Queensborough, New Westminster

Queensborough Koonspa
Neighbourhood of New Westminster
Queensborough in foreground
Location of Queensborough shown in red
Queensborough Location of Queensborough within Metro Vancouver
Coordinates: 49°11′00″N122°56′00″W / 49.18333°N 122.93333°W / 49.18333; -122.93333
Country	Canada
Province	British Columbia
Region	Lower Mainland
Regional District	Metro Vancouver
City	New Westminster
Incorporated	1911
Government
•  Mayor	Patrick Johnstone
•  MP (Fed.)	Peter Julian (NDP)
•  MLA (Prov.)	Aman Singh (BC NDP)
Population  (2021)
• Total	10,983 [1]
Time zone	UTC−8 (PST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−7 (PDT)

Queensborough is a neighbourhood in the city of New Westminster, British Columbia, Canada. It is on the eastern tip of Lulu Island on the Fraser River. ^[2]

At the north end of Queensborough is a new development called Port Royal. To the south is Thompson's Landing, to the west is the industrial area of Tree Island, and to the east is the Fraser River. Access to Annacis Island, an industrial park area and site of one of the GVRD's sewage plants, is via a bridge towards the east end of Queensborough, though the island itself is not part of the City of New Westminster.

History

Queensborough was the name originally chosen for the colonial capital by Royal Engineers Commander Colonel Richard Clement Moody. Queen Victoria designated New Westminster instead of Queensborough as her new capital's name. In the 1860s, a survey of Lulu Island by the Royal Engineers resulted in the eastern tip of the island being designated a military reserve for the defense of New Westminster. This portion of land was not incorporated into the new Township of Richmond in 1879. Instead the rapidly growing City of New Westminster annexed the area in 1889. The City received title to the entire Military Reserve from the Provincial Government and it decided to subdivide the area for sale in 1890. A bridge was constructed to reach the area from the Mainland and the lands sold at auction.

The name Queensborough for this neighbourhood of the City was formally established in 1911 when the Queensborough Post Office was opened by early community leader and Italian immigrant Anthony Sprice. ^[3] In the Chinook Jargon, it is said that an adaption of the name Queensborough – "Koonspa" – is the usual name for New Westminster as a whole. ^[4]

With its many lumber mills and canneries the area became a focus of new immigrants looking for employment and cheap lots to establish family homes. These early groups built their own cultural halls, churches and had many different mutual aid societies. However, the entire community united at time under the Queensborough Ratepayers Association founded in 1911. This group continues to operate and is often cited as the oldest ratepayers association in British Columbia. Early immigrants came from Asia and Europe; including the Japanese, Chinese, Indians, Italians, Greeks, Slovaks, Ukrainians, and Finns. The community grew slowly but developed a unique sense of place because of its unique cultural composition.

Queensborough Bridge

Queensborough is today a growing suburban district with a rapidly redeveloped waterfront area known as Port Royal. Queensborough is connected to the rest of New Westminster by the Queensborough Bridge and Annacis Island in Delta by the Derwent Way Bridge. Furthermore, the city of New Westminster has also implemented a ferry service that takes city inhabitants and tourists from Port Royal in Queensborough to the Westminster Quay. ^[5] It is served by Highway 91A. Many new homes in the area are built to resemble old heritage-style homes.

In the heart of Queensborough is Ryall Park. This is also where Queensborough Community Centre is located. The park has several features which include playgrounds, a spray park and Boro All Wheel Park (a skatepark and a bike park). Renovations are currently under way converting Ryall's bike park section of Boro All Wheel Park into an off-leash park for dogs. This park will be split and will have designated areas for small dogs, and all other dogs. Queensborough Middle School and Queen Elizabeth Elementary School are also located in the same park-block.

In 2004 a shopping centre called Queensborough Landing was built.

