Status of Riverfront Walkway is Sought with Growing Interest in Fraser River Tourism

In 2016. the New Westminster City Council adopted an ambitious plan to create a walkway of greenways and parks along a large chunk of the city's riverside, from Sapperton through to Quayside and on through Queensborough's waterfront. At the city council meeting of Sept. 15, Councillor Ruby Campbell put forward a motion to have an update on the status of the overall project. While the walkway has been extended recently by the new residential high rises not far from the Fraser River Discovery Centre....she says that she has had many enquiries by city residents about the status of the larger project. There has also been a rising interest by Tourism New West and Destination BC, the provincial crown corporation that markets BC as a tourism, according to Ruby. In the interests of re-invigorating the plan, she has put forward a motion to get a city staff to update councillors on where the project stands. Mayor Patrick Johnstone agreed that it was a good time to consider next step given the amount of activity on the waterfront, the longterm plan to enhance the Fraser River to attract tourists, and the additional interest of Metro Vancouver Parks. He also stated that this area has also a great importance to the indigenous people who will be part of the planning. City Staff will now look at where the project is at the moment and potential plans for extending the walkway from Pier Park through to Sapperton – an area which has some challenges what with railways, the new bridge and the decommissioning of the Pattulo Bridge, among other issues.