The property at 824 Agnes Street was gifted to the City by The Chinese Benevolent Association (CBA) of New Westminster. The site was once the focal point of the Chinese community in New Westminster and remains important in the city’s social, civic, and cultural history. 824 Agnes was a vibrant point of connection, and it was also a place of solidarity.

 

Until the 1890s, New Westminster’s Chinatown was the second largest in British Columbia and remained thriving as the third largest until the 1940s. The "Old Man’s Home" was built at 824 Agnes Street in 1904 at the edge of the city’s second historic Chinatown. Despite local objection, the City approved the construction request and granted the property tax-exempt status. The home filled a gap in care and housing for elderly residents who could not return to China and were refused medical services in New Westminster. 

 

The CBA was formed in 1915 and had operated from Old Man’s Home to address the closure of Douglas Cemetery, where many Chinese residents were buried. The property became an active gathering place as the CBA’s role in the community expanded, including opening the community’s second Chinese language school onsite in 1942. It is also important to acknowledge that as the community grew in size and impact, residents faced active discrimination by the City related to employment, homes, businesses, and as Mayor and Council endorsed provincial and federal anti-Chinese laws. 

 

As a result of both local and widespread discrimination, economic change, and a gradual decline and movement of residents out of New Westminster, the CBA disbanded in 1979 after years of inactivity. The last Presidents of the CBA donated the land and building back to the City as a thank you for granting Old Man’s Home tax-exempt status in 1904. The building fell into disrepair and was demolished in 1980 shortly after the donation. The vacant lot became an off-leash dog park in 2009. 

 

In response to community advocacy, the City formally apologized to the Chinese community in a Special Meeting of Council on September 20, 2010. New Westminster was the first municipality in Canada to formally acknowledge and apologize for past practices which resulted in local discrimination and exclusion. This acknowledgement, apology, and a specific request to address the neglected park site were each part of ten Recommended Steps and Actions in support of the Chinese Reconciliation Process.

Construction of the park at 824 Agnes Street is currently underway. The new park is anticipated to open in Spring 2027.