Work on the waterfront has always included leisure and retail. Until the 1960s, New Westminster’s Columbia Street was the commercial centre for everyone between Burnaby and the Fraser Valley. It wasn’t uncommon to be walking shoulder to shoulder with other shoppers. The downtown waterfront had two movie theatres, many clothing and shoe stores. Columbia Street hosted scores of lunch counters, including Fraser Cafe, Pacific Cafe, and Woolworth’s. Hotels, such as the King Edward and the Russell featured popular bars. Residents recall that a meal at the dockside King Neptune Restaurant was a special treat.

On Saturdays you shopped... and that was your social. You couldn't walk a block without meeting half a dozen people you knew. 
-HELEN HUGHAN, secretary Mercer Star Shipyards

The best place to get fish and chips, or a pickled egg, or a hot dog, was always in one of the watering holes on Columbia Street... At that time, the King Ed was one of the waterfront’s favourite watering holes. 
-BRUCE BRIGGS, retired longshoreman, ILWU Local 502

[The King Neptune] had a dining room, but it also had a buffet section... There was a lot of fish, and fruits, desserts... We'd go down there for special occasions and had a real good dining experience. Their food was excellent. 
-ELVE MORRISON, lifelong New Westminster resident

There has been a market at the waterfront since before 1900 where farmers and craftspeople came to sell their wares. City Market opened in 1947 behind Pacific Coast Terminals, and was a hive of activity every Friday, but business at the market began to fall off in the 1960s. In 1986, City Market closed.

With the closure of the port terminals in the late 1970s, the City worked to find new uses for the waterfront. A new waterfront plan included residential development and increased retail and leisure activities, and the Westminster Quay Public Market was at the heart of these activities.

New West resident Tara Bangs remembers that the Westminster Quay market had a strong sense of community: "I miss the funkier New West... different people, independent businesses. It was more of community feel back then... I love that, you know." But by 2006, many businesses had left the market.

In 2011, after a major building upgrade, the public market reopened as River Market with a vision dubbed "Food 360" where food is celebrated with edible gardens, specialty food vendors, restaurants, cooking classes, and food festivals. The River Market is also a gathering place for community events.

The Farmers' Market was amazing. It was every Friday. You could get baked goods, vegetables, meat pies. Chickens, I can remember [live] chickens at the Farmers' Market. People would buy chickens I guess. 
-KATHLEEN LANGSTROTH, New Westminster resident

There's a lot happening at the [River] market... We've got pretty good shopping down there now. People are up and down the boardwalk all the time. 
-MIKE HOYER, New Westminster resident