White Rock, British Columbia
White Rock | |
|---|---|
City | |
| The Corporation of the City of White Rock | |
Aerial view of White Rock's waterfront | |
| Motto: City by the Sea | |
Location of White Rock in Metro Vancouver | |
| Coordinates: 49°1′30″N 122°48′10″W / 49.02500°N 122.80278°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | British Columbia |
| Regional district | Metro Vancouver |
| Incorporated | April 15, 1957 |
| Seat | White Rock City Hall |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor–council government |
| • Body | White Rock City Council |
| • Mayor | Megan Knight |
| • City Council | List of councillors |
| • MP | Ernie Klassen (Liberal) |
| • MLA | Trevor Halford (BC Conservative) |
| Area | |
| • Land | 5.17 km2 (2.00 sq mi) |
| • Urban | 54.23 km2 (20.94 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 80 m (260 ft) |
| Population (2021) | |
• City | 21,939 |
• Estimate (2023) | 22,362 |
| • Density | 4,240.6/km2 (10,983/sq mi) |
| • Urban | 109,167 |
| • Urban density | 2,013.1/km2 (5,214/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−08:00 (Pacific Standard Time) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−07:00 (Pacific Daylight Time) |
| Forward sortation area | |
| Area codes | 604, 778, 236, 672 |
| Website | whiterockcity |
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White Rock is a city in British Columbia, Canada, and a member municipality of the Metro Vancouver Regional District. It is bordered by Semiahmoo Bay to the south and is surrounded on three sides by Surrey. To the southeast across a footbridge lies the Semiahmoo First Nation, which is within the borders of Surrey. Semiahmoo Bay and the Southern Gulf Islands in the Strait of Georgia are also to the south.
White Rock is named for a large white boulder on its beach near the promenade, a glacial erratic that migrated south during the last glaciation. The 486-ton granite boulder was kept white by shellfish-eating seabirds whose guano covered the rock so much that 19th-century sailors used it as a beacon. It is now kept white through monthly applications of white paint by the city parks department and has been a graffiti target. The White Rock Pier is located nearby.