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Anvil Centre 10-year Review

Anvil Centre is almost 10 years old! As we approach this milestone for the City-owned cultural and conference facility we have a chance to reflect on what’s working well and whether any adjustments or new opportunities should be considered.

We want to hear about your experiences at Anvil Centre, and what ideas and suggestions you might have to:

·      build on the existing programs and services,

·      bring more people in, and

·      deepen the community’s connection to the facility.

The City wants to make sure Anvil Centre is serving the downtown and broader New West community well, and we are open to ideas that will enhance what is currently offered in the facility. However, the City intends to continue current services, and major renovations to the building are not planned. We will work within the existing building configuration to respond to what we hear from the community about priorities for this public facility.


What is Anvil Centre?

Anvil Centre is a vibrant cultural venue and conference centre located in downtown New Westminster. This multi-use, City-owned facility is designed to accommodate a wide variety of events, conferences, community programs, workshops, exhibitions, performances, and cultural experiences. Anvil Centre is home to the New Media Gallery, New Westminster Museum and Archives, the Canadian Lacrosse Hall of Fame, Anvil Theatre, and more.

Construction of the Anvil Centre was funded through Provincial gaming revenue, and the funding agreement specified that the project must contribute to economic development and include convention/conference space.

Important Note: The Anvil Office Tower (main entrance on Eighth Street) is not operated by the City of New Westminster and is not part of this public engagement process. We are exclusively seeking community input about the four-storey Anvil Centre cultural and conference facility (main entrance on Columbia Street).

Phases

Phases overview
Phase 1: Anvil Centre opened
Anvil Centre opened
Phase 2: Workshops with Council about Anvil Centre’s role in the community and approach for engaging the community
Workshops with Council about Anvil Centre’s role in the community and approach for engaging the community
Phase 3: Community engagement
Community engagement
Phase 4: Engagement reporting
Engagement reporting
Phase 5: Report to Council with recommendations
Report to Council with recommendations
Phase 6: Implementation of Council recommendations
Implementation of Council recommendations

Community engagement

February 2, 2024 8:00 a.m. - March 5, 2024 8:00 a.m.

The Following engagement events were held within the community:

Workshops (both in-person and virtual): To share thoughts on the role of Anvil Centre in community life.

1.     Virtual – Tuesday, February 13, 6:00-7:15 pm (workshop completed)

2.    In-person at Anvil Centre – Thursday, February 22, 6:00-7:15 pm (workshop completed)

Drop-ins at the Anvil Centre

1.     Monday, February 19, 11:00 am - 1:00 pm (event completed)

2.    Thursday, February 29, 5:00-7:00 pm (event completed)

Online engagement options:

·      Survey: 3-question survey to share your experience visiting Anvil Centre, or tell us why you don’t visit.

·      Discussion Forum: Moderated conversation with your fellow community members!

·      Ideas Board: Suggestions were shared on how we can make Anvil Centre feel more welcoming and community-focused.

All online tools were open until end-of-day on March 4, 2024.

Input collected through this engagement was used to help inform recommendations to enhance the facility and offerings of Anvil Centre.