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Coquitlam

British Columbiacity

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Coquitlam

Total population

148,625

Founded

1908

Elevation24 m
Coordinates49.28°, -122.79°

Demographic figures from Statistics Canada. Overview below cites Wikipedia and may reference a different year.

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City facts

Founded
1908
Elevation
24 m

Facts from Wikidata (CC0).

Overview

Coquitlam is a suburban city in the Lower Mainland area of British Columbia, Canada. It is one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver, and is the largest municipality in the Tri-Cities.

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History & geography

History

The Coast Salish people were the first to live in this area, and archaeology confirms continuous occupation of the territory for at least 9,000 years. The name Kwikwetlem is said to be derived from a Coast Salish term "kʷikʷəƛ̓əm" meaning "red fish up the river". Explorer 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" with the construction of North Road in the mid-19th century to provide Royal Engineers in New Westminster access to the year-round port facilities in Port Moody. The young municipality got its first boost in 1889 when Frank Ross and James McLaren opened what would become Fraser Mills, a $350,000, then state-of-the-art lumber mill on the north bank of the Fraser River. The Corporation of the District of Coquitlam was incorporated in 1891. In the late 1900s, a mill manager's residence was built that would later become Place des Arts. At the same time, Sikh immigrants also constructed a gurdwara. Over the next two years, several contingents of French Canadian mill workers arrived from Quebec, and Maillardville was born. Named for Father Edmond Maillard, a young Oblate from France, it became the largest Francophone centre west of Manitoba. Maillardville's past is recognized today in street names, the Francophone education system and French immersion programs, French-language Girl Guides and scouts, and celebrations such as Festival du Bois. Following World War II, Coquitlam and the rest of the Lower Mainland experienced substantial population growth that continues today. The opening of Lougheed Highway in 1953 made the city more accessible and set the stage for residential growth. In 1971, Coquitlam and Fraser Mills were amalgamated, which gave the city…

Geography

Coquitlam is situated some east of Vancouver, where the Coquitlam River connects with the Fraser River and extends northeast along the Pitt River toward the Coquitlam and Pitt lakes. Coquitlam borders Burnaby and Port Moody to the west, New Westminster to the southwest, and Port Coquitlam to the southeast. Burke Mountain, Eagle Ridge, and tall Coquitlam Mountain form the northern boundary of the city. Coquitlam's area, , is about six times larger than either Port Moody or Port Coquitlam. Coquitlam is in the Pacific Time Zone (winter UTC−8, summer UTC−7), and the Pacific Maritime Ecozone. Coquitlam's geographic shape can be thought of as a tilted hourglass, with two larger parcels of land with a smaller central section connecting them. Southwest Coquitlam comprises the original core of the city, with Maillardville and Fraser River industrial sector giving way to the large, elevated, flat-plateaued residential areas of Austin Heights. These older residences, with larger property dimensions, are increasingly being torn down and replaced with newer and larger homes. The Poirier Street area was the city's original recreational centre with the Coquitlam Sports Centre, Chimo Aquatic and Fitness Centre, and sports fields located there, while City Hall was previously located further south in Maillardville. The Austin Heights area contains Como Lake, a renowned urban fishing and recreation area, and headwaters for the Como watershed. The watershed represents one of the last urban watersheds in the Tri-Cities that supports wild stocks of coho salmon as well as other species at risk such as coastal cutthroat trout (both sea-run and resident) and bird species such as the great blue heron and green heron. It also contains Mundy Park, one of the largest urban parks in the Metro…

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Excerpted from the corresponding Wikipedia article (CC BY-SA).

Geography

Latitude
49.2843
Longitude
-122.7933
Water area
View on OpenStreetMap

Coordinates & boundaries from the US Census TIGER/Line shapefiles.

Climate

Air quality

Walkability

Amenities nearby

Wildlife & biodiversity

Earthquake history

Photos

Sights & places nearby

Notable people from here

Geography & sun

Nearby airports

Public attention

Books about this place

Recent natural events nearby

Ground air-quality sensors

Recently spotted species

Research-grade observations from iNaturalist (within ~15 mi).

Events

Official Identifiers

StatCan — Statistics Canada

SGC code
5915034
Population (Wikidata)
148,625
Wikidata
Q643215

Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) via Wikidata P3012

Sources

  • Wikipedia
  • Wikidata
  • iNaturalist
  • StatCan — Statistics Canada — Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) via Wikidata P3012