Demographics

Queensborough Sikh temple, 1931

Population history

Year	Pop.	±%
1991	1,942	—
1996	3,020	+55.5%
2001	4,553	+50.8%
2006	5,502	+20.8%
2011	7,125	+29.5%
2016	8,727	+22.5%
2021	10,983	+25.9%
Source: Statistics Canada

A legacy of early 20th century settlement, the neighbourhood has a large South Asian population. ^[6] In recent decades the European and East Asian population have grown with the area witnessing increasing residential development and infill. In the 1960s, there were many new European immigrants; Italians, Portuguese, Polish, Romanian and Russian. In the 1970s, Asian immigration increased; a new wave of Indian immigrants settled in the area, along with Chinese and Filipino newcomers.^{[ citation needed ]}

Panethnic groups in Queensborough, New Westminster (1996−2021)

Panethnic group	2021 [7] [1]		2016 [8]		2011 [9]		2006 [10]		2001 [11] [12]		1996 [13] [12]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
South Asian	2,990	27.36%	2,370	27.26%	2,600	36.65%	2,080	37.96%	1,940	42.68%	1,120	36.78%
European [lower-alpha 1]	2,460	22.51%	2,570	29.56%	2,235	31.5%	1,855	33.85%	1,645	36.19%	1,445	47.45%
East Asian [lower-alpha 2]	2,080	19.03%	1,620	18.63%	865	12.19%	595	10.86%	305	6.71%	135	4.43%
Southeast Asian [lower-alpha 3]	2,010	18.39%	1,470	16.91%	915	12.9%	455	8.3%	175	3.85%	95	3.12%
Latin American	315	2.88%	120	1.38%	170	2.4%	100	1.82%	15	0.33%	15	0.49%
Middle Eastern [lower-alpha 4]	310	2.84%	75	0.86%	110	1.55%	55	1%	155	3.41%	65	2.13%
African	200	1.83%	155	1.78%	65	0.92%	110	2.01%	165	3.63%	30	0.99%
Indigenous	160	1.46%	160	1.84%	40	0.56%	185	3.38%	65	1.43%	45	1.48%
Other/multiracial [lower-alpha 5]	410	3.75%	160	1.84%	85	1.2%	40	0.73%	75	1.65%	95	3.12%
Total responses	10,930	99.52%	8,695	99.63%	7,095	99.58%	5,480	99.6%	4,545	99.82%	3,045	100.83%
Total population	10,983	100%	8,727	100%	7,125	100%	5,502	100%	4,553	100%	3,020	100%

Education

One elementary school, Queen Elizabeth Elementary School, and one middle school, Queensborough Middle School, are located in the neighbourhood.

A Library and community centre were also recently opened. The community centre has a newly renovated exercise area and a gymnasium where local residents partake in physical games.

See also

• Royal eponyms in Canada

Notes

1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
2. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
3. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
4. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
5. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References

1. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table 9330200.02 British Columbia [Census tract]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
2. "Queensborough (community)". BC Geographical Names .
3. "New Westminster Archives Results Page". Archived from the original on 23 January 2023. Retrieved 23 January 2023.
4. A Voice Great Within Us, Charles Lillard and Terry Glavin, Transmontanus Books
5. "Quayside to Queensborough Ferry Back & Running All Summer Long!". Tourism New West. 1 August 2018. Archived from the original on 12 August 2020. Retrieved 14 April 2020.
6. "Society carries tradition into the 21st century". 10 December 2013. Queensborough has a long history of being a multicultural neighbourhood. By 1919 there was already a large population of South Asians living in New Westminster's 'Boro. So many, in fact, that a Gurdwara, or Sikh Temple, was opened on Boyne Street giving practising Sikhs from both Queensborough and the Lower Mainland a place to worship.
7. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (26 October 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population Profile table 9330200.01 British Columbia [Census tract]". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
8. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 October 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census 9330200.00 [Census tract], British Columbia and Vancouver [Census metropolitan area], British Columbia". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Archived from the original on 29 April 2021. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
9. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (27 November 2015). "NHS Profile, 9330200.00, British Columbia, 2011". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
10. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (23 July 2020). "Census tract profile for 0200.00 (CT), Vancouver (CMA) and British Columbia". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
11. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (23 December 2013). "2001 Census Area Profiles Profile of Citizenship, Immigration, Birthplace, Generation Status, Ethnic Origin, Visible Minorities and Aboriginal Peoples, for Census Metropolitan Areas, Tracted Census Agglomerations and Census Tracts, 2001 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
12. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (23 December 2013). "Population and Dwelling Counts for Census Metropolitan Areas, Census Agglomerations and Census Tracts, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 13 April 2024.
13. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (4 June 2019). "1996 Census of Canada: Electronic Area Profiles Profile of Census Tracts". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 28 September 2024.