Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
River as McBride Boulevard. Turn right at the last intersection (Columbia Street) on the
northside ofthe river toreach the riverfront andthe heart ofthe action. Alternatively,take
the SkyTrain from any downtown station.
Sights
The center of the action is River Market (810 Quayside Dr., 604/520-3881), along the
riverfront and below the old main street. Although it's open for very unmarket-like hours
(not until 9:30am each day), it holds an interesting selection of fresh produce, take-out
food stalls, and specialty shops. Out front is the Samson V, built in 1937 and the last re-
mainingpaddlewheelerleftontheriverwhenitwasretiredin1980.It'snowopenforpub-
licinspection(noon-5pmdailyJuly-Aug.,weekendsonlyinspringandfall,donation);call
the local museum at 604/527-4640 for details. Beside the market is the Fraser River Dis-
covery Centre (788 Quayside Dr., 604/521-8401, 10am-4pm daily June-Aug., 10am-4pm
Wed.-Sat. Sept.-May, free), which describes the river and its importance to the develop-
ment of New Westminster. Other interpretive boards are spread along the boardwalk in
front of the market, as is the unlikely combination of a floating casino, a tugboat-themed
playground, and the world's largest tin soldier.
An easy walk from the riverfront is Irving House Historical Centre (511 Royal Ave.,
604/527-4640), once the home of riverboat captain William Irving and his family. Con-
structed in 1865, this Victorian-era mansion is one of western Canada's oldest standing
residential buildings. The adjacent New Westminster Museum catalogs the history of the
area. Both are open year-round (noon-5pm Wed.-Sun. in summer, closing at 4pm the rest
of the year).
LANGLEY
The city of Langley is a large residential area (pop. 125,000) 50 kilometers (31 miles) east
of downtown that sprawls across both sides of the TransCanada Highway. It holds little
of interest to the casual visitor, but on its northern outskirts, Fort Langley is a pleasant
riverside community complete with a re-creation of the Lower Mainland's first permanent
European settlement.
Fort Langley National Historic Site
In 1827, the Hudson's Bay Company established a settlement 48 kilometers (30 miles)
upstream from the mouth of the Fraser River as part of a network of trading posts, provi-
sion depots, and administrative centers that stretched across western Canada. The original
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