It was a few minutes past noon when the Mayor of New Westminster, representatives of the Onni Group of Companies, and children from the community cut the ribbon stretched across the new pedestrian artery in New West. The bridge, paid for and installed by Onni, spans the width of McBride Avenue, connecting Queen’s Park to the the new Victoria Hill community, giving residents access to one of New Westminster’s most beloved public areas.
Residents on-hand cheered and applauded as the ribbon was cut, and streamed over the bridge to Victoria Hill to experience the great views of Mount Baker and the Fraser river from the terrace on that side. Back in Queen’s Park people lined up for a barbeque of hotdogs and hamburgers, with bottled water and canned soft drinks for everyone.
The atmosphere was a happy one; cyclists, runners, and walkers showed up en masse with their gear of choice, and dog-walkers were joined by their four-legged charges. One rider from Critical Mass was offering spectators a ride on his three-wheeled bike. The event was rounded out with entertainment from a two-piece group featuring a percussionist on a steel pan and a guitarist, both playing to a jaunty Caribbean beat.
The happy event was tempered by some sombre words from the Mayor; during his opening remarks he mentioned that he had just come from the funeral of a young New Westminster resident who had passed away after a traffic accident where facilities like the new bridge weren’t being put to use. His words of caution reminded those attending to “live in the city that we want to live in” and to make the best use of safe passageways like the new bridge.
It’s clear that this new conduit to the park is a welcome addition to the Victoria Hill community. Traffic streamed back and forth for almost an hour, and the sentiment is that it will see frequent use.
See a slideshow of more images from the Queen’s Park Bridge Opening.
