By Archie and Dale Miller (A Sense of History Research Services)

General Tour Information

All tours are held in the City of New Westminster, are free and there is no need to register. The tours last between 1 ½ and 2 hours and go rain or shine. Your tour guides, Archie and Dale Miller, highly regarded, popular leaders for such walks, are known for always having the historical facts and accounts at hand while keeping the whole event light and entertaining.

If you have questions about the tour, the difficulty level of its route, or to confirm that a tour is going ahead in spite of weather problems or other factors on the day of the tour, call the tour leaders at 604-526-6113. You can also email the tour leaders at <information@senseofhistory.com>

Always wear comfortable footwear and carry water, especially on hot days. The tours are scheduled later in the day in summer months to reduce the effects of the sun, but a hat, appropriate clothing, and sunscreen are always a good, health conscious idea.

Separate media releases will be issued to promote each of the upcoming tours. These releases will contain up to date information about the tour with, in some cases, newly researched findings that enhance the tour itself.

* Please note that the tours are subject to change in theme and route but any change will be announced well in advance of the tour date.


About the Tours and The Tour Leaders

Archie and Dale Miller (A Sense of History) are well known for their abilities with walking tours, cemetery tours, presentations, and other historical and heritage themed programs. Many people, groups, school classes, and others regularly arrange for tours by A Sense of History because of the excellence of presentation, the comprehensiveness of preparation, and the attention to detail. Archie and Dale are pleased to offer this free set of tours to the community as part of their ongoing work with the City’s history and as a way to encourage others to learn more of their community’s story.

The 2010 Set Of Tours

April 5, 2009 (Sunday)
[Walking Tour starts at 1:30 pm near the corner of Richmond Street and Cumberland Street, adjacent to Fraser Cemetery. The tour will proceed from this top corner to the bottom of the hill and end at the lower location. It is not a difficult walk to return to starting point. There are buses nearby along the route and places to park top and bottom if coming by automobile.]

A Site Rich In History
For many people, the Fraserview housing development overlooking the Fraser River in New Westminster is simply a very nice residential area. While this is certainly correct, this piece of land is much more in the historical context of New Westminster. This walking tour will present the story of this area with tales of First Nations, the Columbia Detachment of Royal Engineers, and the British Columbia Penitentiary. You will hear of the Engineers’ Camp and all it entailed, the BC Pen and its massive walls, and the places called home by First Nations. The tour will be led by Archie Miller.



April 18, 2010 (Sunday)
[Walking tour will start at 1:30 pm in Moody Park at the corner of 6th Avenue at 8th Street near the clock and the Moody monument. This tour will not return to its starting point to finish. ]

Moody To Queens Park, With A Few Other “Parks” In Between

Moody and Queens Park are two of the largest park areas in New Westminster. This new tour will introduce these two major city park spaces while looking at some interesting lesser-known historical recreational spaces along the way. How about Townsend Field, the soccer field at Duke of Connaught high school, golf courses large and small and that might have been, a rifle range or two, the local shooting club, early lawn bowling, and a great uptown winter outdoor skating spot. A new, relatively level walking tour with some really fun stories – a good way to start off the 2010 tour program.



May 16, 2010 (Sunday)
[Cemetery tour starts at 1:30 pm near the office of Fraser Cemetery, 100 Richmond Street in the Sapperton neighborhood of New Westminster.]

Good Sports And Valued Athletes: A Cemetery Tour

This cemetery tour of Fraser Cemetery and St Peter’s Cemetery will introduce many local citizens who made sports and recreation an integral part of their busy community lives. A wide range of athletic endeavours is featured with examples from roller skating, lacrosse, horse racing, soccer, basketball, track and field, hockey, and curling as part of the list. Lots of fun, great stories, with even mention of a cigar factory and the Spanish influenza epidemic.


June 6, 2010 (Sunday)
[This tour starts in front of New Westminster City Hall at 1:30 pm and will end somewhere downtown (to be determined).]

Theatre, Concerts, Intriguing Shows – Events In Early New Westminster

The history of performances, theatre productions, traveling entertainment, and the like in New Westminster is extremely colourful, itself thoroughly entertaining, and filled with surprises and intriguing stories. This city’s downtown had presentations of various types in two opera houses, two drill halls, six or seven movie houses, numerous other halls and large rooms, church halls and churches, and out in the main street. This tour will point out the sites of many presentations and theatrical events, introduce theatres and characters, and identify the places where traveling companies and individuals performed.



July 11, 2010 (Sunday)
[Cemetery tour starts at 3:00 pm near the office of Fraser Cemetery, 100 Richmond Street in the Sapperton neighborhood of New Westminster.]

Arts And Culture Of The Royal City: A Cemetery Tour

Arts and culture can cover an array of widely creative and entertaining activities and personalities and New Westminster proudly remembers many that were part of this aspect of community life. This cemetery tour will introduce people who played diverse roles in this part of the Royal City’s history. Examples will be drawn from the fields of music, theatre, writing, and art – from the stage to prime time TV, from fiction to non-fiction, from composing to performance – and more, perhaps even an encore.


August 1, 2010 (Sunday)
[This special tour starts at 3:00 pm at the entrance to Glenbrook Ravine Park, off Jamieson Court, New Westminster. The tour will end at the Fraser and St Peter’s Cemeteries near 100 Richmond Street. Note: this tour will take place first in part of the Glenbrook ravine, including some stairs and slight hills, and then move to and finish in the cemetery. ]

Bill Miner, Train Robber, Has Escaped!

In August of 1907, Bill Miner, “the Grey Fox”, renowned train robber and thief extraordinaire, led three others in an escape from the British Columbia Penitentiary in New Westminster. For the first time, A Sense of History is offering a public tour, a “Bill Miner escapes” tour. This tour will combine a walk near the site of the escape to discuss the event and the main players, with a cemetery tour to meet a few of the principals linked to this dramatic event.


August 22, 2010 (Sunday)
[Cemetery Tour starts at 3:00 pm near the office of Fraser Cemetery, 100 Richmond Street in the Sapperton neighborhood of New Westminster.]

Elected To Office: Mayors Of New Westminster

In August of 1860, the City of New Westminster had its first civic election. The City, the first in Western Canada to have a municipal form of government, now had a council and a mayor, then called a president. In recognition of this important community anniversary, Dale Miller, historian and expert on local civic history, will lead a cemetery tour in Fraser and St Peter’s Cemetery, where she will introduce a selection of the City’s mayors – people she has come to know, through extensive research, quite well. This is a fascinating tour – and you’ll never again think of politics as dull.

September 19, 2010 (Sunday)
[Tour starts at 1:30 pm on the City Hall front lawn at the corner of Royal Avenue and 4th Street. The location of the end of the tour has not yet been determined.]

150 Years Of Catholic Church History In New Westminster

This year is the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the Catholic Church in early New Westminster. Last year this city noted the arrival of the Methodists and Anglicans in the City’s first year of existence, but the Catholics weren’t far behind. They arrived in September of 1860 and this walking tour will visit a number of sites that are integral to this 150 years of history. The site of the first mission will be noted along with other church buildings, schools, a hospital, halls, residences, and other related places.