Royal City pets (and their owners) are invited to show off their costumes in the “Petrifying Pooch Parade” at the Quayside Off-Leash Dog Park at the corner of Rialto Court and Esplanade at noon on Saturday, Oct. 30, 2010.

Get the kids together to participate in this Halloween craft activity that makes a great gift for family and friends who also love your little pumpkin!

People looking down to the Fraser River from the West End and enjoying beautiful views from the River Walk at Port Royal or the Esplanade at Westminster Quay always notice the cottonwood trees growing tall and wild on Poplar Island. It appears untouched by anyone, but it actually has a long history. Many things, people and struggles have lived for 150 years on or about the unique island.

BOO! Ah, autumn. I love it! The leaves… the smell… the pumpkins… the little ghouls! Halloween is one of my favourite events of the year, with a bit of something for everyone. Now that my son is getting to an age where he gets it (wear this, knock on door, say “tickoteet”, present candy holding device and be rewarded!) I’m started to realize how fun it can be. With a 150+ years history, New Westminster offers a lot in the way of creepy spots and stories, outside of the knowns like …

New Westminster may have a great family Halloween tradition in the making with The Metro Hall’s ‘spooktacular’ Haunted Hall. On October 31, The Metro will transform its 8000 square foot events centre into a Haunted Hall in support of local charities. The family-friendly event will feature creepy cobwebs, ghosts and goblins, spooky sounds, a bouncy castle, tricks and treats, Halloween movies on a big screen and haunted hall tours with live spooks for the not so faint of heart.

Poor Sapperton. In the past few years, the area seemed to be improving. There was the start of a kids’ district in New West, with Pedagogy Toys, Kids Kloset and Dimpleskins, a few neat boutiques (Opulence & Cadeaux), a few good bakeries (Bella Cakes & Farm Cottage, which relocated from the Quay), and of course the new Starbucks (hey, I like my lattes). Now it’s looking like Sapperton’s apparent revitalization was more fragile than it seemed.

In 2013, TransLink will launch a new electronic fare system that would allow it to charge riders only for the distance they actually travel, rather than by zone. But just because they can charge more for people traveling long distances doesn’t mean they should.

The Brewery District is a new development being built in Sapperton on the corner of Brunette and Columbia Streets. Its name remembers beer brewed successfully there for 110 years. New Westminster beer has been on tap since 1862 for thirsty residents who have always enjoyed it. By 1880, an alderman complained because for every 28 residents there was one place serving alcohol.

The New Westminster Public Library is proud to announce our fabulous new catalogue called Bibliocommons, which you can find at http://newwestminster.bibliocommons.com. Bibliocommons went live on October 5th 2010 and we’re proud to be the first library in British Columbia to do so.

Theatre does not have to be a faraway and inaccessible activity that happens mysteriously somewhere else. But rather, theatre created by those living in the same community can be something that brightens the cultural landscape on the most direct level possible. It takes a city already enriched by its own history, and makes sure that the history goes on for current and upcoming generations of those interested in artistic expression.