NEW WESTMINSTER

Is a city located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia, just north of the Fraser River and southwest off of the Tran-Canada Highway (Highway #1), 20 kilometers east of Vancouver. New Westminster is considered one of the oldest cities in British Columbia and was British Columbia’s first capital city back in 1859 by Governor James Douglas who had originally chose a site further up the Fraser River, but decided to with a choice from Richard Moody, a military engineer. It was originally built on a site of a abandoned First Nations village known as “Skaiametl”. New Westminster quickly became an important point for prospectors heading for the Cariboo Gold Rush; in addition to gold rush towns of Yale and the almost-abandoned community of Port Douglas. Following the merger of the colonies of Victoria and New Westminster in 1868, Victoria then became British Columbia’s new capital city. In September of 1898, a devastating fire destroyed many of New Westminster’s businesses, residences and public building. The city quickly prospered and recovered by the World War 2 (WWII) arrived and built an inter-urban electric railway connected New Westminster to Chilliwack, about 70 kilometers east. Today, New Westminster serves as a tourism, sawmilling and agriculture town and during the 1980s, the city developed several key projects including Westminster Quay as well as the opening of the Expo Skytrain line which connects New Westminster, to parts of Surrey, south Burnaby, and downtown Vancouver. Skybridge, the only cable-stayed of its kind in the world is used carry the Skytrain across the Fraser River to Surrey. New Westminster also has 3 bridges that carry automobile traffic; Queensborough, Patullo, and the Alex Fraser. New Westminster was incorporated as city in 1860 and is referred to locals as “New West” and for being British Columbia’s first capital city; it is known as the “Royal City”.