If You Grew Up in New Westminster, You’ll Remember These 12 Things
New Westminster is an old city that keeps changing around its landmarks. The Pattullo Bridge closed to vehicles on Feb. 6, 2026. Its orange arch was lowered onto a barge over Thanksgiving weekend, Oct. 9 to 11, 2026. If you grew up here, that was the first piece of skyline you looked for coming home.
This is a list of the places and things locals remember, with the history behind each. Some you can still visit. Some are gone. A few are still standing under new names.
Each entry tells you what was there, why it mattered, and how to see what’s left. Where a detail couldn’t be confirmed, it’s left out or flagged.
12. The Central Park interurban line (New Westminster to Vancouver)
Where: New Westminster to Vancouver
When: 1891 to 1954
Cost: n/a
Getting there: The Expo Line follows part of the route
This one is for the oldest readers: the last run was July 16, 1954. According to TransLink’s history post, the Central Park Line interurban ran between New Westminster and Vancouver from 1891 to 1954.
It linked the two cities by rail decades before SkyTrain. The Expo Line follows part of the old route, so the trip you take today is an echo of one your grandparents might have made.
11. The Royal City Star riverboat casino (Westminster Quay)
Where: Westminster Quay
When: Opened Oct. 6, 1999
Cost: n/a
Getting there: Gone; the casino moved onto land
The Royal City Star was a refurbished Mississippi tour boat. On Oct. 6, 1999, it sailed from New Westminster Quay on its first day as BC’s first destination casino.
It didn’t stay on the water. Gateway Casinos later moved the casino onto land, and the boat was put up for sale.
There’s nothing to visit now. It belongs on this list because a gambling boat docked on the Fraser was a strange and specific thing to grow up next to.
10. The Samson V sternwheeler (Westminster Quay)
Where: Westminster Quay boardwalk
When: Worked 1937 to 1980; closed for the season until May 2027
Cost: By donation
Getting there: Westminster Quay boardwalk
The Samson V is a wooden, steam-powered sternwheeler. It was launched in 1937 to clear snags from the Fraser River. That’s the same year the Pattullo opened.
It worked the river until 1980. When it retired, the City bought it for one dollar, on the condition that it be kept as a museum. The City says it’s the only completely intact, floating wooden sternwheeler in North America.
It’s moored on the Westminster Quay boardwalk. It’s at 880 Quayside Drive. It’s closed for the season and the City says it reopens in May 2027. Admission is by donation. Check the City’s museums and archives page or call ahead before you make a trip of it.
9. The BC Pen (Sapperton)
Where: Sapperton waterfront area, near Glenbrook Ravine Park
When: 1878 to May 10, 1980
Cost: n/a
Getting there: Sapperton; stay on public streets
The BC Penitentiary opened in 1878. It was the first federal penitentiary west of Manitoba. It closed on May 10, 1980.
Most of the site is homes now. Only four parts of the original complex remain, according to British Columbia Magazine.
It’s in Sapperton, near Glenbrook Ravine Park. People live there, so stay on public streets.
8. The Burr Block and the Queen’s Hotel (Columbia Street)
Where: Columbia Street near 4th Street
When: Survived the fire of Sept. 10 and 11, 1898
Cost: Free to view
Getting there: Near Columbia SkyTrain station
On Sept. 10 and 11, 1898, fire destroyed the downtown portion of the city. Only two major buildings in the area survived it: the Burr Block and the Queen’s Hotel.
The Burr Block is now the Met Hotel. Standing in front of it, you’re looking at one of the only pieces of Downtown older than the fire.
A 1998 historical marker for the fire is on public display. The buildings are on Columbia Street near 4th Street, close to Columbia SkyTrain station.
7. SkyTrain’s end of the line (New Westminster station)
Where: New Westminster station, 32 8th Street
When: Opened Dec. 11, 1985
Cost: Transit fare
Getting there: Expo Line
SkyTrain opened on Dec. 11, 1985. City heritage documents say it arrived in time for Expo 86. For a while, New Westminster station was the end of the line.
That didn’t last long. The line reached Columbia station on Feb. 14, 1989.
New Westminster station is at 32 8th Street on the Expo Line. If you rode out here as a kid when there was nowhere further to go, you’ll remember.
6. The Columbia Theatre, later the Burr Theatre (Downtown)
Where: 530 Columbia Street, Downtown
When: Opened 1927; Burr Theatre era 2000 to 2006
Cost: Ticket prices vary by show
Getting there: Steps from Columbia SkyTrain station
The Columbia opened in 1927 as an atmospheric-style movie palace. That style was built to make the audience feel like they were sitting outdoors. The Canadian Register of Historic Places calls it a rare surviving example of the type.
