File this under “who knew?”: Western Canada’s only accredited naturopathic school is right here in New Westminster.

Every May the Queen’s Park area of New Westminster residents host a community garage sale and it’s one of the events that I really look forward to, but it’s probably not for the reasons you’d think.

At some point last fall I got the itch to start sewing.
I began dreaming about crafting my own clothes, mending existing garments and having the overall knowledge to begin a sewing project. Without any previous sewing experience, I got anxious and worried who to ask to teach me or to lend me their machine to practice on. I was prepared to self-teach and hope for the best.
But then, thanks to Google, I discovered Sew Good, a home-based business in Sapperton that offers a range of sewing classes for beginners like …

I like to support businesses in my neighbourhood of Downtown New Westminster. Many places make this easy for me to do: River Market, Zoom Hair Salon and Columbia Integrated Health Centre, for example, are active on social media and in the community and have curb appeal to spare. They are all fabulous and I can’t recommend any of them enough. But then there are businesses that I walk past every day and never enter. They aren’t out there promoting themselves and they just don’t look like they have a lot to offer. But then, one day, I go in and realize how badly I’ve misjudged them.

You don’t know how bad French fries can be until you have amazing French fries. When a number of locals were all atwitter and agog to learn that the Spud Shack Fry Co. was opening up at the Shops at New West Station, I kind of shrugged my shoulders. I mean, I didn’t get why this was a big deal. They’re just fries, right? Wrong.

Although many think of it as a suburb of Vancouver, New West was born a city – one of the first on this part of the coast. Like many an old house, New West may have its problems, but it is blessed with good bones.

Sapperton now boasts a much needed supplier to the increasingly popular home brewing world – Barley’s Homebrewing.

Several weeks ago the City of New Westminster hosted an Economic Forum. The forum was intended to highlight the changes that have been occurring in the city and promote future economic opportunities. The keynote speaker at this event was real estate marketer Bob Rennie. At the end of his speech Mr. Rennie suggested that New Westminster ditch the Royal City moniker for something more contemporary. That same week, the City made the decision to install swag lights along Columbia Street.

I read an interesting article recently from Atlantic Cities about income disparity in Vancouver, based on a research paper produced at the University of Toronto. While we do have our own issues with income disparity in New West, I found it interesting to see where we stand in contrast to the region. While neighbouring districts show declining household incomes, New West household income appear to be holding relatively steady or increasing.

I have many favourite boutiques and restaurants in New West, and it seems to me there are more opening all the time. But if I had a fairy godmother who would fast-track a few new businesses for me, here is what I would wish for …

This weekend is a hugely busy weekend in the Royal City – there is so much to do! And we’ve had such great weather that it is a perfect time to get out and about. Here are our top three picks for Saturday family activities.

The Network Hub at River Market is hosting the 3rd Annual Freelancer Unconference this Saturday September 15. And we have two tickets to giveaway!

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup is taking place in New Westminster Sunday, September 23rd. Take part!

Join the Massey Victory Heights Residents’ Association on Sunday September 9 at the Westburnco Reservoir Park on Churchill Avenue from 1-4 for a Annual Family Picnic. BYO-Blanket and picnic, or enjoy free hot dogs. Watch a show: The New Westminster Police Department’s K9 Unit will be putting on a demonstration, and there will be a martial arts demonstration too! For the kids, check out Bell E Buttons balloon clown, the bouncy castle, and races! Check out info from New Westminster Fire Deparment, the Arts COuncil, and the Hyack Festival Association.
Check …

Nothing says summer like movies al fresco, plus the price (free!) can’t be beat. Lots of different groups will be hosting outdoor movie screenings in New Westminster this summer. Here’s a list!

It started like most scientific research: someone asked “why?” then sought the answer. Except that I asked “how much”, and I was hardly the first to ask. As any scientist will tell you, most science is just collecting more data to confirm results already collected by others, so we boldly followed the trend to where many had been before. In this case, the people we were following were the good people at the Campaign for Real Ale. The issue? Sizes of “pints,” and value for the money.

Dear Vancouver … there’s no good way to say this. I’m breaking up with you. I know we can still be friends. Yeah everyone says that but there are still things I love about you. The seawall, West End, The Drive, Granville Island to name a few but you are just too damn expensive for me. I have a New city now, not only in location but in name: New Westminster

New at this year’s Key West Ford Show & Shine on Sunday, July 8: food truck favourites Japadog, Re-Up BBQ and Chronic Tacos, mini spa services from West Coast College of Massage Therapy, and a pet lounge for dogs.

An outside observer could be forgiven for thinking that New Westminster is rife with problems and dissent. Each day we hear of another action group bringing attention to an unwanted project or program or another group insisting that the community is in dire need of another service, amenity, policy or facility. From an informed and engaged population, you get a chorus, a cacophony of grasping, needing, pleading outrage. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.

River Market will step back in time to reinvent a Royal Columbian Hospital tradition: the Country Fair fundraiser. From 1943 to 1969 RCH volunteers invited residents to the “Come One, Come All to Country Fair” held at the City Market in New Westminster. During this year’s Canada Day long weekend, River Market will host an updated version of the Country Fair in a four-day fundraising extravaganza celebrating RCH’s history and contribution to New Westminster.

We have written about Residents’ Associations before on Tenth, but I was recently asked if I knew the contact info for the local RA in a particular neighbourhood. We decided to create this list of contact info (including social media). Please feel free to let us know if we missed anything – we’d be really happy to keep it updated!

The Westminster Pier Park is now open! We’re in love with it.

This Saturday, June 16, the new Westminster Pier Park will open with a celebration from 11 am to 3 pm. There will be lots of fun, family-friendly activities, food and live music. The upcoming event makes me marvel at how lucky we are in New Westminster when it comes to outdoor play areas. The new Pier Park will feature two playgrounds, a concession, washrooms and playing fields, all in a beautiful waterfront setting. But it’s just the latest addition to many fantastic playgrounds around the city.

Small grants now available to residents through the Neighbourhood Small Grants Program of the Vancouver Foundation.

We’re set to have music in the streets of our city with Uptown Live, an event to take place on multiple stages in uptown New Westminster on May 26, from 12PM to 5PM.