TransCanadaHighway.com Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody , British Columbia
These communities (often called
the Tri-Cities") grew up alongside Highway 7, the Lougheed Highway. Vancouver's
Hastings Street changes to become the Barnett Highway (7A) as it winds on the
Burrard Inlet side of Coquaby Mountain, passes through Port Moody until it joins
the Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam.
Port Moody was named for Colonel Moody, the commanding officer of the Royal
Engineers, stationed in BC between 1858 and 1863. The Burrard Inlet at Port
Moody is famous for its birdwatching and its fishing. Foreshore Park offers
a four kilometre shoreline trail, with Noon's Creek Fish Hatchery close to the
Civic Recreation Centre. On the north shore of the Burrard Inlet, locals enjoy
the scenic splendour of Belcarra Regional Park, with its picnicking and forest
trails. Buntzen Lake offers scenic shoreline and mountain trails with picnic
sites, canoe rentals and sailing Nearby Sasamat Lake offers swimming, sandy
beach and trails.
The City of Coquitlam and the District Municipality of Coquitlam is named for
"the little red fish" or landlocked salmon in the Coast Salish Indian language.
Visit Mundy Park, southwest Coquitlam's large forest park with 435 acres, walking
trails and two pretty little lakes. The area includes Minnehada and Burke Mountain
regional parks with views of the Pitt River, and several popular lakes, including
Como and Buntzen. Coquitlam includes the French-speaking community of Maillardville,
where French-Canadians settled in 1909 to work in the Fraser Valley saw mills.
Port Coquitlam is the small community between the Coquitlam and Pitt Rivers.
This is a major industrial area, including CP Rail marshalling yards, for east-bound
traffic. There is easy access to Vancouver via Highways 7 & 1 and the West Coast
Express. The Pitt River flows from Pitt Lake, which at 7,700 hectares is the
world's largest freshwater tidal lake. You can hike the Port Coquitlam Trail,
with its wilderness views. The newly-renovated Hyde Creek Centre offers many
activities: swimming pool, water park, courts, gymnasium, teen centre, pro shop
and a restaurant.
FoundLocally's Business listings for Coquitlam & Port Coquitlam
FoundLocally's Business listings for Port Moody
History of Port Moody & Coquitlam
The area's early European settlement goes back to 1853, when the McLean family
established themselves along the Pitt River near the present location of the
bridge. The area grew quickly from a large number of Americans arriving for
the Fraser River Gold Rush.
Port Moody was established from the end of a trail cut by Royal Engineers, now
known as North Road to connect New Westminster with Burrard Inlet. It was developed
to defend New Westminster from potential attack from the south.. The town grew
rapidly after 1859, following land grants to the Royal Engineers who then settled
there.
Port Moody was the Canadian Pacific Railway's original western terminus. The
first trans-continental train arrived from Montreal on July 4, 1886 with about
150 passengers. In 1887, however, the line was extended 20 km to downtown Vancouver.
Since then, Port Moody's industrial significance has diminished, but it is an
important residential community in the Lower Mainland. The availability of level
land around Port Coquitlam for workshops and yards attracted the Canadian Pacific
Railway, which in 1911 moved its freight operations there from Vancouver.
Port Moody's first industry was a cedar sawmill in 1905, followed in 1915 with
a large Imperial Oil Company oil refinery just west of the Port Moody boundary.
The area was named after the company: Ioco, and many refinery workers lived
in a shack village near the refinery until 1920 before the current Ioco townsite
was built.
1913 saw Port Moody incorporated as a city. Port Moody continued to be primarily
a mill town. With the outbreak of World War II, people of the community found
steady employment. With the end of the war, the town began to spread out and
Port Moody met the surrounding suburbs of Coquiltam and Burnaby. Over the decades
develop continued with Andrés Wines, Gulf Oil, Weldwood, Interprovincial Steel,
Reichold Chemicals and Pacific Coast Terminals opening up plants in the City.
Port Moody takes its name from Colonel Richard Moody of the Royal Engineers
Port Moody & Coquitlam Festivals
Maillardville Festival du Bois (Festival of
the Woods, early March), Port Moody's Golden Spike Day Fest (Canada Day, July),
Port Coquitlam Greek Days (Late July), Coquitlam Festival (all summer)
Coquitlam & Port Moody Attractions
Here are the most popular attractions in Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, and Port
Moody ( other nearby attractions):
Belcarra Regional Park
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Just north of Port Moody
This 690 hectare park offers 9 km of ocean shoreline, three beaches, sandy coves and mud flats. There's diving and boating. On the inland Sasamat Lake (a reservoir) there's lots of hiking and fishing.
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Belcarra Village
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On the east side of Indian Arm, northeast of Port Moody
Belcarra, a rural residential community in natural setting, provides residents and visitors alike with opportunities to enjoy a range of land and water based recreational activities.
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Buntzen Lake
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Port Moody, Take Ioco Road north and continue
Has shoreline and mountains trails, picnic sites, canoe rentals, cycling, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, swimming, sailing and wildlife watching.
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Golden Ears Provincial Park
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Follow 232 Street north, entrance via Fern Crescent.
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Heritage Square
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1120 Brunette Avenue, In Historic Maillardville, Coquitlam, V3K 1G2
(604) 664-1636.
Ryan House and Nackin House Museum were built in 1909. Also includes the Fraser Mills CPR
Station, Caboose Park Arts Centre and Music School. Museums are open May to September,
Arts Centre Galleries and Gift Shop are open year round.
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Maillardville
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Just north of Highway 7 are bounded by Burnett, Schoolhouse, Rochester, and Blue Mountain Streets
These six downtown blocks of francophone (French-speaking) culture. There is a caisse populaire (a french credit union), a blingual senior citizen's residence, Our Lady of Lourdes Church and Rectory, a declared heritage site and Laval Square. There are over 1,500 members of the Society of Maillardville francophone association.
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Minnekhada Regional Park
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(604) 432-6350
This park features marshes and rocky knolls overlooking the Pitt River. There are 10 km of trails to the Minnekhada marsh and wildlife management area. The park also includes The Lodge, built in 1934 of cedar to resemble old Scottish hunting lodges, which was owned by two former BC lieutenant-governors.
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Port Moody Arts Center
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2425 St. Johns Street.
Features exhibits changing monthly. The Centre has art classes and a gift shop with works by local artists.
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Port Moody Station Museum
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2734 Murray St, Port Moody
(604) 939-1648
This museum of pioneer artifacts and railway memorabilia is housed in a restored 1907 Canadian Pacific Railway railway station. Open every day except Christmas, Boxing Day and New Year's Day from 12 noon to 4 pm (Victoria Day to Labour Day, from 10 am to 5 pm).
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Coquitlam Parks
Here are the most popular parks in Coquitlam & Port Moody
(map) (see other area parks):
Minnekhada Regional Park
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This 175 hectare park is located in the northeast corner of Coquitlam. The
park features a marsh, lots of wildlife, rocky knolls with great views, hiking
trails and picnic facilities. The park also is home to a historic Lodge, which
was occupied by two former Lieutenant Governors of BC (open 1 to 4 pm the first
Sunday of each month)
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Blue Mountain Park
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(975 King Albert Street)
This park combines an urban forest with quiet picnic areas hidden beneath the trees with an impressive spray park and wading pool for the children. Take relaxing walks along the paths and discover the waterfall, a popular spot for pictures.
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Bramble Park
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(2800 Panorama Drive)
Located on Westwood Plateau this park was completed in 1996 and offers a stunning view of the City Centre area and beyond. This park provides users with a playground, basketball, roller hockey, and
lit tennis courts. In addition, there is a class A baseball and soccer field for community groups and residents alike to enjoy.
