Coquitlam, British Columbia

Coquitlam (IPA: ) is a mid-sized city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It has population of 113,498 (2005), and is one of the 21 municipalities comprising the Greater Vancouver Regional District. Coquitlam is mainly a suburban city, with a large and affluent multicultural community in a region known as Westwood Plateau. The mayor of Coquitlam is Maxine Wilson.

Geography and Location

Coquitlam is situated some 10 to 15 km (7 to 10 miles) east of Vancouver, British Columbia within the Greater Vancouver Regional District (located at ), where the Coquitlam River connects with the Fraser River and extends northeast along the Pitt River towards the Coquitlam and Pitt lakes. Just like Vancouver, it is in the Pacific Time Zone (winter UTC−8, summer UTC−7), and the Pacific Maritime Ecozone.

Coquitlam borders Burnaby and Port Moody to the west, New Westminster to the southwest, and Port Coquitlam to the southeast.

History

The Coast Salish were the first people to live in this area. The name Coquitlam (Kwayhquitlam) means "a little red fish", which is similar to sockeye salmon. Simon Fraser came through the region in 1808, and in the 1860s Europeans gradually started settling the area.

Coquitlam began as a "place-in-between" since the area was opened up with the construction of North Road in the mid-1800s. While the purpose of the road was to provide Royal Engineers in New Westminster access to the year-round port facilities in Port Moody, the effect was to provide access to the vast area between and to the east. This led to a period of settlement and agriculture, providing slow and steady growth leading up to incorporation of the municipality of the District of Coquitlam in 1891.

The young municipality got its first boost in the dying years of the 19th century when Frank Ross and James McLaren opened Fraser Mills, a $350,000, then state-of-the-art lumber mill on the north bank of the Fraser River. By 1908, a mill town of 20 houses, a store, post office, hospital, office block, barber shop, and pool hall had grown around the mill.

A year later one of the most significant events in Coquitlam's history took place. Mill owners, in search of workers, turned their attention to the experienced logging culture of Quebec, and in 1909 a contingent of 110 French Canadians arrived, recruited for work at Fraser Mills. With the arrival of a second contingent in June 1910, Maillardville was born. Named for Father Maillard, a young Oblate from France, Maillardville was more than just a French-Canadian enclave in Western Canada: it was a vibrant community, the largest Francophone centre west of Manitoba, and the seed for the future growth of Coquitlam.

While the passing of time has diluted the use of the French language in British Columbia, it is still heard on the streets and in the homes on the south slope of Coquitlam. Maillardville's past is recognized in street names that honour early pioneers and in local redevelopments which reflect its French-Canadian heritage.

The steady growth continued throughout the first half of the 20th century, helped in part by the region's strategic position on Canada's west coast. The opening of Lougheed Highway in 1953 made the city more accessible and set the stage for residential growth in the early 1960s. Coquitlam experienced a period of boom in the mid-1970s that continues today.

Politics

Federal

There are two federal ridings which cut through Coquitlam. James Moore, of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC), represents the riding of Port Moody—Westwood—Port Coquitlam. Dawn Black, of the New Democratic Party (NDP), represents the New Westminster—Coquitlam riding.

Provincial

Coquitlam is represented by three provincial MLA's the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. In 2005, Iain Black was elected the MLA in the riding of Port Moody-Westwood, which includes northern Coquitlam and Coquitlam Town Centre. Black is a member of the BC Liberal Party. Diane Thorne is the provincial representative of Coquitlam-Maillardville, also elected in 2005. She is a member of the NDP. Harry Bloy is the MLA for Burquitlam, which includes western Coquitlam.

City

The following city council members were elected in 2005:

Demographics

According to the 2001 Canadian census,Statistics Canada, Community Highlights for Coquitlam, 2001 Community Profiles, February 16 2006. there were 112,890 people living in the municipality in 41,481 private dwellings. Of the 40,220 households: 37% contained a married couple with children, 25% contained a married couple without children, and 21% were one-person households. Of the 31,390 reported families: 77% were married-couples with an average of 3.2 persons per family, 15% were lone-parents with an average of 2.5 persons per family, and 8% were common-law couples with an average of 2.5 persons per family. The median age of Coquitlam’s population was 37.0 years, slightly younger than the British Columbia median of 38.4 years. Coquitlam had 81.0% of its residents over the age of 14, nearly the same as the provincial average of 81.9%.

Also, according to the 2001 Canadian census, the two most dominant religions are Protestantism with 26% and Catholic with 23% claiming affiliation. Coquitlam, with 0.9%, had fewer Sikhs than the provincial average of 3.5%, but more Muslims, at 6.1%, compared to the provincial average of 1.5%. About 37% of Coquitlam residents were foreign-born and of those 53% had immigrated between 1991 and 2001, much higher than the 26% foreign-born and 36% foreign-born and immigrated between 1991 and 2001 provincial averages. Of the 34% who claimed to be a visible minority, higher than the 21% provincial average, 52% were Chinese, 11% were Korean, 9% were South Asian, and 7% were Filipino.

Education

Coquitlam is served by School District 43 Coquitlam. High schools in Coquitlam include Dr. Charles Best Secondary School, Centennial School, Pinetree Secondary School, and Gleneagle Secondary School schools. There are also several middle schools in Coquitlam, which include Maillard Middle School and Montgomery Middle School.

