Communities: Coquitlam
An Overview
Centred in the heart of the Lower Mainland on the West Coast of British Columbia, Canada, Coquitlam is just a 30-minute drive from downtown Vancouver, BC's largest city, and about 20 minutes from the US border. Coquitlam is at the geographic centre of the Lower Mainland, making the City an attractive place for residents, industries and a thriving retail sector. Coquitlam is bordered by the municipalities of Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, Burnaby and New Westminster, as well as the Fraser River to the south, Pitt River to the east and the Coastal Mountains to the north.
Growth in Coquitlam through the early and middle parts of this century was steady. The opening of the 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-1970's which continues today.
Today, there is the continuing development of attractive residential areas offering a mix of housing types, the pedestrian-oriented Town Centre, a wide range of commercial activities, major industrial/business parks, and new recreation facilities.
As of October 7, 2010, there were 973 properties for sale in Coquitlam. The listing prices for apartments range from approximately $115,000 for a 420 sq ft studio apartment, to just under $695,000 for a brand new 1,480 sq ft 2 bedroom & den apartment.
The cost of a detached home in Coquitlam ranges from just under $325,000 for a 1,764 sq ft, 3 bedroom house in River Springs, to $4,000,000 for a 9,177 sq ft, 6 bedroom house in Westwood Plateau.
Population in 2009: 123,213
Coquitlam is served by School District 43 Coquitlam, and offers 9 secondary schools, 13 middle schools, and 45 elementary schools.
Coquitlam Town Centre is home to the 4,000-student David Lam Campus of Douglas College, which offers university transfer, career-training and academic-upgrading programs.
The West Coast Express, with a stop at Coquitlam Central Station, provides commuter rail service west to downtown Vancouver and east as far as Mission.
Beginning in 2014, Coquitlam will be served by the Evergreen Line, a 10.9 km (6.8 mile) long extension of TransLink's SkyTrain system, using Bombardier's Advanced Rapid Transit technology, at a cost of $1.4 billion. The Evergreen Line will run from the Coquitlam Town Centre area, through Coquitlam Central Station and into Port Moody, re-entering Coquitlam on North Road and finally joining the existing SkyTrain system at Lougheed Town Centre.
Major improvements to transportation system are currently being done to the south of Coquitlam. Located on Highway 1 between King Edward Street and the west end of the Port Mann Bridge, the Cape Horn Interchange area is one of the busiest interchanges along the Highway 1 corridor. It provides access to Highway 1, the Port Mann Bridge and Lougheed Highway.
Coquitlam is served by Fraser Health, which operates the 106-bed Eagle Ridge Hospital on the Port Moody/Coquitlam city boundary.
Coquitlam is also the home of Riverview Hospital, a large mental health facility, operating under the governance of BC Mental Health & Addiction Services. Riverview opened in 1913 and had 4,630 patients at its peak, but advances in treatment and cutbacks in funding have resulted in fewer people receiving mental health care, and much of the facility has closed over the last few decades.
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 located roughly in the centre of the city being the biggest, and Ridge Park located in the highlands near the city's northern edge. Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, Minnekhada Regional Park, and Pitt Addington Marsh are on the northern and eastern border of the city, while the restricted area of the Metro Vancouver's Coquitlam watershed border Coquitlam to the north. Colony Farm is a 404 hectare park that straddles the Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam boundaries, offering walking trails rich with wildlife and gardens. Town Centre Park is a large city park located in the central area of the city, it provides city residents with many recreational activities.
The city is responsible for the maintenance of numerous sports and recreation fields, including 40 grass/sand/soil sports fields, five FieldTurf fields, 35 ball diamonds, several all-weather surfaces, a bowling green, a croquet/bocce court, and a cricket pitch. The city also operates Percy Perry Stadium and the Coquitlam Sports Centre. Privately owned Planet Ice features 4 additional ice rinks, and more rinks are found throughout the Tri-Cities.
Numbers taken from the 2006 Census:
- Coquitlam maintains a consistent share of the Greater Vancouver's population at 5.4%.
- Compared with the Metro Vancouver (MV) region, Coquitlam has a larger share of residents under 20, but a smaller share of young adults 20-34 years old.
- Coquitlam has a median age of 39.
- Compared with the larger Metro Vancouver region, Coquitlam has a higher number of couples with children: Nearly half of Coquitlam's households have children living at home.
- Coquitlam has consistently held a high ratio of owned to rented buildings, especially as compared to Metro Vancouver and the province. In 2006, 75% of dwellings in Coquitlam were owned.
- Of respondents who noted speaking predominantly one language at home, 73.4% reported speaking English, 0.4% French, and 26.2% a non-official language.
- The percentage of Coquitlam residents whose first language was English has continued to decline, from 62% in 2001 to 58% in 2006.
- In 2006, 39.4% of Coquitlam's population were immigrants. This share is comparable to that found in Metro Vancouver (39.6%).
- Coquitlam's population continues to increase in visible diversity. Visible minorities now make up 39% of Coquitlam's population, compared with 34% in 2001 and 27% in 1996. This share is slightly lower than that found in Metro Vancouver (42%).
- Just over half of Coquitlam's adult population has attended a post-secondary institution.
- Although the majority (60%) of employed Coquitlam residents have jobs outside of Coquitlam, almost all are within Metro Vancouver.
- When travelling to work, 73.8% of commuters choose to drive their own vehicle, while only 13.9% use public transit.
Related Links
- City of Coquitlam: http://www.coquitlam.ca
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The data relating to real estate on this web site comes in part from the MLS® Reciprocity program of the Real Estate Board of Greater Vancouver or the Fraser Valley Real Estate Board. Real estate listings held by participating real estate firms are marked with the MLS® Reciprocity logo and detailed information about the listing includes the name of the listing agent.
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