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New Westminster’s Economic Development Office provides information and services to help businesses invest and grow in our city. We promote economic development by attracting new investment and business, supporting and assisting existing businesses, and enhancing New Westminster’s business climate. Find the latest business indicators, publications and policies for New Westminster in this section.

Current Indicator Snapshot available here: 2016 Economic Indicators

Our Local Knowledge. Your Business Success.

Find local information to help your business make smarter, faster, better decisions.

 

 

  • Local Organizations

    New Westminster Chamber of Commerce

    Melissa Ratcliff, CEO
    T 604-521-7781
    E
    201-309 Sixth Street
    New Westminster, V3L 3A7
    newwestchamber.com


    Downtown Business Improvement Association

    Kendra Johnston, Executive Director
    T 604-524-4996
    E 
    8 – 552 Columbia Street,
    New Westminster, V3L 1B1
    downtownnewwest.ca

    Sapperton Business Association

    Gord Hobbis, President
    T 604-524-3633
    E
    434 East Columbia Street,
    New Westminster
    shopsapperton.com

    Uptown Business Association

    Susan Cartwright-Coates, President 
    T 604-526-3011
    E 
    639 Sixth Street
    New Westminster, V3L 5C1
    myuptown.ca


    West End Business Association

    Liz Brabbins, President
    E 
     

  • Business by Neighbourhood (2016)


    Neighbourhood

    # of Businesses

    		 % Businesses

    Brow of the Hill

     144

    5.4

    		  

    Brunette Creek

     214

    8.0

    		  

    Connaught Heights

     43

     1.6

    		  

    Downtown

     570

     21.4

    		  

    Glenbrooke North

     95

     3.6

    		  

    Glenbrooke South

     73

     2.7

    		  

    Kelvin

     82

     3.1

    		  

    North Arm North

     126

    4.7

    		  

    North Arm South

    160

     6.0

    		  

    Queen’s Park

    56

     2.1

    		  

    Queensborough

     111

    4.2

    		  

    Sapperton

     252

     9.4

    		  

    Uptown

     534

     20.0

    		  

    Victory Heights

     61

     2.3

    		  

    West End

     133

     5.2

    		  

    Total

     2,669

    100%

     

  • Employment by Service Sector

    Industry – Services

    2006

    2011

    %Change

    Wholesale Trade

    1,680

    2,380

    41.7%

    Retail Trade

    3,480

    3,575

    2.7%

    Transportation and Warehousing

    1,950

    2,545

    30.5%

    Information and Cultural Industries

    1,245

    1,770

    42.2%

    Finance and Insurance

    1,350

    1,640

    21.5%

    Real Estate and Rental and Leasing

    775

    920

    18.7%

    Professional, Scientific and Technical Services

    2,490

    3,480

    39.8%

    Management of Companies and Enterprises

    45

    0

    (100%)

    Administrative and Support, Waste Management and Remediation Services

    1,625

    2,025

    24.6%

    Educational Services

    2,265

    2,845

    25.6%

    Health Care and Social Assistance

    3,555

    4,405

    23.9%

    Arts, Entertainment and Recreation

    560

    820

    46.4%

    Accommodation and Food Services

    2,215

    2,465

    11.3%

    Other Services (except Public Administration)

    1,690

    1,950

    15.4%

    Public Administration

    1,645

    2,260

    37.4%

    Total Service Industry Employment

    26,565

    33,080

    24.5%

    Source: Statistics Canada, 2006 and 2011 Censuses

  • Government Programs & Funding

    Federal

    National Research Council (NRC) Industrial Research Assistance Program (IRAP): This program provides software and wireless small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with technical assistance, financing and business advice. NRC-IRAP also links SMEs to original equipment manufacturers, which can help pull innovative companies up the technology ladder.

    Scientific Research and Experimental Development Incentive Program: Canadian companies can apply for tax credits of 35% up to the first $3 million of expenses, and 20% on any excess amount related to experimental development, applied research, basic scientific research and certain types of technical support work. Eligible expenses include wages, materials, machinery, equipment, and some overhead costs and contracts.

    Provincial

    Innovate BC: A Provincial crown agency that connects entrepreneurs to funding, resources, and support. Innovate BC supports all size companies, across all sectors, all over the province. 

    Trade & Invest British Columbia: International Trade & Investment representatives, market intelligence, BC business networks and export assistance are available at the Asia Pacific Business Centre.

    BC Jobs Plan: The  BC Jobs Plan is intended to enable job creation, help get goods to market and open/expand markets in the following key sectors: forestry, mining, natural gas, agrifoods, technology, tourism, international education and transportation. Four of these key sectors are consistent with New Westminster.

    BC Stats: The central statistical agency of the Province of British Columbia, BC Stats has the provincial government’s largest concentration of statistical products, services and expertise – a function that began in 1897.

    British Columbia Women’s Enterprise Centre: BC’s leading resource for women entrepreneurs, offering skills development, business loans, free business guidance, business resources, mentoring, networking and events.

    Regulatory Reform Initiative: Launched in 2001, this initiative has resulted in reducing regulatory requirements in BC by over 42% with a commitment to maintain a future zero net increase.

    British Columbia Tax Credits: BC provides provincial tax credits, exemptions and deductions to encourage business investment and innovation. Provincial tax incentives and exemptions exist for research and development (R&D), international business activity, and machinery and equipment investments.

