#1Famous people · New Westminster, British Columbia
The 167 famous people born in New Westminster, led by Raymond Burr
At the top of the list is the Canadian actor Raymond Burr, covered in 43 languages. Robert Langlands is second and Devin Townsend third. 78 of them were born since 1970, more than in any other period. Among the 144 towns in British Columbia with famous people on record, the town ranks 3rd.
Born here
167
confirmed by Wikipedia
Best known
Raymond Burr
43 Wikipedia and sister-site articles
First
1864
Josephine Crease
Youngest
2005
Sydney Turner
Most common field
Sports
85 people
What stands out about New Westminster’s famous people
★ What stands out · Through the years
When New Westminster’s famous people were born
The busiest decade was the 1970s, with 31 births.
SportsPolitics & LawFilm, TV & StageNotableWriting & ArtsScience & MedicineMusicMilitary
Every person is a dot in the column of the decade they were born.
The best known
Born in New Westminster
#1
#2Science & Medicine
Robert Langlands
born 1936Canadian mathematician
37 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
#3Music
Devin Townsend
born 1972Canadian singer, guitarist and record producer
35 Wikipedia and sister-site articlesWikipedia ↗
Known for
What New Westminster is known for
No other field is as far above the usual share as athletes, at 1.3 times.
The usual town is the share across everyone listed in Canadian towns. Tap a field to see its people.
Everyone
Everyone else born in New Westminster
Another 164, the earliest born in 1864.
Ernest Smith
1914–2005Canadian soldier of World War II, recipient of the Victoria Cross
MilitaryWikipedia ↗
Peter Jepson-Young
1957–1992Canadian physician, diarist and AIDS activist
Science & MedicineWikipedia ↗
Noel Oxenbury
1918–2012Canadian swimmer, Olympic athlete, British Empire Games gold medallist
SportsWikipedia ↗
No one matches both filters.
Questions about famous people from New Westminster
Who is the most famous person from New Westminster?
Raymond Burr (Canadian actor) comes first, by the number of Wikipedia languages that cover them. Next come Robert Langlands and Devin Townsend.
How many famous people were born in New Westminster?
Wikidata places 224 here in all, and those missing from the list lack a confirming article.
What is New Westminster known for?
Here the share is 51%; across Canadian towns it is 38%.
Who is the earliest-born famous person from New Westminster?
Josephine Crease, from 1864; the most recent birth on the list is from 2005.
Who counts as from New Westminster?
Wikidata’s record must put the birth inside New Westminster’s municipal boundary (Statistics Canada’s 2021 census subdivision) or one of its hospitals or districts, and an English or French Wikipedia article must agree. The list leaves out adult performers, people known mainly for crimes and anyone born elsewhere.
Why is someone missing?
Some have no birthplace below the province on Wikidata, some were born in a hamlet without a page here, and some have an article that names another place or none at all. The page lists only what Wikidata and Wikipedia agree on, and it follows their corrections at each refresh.
Birthplaces, descriptions, years, occupations and the count of Wikipedia and sister-site articles come from Wikidata (CC0). Each birthplace is checked against the person’s English Wikipedia article, or the French one where English says nothing or has no article; the articles are linked, never quoted. Wikidata’s Statistics Canada code, the place’s name or its point inside the 2021 census outline puts a birth in a town, and a birth given only as a split city stays on that city’s page. Fields are read from the description and occupations, and the list runs by number of articles. “The usual town” is everyone listed across Canadian towns. Portraits: each person’s Wikidata image, from Wikimedia Commons under the licence below (our copy, resized).
Photo credits (56)
- Raymond Burr: NBC TV, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Langlands: Author - Dr. Jeff Mozzochi (passed copyright for the photo to owner - professor Robert Phelan Langlands), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Devin Townsend: Andre Mesker from Oosterwolde, the Netherlands, CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Robert Thirsk: NASA, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Alexz Johnson: Justin Higuchi, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Brendan Fehr: Kristin Dos Santos from Los Angeles, California, United States, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kristin Lehman: sean.koo, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Nicholas Lea: GabboT, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Krista Guloien: SFU Public Affairs and Media Relations, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carlo Corazzin: Wilson Wong (Wikipedia Wwongbc ), CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Justin Morneau: User Dlz28 on en.wikipedia, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kyle Turris: Michael Miller, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Neil Grayston: Ewen Roberts at https://www.flickr.com/photos/donabelandewen/, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Pamela Rai: Pamelaleilarai, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bill Mahony: Panini, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jeff Clarke: Runningboards, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Michael Mason: Wilson Wong (Wikipedia Longbomb ), Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Kevin Bahl: Jenn G, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Byron Stroud: Chicks With Guns Magazine, CC BY-SA 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Curtis Moss: Trackandfieldpics, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tyler Johnston: Cornstalker, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- James Moore: Manning Centre c/o: Jake Wright, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mike Reno: Cornstalker, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tim Uppal: Andrew Scheer, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Carin Bondar: University of the Fraser Valley, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Chuck Strahl: Manning Centre c/o: Jake Wright, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ryan McDonald: Mathew Smith, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Tory Nyhaug: Agência Brasil Fotografias, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Alex Atamanenko: Montrealais 21:51, 12 September 2006 (UTC), CC BY-SA 2.5, Wikimedia Commons
- Colin Forbes: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jon Cornish: Ztella at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Josephine Crease: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Katie Thorlakson: Longbomb, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Moira Young: Ann Giles, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Peter Julian: BL2017, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Terry David Mulligan: Jane Victoria King, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- David Norman Jr.: IDontHaveSkype, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Fin Donnelly: bcndp, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jordan Sigalet: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Kadin Chung: Robin Glover, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Larkyn Austman: David Carmichael, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Mike Lake: Connormah, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Terry Yake: Kim Wood Phantom2299, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Aleksa Rakic: Emily Hoult, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Bob Skelly: BC NDP, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ernest Smith: Zhatt, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Shawn Bowman: slgckgc (Original version) UCinternational (Crop), CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Turner Elson: TheAHL, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ernest Miller: Unknown author, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Jack Woodward: Landonwalters, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Jamall Lee: Newbuinfo, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons
- Ravi Walia: Robert Thivierge (Thivierr), CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Doug Routley: BC NDP, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Ray Skelly: BC NDP History Group, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Stuart Leggatt: BC NDP History Group, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
- Athan Iannucci: Rob Frohne from USA, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).