Oh, New Westminster. You try.

As I exited the new development at Westminster Station with it's brightly lit Safeway and Shoppers Drug Mart, I thought: "All this newness, and still this station is unnerving, as if you are about to witness a crime at any moment."

It's a weird place, New Westminster city. As the oldest city in Western Canada, despite the rash of condo towers spreading over the hills, the city still takes you back into history. Of course we started our adventure at the Salvation Army Store, where I always score. This time, a pair of colorful silk pants that fit like a glove.

We walked up Columbia Street, pass the litany of wedding stores, toward the Paramount Theater. I noticed the marquee announcing 'Dances on Sunday!' "How cool, I thought, they have old fashioned dances again." Naive me, as I read another sign on the ticket booth: "Gentlemen's Club." Oh, that kind of dance. Ah, ah, ah.

I was happy to see that the Army and Navy Store was all spruced up with brightly designed window displays using old furniture and vintage containers. How inviting! Except for the old school delivery elevator which freaked baby out so we couldn't go up to the kids' department.  Too bad.

We turned back down to the Antique Alley on Front Street where a few antique stores are still surviving. The noise was too intense there with the trucks and the trains going by, so we headed toward the River Market at Westminster Quay, home of the tallest toy soldier. It seems they've tried to spruce it up, although it seemed a bit dead. The Great Wall Tea caught our eye, but then the Crepes des Amis pulled us in for a bite.

After a very yummy crepe and a little French conversation, we headed back to the station, along the river, pass the boats, and over the tracks.

As we held our breath in the elevator to get to the ticketing machine, a shifty old man with his bike, told us: "In Vancouver, all the buses and skytrain are free." "Oh, okay, thanks for that", I replied. I paid our fare, gave baby our ticket and realized there was no elevator to the top train platform. I asked a friendly police officer to help me carry the stroller up the escalator, and when we got to the top, just as I had guessed, we witnessed 6 police officers searching one couples' bags, ticketing a young man, and interrogating a frazzled woman. Everyone was asked for their fare, and there was baby, holding ours out with great purpose and pride!

Oh, New Westminster. You try.