At a March 3 workshop, the council reviewed updates on the People, Parks, and Play!: Connections for All plan, which is now in its second round of public engagement. Residents can provide feedback at a pop-up event on Saturday, March 8th at the təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre residents provided feedback.

City officials say the need for more parkland is pressing, as New Westminster’s population is expected to grow by 25,000 in the next decade. The city's deputy director of park policy and planning, Erika Mashig, emphasized the challenge of securing additional green space while balancing housing mandates and land constraints.

Currently, New Westminster has 184.97 hectares of parkland, translating to just one hectare per 1,000 residents—far below the city’s target of 2.2 hectares. A comparison with other urban municipalities found that New Westminster has significantly less park space per capita than cities like Burnaby, Coquitlam, and Victoria, and is only ahead of Vancouver.

To address this, the city is considering various strategies, including optimizing existing parks, repurposing underutilized land, co-locating facilities, and forming partnerships. The updated plan proposes adding several new amenities, such as:

Two artificial turf fields
Six to eight multi-sport courts
One covered multi-sport court
Two new dog off-leash areas
A disc golf course
Three community gardens
Five to seven playgrounds
Four beach/grass volleyball courts
A multipurpose recreation track

At the recent council meeting, members endorsed a set of strategic directions for the next 10 years, which include expanding parkland, improving accessibility, addressing climate change, and ensuring financial sustainability.

The final parks and recreation plan is expected to be presented to the council in late summer or early fall. You can still register your opinion by completing the online survey HERE.

Read the full article here.

📸 Learn to Take Stunning Photos with Your Smartphone

Photo courtesy of Nancy Matheson

Aspiring photographers in New Westminster will have the opportunity to enhance their smartphone photography skills at an upcoming workshop on Saturday, April 5, from 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Fraser River Discovery Centre.

Hosted in collaboration with the New Westminster Photography Club, this hands-on session is designed for beginners aged 16 and older. Participants will learn how to maximize their smartphone camera’s features, improve composition, control exposure and focus, and experiment with creative tools. The workshop includes a presentation followed by a guided photo walk with experienced coaches.

The session will also cover smartphone photo editing techniques, helping attendees refine their images right from their devices.

Event Details:

📸 What: Smartphone Photography Workshop
👥 Who: Beginners (16+) interested in improving smartphone photography skills
📅 When: Saturday, April 5, 12:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
📍 Where: Fraser River Discovery Centre

Participants can register online to secure a spot.

⛈️ Rain Joke of the Day 🌧️

🌧️ Had a conversation with a raindrop…

and it was quite a drip. 💧

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Parkland in High Demand + Smartphone Photography

Issue #164

Inside the New West Spotlight

Read New West Spotlight Online

March 09, 2025

March 10, 2025

March 11, 2025

🏞️ New Westminster Struggles to Keep Up with Parkland Demand