Over the past month I have received numerous calls from constituents regarding the proposed United Boulevard Extension (UBE) road project, connecting Coquitlam and New Westminster. Those from Maillardville argue that this ‘long overdue’ project will allow traffic to flow more freely out of the Brunette corridor in Coquitlam; while Sapperton residents have major concerns that the project will result in increased traffic flowing into New Westminster and the expropriation of residential and industrial land.

Chris Bryan is a New Westminster resident and the editor of the New Westminster NewsLeader.
As you may know, I write a weekly column in the New Westminster NewsLeader.
When I started the draft for this week, my goal was to talk specifically about the United Boulevard Extension project, which is the subject of a “town hall-style” meeting on Dec. 7 at the Justice Institute. I’d been hearing from people, in person and online, that a main concern was that the project would lead to more traffic coming to the Royal City.

And then …

For almost 14O years, thousands of New Westminsterites have enjoyed celebrations like May Day, the famous Ancient Hyack Anvil Battery, parades down our main streets and the crowning of Miss New Westminster. The Hyack Festival Association continues these New Westminster traditions that many people have enjoyed for their whole lives, introduces them to new generations and shares them with people from around the world. People enjoying the festivities and the city often wonder what the word ‘Hyack’ means and how it became such an important part of the language of New Westminster.