    BC Tax Credit for Venture Capital: The provincial Venture Capital Programs encourage investments in clean tech, community ventures and new media businesses by providing British Columbia investors with a 30 per cent refundable tax credit.

    BC Training Tax Credit Program: The program provides tax credits for employers and apprentices who are engaged in eligible apprenticeship programs administered through the Industry Training Authority. New training tax credits are slated to be made available for employers that employ apprentices in the British Columbia shipbuilding and ship repair industry.

    International Skilled Workers: The British Columbia Provincial Nominee Program (BCPNP) offers accelerated immigration for qualified skilled workers, experienced entrepreneurs and associated family members who want to settle in BC and become permanent residents of Canada.

    Small business

    Business and trade development are top priorities for all levels of Canadian government. The following section provides links to currently available government initiatives, resources and programs that support businesses and healthy economies.

  • Economic Development Key Reports

    New Westminster Economic Development is currently updating it's Economic Development Plan, building upon the 2008 “Livable City Strategy” –  a roadmap for tapping economic opportunities that will enhance economic growth and attract and retain industry, commerce and investment while maintaining the ‘Royal City’s exceptional quality of life.

    Key research and resources that guide the Economic Development Office's work include:

    Envision 2032: The Integrated Community Sustainability Planning (ICSP) will become the City’s sustainability document that informs and guides City activities in the future, including plans, policies, projects and practices, using a sustainability lens.

    Official Community Plan: This document is a statement of New Westminster’s long-term vision for the future. It describes the kind of community into which our municipality wishes to evolve. Business and job creation objectives and policies are front and centre in New Westminster’s long-term development plans.

    Neighbourhood Plans: A guide to growth and development within individual neighbourhoods.

    Industrial Land Strategy: In New Westminster there are 608 acres of land in 363 separate legal parcels currently zoned for industrial use. Most of this land is located along the Fraser River or near transportation infrastructure (e.g. regional roads, rail lines).

    Metro Vancouver 2040: A shared commitment by Metro Vancouver and member municipalities to work together to achieve regional goals. The integration of land use and transportation strategies is a central component of the strategy and key to how the region grows and changes in the future.

     

  • Creating the Circular Economy in New West

    Manufacturing businesses have traditionally operated in a linear fashion. Raw materials go in; products and wastes come out. In recent years, there has been a global movement to change how we see ‘waste’. Businesses, governments, and individuals have been re-thinking that waste by finding a new use for material that otherwise would go to the landfill. 

    By finding value as new uses for these wastes or excess by-products, the materials circle back into the economy. Transitioning from a linear to a circular economy adds economic value and environmental benefits.

    Building the Circular Economy with the National Industrial Symbiosis Program (NISP) Canada

    There are many ways to develop the circular economy. Sometimes it happens organically, sometimes through facilitation and connection, and sometimes by regulation. One business-focused model was developed in the United Kingdom: the National Industrial Symbiosis Program (NISP). NISP uses a facilitation approach that uses workshops and follow-up support to match the inputs and outputs of businesses.

    The NISP model has been so successful that it has been adopted by 30 countries, and is now being piloted in Canada right here in the Lower Mainland. Along with a number of municipal, provincial and federal government, and other local partners, the City of New Westminster has co-funded the NISP Canada program that includes six workshops across Metro Vancouver, free synergy follow-up for businesses, and growing a network of businesses and ‘waste’ resources in the region.

    Each workshop enables enterprises to find value in unexpected places within their manufacturing, production, or maker processes. The NISP program provides a real-world opportunity for companies to:

    • increase business opportunities by finding unexpected local resources
    • reduce waste and environmental impacts, and
    • strengthen local economic development through collaboration.
       

    Circular Economy Workshops for Local Businesses

    Two of the six pilot Business-to-Business Circular Economy workshops have taken place in the City of New Westminster at the Anvil Centre. Twenty-six organizations attended in June 2018 and 23 organizations attended in October 2018.

    Each workshop kicked off with an update in the City of New Westminster’s Intelligent City initiative and clean energy efforts, as well as circular economy success stories from Metro Vancouver and around the world.

    The NISP practitioners then guided the participants to identify excess resources or materials in their operations that they had or wanted that were also considered ‘waste’. These identified resources could be anything from scrap materials to underutilized equipment to waste heat to industrial organics and more. Then, the other businesses had an opportunity to express their interest in using that resource. Creative matches were encouraged from different industry types, allowing diverse enterprises to have unexpected matches.

    Together, these two workshops resulted in 313 distinct resources being identified by participants and 404 potential resource matches between local and regional businesses.

    Learn more about each workshop with the NISP Canada one-page summary reports:


    Next Steps

    The NISP practitioners with support from City are following up with the participating businesses to discover the resource matches that make the most immediate business sense and help them become a reality. Plus, these businesses and resources are being connected to the companies and resources from all the previous NISP Canada workshops. By growing this network, additional matches and new business opportunities are identified and can be pursued.

  • What is Open Data?

    Open data refers to the release of municipal data, with an open licence, which is free of charge for anyone to use and reuse for any purpose.

    Open data is provided in accessible formats, meaning that it is machine readable and is structured in a logical way. For numerical tabular files (spreadsheets), some common open formats include XLS or CSV. For text files, common formats include TXT.

    For answers to some other questions around open data, see the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs).

  • Open Datasets

    The datasets are sourced directly from the City of New Westminster Departments and can be tabular (tables of data) or spatial (based on mapping files).

     

  • Economic Development Office
    T 604-527-4536
    E