The building changed hands more than once. The Fraternal Order of Eagles bought it in 1987. The City bought it in 2000 and leased it to the Raymond Burr Performing Arts Society until 2006. In those years it was known as the Burr Theatre.
The name came from Raymond Burr, the Perry Mason star, who was born in New Westminster on May 21, 1917. He is buried in the city’s Fraser Cemetery. If you go to pay your respects, keep it respectful.
The theatre is at 530 Columbia Street, steps from Columbia SkyTrain station. The City sold the building in 2011, and it now runs as a private comedy and performance venue. Check its listings before you go.
5. Westminster Pier Park and the 2020 fire (Downtown waterfront)
Where: Front Street waterfront, Downtown
When: Opened 2012; fire September 2020; reopened April 2021
Cost: Free
Getting there: Fourth Street pedestrian overpass from Columbia Street
Westminster Pier Park opened in 2012. It gave Downtown a public waterfront along Front Street.
In September 2020 the park caught fire and burned for more than 10 days. After a large rebuilding effort, the park reopened in April 2021.
The City’s Pier Park page has the current details.
Get there by the Fourth Street pedestrian overpass from Columbia Street. It’s also the best spot to watch the old Pattullo come apart.
4. The Paramount Theatre and its neon sign (Downtown)
Where: 652 Columbia Street, Downtown
When: Renamed the Paramount Feb. 1, 1950; neon sign dates to 1948
Cost: Free to view from the street
Getting there: Between New Westminster and Columbia SkyTrain stations
The Paramount was Columbia Street’s other big movie house. It started life as the Edison. City archives say it became the Paramount on Feb. 1, 1950.
The neon is the part people remember. The heritage register lists the large sheet-metal marquee and the neon Paramount sign as character-defining features. That means they’re part of what the register says gives the building its heritage character.
The building runs through the block, with frontages on both Columbia and Front streets. Look up when you pass. The sign is the thing to see.
It’s at 652 Columbia Street, between New Westminster and Columbia SkyTrain stations.
3. Columbia Street, the ‘Golden Mile’ (Downtown)
Where: Columbia Street, Downtown New Westminster
When: Heyday in the 1940s and 1950s
Cost: Free
Getting there: Columbia or New Westminster SkyTrain station
Tourism New Westminster says Columbia Street was known as the Golden Mile in its 1940s and 1950s heyday.
The street didn’t hold that title forever. A New Westminster Heritage Preservation Society page puts the decline down to television and suburban malls. Shoppers had new places to go, and they went.
What’s left is the architecture. Columbia Street is still lined with heritage buildings, and a walk along it is the easiest way to read the city’s commercial history.
Columbia and New Westminster SkyTrain stations are both on or next to the street. Front Street is one block down toward the river, so you can loop back along it.
2. Woodward’s at Sixth and Sixth (Uptown)
Where: 6th Street and 6th Avenue, Uptown (now Royal City Centre)
When: Opened March 1954; renamed Royal City Centre in August 1993
Cost: Free
Getting there: Uptown, across from Moody Park
Woodward’s opened at Sixth Street and Sixth Avenue in March 1954. The City’s Uptown heritage statement says the store shaped the commercial development of Uptown. Suburban malls like it are often cited as part of what drew shoppers away from Columbia Street.
In the early 1990s the store was rebuilt as part of a larger complex called Woodward Place. Then Woodward’s went bankrupt. In August 1993 the mall was renamed Royal City Centre, which is what it’s called today.
Archival records disagree on the exact opening day, so March 1954 is as precise as the record allows. The New Westminster Archives hold photos and records of the mall’s changeover.
The site is in Uptown, across from Moody Park.
1. The old Pattullo Bridge (Fraser River)
Where: Fraser River, New Westminster to Surrey
When: Nov. 15, 1937 to Feb. 6, 2026 (vehicles); deconstruction targeted for end of 2027
Cost: Opened at a cost of $4 million
Getting there: View from Westminster Pier Park
The Pattullo opened on Nov. 15, 1937 and cost $4 million. TransLink called it the orange-arched backbone of the region’s skyline. Anyone who drove it remembers the narrow lanes.
It closed to vehicles on Feb. 6, 2026, as traffic prepared to move to the new stalÌ•É™wÌ“asÉ™m (Riverview) Bridge. From Oct. 9 to 11, 2026, the arch was lowered onto a barge. Full deconstruction is targeted for the end of 2027. TransLink’s farewell post covers its 88 years.
