Port Coquitlam

About Port Coquitlam

History

When European explorers discovered this region in the early 1800s, the Coast Salish people had already been hunting, fishing and farming between the Pitt and Coquitlam rivers for thousands of years.
By the 1860s, homesteads, businesses and roads were sprouting up throughout the area. Surveyed land was selling for 10 shillings an acre, and two reserves were set aside for the Kwikwetlem First Nation (kʷikʷəƛ̓əm), named for Chief Kwikwetlem William.

A City is Born

An estimated 1,200-1,500 people had settled in the area when the City of Port Coquitlam was incorporated on March 7, 1913, splitting off from the largely rural District of Coquitlam. Lively Kingsway Avenue, the town centre, was lined with businesses and wooden sidewalks, while CPR was the biggest employer. The late 1990s and 2000s saw more population and infrastructure growth, with the renovation of City Hall, Hyde Creek Recreation Centre and the Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex, and construction of Fire Hall #1, the Operations Centre, Leigh Square Community Arts Village, Coast Meridian Overpass and other facilities. The population reached 50,000 in the early 2000s.

Today and Tomorrow

Today, Port Coquitlam is a community of 61,000 with a strategic location in Metro Vancouver, a healthy base of businesses, new commercial and industrial areas, 271 hectares of parkland including the 25-km Traboulay PoCo Trail, well-established neighbourhoods, and a strong sense of community spirit known as PoCo Pride. It also has a growing reputation for progressive governance and for its innovative approaches to managing waste, sustainable development and using technology to engage the community. Yet while it has grown and remained relevant to the changing times, the City has retained its small-town charm, its authentic historic downtown core, and a tradition of community involvement. This unique blend of the best of the past and the present will continue to serve Port Coquitlam well in the years to come.