Smiling Creek, Burke Mountain: The Walkable, Park-Centred Middle Band
A family-oriented middle band of Burke Mountain: newer homes, a planned mix of lot sizes and townhomes, and parks laid out within a short walk of most homes.
Smiling Creek is a City of Coquitlam neighbourhood plan area on the middle slopes of Burke Mountain, bounded by Coast Meridian Road and Victoria Drive and crossed by David Avenue. Several builders developed it under a 2006 plan, with detached homes, townhomes, Smiling Creek Park and Harper Park. Almost everything for sale here now is resale, so you buy home by home.
The fact sheet
| What it is | Master-planned area / middle band |
| Builders | Polygon, Mosaic, Morningstar, Townline |
| Vintage | Built out under the 2006 neighbourhood plan; newest townhomes completed 2025–2026 |
| Anchors | Smiling Creek Elementary · Smiling Creek Park |
| Draw | Modern finishes, generous lots, walkability |
| Status | Established area · resale only (checked Oct 1, 2026) |
Why buyers look at Smiling Creek
Smiling Creek is the City of Coquitlam’s name for a neighbourhood plan area on the middle slopes of Burke Mountain, bounded by Coast Meridian Road and Victoria Drive and crossed by David Avenue. The plan, adopted in 2006, allows about 1,810 homes, from estate lots on parts of Highland Drive and Kingston Street to small village lots and townhomes. Building has continued for well over a decade, and townhomes beside Smiling Creek Park were still completing in 2025–2026. The result is a wide range of ages, sizes and price points within one neighbourhood.
The school catchment is the anchor
The centre of the neighbourhood is the joint school and park site, where Smiling Creek Elementary shares grounds with Smiling Creek Park under an agreement between School District 43 and the City. For many families, being able to walk to a school and a sports field is the appeal. Catchments are set by SD43 by address and can change, so I check every specific address on the SD43 School Locator before you rely on a school. A Smiling Creek address on its own doesn’t settle it.
Many builders, one area — how to buy it
Because Polygon, Mosaic, Morningstar, and Townline all built here, Smiling Creek is really a family of communities under one area name, and the builder and vintage of the specific home matter. The upside is choice and a deep, legible set of comparables; the work is knowing which builder and which micro-location within the band you’re getting. That’s a good problem to have — and exactly the kind of thing a resident’s read sorts out quickly.
Who it fits
Smiling Creek suits families who want newer housing, parks within walking distance and a choice between townhomes and detached homes in the same neighbourhood. It suits buyers less well if they want acreage-sized lots or a home that has never been lived in. Most of Smiling Creek is now resale, and only a few developer homes remain nearby. If you’re not sure where on Burke to start, it is a sensible first look because it offers so many types of home.
Living in Smiling Creek: location and daily routine
Smiling Creek is one of the City of Coquitlam’s planned neighbourhoods on Burke Mountain. Its plan area is bounded by Coast Meridian Road and Victoria Drive and crossed by David Avenue. Princeton Avenue runs along roughly the 175-metre contour, which the plan uses as a water-pressure boundary. That gives you a feel for how far up the slope this neighbourhood sits.
Parks. The plan aims to put a park or open space within about a five-minute walk of most homes, on average, and sets aside about 24.5 hectares for parks. The two you will use most are Smiling Creek Park at 3456 Princeton Avenue, with a playground, sports field, trails and washrooms, and Harper Park, a 4.4-hectare natural park off Harper Road. Harper Park has 620 metres of trails and trailheads from Highland Drive and the Harper Road path. For bigger hikes, Pinecone Burke Provincial Park is reached from the end of Harper Road. BC Parks warns that its trails are poorly maintained in places and that dogs must be leashed.
Getting around. TransLink route 191 connects Princeton Avenue with Coquitlam Central Station for the Millennium Line and the weekday West Coast Express. Coast Meridian Road is the main drive down to Port Coquitlam and Lougheed Highway. The plan sets aside neighbourhood commercial land at David Avenue and Coast Meridian Road and a fire hall site near David and Princeton. Ask me what is open there today before you count on it.
Schools. The elementary school shares its grounds with Smiling Creek Park, but catchments are drawn by SD43 by address and can change. Check the exact address on the SD43 School Locator. If you want a specific program, confirm how SD43 admits students to it.
Buying in Smiling Creek on resale: what I check
Smiling Creek mixes townhomes and detached homes built by several builders over many years, so my checklist depends on which one you are buying.
Townhomes.
- The Form B information certificate, which since 2023 includes a summary of the strata’s insurance, plus the bylaws, two years of minutes and the depreciation report. Stratas with five or more lots must now update that report every five years.
- Rental and age rules. BC stratas can’t restrict long-term rentals. They can still limit short-term rentals, and a 55+ age bylaw is still allowed. I flag any bylaw that says otherwise.
- Common-property warranty. On common property, coverage starts when the first home is occupied or sold, so a building may have used up more warranty than your unit’s own dates suggest.
- Parking: side-by-side or tandem garage, and whether visitor parking is enough.
Detached homes.
- Lot type. The plan has four single-family lot sizes, from 340 m² village lots to 1,000 m² estate lots. I confirm the lot size and frontage on title, along with any covenants.
- Creeks and slopes. West and East Smiling Creek and Burke Mountain Creek have streamside protection, and the City asks for staff consultation before adding units near creeks or on steep slopes.
