Regular Council

Monday, March 09, 2026

Immediately following the Public Hearing that begins at 6:00 p.m.

Council Chamber, Second Floor & Zoom

New Westminster City Hall, 511 Royal Avenue

We recognize and respect that New Westminster is on the unceded and unsurrendered land of the Halkomelem speaking peoples. We acknowledge that colonialism has made invisible their histories and connections to the land. As a City, we are learning and building relationships with the people whose lands we are on.

---

1.

CALL TO ORDER & LAND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

2.

AGENDA ADDITIONS & DELETIONS

• Recommendation

  THAT the Agenda for the March 9, 2026 Regular Council meeting be approved.

3.

BYLAWS CONSIDERED AT PUBLIC HEARING

3.1

Heritage Revitalization Agreement (1121 Eighth Avenue) Bylaw No. 8550, 2026

To allow construction of a new ground-oriented infill house and a duplex, with all new units providing three or more bedrooms. The three proposed units and the existing heritage house would be stratified.

Opposition at 1^st/2^nd Reading – None.

• Recommendation

  THAT Heritage Revitalization Agreement (1121 Eighth Avenue) Bylaw No. 8550, 2026 be given third reading.

3.2

Heritage Designation (1121 Eighth Avenue) Bylaw No. 8551, 2026

To protect and restore the 1909 Callow House at its current location.

Opposition at 1^st/2^nd Reading – None.

• Recommendation

  THAT Heritage Designation (1121 Eighth Avenue) Bylaw No. 8551, 2026 be given third reading.

4.

CONSENT AGENDA

• Recommendation

  THAT Items No. 4.1 through 4.7 be adopted by general consent.

4.1

Committee Minutes

• Recommendation

  THAT the Minutes of:

a.

Vision Zero Task Force - January 21, 2026

b.

New Westminster Design Panel - January 27, 2026

c.

Advisory Planning Commission - February 17, 2026

be received for information.

4.2

Minutes - Regular Council

• Recommendation

  THAT the Minutes of the Regular Council meeting held on February 23, 2026 be adopted.

4.3

Appointment of Acting Financial Officer

To appoint Gary So, Senior Manager, Financial Services to fulfill the duties of the Financial Officer in accordance with section 149 of the Community Charter.

• Recommendation

  THAT Gary So, Senior Manager, Financial Services, be appointed as Acting Financial Officer for the purposes of carrying out statutory duties prescribed in section 149 of the Community Charter until a successor is appointed.

4.4

Housing Agreement Bylaw and Development Variance Permit to Vary Residential Parking Requirements: 430 Ninth Street – Bylaw for Three Readings

This report is to request that Council: 1. Consider Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 8532, 2026 for First, Second and Third Readings; 2. Request endorsement of required bicycle parking spaces as part of the Development Permit.

• Recommendation
  1. THAT Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 8532, 2026, to require that all residential units at 430 Ninth Street be secured as rental housing, be introduced and given first, second, and third readings.
  2. THAT, should Housing Agreement Bylaw No. 8532, 2026 be adopted, the Mayor and Corporate Officer be authorized to execute the Housing Agreement.
  3. THAT 26 long-term bicycle parking spaces and 12 short-term bicycle parking spaces be included as part of the Development Permit application for 430 Ninth Street, should the Development Variance Permit (DVP00739) be issued by Council.

4.5

Official Community Plan Amendment and Rezoning Application: 807-823 Sangster Place and 39 E Eighth Avenue – Application Update

This report seeks Council rejection of the Official Community Plan and Zoning Bylaw Amendment applications for 807-823 Sangster Place and 39 East Eighth Avenue, and direction that, should the applicant reapply, the development proposal should meet the City’s policy expectations for Official Community Plan amendment applications.

• Recommendation
  1. THAT the applications for Zoning Bylaw and Official Community Plan Amendments at 807-823 Sangster Place and 39 E Eighth Avenue be rejected given that:
     1. There is insufficient time for the City to complete review of the application including completion of Official Community Plan external agency consultation, as required by the Local Government Act section 475, due to the applicant providing submission materials that did not meet the Instream Development Review Process requirements necessary to achieve the provincial deadline; and,
     2. The proposal is substantively inconsistent with City policy expectations for Official Community Plan Amendment applications to provide an amenity contribution “over and above” baseline requirement to offset additional infrastructure and amenity impacts.

