May Day: Quest for the Queens

Queen of the May

Watch the 2006 Queen
be crowned and speak
to her loyal subjects!

2005 May Queen Interview

2006 May Day

May Day Poem - By Don Benson

Queen of the May

Watch the 2006 Queen
be crowned and speak
to her loyal subjects!

Shaw TV features Quest for the Queens

2006 May Queen Family

Watch the an interview with each generation of the Ranfords, a true May Day family! The 2006 Queen is sitting with her family after the Lancer Dance practice.

Quest for the Queens!

New Westminster BC: May Day has been celebrated in the Royal City for 136 years.  Each year a Queen of the May has been crowned in a formal ceremony at Queens Park.

There is an active search underway to locate the former May Queens and to recognize them at future May Day events.

A "Royal" Family

New Westminster has a tradition of Royalty that goes back 136 years. The Sage family has 3 generations that have participated in May Day. 

Online Films of May Day from 1932 - 1963

H. Norman Lidster filmed many May Day festivities, his Grandson Nick Springate has transferred them to computer format and they are viewable via the Internet  Click Here to watch the vintage movies.

Diane Tura

Quest for the Queens: Technology Enables Journey of Discovery

As 2010 looms, British Columbians will increasingly contemplate the question, “What defines BC culture?” Besides our First Nations culture, which trumps all others, there are our roots as a British colony. One need look no further than New Westminster, the “Royal City,” the first and former capital of BC, and home of the Commonwealth’s longest continuous celebration of May Day to find those British roots. On Wednesday, May 24,New Westminster celebrates its 136^th May Day with the crowning of the May Queen at a noon-time civic ceremony in Queen’s Park, a tradition since1870 (the year 1878 being the only exception).  

Tracy Tura

1937 & 1938 May Day Royalty

Message from the Mayor

Susan Grasby: 1970 Maid of Honor

Terry Featherstone: A Lancer

Tracey Davies: 1977 Maid of Honor

Historical Footage Newspaper Article

Click Here to read the May 28 2005 article from the NOW Newspaper detailing the background of the May Day movie collection and the family that put the the films on computer.  Nick Springate discusses the process and outcome of the Vintage Film restoration project.

Sharon MacKay: 1968 1st Flower Girl

Wendy Gunderson: 1977 Flower Girl

Susan Tuura: 1969 Flower Girl

Elma Featherstone: 1937 Maid of Honor

1939 Royal Visit to May Day