The city of Coquitlam in British Columbia has been growing very rapidly. Today we are going to be talking about the FIVE reasons people are moving to Coquitlam BC.

The distance between Vancouver and Coquitlam is 27 km. It takes approximately 30 min to drive from Coquitlam to Downtown Eastside. The snowy period of the year lasts from December to around mid-March, and gets more then 3 months of warm weather above 20 degrees Celsius between mid-June to mid-September.

REASON NUMBER ONE - MANY TRANSPORTATION AND COMMUTE OPTIONS

Transportation- For those working in Burnaby or Vancouver, in recent years Coquitlam has significantly improved its bus routes and transportation to make effective ways for commuting into Vancouver City. Coquitlam offers a variety of options when it comes to transit such as West Coast Express, the Skytrain, and regular busses.

The West Coast Express is an express bus with limited stops. It stops at Coquitlam Central Station runs about 40 to DT Vancouver, or east all the way to Mission.

The Skytrain system is also very efficient. The Evergreen Skytrain Line runs from the Coquitlam Town Centre through Port Moody, and joins with the existing SkyTrain system at Lougheed Town Centre. For residents on the Southern side of Coquitlam - Lougheed Skytrain station or Braid station are ideal SkyTrain options. For drivers, Coquitlam is centrally located and provides access to the surrounding cities such as Burnaby, Vancouver, Surrey, Pitt Meadows, and Maple Ridge. Lougheed Highway & Barnet Highway also run through Coquitlam. The Port Mann Bridge and the Golden Ears Bridge are also very easy to access.

NUMBER TWO - COQUITLAM ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

1. Coquitlam's Hard Rock Casino is a popular choice of entertainment out here as well as the SilverCity, Coquitlam's movie complex with 20 screens and VIP options.

2. The Evergreen Cultural Centre is near Town Centre Park and is a venue for arts and culture, in which they host a wide variety of community events. There is a 264 seat black box theatre, rehearsal hall, art studio, and art gallery. There are also several choirs and theatre societies that practice at the Evergreen Cultural Centre.

3. The arts center has been around since 1972 in Coquitlam and plays a big part in the community. Place des Arts is a non-profit teaching arts center in Maillardville that offers a variety of programs in the visual arts, music, acting, and dance. It is a fantastic place for young kids and adults to learn and expand their love for the arts, whether it be pottery, yoga, ballet, piano, violin, painting, drawing, or more. Place des Arts offer faculty concerts throughout the year and participate competitively in some areas as well.

4. Place Maillardville is a community center providing leisure activities for all age groups, with programs on the French language, culture, as well as physical activities. Heritage Square offers visitors a wealth of historic sites, gardens, a bike path, and an outdoor amphitheater;

REASON NUMBER 3 - COQUITLAM'S MALLS & SHOPPING

Coquitlam Centre shopping mall is the biggest mall in the Tri-Cities and is located in North Coquitlam. It is the hub of City Centre, and a popular spot for a quick bit to eat, grocery shopping, entertainment, or just good old fashioned shopping! Meanwhile, a master planning process for the entire site will look at developing a downtown core with employment, housing, parks, and transportation with distinct innovative architecture.

Situated on 57 acres of land in the heart of the Tri-Cities, Coquitlam Centre features over 910,000 square feet of retail on two spacious levels. Coquitlam Centre is the only shopping center in Metro Vancouver offering almost all the major brands and department stores all in one convenient location.

In the Coquitlam West area, there is also Lougheed Mall. While technically located in North Burnaby, it is on the exact borderline of Coquitlam and Burnaby so it is still a popular area to shop. This particular mall is a part of the Lougheed Town Centre Expansion which now includes a revitalized shopping mall, new businesses, a brand new food court, and several high-rise residential towers.

Coquitlam also offers a great number of large grocery stores to shop in, ranging from Superstore, Save on Foods, Safeway, and smaller local shops, to the nearby Costco in Port Coquitlam.

REASON NUMBER 4- THE AMAZING TRAIL SYSTEM

The City of Coquitlam Master Trail Plan is a comprehensive flexible guide for the provision of a citywide, off-road network of trails connecting people, places, public amenities, to other municipalities and regional trail systems. I have attached a guide below if you are interested to fully explore it. GUIDE

https://www.coquitlam.ca/docs/default-source/recreation-parks-culture-documents/Parks_-_Master_Trail_Plan.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Coquitlam offers an amazing trail system, here are a few that I recommend:

Town center park and Hoy Creek trail. All these trails are a hard surface except for the nature trail at the south end of Lafarge Lake providing access to the fishing pier. Trails are generally flat with a slight elevation. https://www.coquitlam.ca/docs/default-source/recreation-parks-culture-documents/Park_-_Town_Centre_Park_Routes.pdf?sfvrsn=4

Como lake park:

Woodlands Trail is a great hike for you and if you have a dog. This is up Burke Mountain right near the Port Coquitlam and District Hunting and Fishing Club. As you go along the trail, there are a couple of different waterfalls to go check out which are great in the summertime to get into and cool down. It is a popular spot for mountain biking so be sure to keep an eye out for them.

Mundy Park trail is a great trail that also has a small off-leash trail system. this is a great spot to go for an early morning walk or run with your dog.

Crystal Falls is a great place to go exploring with friends. Along the Coquitlam River you get to the end you will get to a great waterfall. There are several great spots in summer as you can go down to hang out by the water.

Coquitlam Crunch is a good workout for those looking for one. It's like a mini little Grouse Grind and many times you'll see water bottles and sweaters left at the bottom. A lot of people will use this as their daily workout routine as they go up and down the crunch. https://www.coquitlam.ca/docs/default-source/recreation-parks-culture-documents/Parks_-_Crunch_Trail.pdf?sfvrsn=4

REASON NUMBER 5 - SCHOOL DISTRICT & SCHOOLING OPTIONS

Coquitlam is served by THE EXCELLENT School District 43 and has elementary, middle & high schools.

Coquitlam also has a very strong french-immersion school presence, with many schools offering early french immersion, and Montgomery middle offering late french immersion.

The City of Coquitlam offers four public secondary schools, seven middle schools, and dozens of elementary schools. There are also 2 local colleges (Douglas & Coquitlam College), and a nearby university within a 10-20 minute transit (SFU).

Connect with me to get a comprehensive list of all the elementary, middle, secondary, post-secondary, and french immersion schools in Coquitlam!

Coquitlam BC offers a unique lifestyle, and truly offers everything a family would need. I hope you learned what it is like to live in Coquitlam. Feel free to connect with me if you consider moving to the area.