Award-Winning Businesses + Get Jazzed! Winter ’26

Issue #461

Author

Carla McNeil
December 30, 2025

Inside the New West Spotlight

 🌥️ Weather - Cloudy with sunny breaks

 😜 Rain Joke - What do you call a rainstorm that plays music? 🎶 

 🗓️ New West Events - Closing the year strong with a lineup of impactful events.

 💝 You’re So Sweet - Thank you, Daphne K.!

 🗞️ New West Local News - Award-Winning Businesses + Get Jazzed! Winter ’26

 📧 Did someone forward you our New West Spotlight? You can Subscribe Here!

Thank you, Daphne - you’re awesome!

Local New Westminster Weather

Historical Records for Today - Record high 13.2 2023 - Record low -8.1 2021

Check out all of our local New Westminster Events

December 30, 2025

🧘 Yang Tai Chi 24 form – 5:00 PM

🍺 Steel & Oak Beer and Board Games – 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

🎲 Howe Sound Hot B*tch Rock & Roll Bingo – 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

🎭️ Notorious Grey Fox Trivia Tuesdays – 7:00 PM

🎤 Itilia Kitchen Karaoke Nights – 8:00 PM

December 31, 2025

💰️ Financial Aid (Welfare) Worker at NWPL – 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

👶 Mom + Baby Meet Up at Cove Indoor Play – 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM

❓️ Georgie's Local Trivia Night – 7:00 PM

🏃 Steel & Oak Run Club – 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Connect Youth (13+) – 7:00 PM to 9:30 PM

❓️ Frankie G’s Trivia Night – 7:30 PM

🌟 Mystical New Year's Eden - A Famous 5 – 7:30 PM to 2:00 AM

🎆 Spirit 5 at Elks Club – 8:00 PM to 12:00 AM

🌟 New Year's Eve DJ Party at Kelly O'Bryan's – 8:00 PM to 12:30 AM

✨ 2026 New Year Party at Match Eatery – 9:00 PM to Late

🎇 NYE DJ Party at Sapperton District – 9:00 PM to Late

⭐️ New Year's Eve at Begbie's – 9:00 PM to 1:00 AM

🧨 New Year's Party at RedBar – 10:00 PM

🧑‍🍳 New Westminster Digital Christmas Cookbook
❤️ Support RCH • Last Day!

January 01, 2026

📚️ Drop-in Wildfires Bookshop – 5:45 PM

🎙️ Georgie's Local Karaoke Night – 7:00 PM

🎙️ The Terminal Pub Colossal Thursdays Karaoke – 7:00 PM to 10:00 PM

🎤 Notorious Grey Fox Open Mic Jam – 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Photo courtesy of City of New Westminster

The A-LIST 2025 is celebrating the businesses, organizations, and community leaders who help make Burnaby and New Westminster vibrant, welcoming places to live and connect. This year’s honourees reflect the diversity, dedication, and local pride that residents continue to support year after year.

From beloved neighbourhood cafés and trusted service providers to community-focused organizations and long-standing local favourites, the A-LIST showcases those who consistently raise the bar. Together, these winners highlight the heart of both cities — places built on connection, quality, and care.

Among the honourees, the City of New Westminster was recognized for creating inclusive public spaces, recreation facilities, and programs that bring people together across all ages and abilities. Despite its small geographic footprint, the city continues to offer big-city amenities while fostering a strong sense of community.

Local favourites such as Fior di Latte Café, OEB Breakfast Co., Home Instead, Portside Law Corporation, and Top Barber Hairstyling were also celebrated for excellence in hospitality, care, service, and professionalism — each playing a meaningful role in shaping the character of their neighbourhoods.

To explore the full list of businesses recognized in A-LIST 2025, visit the complete guide online.

Join a Swing Jazz Community This Winter

Musicians looking to reconnect with the joy of playing together are invited to Get Jazzed! Winter ’26, a seven-week swing jazz series hosted by the Uptown Swing Collective, beginning Tuesday, January 13, in the heart of New Westminster.

Designed for musicians with a basic skill set, Get Jazzed! is not a class, but a community. Participants are placed in small ensembles and spend the series learning, rehearsing, and playing swing jazz standards together—focusing on collaboration, confidence, and creativity rather than competition.

Over the course of the program, musicians will work with guest professional jazz clinicians, build skills in bandleading and ensemble playing, and enjoy plenty of time making music with real people. The series wraps up with an informal showcase, with an optional formal presentation for those who want to take the stage.

Running Tuesday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., the seven-week series costs $150. For anyone missing the magic of live music-making, Get Jazzed! offers a welcoming place to swing, grow, and belong.

⛈️ Rain Joke of the Day 🌧️ 

⛈️ What do you call a rainstorm that plays music? 🎶 

☔️ A drumming downpour! 🥁 

Meme of the Day

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