New Westminster, B.C. (August 4, 2026) — The New Westminster Progressives have released Stronger Together, a community-focused platform to help build a more caring, connected and resilient New Westminster.
The plan starts with a simple idea: strong communities are built when neighbours help neighbours — and when we are ready to face emergencies together.
The New Westminster Progressives believe City Hall has an important role to play — not by taking over responsibilities that belong to senior governments, but by ensuring New Westminster is prepared for emergencies, supporting local organizations, recognizing community leadership, and bringing people together around a common purpose.
“This is about getting City Hall focused on the basics: making sure the city is ready for emergencies, supporting volunteers and backing local organizations that deliver results,” says Daniel Fontaine, NWP mayoral candidate. “Stronger Together is a practical plan to support the people, volunteers and local organizations that already make our city work.”
The plan includes a modernized community grant program, annual Royal City Community Awards, a Royal City Community Credit Program, Royal City Responds and a Mayor’s Community Partnership Table.
“New Westminster has always been strongest when people step up for each other,” says Maryann Morrison, NWP council candidate. “That means volunteers, community organizations, first responders, local leaders and the city working together to support people through everyday challenges and extraordinary circumstances. Our plan is about recognizing that work and making it easier for people to stay connected before, during and after emergencies.”
The full NWP Stronger Together plan includes six platform areas:
- Support community organizations that deliver results. Strong community organizations help build strong neighbourhoods. We will:
- Modernize the City’s community grant program by simplifying applications and reducing unnecessary administrative requirements.
- Support multi-year funding agreements, where appropriate, to provide greater certainty for community organizations.
- Continue supporting organizations delivering measurable benefits for youth, seniors, sports, arts, culture, food security, accessibility and neighbourhood development.
- Reinstate City Council’s authority to approve all community grants, ensuring transparency, accountability and public oversight.
- Celebrate the people who make New Westminster great. Our City’s greatest strength is the people who quietly make a difference every day. We will:
- Establish the annual Royal City Community Awards, presented by the Mayor, celebrating the outstanding individuals and organizations who strengthen our community.
- Invite residents to nominate deserving recipients through an open and transparent public process.
- Celebrate National Volunteer Week with an annual civic appreciation event recognizing volunteers across New Westminster.
- Work with local schools to recognize youth leadership and volunteerism.
- Build a stronger culture of volunteerism and neighbour-to-neighbour support. Strong communities are built when neighbours help neighbours. We will:
- Establish a Royal City Community Credit Program, inspired by successful time-banking models, to recognize volunteerism, neighbour-to-neighbour support and community participation.
- Enable residents to earn Royal City Community Credits by volunteering, mentoring youth, assisting seniors, participating in neighbourhood projects, community gardens, environmental stewardship initiatives and other community-building activities.
- Work with Century House, Residents’ Associations, community organizations and local businesses to develop a city-wide network that strengthens community connections while reducing social isolation.
- Explore opportunities for residents to redeem community credits for volunteer assistance and community support, creating a practical network of mutual aid that benefits people of all ages.
- Integrate the Royal City Community Credit Program into the City’s emergency preparedness efforts by activating trained volunteers to check on vulnerable residents, coordinate community assistance and support neighbourhood response during major emergencies and extreme weather events.
- Strengthen emergency preparedness and community response. Preparing today means protecting tomorrow. We will:
- Develop a comprehensive Community Resilience Strategy to strengthen preparedness for earthquakes, floods, wildfire smoke, extreme heat and other emergencies.
- Expand neighbourhood emergency preparedness education and training opportunities.
- Continue investing in emergency equipment, backup power and designated community emergency gathering locations.
- Launch Royal City Responds – a community emergency response network and online portal that can be activated immediately following major emergencies to more effectively coordinate community donations, volunteers, temporary accommodation, gift cards, food, clothing and other assistance.
- Establish standing partnerships with local businesses, charitable organizations, faith communities and service clubs so support can be mobilized quickly when residents are displaced by fires or other emergencies.
- Continue advocating for provincial and federal funding to strengthen emergency preparedness and disaster recovery.
- Strengthen community partnerships. The City’s role is to bring people together and advocate for results. We will:
- Establish a Mayor’s Community Partnership Table, bringing together Fraser Health, School District 40, BC Housing, New Westminster Police, Fire & Rescue Services, Indigenous organizations, social service agencies, seniors’ organizations, youth organizations, the Chamber of Commerce and Residents’ Associations.
- Meet at least twice annually to improve coordination, identify service gaps and advocate collectively to senior governments.
- Publish an annual Community Wellbeing Report highlighting progress, emerging issues and community priorities.
- Continue advocating for senior orders of government to fulfill their primary responsibilities for housing, mental health and addiction services.
- Build healthier and more inclusive neighbourhoods. Healthy communities ensure everyone has the opportunity to participate. We will:
- Continue supporting age-friendly initiatives and improve accessibility throughout our city.
- Improve access to cooling centres, emergency information and community support during extreme weather events.
- Support community gardens, neighbourhood celebrations and initiatives that strengthen connections between neighbours.
- Continue supporting programs that reduce social isolation and encourage active participation by seniors, youth and newcomers.
Together, we’ll build a stronger New Westminster.
The NWP is running a team of 13 candidates for New Westminster city council and school board in the upcoming municipal election. The NWP’s platform is informed by ongoing conversations with residents through New West City Matters, the party’s community listening initiative.
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