- Suites. Coquitlam requires a building permit for every secondary suite. I ask for it and check the suite surcharge on the utility bill.
Both. I confirm the builder and remaining 2-5-10 coverage on BC Housing’s New Homes Registry. Coverage stays with the home and is 2 years for materials and labour, 5 for the envelope and 10 for structure. I also compare the home’s exposure and street with recent sales on the same side of the creek.
How Smiling Creek compares
| Community | Builder | Homes | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smiling Creek (this page) | Several builders | — | Resale only |
| Parkview | Morningstar Homes | 39 | Selling now |
| Timber’s Edge | Foxridge (Qualico) | 19 | Selling now |
| Harper Peak | Foxridge (Qualico) | 28 | Final homes |
| Evergreen at Burke Mountain | Foxridge (Qualico) | Not published | Sold out · resale |
Status checked October 1, 2026 against developer websites, then MLS® where a developer site was unavailable. Releases change week to week, so confirm with the developer, or see every Burke Mountain development.
Smiling Creek: your questions, answered
Where are Smiling Creek’s boundaries on Burke Mountain?
The City of Coquitlam’s Smiling Creek Neighbourhood Plan covers land bounded on the west and south by Coast Meridian Road and Victoria Drive, with David Avenue running through it. It was adopted in July 2006 and last amended in June 2024. Real estate listings don’t follow these lines exactly. MLS® groups the area under the sub-area “Burke Mountain”, so I check the City’s plan map when a buyer specifically wants to be inside Smiling Creek.
What mix of homes was Smiling Creek planned for?
A wide mix. The neighbourhood plan allows about 1,810 homes. About 39.5% are planned as townhomes and street-oriented village homes. The rest are single-family lots in four sizes: estate lots of at least 1,000 m² on parts of Highland Drive and Kingston Street, large lots of at least 650 m², and village lots of at least 400 m² or 340 m². That is why two detached homes a few streets apart can sit on very different lots.
Which parks are inside Smiling Creek?
The two best known are Smiling Creek Park and Harper Park. Smiling Creek Park, at 3456 Princeton Avenue, is a 3.43-acre park with a playground, a full-size irrigated sports field, trails and washrooms. It shares its site with the elementary school. Harper Park is a 4.4-hectare natural park completed in December 2020, with 620 metres of trails and a wooden bridge over Smiling Creek. The plan sets parks about a five-minute walk from most homes on average.
Can I get from Smiling Creek to SkyTrain without a car?
Yes, by bus. TransLink route 191 runs between Princeton Avenue and Coquitlam Central Station. From there you can take the Millennium Line or, on weekdays, the West Coast Express. The neighbourhood plan designates Coast Meridian Road, David Avenue and Princeton Avenue as bus routes. How practical it is depends on your walk to a stop, and the slopes here make that walk harder than it looks on a map. I time it from the specific address.
Are there still new homes for sale near Smiling Creek Park?
A few, at the edges of the resale market. Amber Gate, 52 townhomes at 3420 Queenston Avenue next to Smiling Creek Park, has remaining developer homes listed on MLS®. Queenston, 23 townhomes at 3421 Queenston Avenue completed in 2025, has also had final homes listed. Everything else in Smiling Creek is resale. Because developer stock changes week to week, I check the current listings before you visit.
What do homes in Smiling Creek cost?
Greater Vancouver REALTORS® doesn’t report Smiling Creek on its own, so the closest benchmarks cover all of Burke Mountain. In September 2026 the Burke Mountain detached benchmark was $1,867,100 (−3.1% year over year) and the townhouse benchmark was $1,040,600 (−7.3%). Within Smiling Creek, lot size, age and builder move prices a lot. I price each home from nearby sales. Book a strategy call to go through current comparables.
Why do creeks matter when buying a Smiling Creek home?
Because they limit what you can build near them. The neighbourhood plan names West and East Smiling Creek and Burke Mountain Creek as environmentally sensitive areas, with streamside protection areas set under the provincial riparian rules. The City also asks owners to consult staff before adding units on lots with creeks nearby or steep slopes. If you plan a suite, an addition or a bigger deck, check the lot’s setbacks before you buy, not after.
What clients say.
5.0 stars across 36+ verified Google reviews. Three from recent clients below.
“Craig was there with us everyday. Guiding us to our next step we were kept informed daily sometimes multiple times a day as to what was happening… Our home sold in only 6 days with multiple offers.”Gerry & Aline Howitson
“After searching for several years, I knew exactly what I was looking for—and Craig delivered. We viewed a handful of properties, and the home he ultimately found was exactly what I had been searching for. I couldn't believe how quickly he nailed it.”Warren Chu
“We had a fantastic experience working with Craig, who was recommended by a friend. He patiently guided us through the process to purchase our family forever home in Vancouver, explaining all the steps and answering all of our many questions. He was always responsive and available whenever we needed him and always felt like he wanted the absolute best for us.”Susie N
Ready for a second opinion on your own situation? Book a 20-minute strategy call, or if you own now, get a free Equity Map of what your home is worth.
Sources & methodology
Smiling Creek is described here as a walkable master-planned area / middle band with multiple builders (Polygon, Mosaic, Morningstar, Townline), consistent with how it’s presented on my Burke Mountain developments guide, along with Smiling Creek Elementary and Smiling Creek Park as its anchors. School catchment boundaries are set by the school district and can change. This guide 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.
Not sure where on Burke to buy? Smiling Creek is where I’d start most searches. 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.
