Highland / Highland Drive, Burke Mountain: The Upper-Ridge Resale Read
Not a single branded development — an upper-ridge area of mixed-builder homes, view lots, and trail access, bought entirely on resale. Here’s the honest field guide.
Highland is the area around Highland Drive, inside the City of Coquitlam’s Smiling Creek neighbourhood plan. It isn’t one development. Older homes on large lots sit beside newer houses from several builders and StreetSide’s Heartwood townhomes. Highland Drive has trailheads into Harper Park. Everything is bought home by home, so the house matters more than the name.
The fact sheet
| What it is | Upper-ridge area / street grouping |
| Developer | Mixed builders — no single developer |
| Types | Mostly single-family, plus the Heartwood townhomes at 3535 Highland Drive |
| Vintage | Mixed: homes that predate the 2006 neighbourhood plan alongside houses built from the late 2010s and townhomes completed in 2025 |
| Character | View lots on parts of the street · Harper Park trailheads |
An area, not a development — why that changes everything
The most important thing to understand about Highland is that it’s a street/area grouping, not a branded community with one builder. There’s no sales centre and no single standard — homes were built by various builders across different years, so quality, envelope condition, and finish vary house to house. That makes the specific home far more important than the area label. Two homes a block apart on the ridge can be genuinely different assets. This is exactly the kind of area where a home-by-home read earns its keep.
What you’re buying it for
The draw is real: views from some lots, and trailheads from Highland Drive straight into Harper Park, a 4.4-hectare natural park along Smiling Creek. Pinecone Burke Provincial Park is a short drive away at the end of Harper Road. Some of Highland is older detached inventory — twenty-plus years now — which on the right lot is a redemption story (mature setting, established street, view) and on the wrong one is a renovation project (original windows, aging envelope, kitchens and baths that need work). Knowing which is which is the whole job.
The diligence this area demands
Because it’s mixed-builder and often older, Highland rewards careful diligence: a proper look at the envelope and roof, the windows, the mechanicals, and any past water history — plus a clear-eyed renovation budget where one’s needed. Priced right for its condition, a Highland home can be a genuinely good buy; priced as if it were new construction, it isn’t. Getting that read right, home by home, is where I can help most here.
Who it fits
Highland suits buyers who specifically want a view lot and trail access on the upper ridge, who are comfortable with resale and mixed vintages, and who’ll do — or let me do — the diligence a mixed-builder area requires. It’s a weaker fit if you want the certainty and warranty of a single-builder new-construction community; several of the branded communities elsewhere on the mountain will serve that better.
Living around Highland Drive: location and daily routine
Highland Drive sits inside the City of Coquitlam’s Smiling Creek Neighbourhood Plan area on Burke Mountain. When the City adopted that plan in 2006, it marked portions of Highland Drive and Kingston Street as Estate Single Family, with lots of at least 1,000 m². The aim was to keep new building in line with the homes that were already there. That is why the street mixes older houses on big lots, new houses built on redeveloped lots, and StreetSide’s Heartwood townhomes at 3535 Highland Drive, completed in 2025.
Outdoors. The street’s biggest daily asset is Harper Park. The City lists trailheads from Highland Drive into this 4.4-hectare natural park, which has 620 metres of trails and a wooden bridge over Smiling Creek. For longer hikes, Pinecone Burke Provincial Park is reached by car from the end of Harper Road. BC Parks warns that its trails and bridges are in poor condition in places, so it is not a casual stroller walk.
Getting around. Most Highland households drive, and Coast Meridian Road is the main route down to Port Coquitlam and Lougheed Highway. For transit, TransLink route 191 runs between Princeton Avenue and Coquitlam Central Station, where the Millennium Line and the weekday West Coast Express stop. The walk to Princeton Avenue from your specific address, uphill on the way home, decides whether the bus is realistic. I time it with buyers.
Views and slope. Some Highland Drive listings have advertised river, valley and mountain views, but views depend on each lot. The plan notes the steep ground in parts of the neighbourhood, so driveways and yards vary.
Schools. SD43 sets catchments by address and can change them. Check the exact address on the SD43 School Locator.
Buying on Highland Drive on resale: what I check
Highland Drive has no single builder or standard, so I start every purchase by working out which kind of home it is.
Older homes on large lots.
- Envelope, roof, windows, drainage and mechanical systems, inspected properly. Some of these homes predate the 2006 plan, and some may have had renovations without permits.
- Permits. Coquitlam requires a building permit for every secondary suite. I ask for permits on suites, additions and finished basements, and check the utility bill’s suite surcharge.
- The lot itself. I check its size, frontage and any covenants on title. Then I check what the current zoning would allow, and whether creeks or slopes would trigger the City’s staff-consultation step. That matters if part of the value is in the land.
Newer houses (late 2010s onward).
- Builder and warranty on BC Housing’s New Homes Registry. The 2-5-10 coverage is 2 years for materials and labour, 5 for the building envelope and 10 for structure. It stays with the home, so a house built in the last few years may still have envelope and structural cover.
- Whether it was owner-built. Owner-builders don’t have to buy warranty insurance, though they remain liable for the same periods under the Homeowner Protection Act if they sell within 10 years.
Heartwood townhomes.
- Form B, bylaws, minutes and the depreciation report. Common-property warranty started when the first home was occupied or sold. BC stratas can’t restrict long-term rentals; they can still limit short-term rentals, and a 55+ age bylaw still applies.
- Parking, storage and rooftop-deck upkeep, and who pays for what under the bylaws.
I don’t predict what any of these will be worth later. The aim is to know exactly what you are buying, and to pay for its condition, not its address.
Highland: your questions, answered
Is Highland Drive part of the Smiling Creek neighbourhood?
Yes. Highland Drive sits inside the City of Coquitlam’s Smiling Creek Neighbourhood Plan area, which the City adopted in 2006. The City also describes Harper Park, which has trailheads from Highland Drive, as being in Burke Mountain’s Smiling Creek neighbourhood. Real estate listings simply say “Burke Mountain”. In practice, Highland is the older, larger-lot edge of Smiling Creek, not a separate community with its own builder.
Why are some Highland Drive lots so much larger than the rest of Burke?
Because the City planned it that way. The Smiling Creek plan designates portions of Highland Drive and Kingston Street as Estate Single Family, with a minimum lot size of 1,000 m². The aim is to keep new building compatible with the neighbourhood that was there before the plan. Not every Highland Drive lot is that large, so I confirm lot size and frontage on title for each home. Recent listings on the street have ranged from about 4,700 to 9,100 sq ft.
Can I walk from Highland Drive into Harper Park?
Yes. The City lists trailheads into Harper Park from Highland Drive to the south, plus access from the Harper Road multi-use path to the north and northeast. Harper Park is a 4.4-hectare natural park, completed in December 2020, with 620 metres of trails, picnic tables, seating and a wooden pedestrian bridge over Smiling Creek. Wesbild and Infinity Properties funded and built the expansion. How far a given home is from a trailhead varies, so I check the walk from the address.
How do I get to Pinecone Burke Provincial Park from Highland Drive?
By the Harper Road access. BC Parks’ directions are to drive north on Coast Meridian Road, turn east on Harper Road and follow it about 2 km, then park near the District Hunting and Fishing Club at the end. BC Parks warns that much of the hiking infrastructure is in poor condition, that bridges and boardwalks at creek crossings are particularly poor, and that pets must be leashed. It also says backcountry areas aren’t suitable for dogs.
What is the Heartwood complex on Highland Drive?
Heartwood is a StreetSide (Qualico) townhome community at 3535 Highland Drive near Harper Park. It has 81 three-storey townhomes in 18 buildings, most with rooftop decks, and was completed in 2025. A few move-in-ready developer homes may still remain, so check current availability. It is the main strata option on a street that is otherwise mostly single-family. A strata purchase there needs a different set of checks from a detached home.
Can I add homes or a suite on an older Highland Drive lot?
Possibly, but check before you buy. Coquitlam’s small-scale multi-unit housing zoning, adopted June 9, 2025, allows up to four units on most lots larger than 280 m² and under 4,050 m². The City asks owners to consult staff first where there are creeks nearby or steep slopes, and Smiling Creek and Burke Mountain Creek have streamside protection. Every secondary suite needs a building permit. I confirm the zoning and setbacks for the specific lot first.
How are Highland Drive homes priced against the rest of Burke Mountain?
One home at a time, because the street mixes ages and lot sizes. Greater Vancouver REALTORS® reports Burke Mountain as a whole: the detached benchmark was $1,867,100 in September 2026, −3.1% year over year. A newer house on a large Highland Drive lot and an older home that needs work can be far apart. I price each from comparable sales with similar lots and condition. If you own here, a home evaluation is the place to start.
What clients say.
5.0 stars across 36+ verified Google reviews. Three from recent clients below.
“His creativity, top-notch communication skills, and a solid plan were instrumental in selling high and buying low. His foresight in negotiation, predicting outcomes before they happened, truly set him apart. He's also humble and very respectful.”Sue H.
“Throughout our journey, Craig demonstrated immense patience and understanding. He went out of his way to provide extra resources and various options to consider on both the buy and sell side.”Justin J.
“Craig assisted in every aspect of the purchase of my Bowen Island home, including the building inspection, the follow-up inspection, and ensuring deficiencies were repaired. He was thorough and protected my position every step of the way.”Roberta Shaw
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Sources & methodology
Highland is described here as an area / street grouping rather than a single branded development, consistent with how it’s presented on my Burke Mountain developments guide. Because it spans mixed builders and vintages, specifics vary home to home — this guide gives the area read, not a single-community spec sheet. It reflects my professional opinion and experience as a Burke Mountain resident and REALTOR® and is not financial, legal, or tax advice.
Craig Johnston is a REALTOR® with Royal LePage Elite West — a Top 1% Team (2023–2025) (Greater Vancouver REALTORS®) and Top 2% Team nationwide (Royal LePage), 2023–2025. He has lived on Burke Mountain for 9+ years and in the Tri-Cities for 47+ years.
Looking at a specific Highland Drive home? That’s exactly where a home-by-home read matters. Book a strategy call for the resident’s read, or get your free home evaluation if you need your equity number first. Compare every community in the Burke Mountain developments guide.
