Latest news with #NewWestminster
CTV News
4 days ago
- CTV News
Restaurateur worries perception of New West crime keeping customers away
The owner of a restaurant on Columbia Street in downtown New Westminster wants people to know the community is vibrant and safe to visit. Alejandro Diaz has been serving upscale Mexican fare at El Santo for nearly 10 years. He says high-profile incidents, like when a man with a machete recently threatened staff at a different restaurant before stealing food, are an anomaly and not the norm. 'What I have been hearing about lately is that there's lots of crime in New West. And as people hear that, people are going to stop coming to the community,' Diaz told CTV News. 'I really think that for us as a community, it would be good to talk about the great things that we have.' Just up the street, Union Gospel Mission held its annual summer barbecue on Friday, drawing hundreds of people looking for a meal and some human connection. 'For us, it's kind of a chance to connect with our wider community, maybe form that first point of contact with someone,' said Nick Wells, a UGM spokesperson. Service providers like UGM support some of the most vulnerable people in the community, who are often victims of crime themselves -- not the perpetrators. Still, people who rely on those services are often stigmatized because of poverty or addiction. 'People here don't deserve stigmatization, they don't deserve to be judged,' said Wells. 'They deserve a helping hand and for us to meet them where they are at in their life.' It's a sentiment shared by New Westminster city councillor Ruby Campbell, who volunteered at the UGM barbecue. 'If the most vulnerable in your community are well-taken care of, it raises the whole community, right?' she said. 'And so individuals, businesses and residents can all thrive if the most vulnerable are well-supported.' Back at El Santo, Diaz said he understands homelessness and addiction can make people uncomfortable. 'I respect other people's opinions, but for me being uncomfortable is different than being unsafe,' he said. New Westminster Police say additional funding from the province has allowed them to deploy more resources to the downtown core recently, including plain clothes officers, in a bid to maintain public safety.
CTV News
15-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
HYACK SUMMER MUSIC & FIREWORKS FESTIVAL
Join us on August 23rd at the New Westminster Quay for a spectacular day filled with live entertainment, artisan market vendors and exhibitors, fantastic food, and a Fireworks Extraordinaire! HYACK SUMMER MUSIC & FIREWORKS FESTIVAL New Westminster's Summer Music & Fireworks Festival is an annual event that caps the summer off with community celebrations. It's the perfect event to bring your friends and family to and make some unforgettable memories filled with fun! For more information click here.
CTV News
13-07-2025
- CTV News
1 dead after crash in New Westminster
One person died after a two-vehicle crash in New Westminster on Sunday, July 13, 2025. A man died after a crash in New Westminster Sunday morning, according to authorities. The two-vehicle collision happened around 8 a.m. near 14th Street and Stewardson Way, the New Westminster Police Department said in a statement. 'The driver of one vehicle, an adult male, has died. All the contributing factors of this incident are still under investigation. The driver of the other vehicle remained on scene and is cooperating with police,' spokesperson Sgt. Andrew Leaver said in an email to CTV News. Drivers are being asked to avoid the area, where hours-long road closures are expected. Anyone with information or dash-cam video is urged to call 604-525-5411.
CTV News
11-07-2025
- Business
- CTV News
Longtime Save-On-Foods customer from B.C. wins $1M ‘Touchdown to Win' prize
New Westminster, B.C., resident Roy Lyster (middle) collects his grand prize from the "Touchdown to Win" promotion at Save-On-Foods. A man from B.C.'s Lower Mainland has scored $1 million through the Save-On-Foods 'Touchdown to Win' CFL promotion – and there's still one more potential jackpot up for grabs. The grand prize will be paid out to New Westminster resident Roy Lyster in $50,000 annual installments. Heidi Ferriman, senior vice-president of marketing for Save-On-Foods, said Lyster is a longtime customer of the grocery chain's Burnaby location, having shopped there since it opened nearly 20 years ago. He still comes in about five times a week, she said. 'He's an early bird and he's often the first customer in the store every day,' Ferriman said Friday, at a news conference announcing his win. 'I'm told that Roy has built many great relationships here with the team members and the many managers over the years.' He'll be celebrating the win with his wife of more than 50 years, Glenda, and their family, Ferriman said. Under the rules of the promotion, customers are 'automatically entered' every time they shop at Save-On-Foods and scan their More Rewards card. They also receive bonus entries for purchasing participating products – which Lyster benefited from when buying Clamato, Ferriman said. The grand prize is only awarded when two kickoffs are returned for touchdowns in the same CFL game – which happened on July 4 between the Hamilton Tiger-Cats and the Toronto Argonauts. Save-On-Foods said there is still one more $1 million grand prize that could be awarded this season, along with smaller prizes such as free groceries for a year.
CTV News
08-07-2025
- CTV News
Man assaulted during Facebook Marketplace sale, New Westminster police say
Police in New Westminster say they're searching for a suspect who allegedly assaulted and stole from a Facebook Marketplace seller. The victim reported he met a person at Columbia Square to sell an iPhone Monday afternoon, according to the department. 'The victim shared that he gave chase to a man who handed him counterfeit bills,' the NWPD wrote in a news release Tuesday. 'The suspect then pepper sprayed the victim before fleeing the scene in a white Tesla with an unknown driver.' Police are asking anyone who witnessed the incident or can identify the suspect to come forward, describing him as an approximately 18- to 20-year-old white man with short brown hair who weighs about 120 pounds and is 5'5' tall. 'Theft and assault are serious matters and our officers are following up on several investigative avenues to identify the suspect,' said Sgt. Andrew Leaver, in the release. 'We're encouraging anyone who has CCTV in the area to please review it and reach out to officers if they have footage of this incident.' The NWPD also gave a reminder that selling items to strangers via online platforms like Facebook Marketplace can carry risks, and said anyone can use the department's lobby to make a transaction.
