Craig Johnston Personal Real Estate Corporation · Brokerage: Royal LePage Elite West
Coquitlam History
Two centuries of Coquitlam history compressed into one verified timeline — from Simon Fraser's 1808 passage through the region to the 2016 SkyTrain opening that reshaped the city. Every date sourced and verified.
4.9 across 38+ Google reviews Earned on a Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 Tri-Cities resident 47+ yearsQuick Answer
What should you know about Coquitlam history?
Two centuries of Coquitlam history compressed into one verified timeline — from Simon Fraser's 1808 passage through the region to the 2016 SkyTrain opening that reshaped the city. Craig Johnston, earned on a Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 and 47+ year Tri-Cities resident, can walk you through the local context. Free Strategy Call ends with a written one-page plan in 24 hours.
Verified facts · Coquitlam History
1808
Simon Fraser passes through the region
1860s
European settlement begins
1888
George Munday homesteads 150 acres (future Mundy Park)
1889
Fraser Mills / Canadian Western Lumber Company founded
July 25, 1891
Corporation of the District of Coquitlam incorporated
1904
Province purchases 1,000 acres for Riverview Hospital
September 28, 1909
Maillardville founded — 110 French-Canadian workers arrive
1911
John Davidson establishes Riverview arboretum
1913
Riverview (Essondale) Hospital opens
1920s
Burke Mountain logged by Canadian Robert Dollar Company
July 26, 1959
Westwood Motorsport Park opens
September 24, 1969
Lougheed Mall opens
1990
Westwood Motorsport Park closes
May 1989
Town Centre Park officially opens (Lafarge Lake reclamation)
1991
BC Summer Games at Coquitlam
May 18, 1995
Pinecone Burke Provincial Park established
1995
GreenTee Country Club (Westwood Plateau) opens
2000
Burke Mountain Area Plan completed
2001
Fraser Mills closes
2002
Lougheed Town Centre SkyTrain station opens (Millennium Line)
Spring 2006
First Burke Mountain residential re-zoning
December 2, 2016
Evergreen Extension opens — SkyTrain reaches Coquitlam
2023
Percy Perry Stadium reopens (full track + turf replacement)
Coquitlam History · Real estate connection
Coquitlam's 200+ year arc from Simon Fraser to SkyTrain is the foundation of every neighbourhood you can buy in today. The older the neighbourhood, the deeper the history — and the harder it is to replicate.
A 47-year Coquitlam resident and licensed REALTOR® at Royal LePage Elite West. The local context that makes the numbers make sense.
History shapes why neighbourhoods feel the way they do. This is the chronological overview; each era links to a fuller story, so you can dig into whichever chapter shapes the area you're considering.
First peoples
Long before the city, the land was home to the Kwikwetlem First Nation, whose name the area carries. That deep history is the foundation every later chapter is built on.
Exploration
European exploration of the Fraser corridor in the early nineteenth century opened the region to the settlement and industry that would follow along the river.
Incorporation
Coquitlam was incorporated as a district in 1891. For the founding story and what it means for the city's character, see how Coquitlam was founded.
Milltown roots
The Fraser Mills era and the French-Canadian community of Maillardville gave central Coquitlam an identity that still shows today. More in the Maillardville history.
Transit era
The arrival of SkyTrain reshaped where and how Coquitlam grew, concentrating density and value around stations. See the Evergreen Line history for how that unfolded.
Today
Modern Coquitlam is a patchwork of distinct neighbourhoods, each with its own history and feel. Knowing how a pocket came to be helps explain what it's like to live there now.
A timeline is a map, not the territory — each era here has a fuller story, and the linked pages go deeper where this overview only points.
Craig grew up in the Tri-Cities and can connect a neighbourhood's history to what it actually means for buying or selling there today — the context behind the price, not just the price.
Simon Fraser passed through the region in 1808; Coquitlam was incorporated in 1891; the Fraser Mills townsite and Maillardville took shape in 1909-1910; Coquitlam Centre opened in 1979; and SkyTrain's Evergreen Extension arrived in 2016.
Coquitlam was incorporated as a district municipality on July 25, 1891. Its name comes from the Coast Salish Kwikwetlem people whose territory this is.
Growth came in waves — milling and farming, the shopping-centre era from 1979, and a major acceleration in density and value after the Evergreen SkyTrain connected the Tri-Cities in 2016.
Tri-Cities monthly
October 2026 Coquitlam detached HPI is $1,571,400, -7.0% YoY. What that means for your buy or sell decision — without the salesy fluff. One email per month. Unsubscribe anytime.
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4.9 stars across 38+ Google reviews. Three from recent clients below.
“Craig was patient throughout the entire process. He never pushed us to buy something we weren't sure about, and when we decided to wait six months and save more, he just said ‘good call’ and stayed in touch. When we did finally buy, the math was so much cleaner.”Susie & Hans
“He is a professional who is guided by integrity, honesty, and punctuality. When faced with challenges, Craig has shown his dedication to proactively navigate the issue on hand towards our goal.”Jaeyoung Joo
“Craig was an absolute pleasure to work with. He is extremely friendly, highly knowledgeable, and constantly monitors trends and data so we could make informed decisions. The more time we spent interacting with other agents during our home-buying process, the more pleased we were with choosing Craig.”Ashley K.
Whether you’re buying, selling, or doing both, a 20-minute strategy call gets your questions answered and your next step clear. Or start with a free Equity Map of what your current home is worth.
4.9 across 38+ Google reviews Earned on a Top 1% Team — Greater Vancouver REALTORS®, 2023–2025 Tri-Cities resident 47+ yearsOr call direct: 604-202-6092
