Skip to content

New Westminster announces plans for grand opening of Westminster Pier Park

Royal City will be able to celebrate the long-awaited opening of Westminster Pier Park in June.

Royal City will be able to celebrate the long-awaited opening of Westminster Pier Park in June.

While it's expected that the park will open to the public in May, a community celebration marking the official opening of Westminster Pier Park will be held on Saturday, June 16.

"This new park belongs to the whole community and we want everyone to celebrate the opening with us," said Mayor Wayne Wright. "There will be fun and activities for all ages and we encourage people to mark their calendars and join in the festivities."

Representatives from municipal, provincial and federal governments, as well as community representatives, will be on hand for the ribbon cutting ceremony. The official opening celebrations will begin at 11 a.m. at Lytton Square and activities will take place throughout the park until 3 p.m.

A structure that will represent the historic Lytton Square will be the centerpiece of Westminster Pier Park. Westminster Pier Park, which stretches from Begbie to Elliott streets along the waterfront, includes two playgrounds, a sports court, a finger pier that stretches out over the Fraser River, a "festival lawn" gathering area that can accommodate a thousand people, a sports court, a concession, washrooms (for men, women and families), walking paths and more.

The June 16 grand opening includes a kid's zone that features kite making, roving jugglers and stilt walkers and a sports zone that includes a climbing wall, ball hockey and basketball. Entertainment will be provided on the main stage and roving entertainment will take place in the park between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

"Our award-winning Westminster Pier Park is spectacular and I'm proud of all the efforts put in by so many over the past three years to make it a reality," said Wright. "The opening celebration on June 16th will mark a day to remember as we recapture a significant part of our waterfront for use by the public now and into the future."

The City of New Westminster purchased the brownfield site in 2009 for $8 million, and the city, the province and the federal governments each contributed $8.3 million toward the park's construction. The city has since won two awards for brownfield remediation for the $25.1 million Westminster Pier Park.