New Westminster, BC

New West sits right on the Fraser River, about 16 km from downtown Vancouver, and it's an easy hop from Surrey, Burnaby, or Coquitlam via the Pattullo Bridge, Highway 1, or Highway 91. Most trips here are quick local runs across Metro Vancouver, though out-of-towners often roll in from the airport corridors near Richmond or Pitt Meadows. EV charging stations are easy to find downtown. Founded in 1865, New West briefly served as the colony's capital before Victoria took over, and it's home to Canada's first fully automated SkyTrain line, still running today.