New Westminster, British Columbia
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| Image:New Westminster, British Columbia Location.png | |||||
| Member of Parliament | Peter Julian (NDP) Dawn Black (NDP) | ||||
| Member of the Legislative Assembly | Chuck Puchmayr (NDP) | ||||
| Mayor | Wayne Wright | ||||
| Councillors | Jonathan Cote Calvin Donnelly Bill Harper Betty McIntosh Bob Osterman Lorrie Williams | ||||
| Location | Template:Coor dms | ||||
| Population (2001) | 54,656 | ||||
| Immigrant Population | 15,025 (28%) | ||||
| Languages | English(Official) 78% French(Official) 1% Non Official 21% | ||||
| Religion | United Church 20% Catholic 30% Other 30% No Religion 20% | ||||
| Private Dwellings | 26,035 | ||||
| Unemployment rate | 7.6% | ||||
- This page is about the city of New Westminster, British Columbia. For electoral districts whose ridings include that name, please see New Westminster (electoral districts).
New Westminster, British Columbia is a small city located in the province of British Columbia in Canada. The city has a total population of 54,656 (2001 Census).
Contents |
Geography
New Westminster is located at Template:Coor dm. New Westminster is part of the Greater Vancouver metropolitan area on the Burrard Peninsula, on the north bank of the Fraser River. The city is 19 km (12 miles) southeast of the Vancouver city proper, adjacent to Burnaby and Coquitlam and across the river from Surrey. A small portion of New Westminster called Queensborough is located on the eastern tip of Lulu Island, adjacent to Richmond. The total land area is 15.3 square kilometers.
History
In 1859, New Westminster was selected as the first capital of the new Colony of British Columbia by Queen Victoria, who named the city after her favourite part of London. From this naming by the Queen, the City gained its nickname, "The Royal City", and became the first incorporated city in Western Canada. A year later it became the first City to have an elected municipal government. It became a major outfitting point for prospectors coming to the Cariboo gold rush. Image:Cnr.jpg
In 1866, the colonies of British Columbia and Vancouver Island united as "British Columbia" with New Westminster as capital. However, Victoria, located across the Strait of Georgia on Vancouver Island, soon replaced New Westminster as the capital of the newly amalgamated colony of British Columbia (and became the provincial capital when British Columbia joined the Canadian Confederation in 1871). With the completion of the trans-continental railway in 1886, trade began to shift to nearby Vancouver. Nonetheless, New Westminster weathered the loss, and remained an important industry and transportation centre.
While always having a mix of industrial sectors, the economy of New Westminster has evolved over the years, from a reliance on the primary resources of lumber and fishing in the 1800s, to heavy industry and manufacturing in the first half of the 1900s, to retail from the mid 1950s to the 1970s, to professional and business services in the '90s, and finally to high tech and fiber optic industry in the early 2000s.
Amongst New Westminster's natives are actor Raymond Burr, magician Leon Mandrake, and professional baseball player Justin Morneau.
Educational institutions
Douglas College, a major community college has campuses in New Westminster and Coquitlam. The college has an enrollment of 12,000 students and offers degrees, associate degrees, two-year career and University Transfer programs to local, national and international students.
The Justice Institute of British Columbia offers training to municipal police forces, fire departments, provincial corrections, court services and paramedics with the British Columbia Ambulance Service. The Institute operates a Centre for Conflict Resolution, a Centre for Leadership and Community Learning, Executive Programs, a Public Safety Seminar Series and the Aboriginal Leadership Diploma Program.
Secondary education is provided at New Westminster Secondary School.
Transportation
Image:NewWestminsterPattullo.jpg
There are no freeways within New Westminster’s city limits, although the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) is accessible from nearby Burnaby and Coquitlam.
The Queensborough Bridge (part of Route 91A) connects Queensborough to mainland New Westminster, while the Pattullo Bridge (part of Routes 1A and 99A) links New Westminster with Surrey. A lesser-used Derwent Way Bridge connects Queensborough with Annacis Island of Delta.
Public transportation is provided by Translink. Along with a number of bus routes, the city is also served by the following stations on the Skytrain system:
- 22nd Street Station (Expo Line, Millennium Line)
- New Westminster Station (Expo Line, Millennium Line)
- Columbia Station (Expo Line, Millennium Line)
- Sapperton Station (Millennium Line)
- Braid Station (Millennium Line)
The city is located within Zone 2 of Translink’s fare structure.
Demographics
New Westminster's population is older and less affluent than surrounding communities in the Vancouver area, and there is a higher degree of social dependency (social assistance, pension and disability income) among the City's population. However, compared to the rest of British Columbia, New Westminster has average demographics.
External link: New Westminster at Statistics Canada.
See also
External links
- City of New Westminster Official Website
- Tourism New Westminster
- New Westminster News Leader
- New Westminster Public Library
- New Westminster Hyack Festival Association
- Map of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada
