Coquitlam.
Coquitlam is the one of the oldest cities in British Columbia, and with a population of 140,000, it is also one of the largest. It is a vibrant community filled with shops, great food, outdoor activities and tons of cultural events.
Southwest Coquitlam is the city's original core, with Maillardville and the Fraser River industrial sector giving way to Austin Heights, a major residential neighbourhood known as "The Bump" due to its high and flat plateau elevation. These older homes, which have greater lot sizes, are gradually being demolished and rebuilt with newer, larger dwellings. The Coquitlam Sports Centre, Chimo Aquatic and Fitness Centre, and sports grounds were all located on Poirier Street, whereas City Hall was formerly located further south in Maillardville.
Como Lake, a popular urban fishing and recreation spot, is located near Austin Heights, as are the Como watershed's headwaters. The watershed is one of the last urban watersheds in the Tri-Cities that supports wild coho salmon populations, as well as other endangered species including coastal cutthroat trout (both sea-run and resident), and bird species like the great blue and green heron. Mundy Park, one of Metro Vancouver's largest urban parks, is also located there.
Coquitlam Town Centre was classified as a "Regional Town Centre" under Metro Vancouver's Livable Region Strategic Plan, and is planned to have a large concentration of high-density housing, offices, cultural, entertainment, and educational resources to serve significant growth areas of the region, all of which will be served by rapid transit. City Hall, a branch of the Coquitlam Public Library, the R.C.M.P. station, Coquitlam's main fire hall, the David Lam Campus of Douglas College, the Evergreen Cultural Centre, City Centre Aquatic Complex, Town Centre Park, and Percy Perry Stadium are all located in the town centre.
According to the 2016 Census, Coquitlam has 139,284 residents living in 51,325 households. Married couples with children made made up 47 percent of homes, married couples without children made up 30 percent, and one-person households made up 22 percent. Coquitlam's population had a median age of 41.1 years, which was somewhat lower than the provincial average of 43.0 years. Coquitlam had an average of 85.6 percent of people aged 15 and up, which was lower than the province average of 87.5 percent. A small group of French speakers lives on Coquitlam's southern slope.
The majority of Coquitlam inhabitants travel to work in Vancouver, Burnaby, and other Metro Vancouver suburbs as a commuter town. The primary industrial district of Coquitlam is located along the Fraser River in the southern Maillardville/Fraser Mills region. The City of Coquitlam, with about 850 workers, Art in Motion, with roughly 750 employees, and Hard Rock Casino, with approximately 600 employees, are among the major employers in Coquitlam. Coca-Cola, Sony, and Rolls Royce's Propulsion business are among the other large employers.
School District 43, which comprises four public high schools, seven middle schools, and dozens of elementary schools, serves Coquitlam. The Conseil Scolaire Francophone de la Colombie-Britannique provides Francophone education in the Tri-Cities.
Douglas College, located in Coquitlam Town Centre, offers university transfer, vocational training, and academic improvement programmes. The original main campus building houses the Therapeutic Recreation, Hotel and Restaurant Management, and Animal Health Technology departments. The $39 million Health Sciences Centre, which houses state-of-the-art facilities for Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, and other health-care programmes, opened in 2008.
The surrounding communities are home to two prominent universities, the University of British Columbia and Simon Fraser University. In Burnaby, the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) offers polytechnic education and degrees in a variety of areas. The Emily Carr University of Art and Design and the Vancouver Film School are also located in Vancouver.
TransLink, which is responsible for both public transportation and major highways, serves Coquitlam.
The city features four Millennium Line SkyTrain stations, which are part of the 10.9 km long Evergreen Extension. The $1.4 billion line travels from Coquitlam City Centre, via Coquitlam Central Station, and through Port Moody before returning to Coquitlam on North Road and connecting with the existing Millennium Line at Lougheed Town Centre.
Bus service is available on many routes that operate across the city and connect it to neighbouring communities in Metro Vancouver, including a major exchange at Coquitlam Central Station. With a station at Coquitlam Central Station, the West Coast Express provides commuter train service west to downtown Vancouver and east to Mission.
WCE runs five trains each day, Monday through Friday (excluding holidays), to Vancouver in the morning peak hours and back through Coquitlam in the evening peak hours.
