initiatives that showcased the richness of Surrey’s Agricultural Land Reserve and strengthened local food connections.

In 2020, Mike was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Surrey-Cloverdale. Highlights from his tenure include:

• Breaking ground on Surrey’s second hospital and state-of-the-art Regional Cancer Centre, bringing the next generation of patient care closer to home.
• Advancing the SkyTrain expansion, connecting Cloverdale to neighbouring communities and extending rapid transit to Langley.
• The revival of Zappone Manor, a stalled seniors’ housing project close to Mike’s heart. By securing over $6 million from the B.C. Government, the outdated 50-unit building is now set to be replaced with 89 modern, affordable homes for seniors.
• During COVID-19, Mike helped protect hundreds of direct and indirect jobs at Fraser Downs by securing a $1.5 million grant — ensuring families and livelihoods remained stable during an uncertain time.

While MLA for Surrey-Cloverdale, Mike served as Chair of the Select Standing Committee on Finance and Government Services. Through provincewide consultations, he gained deep insight into British Columbians’ priorities and how best to fund the services and infrastructure they need.

In his younger years, Mike could be found chasing baseballs and softballs through-out the City of Surrey with a “career” on the fields of Unwin Park.  When it became clear a “career” on the ballfield was only a dream, he returned to Unwin Park to coach, and in the decades that followed, could be found shagging balls for the teams his daughter and son played on, including Sullivan, Cloverdale Athletic, John Moffat Memorial, L.A Matheson and Tamaniwis parks.  Both children represented Surrey in baseball and fastball on national championship teams.

When not working to build a better Surrey, Mike can be found cycling its busy streets and quiet farm roads — rain or shine, any month of the year. He is a proud partner to Shelley, loving father to Shannon and Ryan (and their partners Drew and Andrea), and ‘Gido’ — Ukrainian for grandfather — to Parker, Bria, Lennon, and newborn Stormur.

To find out more about Imagine Surrey, and what they plan in the city of Surrey, please click here, to open a new tab:

ImagineSurrey.com

Imagine Surrey –  a new civic slate for Surrey.  

Imagine Surrey underscores a shared commitment to fostering growth, engagement, and positive change in Surrey. 

Imagine Surrey will bring together a dedicated group committed to understanding and addressing the unique needs and aspirations of Surrey’s residents and those who work here. – ImagineSurrey.com