New Westminster - American Courthouses

New Westminster is named after the city of Westminster in England by Queen Victoria.

Surrounding Courthouses:

N – Port Coquitlam

E – Abbotsford

S – Surrey

W – Richmond and Vancouver

Location: New Westminster is located in the southwest part of the Province along the Fraser River.

Judicial District: Vancouver Westminster Judicial District

Judicial Centre: Vancouver

Law Courts – New Westminster

Location: 651 Carnavon Street / Lorne Street

Built: 1979 – 1981

Style: Modern

Architect: Carlsberg Jackson Partners

Contractor: PCL Construction Ltd.

Description: The building faces south and is a four story concrete and glass structure. The building is located in the centre of New Westminster. The south front has horizontal recessed windows. A statue of Justice is located on the east side of the front. The building backs into a hill and the east side has a plaza with stairs and waterfall. The east side has a large atrium with sloped glass roof. The windows are horizontal and the roof line is flat. The building houses the Supreme Court and the Provincial Court. The building was renovated in 2023. The architect was Signa Construction Ltd.

Note: The design resembles Arthur Erickson’s Vancouver Courthouse at Robson Square design.

Old Courthouse – New Westminster

Location: 668 Carnavon Street / Lorne Street

Built: 1890 – 1891

Style: Romanesque Revival

Architect: George William Grant.

Contractor: George William Grant.

Description: The building faces north and is a three story red coloured brick and stone structure. The building is located in the centre of New Westminster to the south of the courthouse. The north front has four narrow arched windows. Above are three smaller arched windows. On the west side is a wing with entrance on the first story and steep roof rising front a projecting section. The roof is hipped and the building is named as the “Begbie Court”. The building was rebuilt in 1899 after a fire destroyed the building in 1898. The architect was George William Grant of New Westminster. The building was altered in 1911 to 1912. The architect was F G Gardiner and contractor was J C Allen. Further alteration was done in 1915 to 1916. The architect was Gardiner-Mercer and contractor was Dominion Construction Company. On the west side is the old Registry building built in 1910. The architect was E G W Sait.

History: The first courthouse was built in 1860 and was a one story structure with a canvas ceiling. The second courthouse was built in 1973 on Market Square. The third courthouse was built in 1890 to 1891 and is still standing. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1979 to 1981.

Vancouver Westminster Judicial District Courthouses:

Abbotsford, Chilliwack, North Vancouver, Port Coquitlam, Powell River, Richmond, Sechelt, Surrey and Vancouver