New Westminster was founded in 1858 as the capital of the Colony of British Columbia, a role it held until the colonies merged in 1866, and Queen Victoria’s choice of its name gave it the “Royal City” nickname. Its downtown along Columbia Street and the Quayside waterfront still has many independent shops, restaurants and service businesses in heritage buildings.
The city’s largest employers are institutional. Royal Columbian Hospital in Sapperton is one of the region’s major acute-care hospitals, and Douglas College has a large campus downtown. Around them sit clinics, pharmacies, law and accounting offices, and the many small businesses that serve students, staff and patients.
With five SkyTrain stations in a compact area, New West businesses often draw customers from across the region, not just the neighbourhood. That makes a clear, fast website and good search visibility important — and it makes routine phone and email questions a real drain on small teams.