Attractions and Places of Interest in West Minster

Posted by Guest on Jan 27th, 2012 in Tourism, Vacation | 0 comments

If you have decided to spend your vacation in West Minster, you won’t find yourself bored because there are a lot of places and sights to be discovered in the area. So brace yourself as we take a pseudo-tour around West Minster through these attractions and points of interests. Worthy destinations in West Minister is just as many, if not more, than the available policies offered by Sovereign Insurance. Some of the places of interests in the area that must not be missed are as follows:

The Historic Center of Irving House

 This was the home built by Captain Irving which has never fail to catch the attention of tourists.

Samson V Maritime Museum

The last steam-powered paddle wheeler to operate on Fraser River. It has photographic displays of its history plus exhibits of vessels, lumbering, fishing and other aspects of maritime life.

Fraser River Discovery Center

Considered as one of the greatest rivers in the world, Fraser River played a big role in the development of New Westminster and the entire British Columbia as well.

New Westminster Police Museum

Who would have thought that witnessing different aspects of the police can be fun and educational? This museum was the brainchild of detective Constable Ted Usher which honors one of the oldest police departments in the province.

I highly suggest that you do your own research as well, like what you’ll do when deciding what health insurance to get, to help you become familiar with the best places to see and visit in West Minister.

Significant Events in the History of New Westminster

Posted by Guest on Jan 13th, 2012 in History | 0 comments

New Westminster was designated by Lieutenant-Governor Richard Moody as the first official capital of the new Colony of British Columbia in 1859. The area was designated as the BC’s capital because its location was farther from the American border as compared to the site of Fort Langley, the colony’s proclamation area. According to Moody, New Westminster possessed all the great facilities for communication and it is also the future site for great trunk railways. However, on February 14, 1859, Governor Douglas had proclaimed Queensborough as the new capital.

The city was named by Queen Victoria, hence, it gained the nickname “The Royal City”. After a year, New Westminster was incorporated, making it the first city in British Columbia to become one and it also had a municipal government that was formed through an election. It was also chosen as one of the major points for prospectors of the Fraser Gold Rush.

A huge amount of labor and financial capital was necessitated at the location of the city on the edge of the forest. Trees were cleared and the streets were laid out to start building the city. This initiative became a heavy burden to the imperial government’s colonial budget, and so they decided to push through with the development with only half the cost of the Royal Engineers.   While there were no phlebotomy training schools, other things were happening. Historians believe that Governor Douglas had spent so little time in the area and it was also evident that he had no affection for New Westminster. The residents in return also had no feelings of affection for Douglas as they supported Colonel Moody’s building efforts.
The city’s early settlers were largely composed of Maritimers and Canadians who brought a business-oriented approach to the community. Gov. Douglas granted the “free port status” to Victoria, New Westminster’s neighboring area and imposed taxes on imports going into New West. These events infuriated the residents.

In 1871 when British Columbia became part of the Dominion of Canada, New Westminster became the sixth province and its economic status attained improvement. However, the Royal City was beaten by Vancouver when the Canadian Pacific Railway was extended to Burrard Inlet in 1886. A smallpox epidemic almost wiped out the band members settling in the area around that time.

The federal government claimed most of the Royal City Band’s reserve lands in 1913 and in 1916, the land on Poplar Island was turned over to the British Columbia government. The New Westminster Armoury was given the title “Federal Heritage Building” by the Register of the Government of Canada Heritage Buildings.

 

 

The Housing Market In British Columbia

Posted by Guest on Jan 3rd, 2012 in Real Estate | 0 comments

Are you planning to move to British Columbia? If so, then it is prudent that you equip yourself with important information about the BC housing market. By doing so, you will have a clear idea if buying a house in British Columbia would be a sensible move to make. According to a recent news report, the housing market in British Columbia is still considered as the least affordable when compared to other cities in Canada. This is perhaps because of the sky-high prices of homes found in the Vancouver area.

While home affordability in the rest of Canada will continue to be reasonable, British Columbia will remain as an exception. A report issued by the RBC Economics about the 2011 Housing Trends and Affordability suggests that housing affordability for the most part of Canada will remain to be less of a threat to the country’s overall housing demand. But although this may be the case, RBC’s chief economist and senior Vice President, Craig Wright, says that the Vancouver area will be an exception to the reported trend. Prices of homes in upscale neighbourhoods in Vancouver are still sky-high and remain to be unaffordable. Because of this, the Vancouver houses are at risk to the volatile real estate market.

