West Coquitlam, also known as Burquitlam, has always been a desirable place to live — but for vastly different reasons today compared with yesterday. Today, the area is a thriving and growing community that combines an urban vibrancy with family-friendly residential streets. As you can imagine, there has been a long evolution to get to where we are now.

Coquitlam was originally occupied by the Coast Salish Peoples, but began to see European settlers at the end of the 1800s. The very first road in the Lower Mainland was North Road, which was built in 1859 to connect New Westminster with Port Moody — no cars though, only horses and wagons. Fraser Mills, a lumber mill, opened on the north bank of the Fraser River and quickly became a bustling town by 1908, attracting more and more people to the surrounding area.

Over the last century, farmland replaced forests across Coquitlam. Animals, eggs, vegetables, and fruit were farmed on acres of property tended to by the pioneers who chose to call the region home. This 1921 advertisement, inviting even more settlers, described Burquitlam as: “No part of Burnaby has more consistently laboured to advance its prosperity than Burquitlam. Enterprise and intelligence has hewn homes from the forest and developed land into highly productive gardens and poultry ranches.”

When the Lougheed Highway arrived in 1953, West Coquitlam saw increased commercial growth — which is when the area began to transform into denser residential neighbourhoods and draw more families to live there.

Let’s leap forward a few decades to 2016, when the Evergreen SkyTrain Line started running through Coquitlam and Port Moody, introducing quick connections throughout the region and driving incredible growth. Enter: the Burquitlam Lougheed Neighbourhood Plan (BLNP), which was adopted in 2017. The plan called for a greater variety of homes for all kinds of households, more parks and pedestrian pathways, and urban hubs built around the SkyTrain stations.

At StreetSide, we’re excited to be part of this most recent transformation. Our Port & Mill project is tucked away from the bustle but within walking distance of Burquitlam SkyTrain Station and a variety of conveniences, such as restaurants, shops, and parks.

We are now selling these 1, 2 and 3 bedroom homes — come say hello at our Presentation Centre at 201-552 Clarke Road.