Tri-Cities

Tri-Cities

Coquitlam

Coquitlam is a city in the Lower Mainland of British Columbia, Canada. Coquitlam is mainly a suburban city, and is one of the 21 municipalities comprising Metro Vancouver. 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.

Coquitlam, with a land area of about 150 square kilometres (58 sq mi), is the largest municipality in the Tri-Cities region. Compared to other cities and municipalities in Metro Vancouver, this area had a late start in economic development. It was not until the 1950s that the region’s land began to be tapped for extensive use.

Central Coquitlam 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 and green heron.

Coquitlam has a considerable number of open green spaces, with the total area of over 890 hectares (2,200 acres). There are over 80 municipal parks and natural areas, with Mundy Park being among the biggest, located roughly in the centre of the city; Ridge Park is another major park located in the highlands near the city’s northern edge.

Port Coquitlam

Located 27 km east of Vancouver, Port Coquitlam sits at the confluence of the Fraser River and the Pitt River. Coquitlam borders it on the north, the Coquitlam River borders it on the west, and the cities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows lie across the Pitt River. Port Coquitlam is almost entirely bisected by a Canadian Pacific Railway yard with two underpass crossings. Port Coquitlam is often referred to as “Poco.”

Port Coquitlam has now become mostly suburban housing, especially on its northern and southwestern sides. The economy has diversified with a variety of industrial and commercial developments, including metal fabrication, high technology industries, and transportation.

Port Moody

Port Moody, British Columbia is a small, crescent-shaped city in Metro Vancouver, located at the east end of Burrard Inlet in British Columbia, Canada. Port Moody is the smallest of the Tri-Cities, bordered by Coquitlam on the east and south, and Burnaby on the west. The villages of Belcarra and Anmore, along with the rugged Coast Mountains, lie to the northwest and north respectively.

In 2006, the City of Port Moody had 27,512 people in 10,125 private dwellings living within its borders . This population growth was a 15% increase from the last census taken in 2001.[1] Booming residential construction may account for part of this population growth; 8,015 residential dwellings are owned while 2,115 are rented. Port Moody also has the fourth highest municipal median family income at $70,239, with its largest employers being the Eagle Ridge Hospital and Health Care Centre and School District 43.

Port Moody’s economic development focus in recent years has been on the arts and culture sector, including the development of a new Port Moody identity as the “City of the Arts.” An estimated 6% of employment in Port Moody is in arts and culture, which is one of the highest concentrations of arts and culture employment in the region.

Port Moody is home to beautiful Rocky Point Park. 3.8 hectares of space, the park has hiking trails, a newly renovated spray park, a skate park, a bike trials park, a playground, a picnic shelter, a boat launch and a recreational pier. Home to Golden Spike Days, the park is a popular destination in the summer.

Bert Flinn Park is a mountain bikers’ paradise. 138 hectares of largely undeveloped parkland, there is an extensive unmarked trail system along old logging roadbeds: look closely to see evidence of this industry which flourished here in the early 1900s. The park also has an off-leash dog walk.

Finishing construction in 2008, Port Moody has renovated its recreation complex. Home to an Olympic size ice rink, this new facility will have an indoor running track, a state-of-the-art gym, a curling rink and an athlete’s lounge. The Port Moody Happening, a quarterly publication, features all recreation programs offered at this new facility.