  2. THAT staff proceed as identified in the Next Steps section of the report titled “Official Community Plan Amendment and Rezoning Application: 807-823 Sangster Place and 39 E Eighth Avenue – Application Update” dated , consistent with Council’s direction on the rejection of the application.

4.6

Our City, Our Homes: Implementation of Transit Oriented Development Area Extensions and Regional Planning

To confirm direction on the implementation of Regional Planning and Transit Oriented Development Area extensions within the Official Community Plan.

• Recommendation
  1. THAT an Official Community Plan Bylaw amendment bylaw be drafted to implement the Transit Oriented Development Area extensions by designating properties “Residential – Mid Rise” and “Residential – Limited Mid Rise” based on Attachment 2 of the report titled “Our City, Our Homes: Implementation of Transit Oriented Development Area Extensions and Regional Planning” dated March 9, 2026.
  2. THAT an Official Community Plan amendment bylaw be drafted to amend the Frequent Transit Development Areas as show in Attachment 6 of the report titled “Our City, Our Homes: Implementation of Transit Oriented Development Area Extensions and Regional Planning” dated March 9, 2026.
  3. THAT an Official Community Plan Bylaw amendment be drafted to integrate the new Regional Context Statement as shown in Attachment 4 of the report titled “Our City, Our Homes: Implementation of Transit Oriented Development Area Extensions and Regional Planning” dated March 9, 2026.
  4. THAT an Official Community Plan Bylaw amendment be drafted to implement the climate and Queensborough Community Plan updates described in the report titled “Our City, Our Homes: Implementation of Transit Oriented Development Area Extensions and Regional Planning” dated March 9, 2026.

4.7

The New Westminster Age-Friendly Strategy

The purpose of this report is to seek Council’s endorsement of the New Westminster Age-Friendly Strategy as included in Attachment 1.

• Recommendation

  THAT the New Westminster Age-Friendly Strategy, included as Attachment 1 to the report titled “The New Westminster Age-Friendly Strategy” dated March 9, 2026 from the Director, Planning and Development, be endorsed, and that staff be directed to proceed with its implementation.

5.

CONSIDERATION OF ITEMS REMOVED FROM THE CONSENT AGENDA

6.

MOTION FOR DISCUSSION AND DECISION

6.1

Queensborough School Bus Program

Submitted by Councillor Fontaine and Councillor Minhas

a.

One piece of correspondence received On Table on February 23, 2026

b.

Motion

WHEREAS over 230 Queensborough based students and their families rely on the Queensborough bus service to enable students to attend New Westminster Secondary School in a safe, secure and timely manner, without which journeys take three times as long and students are often passed over by overcrowded buses causing them to arrive late or not at all; and

WHEREAS a pilot service launched in January 2024 at cost to parents is slated to end on June 30, 2026 despite a campaign promise made on October 8, 2024 that if the NDP government were re-elected, this service would be made ‘permanent and free’; and

WHEREAS New Westminster is the second most dense city in Canada, with only one high school, and the acceptance of this density should have already unlocked new funding from senior orders of government;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Mayor be requested to write to our three government and opposition MLAs asking they advocate to secure the necessary provincial funding to ensure the Queensborough school bus program becomes ‘free and permanent’ as previously promised; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the Mayor write to the Minister of Education and Child Care requesting that additional funding be granted to School District 40 for the Queensborough school bus service to continue and be made permanent (beyond June 30, 2026) and without cost to local families until such time as a new high school is built in the Queensborough community.

7.

BYLAW FOR ADOPTION

7.1

Development Cost Charge Reserve Funds Expenditure Bylaw No. 8572, 2026

To authorize a total expenditure of $10.466M from the DCC Reserves for fiscal year 2025.

Opposition at 1^st/2^nd/3^rd Readings – None.

• Recommendation

  THAT Development Cost Charge Reserve Funds Expenditure Bylaw No. 8572, 2026 be adopted.

8.

NEW BUSINESS

9.

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS

10.

ADJOURNMENT

• Recommendation

  THAT the meeting adjourn.

   

  Personal information is collected and archived by the City of New Westminster under Section 26(g)(ii) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and for the purpose of the City’s ongoing commitment to open and transparent government. If you have any questions about the collection of personal information, please contact Legislative Services, 511 Royal Avenue, New Westminster, V3L 1H9, 604-527-4523.