# Coquitlam History & Heritage > Coquitlam history and heritage — neighbourhood origins, development arc, character that shapes 2026 home values. By Craig Johnston, 47+ year Tri-Cities resident. **Source:** https://soldbycraig.ca/coquitlam-history-and-heritage/ **Author:** Craig Johnston, REALTOR® (BC Licence V99960) · The MACNABS · Royal LePage Elite West **Site:** https://soldbycraig.ca --- ## Coquitlam timeline & founding The City of Coquitlam was incorporated on July 25, 1891 — making it one of the older municipalities in Metro Vancouver. The 1891 incorporation grew out of the Brunette sawmill economy in Maillardville and the agricultural pockets along the Fraser. Understanding the layered history helps explain why neighbourhood character varies so much across a relatively small footprint. - [Coquitlam history timeline (1808 to today)](/coquitlam-history-timeline/)Land history, incorporation, and major milestones. - [How Coquitlam was founded (1891)](/coquitlam-incorporation-history/)The path from sawmill economy to incorporated municipality. - [Burke Mountain before the build-out](/burke-mountain-pre-development-history/)1920s logging through today's master plan. ## Maillardville & French-Canadian heritage Maillardville, founded in 1909 by French-Canadian sawmill workers brought west by Fraser Mills, is the largest historically Francophone community west of Manitoba. Its imprint on Coquitlam — Place Maillardville, French Immersion at Cape Horn, Maillard, and Banting, the annual Festival du Bois — is part of why Coquitlam's identity is unusual among Metro Vancouver suburbs. - [Maillardville history](/maillardville-history-coquitlam/)French-Canadian heart of Coquitlam — origin story. - [Maillardville neighbourhood guide](/maillardville-neighbourhood-guide/)Buyer-relevant context for today's Maillardville inventory. ## Heritage Mountain & Heritage Woods Heritage Mountain (Port Moody) and Heritage Woods (north Port Moody/Coquitlam border) are distinct master-planned neighbourhoods that share a name but differ on inventory mix, catchment, and price. They get confused constantly. The guides below separate them clearly. - [Heritage Mountain neighbourhood guide](/heritage-mountain-coquitlam-guide/)Port Moody-side Heritage Mountain — schools, inventory, character. - [Heritage Woods neighbourhood guide](/heritage-woods-coquitlam-guide/)Heritage Woods Secondary catchment, family inventory. - [Heritage Mountain homes for sale](/heritage-mountain-homes/)Active inventory and market context. ## Modern Coquitlam — landmarks that shape today's market Three landmarks define modern Coquitlam's real-estate behaviour: the Evergreen Line (December 2016 opening), the redevelopment of Riverview Hospital lands, and the rise of Coquitlam Centre / Lougheed Town Centre as major commercial nodes. Each is a forcing function on price. **Craig's take — coming soon**Craig's working view on how the Evergreen Line's December 2016 opening moved Coquitlam pricing — by station, by inventory type, and where the 5-year price compression was strongest vs. weakest — will be added here. - [The Evergreen Line](/evergreen-line-coquitlam-history/)December 2016 SkyTrain arrival and what it changed. - [Riverview Hospital heritage site](/riverview-hospital-coquitlam-history/)1,000-acre heritage tree grove and redevelopment context. - [Lougheed Town Centre history](/lougheed-town-centre-history/)From 1969 mall to 'The City of Lougheed' high-density redevelopment. - [Coquitlam Centre Mall](/coquitlam-centre-mall-history/)1979 opening through today — the anchor of City Centre. - [Pipeline Road history](/pipeline-road-coquitlam-history/)Coquitlam's northeast arterial and its corridor effect. - [Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club](/westwood-plateau-golf-history/)Course history and local read. - [Mundy Park history](/mundy-park-history-coquitlam/)176-hectare urban forest origin story. - [Polygon Homes in Coquitlam — history & track record](/polygon-homes-coquitlam-history/)Multi-decade builder history across Burke Mountain and Westwood Plateau. - [The Westwood Racing Circuit (1959–1990)](/westwood-racing-circuit-history/)Coquitlam's lost motorsport landmark on what's now Westwood Plateau. ## Frequently asked questions When was Coquitlam founded? The City of Coquitlam was incorporated on July 25, 1891. The land has been the home of the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) People since long before European contact in 1808. Why does Coquitlam have so many French-language elements? In 1909, Fraser Mills recruited French-Canadian sawmill workers from Quebec; they founded Maillardville, which became the largest Francophone community west of Manitoba. The legacy persists in school catchments, Place Maillardville, the Festival du Bois, and several French Immersion schools. How did the Evergreen Line change Coquitlam real estate? The Evergreen Line opened December 2, 2016, connecting Coquitlam Centre to Lougheed Town Centre and onward to downtown Vancouver. It accelerated condo development around Lincoln, Coquitlam Central, and Burquitlam stations and compressed value differentials between transit-adjacent inventory and outlying suburbs. The effect was strongest in the first 3–5 years. What is happening with the Riverview Hospital lands? The 244-hectare Riverview lands are being redeveloped under a multi-decade plan that preserves significant heritage tree groves and existing buildings while introducing housing, healthcare facilities, and Indigenous-led use. The redevelopment shapes adjacent property values and is an ongoing story to track. Is there a Coquitlam heritage register I can check? Yes — the City of Coquitlam maintains a Community Heritage Register (and statutory heritage designations) for protected buildings, sites, and trees. The register is searchable on the City's planning website. Heritage designation can affect what you can do with a property post-purchase. ## Buying into a Coquitlam heritage neighbourhood? Book a strategy call. We'll cover the heritage-register implications, redevelopment-corridor effects, and which historic pockets command real premiums versus which trade on storytelling alone. [Book a strategy call →](/book-a-strategy-call-with-craig-johnston/) Tri-Cities monthly ## Get the honest Tri-Cities market read, monthly. June 2026 Coquitlam detached HPI is $1,649,000, -4.8% YoY. What that means for your buy or sell decision — without the salesy fluff. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime. No spam, no listings flood, no marketing automation games. Genuine monthly update from a 47+ year Tri-Cities resident. Best REALTOR® by area ## A specialist for your specific Tri-Cities city or neighbourhood. [Coquitlam](/best-realtor-in-coquitlam/) [Burke Mountain](/best-realtor-in-burke-mountain/) [Westwood Plateau](/best-realtor-in-westwood-plateau/) [Heritage Mountain](/best-realtor-in-heritage-mountain/) [Port Moody](/best-realtor-in-port-moody/) [Port Coquitlam](/best-realtor-in-port-coquitlam/) [Anmore](/best-realtor-in-anmore/) [Belcarra](/best-realtor-in-belcarra/) [Or compare all Tri-Cities specialists →](/best-local-realtor-tri-cities/)