New Westminster

New Westminster (pop. 39,972), city in the western Canadian province of British Columbia, southeast of Vancouver on the Fraser River. It serves as an important port and center for marketing and industry (especially the manufacture of timber products). A large hospital and the nearby city of Vancouver are the major sources of employment for the population. Named Queensborough until the current name was established a year later (1859), New Westminster was the first incorporated city in British Columbia.

See also: British Columbia.