A city councillor believes a large “New Westminster” sign on the waterfront would draw residents and tourists to the downtown.
Coun. Paul Minhas submitted a motion to council aimed at supporting tourism in New West through the introduction of a new “photographable” sign at “Pier West Park.” The motion is to have city staff reach out to Tourism New Westminster and advise it that council would be supportive of installing a large “New Westminster” sign on the waterfront as one additional method of attracting tourists to the city and downtown district.
“We used to have a big W at the waterfront on the Pier Park, and it was quite an attraction for a lot of people,” he said. “We lost it in that big fire that we had at the Pier Park.”
Minhas told council he has talked to Tourism New West officials about a New Westminster sign and they “fully support” the concept.
“I think it's a great initiative to draw people from other parts of the Lower Mainland,” he said. “We have a beautiful waterfront, but we need to maximize the potential of what we have through something where people come and enjoy, and it helps us promote the downtown core.”
Minhas believes a large sign could be the “extra push” the city needs to attract Lower Mainland residents and tourists to its waterfront.
Coun. Tasha Henderson said she was trying to wrap her head around what she viewed as a “weird” motion.
“To my knowledge, there hasn't been an ask to council from Tourism to approve a sign on the waterfront,” she said. “So, I'm not sure why we would approve a motion to say we are supporting something that nobody's asked for. Like, in principle or pre-emptively, I guess, in case, one day they come to ask for permission to put a sign up? It's just confusing.”
The preamble to Minhas’s motion states: Pier Park West is now reconnected to the eastern side of the Quayside boardwalk and provides a pleasurable place for locals and tourists to enjoy views of the Fraser River; a number of cities around the world have used enlarged signage in highly visible and photographable areas to attract visitors and help market their cities; and we have the opportunity to install a large New Westminster sign on our waterfront with the backdrop, including several bridges and the Fraser River. (Note: Pier Park is not yet reconnected to the waterfront boardwalk; that is expected to be occur in early 2025.)
In a 5-2 vote, council supported Minhas’s motion at its Oct. 7 meeting. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Daniel Fontaine, Henderson and Jaimie McEvoy supported the motion, while councillors Ruby Campbell and Nadine Nakagawa were opposed.
“It's a very preliminary action,” Johnstone said. “The action is just for us to open up conversation with Tourism New West on the idea.”
Campbell said the city’s arts, culture and economic development advisory committee is working on a public art plan and policy. Noting that Minhas is a member of that committee, she said she believes the issue would be better raised at that committee where the idea could be explored.
“This really is jumping a process, especially when we have a public art plan and process in place that's really prioritizing community engagement and decolonization,” she said. “So, I won't be supporting this today.”
Fontaine supported the motion from his fellow New West Progressives’ council colleague.
“I can't speak in the rest of council, but when I ran, it was to come to council and bring ideas to council. Council may not always agree with those ideas, but I see it as part of our role in this leadership in the city to bring ideas forward,” he said. “Nobody ever told me in a manual when I ran for office that I couldn't bring forward ideas to council if I got elected, that I had to bring them through a committee or a subcommittee of a subcommittee in order for them to be considered.”
Fontaine said council would still be required to approve the installation of a New Westminster sign on the waterfront.
“We're providing a message to Tourism New Westminster that we're open to the concept and the idea,” he said. “If they take it and they have no interest in it, fine. But we've heard from Coun. Minhas already and his discussions with Tourism New Westminster that there is a genuine interest in them moving forward with this.”
Fontaine believes a large New Westminster sign would help the city from an economic development perspective.
“I know that when these signs go up in cities, whether they're Vancouver, Acapulco or Cannes, they attract literally thousands of people who want to take pictures of them,” he said. “We have a beautiful riverfront. We have some amazing bridges and new ones being built; one's about to be taken down pretty soon. There are some beautiful areas for photography and for us to attract people who want to put something on their Instagram account.”
Nakagawa said motions are only one of the ways to do work as a city councillor. She questioned if these types of signs would draw people to the city.
“Do I have photos of myself in front of some of these signs? Yeah. Have I ever gone looking for one? No, never. They've just been there, and I've taken a photo,” she said. “I've never gone seeking out one.”
Nakagawa believes the city has an opportunity to build something beautiful and meaningful that’s more aligned with the future of the waterfront.
“The bigger issue here, for me is that the river is an important place for the local First Nations, and I think what is more aligned with our spirit of reconciliation is doing something that actually honours that legacy along there, which is pretty much invisible from along the riverfront.”
The city is currently working with First Nations about plans for the redevelopment of the eastern section of Westminster Pier Park, which was destroyed by fire in 2020.
Fontaine said the waterfront could provide space for a New Westminster sign and Indigenous public art.
“As an Indigenous person, myself, as a Métis person, I will say that, to me, this is not about it being either/or – we can acknowledge Indigenous people, we can acknowledge our First Nations people, and have a sign saying New West,” he said. “I think when we put it in a way that it's either/or we end up potentially dividing our community and dividing our Indigenous peoples from non- Indigenous. So, I think councillor Minhas’s idea is great; I think councillor Nakagawa's idea of recognizing our First Nations on the waterfront is great. Not an either/or. To me, it should be both, and it should be an and.”
McEvoy said he hopes the idea goes to the city’s arts, culture and economic development advisory committee for discussion.
“It has been a long time since we discussed what happens after the W,” he said. “I think that that might be a worthwhile thing to clarify with committee.”
In 2014, city council approved $90,000 in funding for three public art installations as part of the Vancouver Biennale: Blue Trees (on Columbia Street and Pier Park); Public Furniture/Urban Trees (on the waterfront esplanade); and WOW New Westminster (at Westminster Pier Park).
Created by Brazilian artist Jose Resende, WOW New Westminster (the W) was unveiled on New Westminster’s waterfront in November 2015; it was destroyed in the September 2020 fire at Westminster Pier Park. The 140-foot long piece consisted of four 40-foot shipping containers positioned to form a W.
McEvoy said he was not initially supportive of the WOW New Westminster public art installation.
“The W became beloved. Posters were made of it, buttons. Everybody liked the W. And in fact, the rail car art even grew on me,” he said. “So, there is a kind of a question of what's iconic.”
