Remember that Game that the beloved movie and book classic Pollyanna used to play, the game that became her namesake in any discussion perceived to be a little too sweet and idealistic?
“Oh, yes; the game was to just find something about everything to be glad about — no matter what ’twas.” – Pollyanna, from bestselling 1916 children’s novel by Eleanor H. Porter.
The recent post on T2F gave me pause because of it’s several references to New West’s losses, including the reinactment of a debate with Governor James Douglas on the …

Previously mentioned in Tenth To The Fraser’s guide to “blunch” in the Royal City, Amelia Restaurant on 12th St. is a local greasy spoon phenomenon. Vancouver Sun reporter Shelly Fralic, who I hear is also a New Westie, shared her review yesterday in the Sun:
One of the reasons it’s been a neighbourhood fixture for decades is the All-Day Breakfast Special which, for $3.50, delivers a pile of eggs, bacon/ham or sausage, perfectly crisp home-made pan fries and toast, or, if you’re hungrier than the average bear, a $4.95 Workman’s Special, …

I have had the rare pleasure of having a local newspaper delivered to my door (seriously, our paperboy must be stockpiling them for a Piñata-making party), and after reading through the agenda in the two-page ad for the Festival of Volunteers, I see now that they’ve buried the lede.
My co-author Jen has already covered the altruistic reasons to head out to Royal City Centre this Saturday for the Festival of Volunteers. But even if you have zero interest in volunteering, it will be worth it to come out to see Mayor Wayne …

Are you interested in volunteering some of your time to a good cause but aren’t really sure what sort of opportunities there are in New Westminster? 
The 7th Annual New Westminster Festival of Volunteers is happening this Saturday, January 31st, at Royal City Centre. There are a whopping 43 different organizations registered to be a part of what is a fun and interesting event for all members of the family. You can find out about volunteer opportunities right here in our community, as well as find out more about many different …

Two of the three police officers who were alleged to have beaten, robbed and racially insulted a delivery man in Vancouver last week will be charged in the assault.
Charges of assault and possession of stolen property are recommended against an officer with the New Westminster police, while a charge of robbery is recommended against an officer with the West Vancouver force, Vancouver Police Chief Jim Chu told reporters Monday.
Chu said there was not enough evidence to recommend charges against a third officer from the Delta police department, who was initially …

I am one of the many home owners in New Westminster with a rented suite. We have a sunny, clean one bedroom that is rented to a lovely tenant. When we purchased our home, the suite allowed us to buy a home that we could truly live in, and we did not have to move to Surrey. Try as we might South of the Fraser, we could not find a neighbourhood that we were willing to live in. I was elated to find this house, with all of its heritage …

According to Translink and the Vancouver Sun, the Patullo Bridge opens tomorrow morning at 6am – up to 3 weeks ahead of schedule.
Translink attributes the unexpected opening to their ability to source the workers and supplies needed to repair the southern part of the span that was destroyed by fire. A replacement span from part of the Canada Line construction project was even used to take the place of the missing span, which sped up the rebuilding process considerably.
The slow response of vehicle commuters, however, has got transit planners …

The mayor’s dream of citywide wifi notwithstanding, New Westminster is not a town that fetishizes digital culture. Until recently, we have not even had a visible local blogging presence (most local bloggers mark themselves as being in “Vancouver”). So you can imagine my surprise when four people in the small crowd at the recent Royal City Farmer’s Market AGM  told me they were on Twitter.  
Only about 1% of online Canadians are on Twitter, according to recent ComScore stats, but the service is growing incredibly quickly. According to Compete, Twitter grew an astonishing 752% in 2008, …

It was a dark day in New Westminster when the Orange Room closed. It was one of only a handful of restaurants in New West that one might classify as, well, cool. Amid the plethora of sports bars and diners, The Orange Room was a vital refuge for those among us who enjoyed tapas with a side of live music and local art.
I had given up hope that this favourite restaurant of mine might reopen, but I am happy to report that the Orange Room lives! 
The new owner is Paloma Eguiagaraya, who …

If you’re passionate about theatre and New Westminster history, this could be right up your alley:
The Backroom Theatre Club is issuing a Call for Plays to the many playwrights in New Westminster to write short play vignettes, of about 10 minutes duration, on any New Westminster history theme of their choice. These vignettes will be produced throughout 2009 to celebrate New Westminster’s 150th anniversary.
It is expected that the vignettes will provide theatrical snapshots of what life was like in New Westminster in the past 150 years.
More: BTC 150th Vignettes Project …

In a recent post on my blog, Dis:adventure, I took an idea I saw on CityCaucus, and ran with it. What would happen if we left the bridge broken? I mused.
Well, 9 comments later, and some good discussion both here and there, and I began to realize that I asked the wrong question. T2F co-author Will rightly pointed out,
I know that if you build a road that makes driving easier, people will use it and move to those places. That is the point. But if you remove a …

There was a hint of a congratulatory mood at tonight’s Annual General Meeting of the Royal City Farmer’ Market at the New Westminster Public Library.  The meeting was well attended and a number of people renewed their membership or became members with their $10 donation. Tenthtothefraser.ca also became a member in a way as both Briana and myself joined the society.
Andrew Murray, founder, past president and a major spokesperson for the RCFM, reported that over the 16 market days of the 2008 season, more than 11,000 persons attended the market …

