Family Fun Day + Laneway Homes, Triplexes and Multiplexes

Issue #649

Author

Carla McNeil
July 06, 2026

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Local New Westminster Weather

Historical Records for Today - Record high 32.8 1945 - Record low 5.6 1916

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Monday July 06, 2026

🌊 FRDC Summer Camps: Journey Down the River – 9:00 PM to 4:00 PM

🧘 Peace, Be Still Monday Meditation – 10:30 AM to 11:15 AM

🧩 Steel & Oak Puzzle Mondays – 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

🎨 Downtown’s Living Room at Anvil Centre – 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM

🎙️ Begbie's Open Mic – 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Tuesday July 07, 2026

🌊 FRDC Summer Camps: Journey Down the River – 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

📖 Storytime and Craft (3-5 years) – 10:30 AM to 11:00 AM

🩼 Falls Prevention – 10:30 AM to 12:00 PM

🧶 Youth Knitting and Crochet Club (6-18 years) – 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

🎶 Art in Moody Park: Live Music – 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

🎤 Ukulele Level 1 at Mechanics of Music Studio – 5:30 PM to 7:00 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

Wednesday July 08, 2026

🌊 FRDC Summer Camps: Journey Down the River – 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM

💰️ Financial Aid (Welfare) Worker at NWPL – 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

👶 Babytime (0-23 months) – 11:30 AM to 12:00 PM

🎨 Queensborough Crafternoon (5-12 years) – 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

🎤 Find Your Voice at Mechanics of Music Studio – 5:30 PM to 7:00 PM

👪️ Family Building Free Play (All Ages) – 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

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

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

🎲 Howe Sound Drag Bingo & Trivia – 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM

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

An afternoon of food, fun, and community is coming to Tipperary Park as Last Door Recovery Society invites everyone to its Family Day BBQ.

The free event brings together alumni, families, supporters, program participants, and the wider New Westminster community to celebrate the power of connection, recovery, and mental wellness.

Guests can enjoy a complimentary BBQ, family-friendly activities, a Kids Zone, live entertainment, and plenty of opportunities to reconnect with old friends, meet new people, and spend time together in a welcoming atmosphere.

More than just a summer gathering, the event highlights the importance of community support for individuals and families affected by mental health and addiction. Whether you have a personal connection to Last Door Recovery Society or simply want to enjoy a positive community event, everyone is encouraged to attend.

Bring the family, meet your neighbours, and celebrate the strength that comes from supporting one another.

The City of New Westminster has adopted a new Infill Housing Program aimed at encouraging more ground-oriented, family-friendly housing across most of the city.

Approved in June 2026, the program allows up to six units of infill housing on many single-detached and duplex properties. Eligible housing forms include secondary suites, laneway homes, carriage houses, triplexes, quadplexes and other multiplex-style developments.

The program also responds to provincial housing legislation requiring municipalities to allow more small-scale multi-unit housing in traditionally lower-density residential areas. In New Westminster, the changes are intended to create more housing options while supporting forms of development that fit within existing neighbourhoods.

The City implemented the program through updates to its Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw, which regulate where different types of housing can be built, along with permitted building size and height.

Under the new zoning, many properties across the city can now accommodate up to four or six units of infill housing, depending on their designation. Properties zoned RGO-A can allow up to four units, while properties zoned RGO-B can allow up to six units. The changes are designed to streamline the development process by removing the need for a site-specific rezoning application for eligible projects.

Property owners are not required to redevelop. They may choose to remain in their existing homes, renovate or rebuild instead of adding infill housing.

New zoning regulations have been created to guide development, including rules related to density, height and parking. The City says those regulations were shaped by provincial requirements, technical analysis and community feedback.

Infill housing applications will still require a development permit. New development permit guidelines are intended to support high-quality housing and site design, ensure projects fit into neighbourhoods and encourage practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions while promoting water and energy conservation.

As part of the program, the City also expanded the “Residential – Ground Oriented Infill Housing” land-use designation in the Official Community Plan. The designation supports a mix of ground-oriented housing forms, where each unit has its own exterior entrance from a street or open space.

The program does not yet apply to Queensborough. The City says more work is needed to determine whether local infrastructure, including water and sewer systems, can support additional housing in the area. Residents will be consulted before any housing regulation changes in Queensborough are finalized.

The Official Community Plan has also been updated to reflect new Transit Oriented Development Areas around SkyTrain stations. The City plans to create additional guidance on when lot consolidation would be required and where lower-density ground-oriented housing, including infill housing, may be appropriate within those areas. Until that policy work is complete, infill housing applications inside Transit Oriented Development Areas are considered premature.

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