New Westminster will soon be joining the growing list of Canadian communities honouring veterans with commemorative crosswalks.
Kwaku Agyare-Manu,acting director of engineering and public works, said staff have been working with the Branch 2 of the Royal Canadian Legion on the installation of a commemorative crosswalk within the existing marked crosswalk on Queens Avenue, near the Royal Westminster Regiment. He said the Legion secured a community grant from the City of New Westminster to fund this project and to commemorate the Legion’s centennial.
“The Legion selected the crosswalk design, which is similar to other commemorative crosswalks installed in several municipalities across Canada in recent years,” he said in a statement to Freshet News. “It includes imagery of soldiers and the words Lest We Forget over a colour background.”
Agyare-Manu said the crosswalk installation will be completed shortly after the planned paving on Sixth Street, which is expected to be in late summer or early fall.
Jen Arbo, manager of community partnerships, said the City of New Westminster’s 2026 grants program allocated $15,000 to the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 2 for a commemorative crosswalk.
The funding is welcomed by the local branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, which has been working through the details of the project with the city.
Michelle Lapre, operation manager and secretary of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 2, said the Legion had originally hoped the commemorative crosswalk would be installed in front of their premises at 631 Sixth St., but the city ultimately selected a location near the Royal Westminster Regiment Armouries.
“It turned out quite beautiful. It’s going to be in the red and white with the shadow of the soldier,” she told Freshet News. “It’s not exactly what we had asked for but we are getting one.”
Branch 2 had hoped it could hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the commemorative crosswalk as part of its 100th anniversary year celebration on Aug. 22, but the crosswalk won’t be in ready for that event. It’s now hoping the commemorative crosswalk will be in place for Remembrance Day and the branch’s official 100th birthday, which is on Nov. 16, 2026.
Numerous B.C. cities now have commemorative crosswalks including Ladysmith and Surrey and Armstrong.
Commemorative crosswalk timeline
Here’s a look at some of the key dates in efforts to get a commemorative crosswalk installed in New Westminster.
Nov. 4, 2024: Coun. Paul Minhas asks council to consider an on-table motion related to the installation of veterans’ recognition crosswalks at two locations on Sixth Street – one at the Royal Westminster Regiment’s Armory and one next to the Legion. Council votes 5-2 against a motion to consider the item at the meeting, with opponents saying the notice of motion did not adhere to council’s procedures bylaw and did not allow enough time to plan and complete a crosswalk within a week.
Nov. 5, 2024: A New Westminster resident launches an online petition calling for two “Remembrance Street crossings for our heroes” on Sixth Street.
Jan. 27, 2025: Two New Westminster city councillors bring forward motions related to the Royal Canadian Legion and a commemorative crosswalk.
· Minhas submits a motion calling for the installation of two Remembrance Day-themed pedestrian crosswalks in 2025
· Coun. Ruby Campbell submits a motion related to commemorating the Royal Canadian Legion 100-year anniversary in 2026.
Feb. 10, 2025: Council consider Minhas’s motion and unanimously approves an amended motion that includes some components of Campbell’s motion. The motion directs city staff to:
· Liaise with the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 2 to explore an opportunity to commemorate and honour the Legion’s centennial milestone, which may include a commemoration event, community bench, mural, pavement art, crosswalk or another initiative
· Report back with information on desired centennial commemorations, including a proposed budget, potential sources of partnership funding, operating and maintenance impacts, potential commemoration partners, such as the Royal Westminster Regiment as well as a draft implementation schedule of any proposed commemoration initiatives
Sept. 29, 2025: Terry Leith, president of Branch 2 of the Royal Canadian Legion, appears before city council to urge the city to proceed with the installation of a commemorative crosswalk. He said New Westminster has the second largest Remembrance Day ceremony in the region and has the distinction of having five veterans who were awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest honour that can be bestowed for valour.
“These people deserve to be recognized for their dedication and efforts to keep the world peace, at a cost of being away from family and friends,” he said. “It is time that symbol of remembrance for the veterans, such as a crosswalk, be erected as a reminder that they are appreciated and honoured.”
Lisa Leblanc, the city’s director of engineering, said staff want to discuss the range of options that would address the commemorative intentions in a respectful and resilient way before proceeding.
“[Crosswalks] are extremely challenging for us to maintain in a really respectful way. They require maintenance, replacement, refreshing at some significant cost and effort, and it requires a conversation about what the intent is and what may be the options for conveying that intent,” she said. “Perhaps a crosswalk is the only option, but we would like to be able to have a conversation about the range of options that would address the commemorative intentions in a respectful and resilient way.”
Mayor Patrick Johnstone said the City of New Westminster will work with its community partners at the Royal Westminster Regiment and the Legion to come up with an approach that works for all parties
By Theresa McManus, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Original Published on Aug 20, 2026 at 16:00
Recent Comments