Despite vocal opposition from Quayside residents concerned about the impact on their views, city council has approved the request by Port Royal developer Aragon Properties to build a taller tower in Queensborough.
On Monday city council voted 5-2 in favour of a height variance for the Queensborough tower, which will allow the developer to add 28 more feet to the highrise.
Coun. Bob Osterman and Bill Harper opposed the variance.
Source: Port Royal tower to be taller | New Westminster News Leader
As The Record’s Theresa McManus reports, the decision illustrates that election endorsements don’t always …

A New West police officer was among three off-duty cops who were arrested for allegedly assaulting and robbing a man in Vancouver.
Three off-duty police officers from different suburban departments were arrested Wednesday on allegations they assaulted and robbed a man in Vancouver.
The Vancouver Police Department said the three officers were involved in an altercation with a 47-year-old newspaper delivery driver from Surrey, B.C.
Police declined to provide many details, citing the continuing investigation, but said they responded to a 911 call about a fight outside an upscale hotel in the city’s …

I have been looking forward to tonight’s meeting of the New Westminster Historical Society. It is not so much that former New Westminster curator Archie Miller and the historical society’s organizer would be presenting commentary and images on the Hollywood Sanitarium and the New Westminster Mall (the mall replaced the hospital that was between 5th and 6th streets, uptown New West) and his usual photo groups of places and people throughout this cities 150 year history. I just missed being there.
I became a member of the group a little over …

While the rest of us brace for a month or more of commuting hell while TransLink repairs the burnt-out Pattullo Bridge, a few local thinkers on transportation issues offer an alternative view. No one doubts the short-term pain, but The South Fraser Blog and Stephen Rees suggest motorists will find alternate routes or change their travel patterns given some time. Meanwhile, the temporary loss of that bridge might actually get us thinking differently about Lower Mainland transportation problems if we take the time for self-reflection.
Back in the day (and even …

This Saturday (Jan. 24) it’s de-lurking day in New Westminster. Whether you Tweet or blog, comment or lurk, come on down to the Heritage Grill around 3pm for a little face-to-face coffee chat and analog dialogue.
Thanks to Ruth Seeley for suggesting the Tweetup.

This is a media release from the City of New Westminster. We hope this New Westminster Park ‘N Ride solution will help some of the affected Pattullo commuters who are finding our blog via search.
New Westminster, BC –The City of New Westminster is offering Metro Vancouver commuters a new way to avoid travel delays across the Fraser River while repairs are done to the Pattullo Bridge.
Mayor Wayne Wright has announced that commuters can access nearly 800 parking spaces at the City’s parkade on Front Street and complete their trips …

Well, I got a parking ticket. I ranted about snow removal not too long ago and someone in the comments suggested that the city would be sure to give me a parking ticket but God forbid they actually enforce the snow removal bylaws.
Anonymous commenter, you are a prophet. Please tell me the winning lotto numbers.  
Don’t get me wrong, I was parked illegally and I’m not going to argue that fact now that I realize what the bylaw is. But I’m pleading ignorance here. I was parked on a side street …

This is a guest post by Ruth Seeley of No Spin PR.

I’m more likely to go out for breakfast than for any other meal these days. Working from home, it means I can give my day a little ‘shape’ by getting up early, reading, writing, tweeting, pitching, greeting, etc. for three or four hours, then take a shower break and head out to do errands, get some fresh air, and have breakfast.
On bad days this sometimes doesn’t happen till 2 or 3PM, however, so I’ve had to invent a …

Image via Wikipedia

As we blogged earlier today, a fire has shut down the Pattullo Bridge. Now it seems it will not just be Monday’s commute that will be affected. It looks like the bridge could be shut down for up to six weeks. 
“Because of the severity of the damage, it will certainly be closed for a couple of days, but there is a strong likelihood that it will be closed for an extended period, perhaps as long as four to six weeks,” [TransLink spokesperson Ken Hardie] said.
Source: Pattullo Bridge closed …

This is a guest post from Waferboard. You can find him on Twitter @waferboard or on Friendfeed.

 
 
For the second year now I’ve noticed there are more people sleeping on Sixth Street in the winter than in the summer. The cold and the wetness of the season are probably contributing factors.

Following my commute route down Sixth Street from Sixth Avenue down to the Columbia Skytrain station, here are a few of the spots that have attracted overnight visitors. Obviously this is not exhaustive and perhaps not even representative of the city.
Shop …

This is Mooki:
 
Don’t let her fool you, she actually hates you. Well, that’s not true. She resents you being alive but appreciates any food offerings you might have for her. Mooki is a Shiba Inu, and if you know your dog breeds, you know that shibas are notoriously standoffish and act more cat than dog. Mooki is no exception. I have shared my life with Mooki for 6 years (she’s 9). We joke that Mooki is one part hate, one part lazy, and two parts fur.  Here is Mooki doing what …

New Westminster MLA Chuck Puchmayr has announced he is battling liver cancer, and will not be a candidate in the next provincial election. 
Puchmayr says it’s become clear in the past few days that he’s going to have to dedicate all of this energy to this battle.
He says it’s been an honour to serve the people of New Westminster as their MLA and city councillor for nine years prior to that.
Source: New Westminster NDP MLA not running in next election | News1130

If you are one of the 80,000 commuters who cross the Pattullo Bridge to get to work, brace yourself: you may want to plan to work from home, time-shift or take a sick day on Monday. One of the trestles caught fire early this morning, and the bridge is closed to traffic until further notice.
“It’s heavily charred,” [TransLink spokesperson] Ken Hardie said. “When the blaze first broke out … reports were that there were flames shooting up from underneath the bridge on both sides.”
TransLink engineers are assessing the bridge’s structure, …