There are two major universities, University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University, located in the nearby municipalities. Capilano College, Langara College, Vancouver Community College (VCC), Kwantlen University College, and Douglas College have campuses throughout the Greater Vancouver, with Douglas College maintaining a campus near the Coquitlam's city centre; these serve the local post-secondary education needs with career, trade, and university-transfer programs. British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in the neighbouring Burnaby provides polytechnic education and grants degrees in several fields, and nearby Vancouver is also home to Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design and Vancouver Film School.

There are two municipal library branches (City Centre and Poirer) in the city.

Employment

The largest employers in Coquitlam are the City of Coquitlam with approximately 850 employees, Art in Motion with approximately 750 employees, and Real Canadian Superstore with approximately 500 employeesCoquitlam Employers.

The current unemployment rate is 7%.

Land use

Compared to other cities and municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District, this area had a late start in economic development. It was not until the 1950's, that the potential of the region's land was tapped.

Coquitlam with a land area of about 150 square kilometres is the largest municipality in the Tri-Cities region. The amount of open and undeveloped land in the region has been consistently decreasing, giving way to residential and commercial expansion mostly toward the northern areas in Coquitlam and Port Moody.

Port Coquitlam is close to exhausting its total land area for development and as a result, expansion is occurring upwards by ways of new apartment blocks, high rises and town homes.

Coquitlam Land Use (2001) in Hectares (Ha)

Total 15,250

Agricultural Land 381.25

Extractive Industry 138.00

Harvesting and Research 0.00

Residential

Single Family 2790.75
Rural 488.00
Town/Low-rise 244.00
High-rise 15.25

Commercial 288.75

Industrial 427.00

Institutional 350.75

Transport. Comm., Utilities 274.50

Recreation / Nature Areas 5429.00

Open / Undeveloped 3080.50

GVRD Watershed 1342.00

Parks and recreation

Coquitlam has a considerable number of open green spaces, with the total area of over 2200 acres (8.9 km²). There are 68 parks over 40 fields for sports and other recreational uses. Mundy Park is the biggest one of these, located roughly in the centre of the city; Ridge Park is another major park located in the highlands near the city's northern edge. Pinecone Burke Provincial Park borders Coquitlam to the north.

The city also manages one aquatic complex (City Centre), an indoor pool (Chimo), three outdoor pools (Eagle Ridge, Rochester, Spani), two outdoor wading pools (Blue Mountain, Mackin), three spray parks (Blue Mountain, Panorama, Town Centre), and five community centres (Pinetree, Dogwood Pavilion, Poirier, Centennial Activity Centre, Summit) within the Coquitlam city limits. The Coquitlam Sports Centre provides a 185 ft × 80 ft (56 m × 24 m) playing surface with seating for 1,500 people. An annex provides an additional NHL-standard 200 ft × 85 ft (61 m × 26 m) playing surface while the curling rink provides curlers with six sheets of ice.

Transportation

Coquitlam is served by the Greater Vancouver Transportation Authority (TransLink), which is responsible for both public transit and major roads. There is regular bus service on numerous lines running throughout the city and connecting it to other municipalities in the Greater Vancouver Regional District. The 97 B-line express bus service connects the central part of the city to the Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain station in the neighbouring Burnaby; further plans to replace this express bus line with a light rail Evergreen Line by the end of 2009 are already in progress. Most buses are wheelchair accessible and a large number carry bike racks, able to carry two wheelchairs and bicycles respectively. West Coast Express provides a rush-hour rail service to downtown Vancouver.

For motorists, the Highway 1 provides quick access to Burnaby, Vancouver, Surrey, and many other municipalities in the Lower Mainland. Lougheed Highway provides a link to Vancouver and Burnaby to the west, and Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge and other municipalities to the east.

Vancouver International Airport, located on Sea Island in the City of Richmond to the west, provides most of the air access to the region. The airport (YVR) is the second busiest in Canada and one of the busiest international airports on the West Coast of North America. BC Ferries provides car and passenger ferry service from two terminals in Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay to Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands, and other destinations along the Inside Passage.

Trivia

The name Coquitlam is said to be derived from a Coast Salish term meaning "the little red fish". However, Chuck Strahl, author of the "Greater Vancouver Book", says that the name Coquitlam stems from the Halkomelem word meaning 'stinking of fish slime' and attributes the following quote to B.C.-place-name experts Helen B. and G.P.V. Akrigg. "During a great winter famine, the Coquitlam people sold themselves into slavery to the more numerous and prosperous Kwantlen nation. The new slaves, while butchering large quantities of salmon for their masters, got covered with fish slime - hence the name."
Famous Canadian musician and activist Matthew Good is from Coquitlam. He graduated from Centennial School in 1989. The school was featured in the "Alert Status Red" video, and its cheerleading squad recorded for "Giant".
Female model and host of MTV Select and G4TechTV Amanda Mackay also attended Centennial where she started her journalism career writing for the school's student newspaper, The Catalyst.
Vancouver-based playwright and activist Sean Cook teaches English and Creative Writing at Centennial.
Canadian women's national soccer player Brittany Timko attended Centennial School.
Rescuers for Hurricane Katrina from the Canadian Air Force came from Coquitlam and Halifax. Most of them came from Coquitlam.
Coquitlam is also home to numerous Canadians who currently serve, or have served, in the Canadian Forces (Canadian Navy, Canadian Army, and Canadian Air Force).
Former English Premiership goalie Craig Forrest is from Coquitlam.

Surrounding municipalities

References

External links

City of Coquitlam

Cities in British Columbia | Coquitlam, British Columbia

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