Multiculturalism and Inter-Cultural Relations

Hello, New Westminster

The City is working towards being one of the most welcoming and inclusive communities in British Columbia.

Over the past few decades, the face of New Westminster is changing, with more people reporting visible minority status and more people speaking a multitude of languages.

As evidence of this increasing diversity, in 2021:

• 37.5% of the population were immigrants

• 46.8% of the population reported having visible minority status

• 17.3% of immigrants had fewer than five years of Canadian residency

• 3.1% of the population reported having indigenous identity

• 26.3% of residents spoke a non-official language (i.e., a language other than English or French), often at home    

City Responses

The City has been very active in the area of multiculturalism and inter-cultural relations. Over the past decade, the City has:

• Chaired the Welcoming and Inclusive New Westminster (WINS) Local Immigration Partnership Council.

• Become a member of the New West Spokes Committee, a community-driven anti-hate and anti-racism body

• Developed the Sanctuary City Policy

• Collaborated with the School District to develop the Welcome Centre

• Coordinated the yearly New to New West Intercultural Festival and Information Fair

• Coordinated the Community Action Network, which engages people with lived and living experience, including related to settlement and integration, in planning and policy development processes

• Proclaimed World Refugee Day

• Developed the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and AntiRacism Framework

• Joined the Strong Cities Network

• Coordinated and implemented a Chinese Reconciliation Process

These initiatives and others are enabling newcomers to settle and integrate into the community and to make a more immediate contribution to society.

Community Resources

The New Westminster Public Library

The New Westminster Public Library provides many programs and services to the community, and is also a great place to learn about other resources available in New Westminster.  

Visitors can access a wide selection of free materials in person at the library, as well as online on the Community Resources section of their website.

Community Resource Guide for Burnaby & New Westminster

The Community Resource Guide provides an extensive listing of programs and services in Burnaby and New Westminster. The guide is available for pickup at public libraries, recreation and community centres, government offices, non-profit agencies and educational institutions. It can also be downloaded on the Burnaby Community Services website.

Immigration Canada and Welcome BC

For info about the immigration process in Canada and BC, please visit the Welcome BC - Immigrate to BC website and the Government of Canada Immigration and Citizenship website.

Highlighted Initiatives: