A provincial election - including the addition of a new New West riding - and the launch of the city's Crises Response Pilot Project are among the issues that made headlines in New Westminster in 2024.
Yesterday we looked at some of the top stories in New Westminster from January to June 2024. Today, we continue with some of the news headlines from July to December.
JULY
The city’s two New West Progressive councillors say they want to be consulted before the City of New Westminster sends out any non-emergency related media releases. In a 3-2 vote, council defeats Coun. Paul Minhas’s motion, which called on the mayor and communications staff to “conduct timely, adequate and thorough consultation with all council members before issuing any public statements, media advisories or media releases that are non-emergency related.” Staff later tell the Record the city has longstanding protocols relating to the development and issuing of media releases, which follow government communication best practices.
Council unanimously supports a motion directing staff to do a formal review of the council remuneration policy in 2026 – with any changes being applied after the 2026 civic election. In 2024, New Westminster’s mayor received remuneration of $152,973 and councillors received $58,836. Council also supported a motion from Coun. Daniel Fontaine (and amended by Coun. Nadine Nakagawa) that the review also includes an update on the transitional allowance payment to elected officials. Fontaine and Coun. Paul Minhas, the two New West Progressive members on council, are concerned about council members receiving separation allowances from the City of New Westminster even if they find full-time employment.
New West votes 3-2 in support of affordable housing project at 1923 and 1927 Marine Way in the West End. Aunt Leah’s Properties plans to build a six-storey, affordable housing project that will provide about 90 units of affordable housing to youths and young mothers transitioning from the foster care system to independent living. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell and Nadine Nakagwa support the plan while councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas are opposed, fearing it could restrict future development for neighbouring properties.
New West council directs staff to proceed with engagement related to the city’s 2025 budget. That includes spending $35,000 to engage a public opinion research firm to complete the budget engagement. Ipsos will conduct a random survey of 10,000 residents and will also reach out to all the 1,700-plus businesses that are on file in the city.
Mark Davidson, who had led the Medicine Hat School Division since 2016, joins the New Westminster school district as its new superintendent on July 8. During his time as the head of the Medicine Hat School Division in Alberta, he has dealt with many of the issues important to New Westminster Schools, including rapid enrolment growth, equitable access, a desire to continue improving learning outcomes and community engagement.
New Westminster city council approves a bus speed and reliability plan. The study, which got underway in 2022, proposes a variety of options including signal changes, bus bulges and bus-only lanes that would cost about $2.6 million to implement in the years ahead.
A 30-storey tower that includes a Marriott hotel and more than 200 housing units is being proposed on the Columbia Theatre site. The latest plan for the site proposes a mixed-used development that includes 95 hotel rooms (on the third to 10th floors), a hotel lounge, 216 stratified residential dwelling units (on the 11th to 30th floors), and a retail space on the Front Street side of the building. At a July 15 workshop, council unanimously supports a recommendation instructing staff to process the proposed heritage revitalization agreement and special development permit applications for 530 Columbia St.
New Westminster council supports recommendations aimed at improving the safety at East Columbia and Braid Street, a location where a pedestrian was killed in February 2023. The city used an “emerging technology” – video-based conflict analysis – as part of its assessment, which assesses the frequency and potential severity of near misses.
The City of New Westminster launches programming – including a session about bees and an outdoor art gallery – at The Habitat in Queen’s Park, a space that was the home of the former petting farm. With Phase 1 of the Queen’s Park Farm transition master plan completed, the space now includes ecological features, renovated gazebos and a new boardwalk along the edge of the wetland bog.
AUGUST
The New Westminster Hyacks’ varsity squad heads to Atlanta, Georgia for a trip that includes three days of practice, a game against the Bulldogs team from Mary Persons High School in Forsyth, Georgia, and visits to the National Center for Human and Civil Rights, the College Football Hall of Fame, and World of Coca-Cola.
The City of New Westminster will explore the use of shipping containers to create micro-retail spaces that would provide affordable storefront spaces for small businesses, artisans, and artists – while enhancing commercial areas and corridors. Staff will report back to council on the feasibility of implementing a program, which had been suggested by councillors Ruby Campbell and Nadine Nakagawa.
SEPTEMBER
New Westminster school trustee Kathleen Carlsen issues a statement saying she underwent surgery in June to remove a cancerous tumour and needs to undergo chemotherapy. Carlsen plans to continue working behind the scenes and avoiding in-person events while she’s undergoing chemotherapy.
Use of cell phones and other digital devices are restricted when students return to class in September – part of new provincial requirements aimed at enhancing student safety and well-being when using digital technology.
A section of McBride Boulevard is closed for several hours on the evening of Sept. 12 while fire crews respond to a hazardous materials incident. New Westminster Fire and Rescue Services say the firefighters quickly extinguished a fire to a truck but learned the vehicle contained chemicals used in the swimming pool industry. The fire department calls in a hazardous chemical cleanup crew as part of the city’s response to the situation.
Hundreds of people sign a petition calling for the continuation of the Q to Q ferry after the city’s website states the ferry’s 2024 service is set to end on Dec. 15 (to remain within the budget approved by council) and resume in January. A day after a resident launches an online petition, the city releases a revised schedule showing the ferry service will continue through December (and beyond), with the exception of Christmas Day and Boxing Day.
Coun. Jaimie McEvoy returns to New West council on Sept. 23 after being on a medical leave since February. The veteran New Westminster city councillor suffered a heart attack on Feb. 2.
The ongoing issue of public toilets continues, with council voting 5-2 in favour of directing staff to develop a citywide public toilet strategy. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson, Jaimie McEvoy and Nadine Nakagawa vote in favour of the staff recommendation, while councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas are opposed. It’s been a topic of conversation in council chambers since council considered a proposal to construct a permanent, prefabricated, freestanding toilet on Begbie Street in June.
New Westminster formally launches its two-year crises response pilot project to tackle the crises of homelessness, mental health, and addictions. The city’s pilot project includes the formation of an operational support team, a policy development and advocacy team, and a crisis response team.
OCTOBER
New ridings mean New West residents elected MLAs in three ridings in the Oct. 19 provincial election. Jennifer Whiteside (NDP) is elected in New Westminster-Coquitlam; Raj Chouhan (NDP) is elected in Burnaby-New Westminster; and Steve Kooner (Conservative) is elected in Richmond-Queensborough.
Construction of an addition with 21 classrooms is set to begin at Queen Elizabeth Elementary School in Queensborough. The three-storey building will contain 21 classrooms and add 525 new seats to the school. It will also provide space for much-needed childcare.
təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre is recognized by the Prix Versailles selection committee as one of the World's Most Beautiful Sports Venues for 2024. Other nominees in the category include: Workers’ Stadium in Beijing, China and the Olympic Aquatic Centre in France. The New West facility is the only Canadian project recognized in any of the Prix Versailles categories, which recognize “the world’s most beautiful achievements” in airports, campuses, passenger stations, sports, museums, emporiums, hotels, and restaurants.
Coun. Daniel Fontaine proposes the city close Front Street to vehicular traffic during daylight hours from May to September 2025 as part of a Cycling Sundays pilot project. Council unanimously supports having staff report back on the feasibility of a pilot project that would see the road closed to vehicles and opened up to cyclists, pedestrians, and other forms of active transportation during the daylight hours on Sundays.
New West council agrees to write to province and inquire about its plans to replace or expand the Queensborough Bridge and to invite the province to partner with the city on a Queensborough Bridge community consultation process. A majority of council, however, do not support the part of Coun. Paul Minhas’s motion requesting the city to develop a consultation plan to determine the level of interest from residents/businesses regarding prioritizing the future expansion or replacement of the Queensborough Bridge, noting the bridge is the province’s jurisdiction, not the city’s. Council is in full agreement on the part of Minhas’s motion stating that any expansion or replacement proposal should prioritize the movement of TransLink-operated buses, cyclists, taxis, ride-share, and pedestrians across the bridge.
Council votes 4-2 in support of a motion to have staff report back on the opportunity and cost for New Westminster to join the Sue Big Oil class action lawsuit and to present potential cost and staff resource needs as part of the draft 2025 operating budget. Staff will assess the cost of joining the Sue Big Oil class action lawsuit via the city’s climate action decision-making framework to determine the appropriate funding source. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell and Nadine Nakagawa support Coun. Tasha Henderson’s motion, which is opposed by councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas. Several community members appeared as delegations to urge the city to support the motion.
New Westminster city council votes to continue collecting a 3.5 per cent climate action levy from its electrical customers. A majority of council rejects a motion from Coun. Daniel Fontaine to eliminate the 3.5 per cent climate action levy from the New Westminster Electrical Utility for one year and to incorporate this change into the city’s 2025 operating budget; opponents argue the money goes into the climate action reserve fund, which will help the city fund climate-related initiatives.
Council supports three readings to a zoning amendment bylaw for the redevelopment of the Columbia Square Plaza site, where a mixed-use development that includes commercial space and 3,800 residential units (homes for about 7,250 residents), a greenway network through 25 per cent of the site at 88 10th St., and daycare space is proposed. Coun. Nadine Nakagawa, who has opposed previous votes on the proposal because of concerns it did not include affordable housing, supports the plan because it now proposes that 20 per cent of the retail floor space be secured as below-market rental and directs a minimum of 80 per cent of density bonus funds from this project to the city’s affordable housing reserve and earmarked for affordable housing. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell and Jaimie McEvoy also support the plan. Councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, who supported earlier recommendations related to the consideration of this redevelopment, are now opposed because of the density being proposed and the need for more amenities and schools.
The City of New Westminster’s ethics commissioner recommends Mayor Patrick Johnstone receive training on a section of the Community Charter related to the acceptance of gifts, after finding he breached council’s Code of Conduct when attending the COP28 conference in Dubai in December 2023. The city releases a report from ethics commissioner Jennifer Devins, who was responding to a complaint against Johnstone, under council’s code of conduct, from councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas. Devins concludes Johnstone had received gifts or personal benefits connected with the performance of the duties of his office, but his contravention was “inadvertent and the result of an error in judgment made in good faith.” She concluded that Johnstone had met the requirements to file a disclosure statement under Section 106 of the Community Charter and did not breach that section of the charter.
A woman is fished out of the Fraser River after being knocked out of her kayak by the wake of a passing boat. Emergency responders say the woman was able to climb onto a small boat anchored in the water until emergency responders safely brought her to shore around 6:45 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 28.
NOVEMBER
An online petition calling for improved safety at a “perilous” crosswalk at Sixth Avenue and Second Street near Herbert Spencer Elementary School. Within days, hundreds of people sign the petition that was launched on Nov. 16.
Coun. Nadine Nakagwa is appointed as New Westminster city council’s new representative to Metro Vancouver’s board of directors, after Mayor Patrick Johnstone tells council he no longer wishes to serve in that role and wants to focus on some local initiatives. In a 5-2 vote, council votes to appoint Nakagawa as the city’s representative and Coun. Jaimie McEvoy as its alternate. Councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas vote in opposition.
Many New Westminster residents and politicians mourn the death of former Premier John Horgan, who passed away on Nov. 12 at Royal Jubilee Hospital in Victoria. He was 65.
Lookout Housing and Health Society receives the city’s permission to operate an 24/7 emergency winter shelter in the Cliff Block Residence on a temporary basis. A temporary use permit allows the society to provide up to 25 beds for men and women until April 30, 2025. Although there’re no plan to operate an emergency winter shelter beyond April 30, staff had recommended council consider a three-year temporary use permit. At the Nov. 4 council meeting, council votes 6-0 in support of Coun. Daniel Fontaine’s motion that council approve issuance of the temporary use permit for one year. Coun. Paul Minhas recuses himself from the discussion because he lives and owns a business near the Cliff Block Residence.
New West Mayor Patrick Johnstone will receive training after breaching council’s Code of Conduct in relation to his attendance at the COP28 conference in Dubai in December 2023. In a 3-2 vote, council supports a recommendation from ethics commissioner Jennifer Devins that the mayor receive training on the Community Charter related to the acceptance of gifts. Councillors Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson and Nadine Nakagawa support Devins’ recommendation. Councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas, who had filed the original complaint against Johnstone under council’s code of conduct, voted against the recommendation. Fontaine proposed a motion that the mayor donate $5,000 to the Don’t Go Hungry food security program, a motion that was defeated in a 3-2 vote. Johnstone and Coun. Jaimie McEvoy did not attend the Nov. 4 hearing.
New Westminster extends a temporary use permit to the Purpose Society can continue to operate a shelter in the former Army & Navy Department store for another three years. In a 5-2 vote, city council supports the issuance of a new temporary use permit (TUP) for an emergency shelter use – either nightly or 24/7 – on the lower floor of the building at 502 Columbia St. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson, Jaimie McEvoy and Nadine Nakagawa support the three-year TUP application, saying it’s needed to address the growing issue of homelessness and is required if the building is to provide a 24/7 service; councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas are opposed, preferring council approve a one-year TUP. Council unanimously supports an amendment from Fontaine that the Purpose Society sign a Good Neighbour Agreement with the city.
New Westminster takes action to incorporate “significant cost overruns” form the North Shore wastewater treatment plan into its 2025 utility rates. At a Nov. 25 workshop, council votes 4-2 in support of increases to its 2025 utility rates: electric – 3.5 per cent; water – six per cent; solid waste – 12 per cent; and sewer – 10 per cent. Instead of an 18 per cent increase to sewer rates recommended by staff (followed by eight per cent increases in 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029), council votes for 10 per cent increase to sewer rates in 2025 (as well as in 2026, 2027, 2028, and 2029.)
DECEMBER
A Line of Duty death service honours longtime New Westminster firefighter and training captain Dave Phillips, who died of an occupational cancer on Nov. 20. He was 63.
Council receives an interim housing needs report which the province requires to be completed by Jan. 1, 2025. It states the city needs 8,137 new units in the next five years and 27,523 units in the next 20 years. Councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas don’t support endorsement of the report, citing concerns that the report references the need to provide a supply of housing units that will reduce homeless – not end homelessness. Staff say that language in the report is from the province and note the city is cautious about speaking of ending homelessness as that’s a “very challenging” thing to do. Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson and Jaimie McEvoy support the report. Council unanimously agrees to write to the appropriate provincial ministers and the federal government listing the City of New Westminster's capital funding- gap needs for renewing, replacing, and upgrading existing capital infrastructure and amenities to maintain current service levels and to support livability for future residents.
A cybersecurity attack causes a district-wide outage to the New Westminster’s School District’s network. In a Dec. 4 email to the Record, the New Westminster Schools confirms its information technology team had identified a cybersecurity incident on Tuesday, Nov. 26 in which an unknown external party gained unauthorized access to SD40’s systems, prompting the district to take immediate action by enforcing a district-wide network outage.
More than 1,000 people sign a petition urging the city to take action to improve pedestrian safety at the crosswalk at Sixth Avenue and Second Street, located next to École Herbert Spencer Elementary School. Several parents attend the Dec. 3 council meeting to highlight concerns about pedestrian safety at the intersection.
New Westminster council unanimously approves Coun. Daniel Fontaine’s motion to have staff report back regarding options for limiting the overall number and locations of business licences issued for new vape shops.
təməsew̓txʷ Aquatic and Community Centre is awarded a Prix Versailles 2024 World Title Special Prize for an Interior in the Sports category at a ceremony at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Dec. 2. Prix Versailles is a series of architectural competitions that each year recognize “the finest contemporary projects worldwide.”
New Westminster council supports a 6.6 per cent property tax increase in 2025, which maintains existing services and provides some funding enhancements, including new police officers. During budget discussions, Mayor Patrick Johnstone and councillors Ruby Campbell, Tasha Henderson and Jaimie McEvoy support the 6.6 per cent increase, while councillors Paul Minhas and Daniel Fontaine say the tax hike is too high.
New Westminster is set to become the first B.C. city to adopt a bylaw restricting the delivery of graphic images. Council unanimously supported a graphic image delivery bylaw that will regulate the unsolicited delivery of graphic abortion-related flyers to residences. The bylaw will require materials with graphic images to be delivered inside an opaque envelope that has a warning on the outside and information showing the name and address of the sender; the bylaw is specific to graphic images of aborted fetuses and does not apply to offensive graphic images in general.
