New Westminster Area Info.

History

New Westminster has a wonderful history and heritage. In 1859, it was selected as the first capital of the new colony of British Columbia and officially named the "City of New Westminster’ by Queen Victoria, after her favourite part of London. From this naming by the Queen, the City gained its nickname, "The Royal City", and became the first city in Western Canada. A year later it became the first City to have an elected municipal government.

The City of New Westminster Electrical Department runs the oldest continuously - operating electrical utility in British Columbia. Initially referred to as the Light Department, the City began generating electricity for streetlights in 1891. Today the Electrical Department distributes electricity to 25,000 commercial and residential customers and maintains the electrical systems in City - owned recreation centres, arenas, pools, streetlights, traffic signals, and City Hall.

Location

The City of New Westminster is situated in the center of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, otherwise referred to as the Lower Mainland. The City, roughly 15 square kilometers in area, is attractively located on a hillside overlooking the Fraser River, 20 km east of Vancouver. The City Center slopes down from Royal Avenue to the Waterfront, offering excellent views up-river to the Golden Ears Mountains, southeast to Mount Baker and down river towards Richmond and Delta and the Straight of Georgia. The Downtown section of New Westminster with its sloping streets, waterfront views and heritage buildings reminds one of San Francisco.

Parks and Recreation

Enjoy the city’s recreation facilities and the view of New Westminster’s exceptional parks. Today, New Westminster is recognized throughout Canada and the United states for its creative customer focused approach to the provision of leisure services and as a flexible, innovative and diverse organization that improves the quality of life of city residents.

Transportation

New Westminster is located in the geographical centre of the Greater Vancouver Regional District, or GVRD, making travel easy to all the surrounding communities whether by the excellent transit system or by automobile. New Westminster is connected through SkyTrain, a light rapid transit system, to Vancouver by a 25 minute trip. With the recent announcement by the GVRD and the Provincial Government, New Westminster will be connected to Coquitlam by SkyTrain in the next few years. Tranlink bus service also plays a helpful role in moving people in and around the region. A major bus terminal is located in New Westminster at Eighth Street.

All of the major transportation systems go by New Westminster, thus making New Westminster the Transportation Hub of the GVRD. You can drive onto Highway #1 and be in Vancouver in 40 min. or head east to the rest of Canada. The Alex Fraser Bridge makes commuting to Surrey, Delta and Richmond easier.

Information from City of New Westminster