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History

Welcome to Queensborough: The Island with a Story

So, you’ve moved to Queensborough. Maybe you were drawn by the riverside views, the family-friendly parks, the easy commute, or the promise of a quieter life just a bridge (or ferry ride) away from the city bustle.

But what you may not know is that Queensborough has one of the most unique and overlooked histories in the Lower Mainland. This isn’t just a “neighbourhood.” It’s an island community with deep roots, cultural richness, and a story that weaves through agriculture, immigration, isolation, and resilience.

Let’s take a moment to step back in time, because knowing where we live helps us appreciate where we’re going.

Before It Was a Neighbourhood, It Was a Military Reserve

Back in the mid-1800s, Queensborough was never meant to be a suburb. It was initially set aside as a military reserve to defend the newly established capital of British Columbia, which is what we now call New Westminster. While the rest of Lulu Island became Richmond, Queensborough was kept apart, quite literally. No bridges. No roads. Just water and wilderness.

It wasn’t until the late 1800s that it was annexed by New Westminster and slowly opened up for settlement. Still, it stayed separate, geographically and culturally, for decades.

A Patchwork of Farmland and Factories

By the 1890s, settlers began arriving, drawn by the fertile land and opportunity. Dikes were built to control the river’s reach, and the floodplain became farmland. Families grew crops, raised children, and built homes with their own hands. At the same time, the Fraser River became a highway for industry such as lumber mills, canneries, shipyards.

If you live near Ewen Avenue, you’re walking on what was once the heart of this agricultural and industrial hustle.

A True Cultural Mosaic

(Before That Was a Buzzword)

From the early 1900s, Queensborough became home to immigrant families from Japan, China, India, Italy, Ukraine, Finland, Greece, and Slovakia, among others. A Sikh temple was built here in 1919, one of the first in the province. People of different languages, religions, and customs lived side-by-side, worked the land or the mills, and forged a tight-knit community often out of shared values and necessity.

Many of their descendants still live here. In fact, if you’ve met a neighbour who’s been in the area for generations, you’ve likely brushed up against that legacy.

Isolation: The Double-Edged Sword

For much of the 20th century, Queensborough remained cut off from the rest of New West. Sure, the rail bridge (built in 1891) helped, and the Queensborough Bridge finally connected us to the mainland in 1960. But for a long time, people had to be self-sufficient.

It bred a kind of independence. People looked out for one another. Volunteerism thrived. The Queensborough Ratepayers Association, founded in 1911, is still one of the oldest community groups in B.C. Now renamed the Queensborough Residents Association.

But it also meant slow development. While the rest of the city built up, Queensborough stayed quiet, working-class, and proudly off the beaten path.

The Queensborough You See Today

It wasn’t until the early 2000s that big changes came. The Queensborough Landing shopping centre brought major retailers and new jobs. New residential developments like Port Royal reimagined the waterfront with walking paths and modern housing.

Then came the Q to Q Ferry, linking us directly to the Quay, a charming, community-driven project that symbolizes how far we’ve come. In 2021, the Q to Q Queensborough dock was renamed the Komagata Maru dock to honor the victims of the 1914 Komagata Maru incident.

Today, Queensborough is one of the most culturally diverse and fastest-growing areas of New Westminster. New homes. New families. New energy. But ask any long-time local, and they’ll tell you: It still feels like a small town.

Why This History Matters

You might have chosen Queensborough for its location, affordability, or quiet charm. But when you live here, you become part of a bigger story. One of immigrant resilience, community spirit, and island identity.

You’re not just living near the water, you’re living on a living, breathing piece of history. And whether you’ve just unpacked your boxes or have been here for years, your presence shapes the next chapter of this unique community.

📚 Want to learn more?

All the photos used in this website were taken from the New Westminster Archives. To learn more about Queensborough's past, stop by the New Westminster Museum and Archives or explore the digital archives for old maps, photos, and stories:
🔗 archives.newwestcity.ca

Better yet, take a stroll down Ewen Avenue or along the Port Royal river walk and imagine what stood here a hundred years ago.

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