On Monday Councillors Daniel Fontaine and Paul Minhas moved a motion submitted to the City Clerk a few weeks ago regarding the concept of a 3-day Pattullo Party to be held in 2024. The Pattullo Party would be recognizing the contribution the bridge has made to our regional economy and how it is an iconic part of New Westminster.
“I’m thrilled Council has endorsed my motion and we are one big step closer to organizing a decommissioning party for the current Pattullo Bridge,” says Fontaine. “This definitely fits in nicely with our commitment to making New Westminster an even more fun place to live, work and play!”
The original motion was slightly amended to clarify the role of the City compared to that of the Province of BC or Translink who own the current and new Pattullo bridges. Community First Councillor Ruby Campbell attempted to have the motion quashed when she asserted that a party was already being planned. However, in the end, she voted with the rest of Council to support the NWP motion requesting the Mayor get the ball rolling. For the record, NO party was being planned by the Province or TransLink.
“This is a great initiative which I have no doubt will attract hundreds of thousands of people from across Metro Vancouver and the province to participate in the festivities,” says Minhas. “This motion is a clear message to both Victoria and TransLink that we want to get the planning for this underway as soon as possible. I think it’s also important we seek input from the public regarding what they’d like to see included in the event.”
Pattullo Party has already been a big hit with the public and has garnered significant media attention across British Columbia. To view a few of the media stories, click on the link below.