Average price of a house in BC is considered as the highest within Victoria and Vancouver. The estimated monthly shelter cost shouldered by BC homeowners is around $904, which a bit higher than the country’s national average which only falls around $835.  Due to the high cost of BC houses, a lot of people residing in the area are thinking of relocating to cheaper neighboring suburbs like Burnaby, Richmond and Surrey. Living in the said suburbs will help homeowners to cut down their daily and monthly expenses. Moreover, housing costs in these areas are way cheaper when compared to those found in the British Columbia area.

Furthermore, the neighboring suburbs of British Columbia offers more space to accommodate bigger families while also providing easy access to the city. New immigrants will also find a good home in the these areas since there are well-established immigrant communities that have already settled here which can provide them with a strong support network and great cultural community that will make them feel as if they never left their home country.

Those who are thinking of buying a home in British Columbia should seriously think if they will be able to afford it. They can talk to a real estate broker to know the available options for owning a home in the area. Meanwhile, if you think that owning a home in British Columbia is too heavy on the pocket, then look into its neighboring suburbs which offer cheaper and more reasonable house costs.

 

Buying Criteria to Consider When in the Process of Buying A Boat

Posted by Guest on Dec 23rd, 2011 in Boats | 0 comments

Before you come to the boat shop and own a boat, there are a few things that you have to carefully evaluate first to ascertain that you will get a good value for the cash that you will be spending.

When you have already identified the type of boat you intend to acquire, the next important thing that you should take into account is whether to buy it new or used. If you have sufficient  funds on hand, then it would be best to make a brand new boat purchase. Procuring a new boat will ensure that you will get one damage-free. Unlike when acquiring a used boat, brand new boat models come with better warranties. However, the downside of buying a brand new boat is the high cost of the initial investment. A boat can cost as much as a new home or a new car; therefore, you have to ascertain that you will be able to afford it.

Those who want to save money, meanwhile, should opt to buy a used boat. One good tip is to go for boats that have only been slightly used. Used boats for sale can be had for a more reasonable price. If you will be purchasing the boat from a private seller, then it is likely that it will not come with a warranty. Therefore, be sure to inspect the boat carefully. This is critical so that you can avoid making a very expensive mistake. For your peace of mind, it would be better to buy used boats from a broker or dealer since they often provide a limited warranty. But although this may be the case, it is still important that you thoroughly check the boat (from inside and out) before paying for it.

Career Opportunities In New Westminster

Posted by Guest on Dec 20th, 2011 in Jobs | 0 comments

New Westminster boasts of a unique collection of narrow and steep streets, storage buildings, as well as the scenic and breathtaking views of the Fraser River. Lying on a south-facing hillside offering magnificent views of the Fraser River, New Westminster is a town center that was formerly the capital city of British Columbia. The area is characterized by its expansive view of the Fraser River, diverse heritage buildings, coastal mountains and steep hills.

Job outlook in New Westminster is very promising with wide-ranging careers and lucrative job opportunities available for its residents. This is perhaps the reason why a number of people living from other countries and neighboring towns wish to try their luck in New Westminster.

Currently, the town offers a great number of professional and government job positions. The casino being developed in the town’s waterfront will definitely boost employment in the area. As of today, the health and services sector comprises a big percentage of New Westminster’s job market. About six percent of the jobs found in the area falls under this category. The Royal Columbian Hospital is the top employer for medical-related job openings in New Westminster.

The film industry is yet another top New Westminister employer. This is because of the fact that New Westminister is a very popular film location. With more and more movies being filmed in the city, the film industry has opened up a lot of opportunities for low-end jobs. Aside from movies, a number of tv series as well as commercials are also being filmed in the area.

The thriving film industry in New Westminster has raked in over a billion dollar earnings to the economy of the British Columbia. Moreover, it has also been the source of over twenty thousand direct and fifteen thousand indirect job opportunities for residents living anywhere in New Westminster. Other major employment sectors in New Westminster include public administration and educational services.

How to Look for A Job in New Westminster

Finding a job in New Westminster is fairly easy. In fact you can apply for a certain job position without having to leave your home. There are sites that can help you locate the best job that would match your educational background and skills, which include wowjobs.ca, careebuilder.ca, and glassdoor.com. One need to be over 15 years of age in order to land a job in the city. There are lot of other sites that you can browse through to find job openings in New Westminster; you can use the advance search feature of most sites to help you locate the job suitable for your skills.

Why Look for a Job in New Westminster

People working for the city of New Westminster can take advantage of a number of great benefits which include competitive salary rates, pension plans, comprehensive dental and health benefits, training opportunities, advanced education, exuberant vacation allowances, sick leave coverage, life insurance, and a very challenging work environment. Of course, benefits offered to employees working in the city will vary from company to company, but the aforementioned are likely to be included.