Holy Trinity Cathedral

Holy Trinity Cathedral – A Place of Interest on the 2026 Heritage Homes Tour

In addition to the 11 featured homes on this year’s tour, Holy Trinity Cathedral offers visitors an opportunity to experience one of New Westminster’s most significant historic landmarks. Tour guests are invited to step inside the cathedral, explore its remarkable architecture and stained glass, and enjoy organ music from noon to 1 PM.

Refreshments may also be available, with proceeds supporting Holy Trinity’s community programs.

Parking Note: Parking at the cathedral is very limited and nearby street parking can be difficult to find. Visitors may wish to park at the Queens Avenue and Fourth Street parking lot in Tipperary Park and walk down to the cathedral.

Established the same year New Westminster became a city, Holy Trinity Cathedral has stood at the heart of the community for more than 165 years. Destroyed twice by fire and rebuilt in stone, the cathedral reflects the resilience and faith of generations of parishioners. Its Gothic architecture, stained-glass, and historic artifacts make it one of the city’s most treasured heritage landmarks.

Nestled into the hillside above downtown New Westminster, Holy Trinity Cathedral stands as one of the city’s most significant historic landmarks and the oldest Anglican parish in the region.

The parish was established in 1859, the same year New Westminster was incorporated as a city. The original wooden church, constructed in 1860, was destroyed by fire in 1865 and rebuilt in stone later that year. That building was again devastated in the Great Fire of 1898, which destroyed much of New Westminster.

Rebuilt After Fire

The present cathedral, designed by prominent architect G.W. Grant and consecrated in 1902, was constructed on the surviving walls of the earlier church. Inspired by St. Paul’s Church in Kensington, England, the building features elements of Victorian Gothic architecture, including rusticated concrete, steeply pitched cross gables, and a prominent English perpendicular tower.

Stained-Glass and Historic Treasures

Among the cathedral’s most notable features are the three stained-glass altar windows designed and crafted by Henry Bloomfield and Sons of New Westminster. One panel is believed to contain the first depiction of West Coast Indigenous people in stained-glass. The windows are also significant for their innovative design: James Bloomfield, the firm’s principal artist, departed from the heavy Gothic framing commonly used in church stained-glass of the period, creating a brighter and more open effect that allowed substantially more natural light into the cathedral.

Additional historic treasures include four carved cedar pillars donated by Westminster Abbey in London, a brass lectern gifted by Sir James Douglas, and a surviving bell from the cathedral’s original peal of eight.

Today, Holy Trinity Cathedral remains both an active parish church and an enduring symbol of New Westminster’s early history and resilience.

Source: Holy Trinity Cathedral