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Como Lake Park
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700 Gatensbury
Como Lake is a popular park for walkers and joggers with its beautiful lakeside setting. A one kilometer path circles the lake with a view of the wide variety of birds from the lakeside benches and the floating docks.
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Coquitlam River Park
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3700 Shaughnessy Street
This park features an extensive array of walking trails through old growth forest and along one of Coquitlam’s most noteworthy features, the Coquitlam River. This peaceful river setting will surprise many visitors with its beauty and tranquility.
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Eagle Ridge Park
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2695 Guildford Way -- 2600 Runnel Drive
Built mostly under the hydro right-of-way corridor through Eagle Ridge, this park includes facilities for swimmers and tennis players at the corner of Guildford Way and Lansdowne Drive. The park has a playground off Harrier Drive, and includes several soccer fields, a baseball field, and a lacrosse box.
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Hampton Park
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3200 Paddock Drive
Coquitlam’s newest park, on Westwood Plateau, includes a Class A soccer and baseball field along with a practice court for basketball. Children can enjoy one of two different playground structures in the park.
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Mackin Park
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1000 Brunette Avenue
This beautiful park is located in historic Maillardville and includes three softball fields and one Little League baseball field. In the winter, the two Class A fields are home to many soccer, football, and cricket teams. There are two tennis courts, a practice court, a childrens’ playground, and a summer wading pool. The park also has a perimeter trail for taking a leisurely stroll around the fields and along Nelson Creek.
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Mundy Park
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2300 Como Lake Avenue
Mundy Park is Coquitlam’s largest park, and is home to some of the best urban nature trails in the Lower Mainland. Visitors can enjoy a long, leisurely stroll under the forest canopy using the extensive Mundy Park trail system. There is a loop trail around Mundy Lake and passes by Lost Lake on the east side of the park. The park also has two combination Class A soccer and softball fields, a combination B soccer and softball field, a Little League baseball field, a Class A soccer and senior baseball field, a lacrosse box, and a frisbee golf course (near the ponds on the west side). In addition, there is an outdoor swimming pool, a large picnic area and a playground.
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Panorama Park
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1455 Johnson Street
Located on Westwood Plateau, Panorama Park provides a view of the City Centre area. It also has two softball diamonds, a Class A soccer field, and lit tennis courts. Families can enjoy the playground, picnic area, and spray park (in the summer).
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| Here are some popular parks in Port Coquitlam: |
Lions Park
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On the edge of Downtown, and alongside the Coquitlam River, Lions Park
combines the richness of water and greenway.
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PoCo Trail
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24 kilometer city-wide greenway network for walking, running and cycling. It
winds its way through the community along rivers, salmon spawning streams,
and original growth tree stands.
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Reeve St. Park
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This park features an athletics complex with lighted sports fields and tennis courts.
| Here are some popular parks in Port Moody: |
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Belcarra Regional Park
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Belcarra Regional Park's 690 hectares overlook spectacular Indian Arm and the inner waters of Burrard Inlet. The park has nine kilometres of marine shoreline, with beaches, small coves and fertile tidal flats, and even scuba diving around offshore reefs and shipwrecks. There are also inland trails through coastal rainforest and Sasamat Lake, the region's warmest body of water. There are three archaeological sites along the shoreline investigating two Salish villages.
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Rocky Point Park
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2800 Block Murray Street
This park is on the banks of Burrard Inlet, view views of the Mountains to the north and of the City Centre. The park features a seawall with gazebo and pier, boat launching ramp, plus a wading pool, outdoor pool, picnic areas, and playground.
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Old Orchard Park
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600 Block Bentley Road
This park, on the northern shore of Burrard Inlet, has views to the west towards Burnaby Mountain and .has a swimming beach and a playground.
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Westhill Park
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200 Block Westhill Place
This park, in the western part of Port Moody offers a variety of fitness and recreational activities to area residents: playing fields, a lacrosse box, swimming pool, fitness circuit. For families, there is a playground and a picnic area.
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Community Map
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