Call for Industry Leaders + Global Game Jam

Issue #478

Author

Carla McNeil
January 16, 2026

Inside the New West Spotlight

 🌞 Weather - Sunny

 😜 Rain Joke - What’s a rain cloud’s favorite fruit? 🍎 

 🗓️ New West Events - Picking up the pace, with more things worth checking out.

 🗞️ New West Local News - Call for Industry Leaders + Global Game Jam

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

Local New Westminster Weather

Historical Records for Today - Record high 11.4 2015 - Record low -6.2 2024

Check out all of our local New Westminster Events

January 16, 2026

👦 Toddler Time (12-36 months) – 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

👶 Babytime (0-12 months) – 12:00 PM to 12:30 PM

🍼 Baby Social (0-23 months) – 12:30 PM to 1:30 PM

👪️ Family Place Storytime & Play Lab – 12:30 PM to 2:00 PM

🎲 Friendsday Night Board Games – 6:00 PM to 11:30 PM

🎲 Howe Sound Hitmix Bingo – 7:00 PM

🎙️ Weekly Karaoke Every Friday – 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

🎙️ Notorious Grey Fox Karaoke Friday Nights – 9:00 PM until Close

🍸️ Friday Night DJ at Frankie G’s – Fridays at Frankie G’s

January 17, 2026

🗣️ Spanish Conversation Drop-in – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

🛍️ New West Craft at River Market – 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM

🎸 Mechanics of Music Street Sessions – 12:00 PM to 3:00 PM

🎂 Cake it Easy Turns One – 1:00 PM

😆 New West Improv's improv comedy jam! – 2:15 PM to 3:45 PM

💃 Secret Balboa Social – 7:30 PM to 10:00 PM

🕺 Saturday Dance Party at Georgie's – 10:00 PM to 1:00 AM

🕹️ Fighting Game Night – Phantom Alley

January 18, 2026

🎸 Weekend Jam with Sam – 11:00 AM

👍️ NWP Volunteer Appreciation Event – 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM

🎨 Linocut Print Making at Arrieta Art Studio – 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

🍻 LGBTQIA2S Beer Social at The Terminal Pub – 2:00 PM to 5:00 PM

🧘 Yang Tai Chi 24 form – 5:00 PM

🎙️ Georgie's Local Sunday Night Open Mic! – 6:00 PM to 9:00 PM

🎲 Sunday Bingo – At Royal City Curling Club

🍻 All Day Happy Hour – Mondays at Frankie G’s

🤖 Tin Man Reveal

This week’s Tin Man stops:

🍣 Sushi Farm
☕ Good Omen

Want to see who guessed it first?
👉 Check out the original posts on Instagram and Facebook

Thank you to everyone who joined in for our very first week! We hope you had as much fun guessing and discovering New West as we did putting this together. It’s been a joy seeing the community come together and celebrate our local spots.

The Tin Man is already on the move again. Keep an eye on our socials — the next sighting is coming Monday 👀

Have a Voice in New Westminster’s Future

The City of New Westminster is inviting local business owners, organizational leaders, and industry professionals to apply for the Arts, Culture and Economic Development Advisory Committee.

This committee plays an important role in shaping City policies and initiatives that support economic growth, a thriving arts and culture sector, and a vibrant local economy. Members bring real-world experience and industry insight from a wide range of fields, including education, health care, manufacturing, non-profit, retail, technology, planning and the public realm, and arts and creative industries.

The time commitment is manageable—approximately two hours every two months—with meetings held both in person and virtually. Applicants do not need to be New Westminster residents; non-resident professionals are welcome to apply.

If you’re passionate about contributing your expertise and helping guide the future of New Westminster’s creative and economic landscape, this is a meaningful way to get involved.

📅 Application deadline: January 22, 2026
🔗 Apply and learn more at newwestcity.ca/advisory

Game developers, artists, writers, musicians, and curious creatives are invited to take part in the 2026 Vancouver Global Game Jam, happening January 30 to February 1 at Douglas College’s New Westminster campus.

This annual worldwide event challenges participants to come together and create a playable game in just one weekend. From brainstorming and team-building on Friday night to late-night coding, designing, composing, and testing, the Global Game Jam is all about creativity, collaboration, and learning by doing.

No experience? No problem. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or completely new to game-making, everyone is welcome. Participants can come with a team or form one on-site, with roles ranging from programming and visual art to sound design, writing, and project management. Meals are provided, and professional connections often form alongside the games themselves.

The event wraps up Sunday evening with a closing showcase, where teams share what they’ve built in just 48 hours.

Tickets are available for the public, students, and community sponsors, and volunteer opportunities are also open.

🎮 Build fast. Learn more. Meet your people.
This is game creation at its most exciting.

⛈️ Rain Joke of the Day 🌧️ 

🌧️ What’s a rain cloud’s favorite fruit? 🍎 

🍓 A drizzle berry! 🫐 

Groan O' Meter

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