Westminster Pier Park is the place to watch what’s left come down. Since Aug. 31, the Front Street truck route has been closed between Begbie Street and East Columbia Street for about four months, and the City expects another closure for bridge removal starting in spring 2027. Check current closures before you head down.
Getting there
New Westminster and Columbia SkyTrain stations serve Downtown and the Quay. Columbia station opened on Feb. 14, 1989. Most of the Downtown entries on this list are within a short walk of one station or the other. To reach Westminster Pier Park, use the Fourth Street pedestrian overpass from Columbia Street.
Pattullo deconstruction and closures
Removal of the old bridge is targeted for the end of 2027. The Front Street truck route has been closed between Begbie Street and East Columbia Street for about four months since Aug. 31, and another closure for bridge removal is expected to start in spring 2027. Before you plan a waterfront walk, check current closures. Stay behind any fencing around the work zone.
Etiquette
- The old BC Pen site is mostly homes now. Stay on public streets.
- Raymond Burr was born in New Westminster. If you visit any site connected to him, keep it respectful.
- Heritage buildings on Columbia Street are working businesses and homes. Look from the sidewalk.
What couldn’t be confirmed
- The exact day Woodward’s opened. Records say both March 4 and March 11, 1954.
| Place | What it was | What’s there now |
|---|---|---|
| Woodward’s at Sixth and Sixth | Department store, opened March 1954 | Royal City Centre, renamed August 1993 |
| Columbia Theatre | Atmospheric-style movie palace, opened 1927 | Bought by the City in 2000, sold in 2011; now a private comedy and performance venue |
| Paramount Theatre | The Edison, renamed Paramount in 1950 | 1948 neon sign and marquee listed as heritage character-defining features |
| Burr Block | One of two buildings to survive the 1898 fire | The Met Hotel |
| Pattullo Bridge | Orange-arched bridge, opened 1937 | Closed to vehicles Feb. 6, 2026; deconstruction targeted for end of 2027 |
| Samson V | Snag-clearing sternwheeler, 1937 to 1980 | Museum on the Westminster Quay boardwalk (closed until May 2027) |
| Royal City Star | Riverboat casino, opened 1999 | Casino moved onto land; boat put up for sale |
| BC Pen | Federal penitentiary, 1878 to 1980 | Mostly homes; gatehouse, coal house, Centre Block and cemetery remain |
| Central Park Line | Interurban rail, 1891 to 1954 | Expo Line follows part of the route |
Plenty of this list is gone or renamed. The arch is off the Pattullo and the casino boat has left the Quay. Still, a lot is still standing. You can walk Columbia Street, look up at the Paramount’s neon, stand in front of a building that outlasted the 1898 fire, and see the sternwheeler the City bought for a dollar (it reopens for visitors in May 2027). Take the SkyTrain in, check for closures on Front Street, and go see what’s left while it’s there.
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Photo credits
- River Waterfront 03 03 (36948744).jpg by Dennis Sylvester Hurd from Minuwangoda, WP, Sri Lanka, Canada, CC0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- River Waterfront 01 03 (36946529).jpg by Dennis Sylvester Hurd from Minuwangoda, WP, Sri Lanka, Canada, CC0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- River Waterfront 02 03 (36947138).jpg by Dennis Sylvester Hurd from Minuwangoda, WP, Sri Lanka, Canada, CC0 (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Pattullo Bridge under construction circa 1937.jpg by unknown. from the collection of Matthews, James Skitt, Major (1878-1970), Public domain (combined into a montage, cropped). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Pattullo bridge under construction 1937.jpg by unknown. from the collection of Matthews, James Skitt, Major (1878-1970), Public domain (resized; cropped for the featured image). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- 668 Columbia Street (33367737861).jpg by Jeff Hitchcock from Seattle, WA, USA, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Royal City Centre, New Westminster (July 23, 2026).jpg by Yuet Man Lee, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Columbia Theatre.jpg by Michael Hamilton (mhamilton1927), CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Paramount Theatre.jpg by Michael Hamilton (mhamilton1927), CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Nw waterfront.jpg by User: (WT-shared) Shaund at wts wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 1.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Royalcitystar-casino.jpg by Arnold C, Attribution (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Westminster Pier Park, June 2020.jpg by Dennis Sylvester Hurd, CC BY 2.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- BCPenitentiaryConstruction1877.jpg by unknown, Public domain (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- New Westminster Station 2016.jpg by Underbar dk, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- Burr Block.jpg by Michael Hamilton (mhamilton1927), CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
- B.C. Electric Railway Company Fraser Valley Railway line cars.jpg by Matthews, James Skitt, Major (1878-1970), Public domain (resized). Via Wikimedia Commons.
