06/17/2026
129 community-led projects are getting ready to take root across New Westminster. đź’›
This month, more than 100 Neighbourhood Small Grants project leads came through the doors of Family Place to collect their cheques, sign their agreements and find support for bringing their ideas to life.
This year, $61,024 in funding will support:
✨ 119 Neighbourhood Small Grants
✨ 10 Youth Neighbourhood Small Grants
✨ 99 community events and gatherings
✨ 65 skill-sharing projects
✨ 25 resource-sharing projects
✨ 11 art installations
✨ 8 gardening and greening projects
We were genuinely surprised, and so encouraged, by the turnout! The room was filled with neighbours sharing ideas, asking questions and preparing to create gatherings, workshops, gardens, cultural celebrations and other opportunities for connection throughout the city.
Project leads enjoyed food catered by Columbia Street Sandwich Company and received guidance from several generous local experts:
• Jen Arbo from the City of New Westminster, on using City spaces
• Gerrardo Corro from Tourism New West, on promoting events
• Joy St. John, on engaging volunteers and community support
• Jess Roca-Muncaster, a longtime project lead offering practical project guidance
We are grateful to each of them for sharing their time and knowledge.
We also want to thank our 2026 Neighbourhood Small Grants Committee. Members reviewed a record number of applications and approached some very challenging decisions with great care, thoughtfulness and commitment to the community.
This week, we had an opportunity to learn more about research into the impact of Neighbourhood Small Grants over the program’s 25+ year history. While the findings are not yet ours to share, the conversation reinforced that these grants create benefits well beyond a single event. Project leaders can build confidence, develop new skills, form relationships and feel more connected to their neighbourhoods.
And now, the projects begin.
We will be sharing public projects in our Facebook and Instagram Stories, displaying flyers in the Family Place window and adding events to our live community calendar.
Read the full story and see more photos on our website.https://www.newwestfamilies.ca/whats-happening/
Project leads hosting a public event are encouraged to send us their flyers and event information so we can help spread the word.
Neighbourhood Small Grants Network Tourism New Westminster City of New Westminster