Secondary · Burquitlam · French Immersion Continuation
Updated June 2026 · Craig Johnston, REALTOR® V99960
A Coquitlam REALTOR®'s read on Dr. Charles Best Secondary — what the school offers, which neighbourhoods feed in, and what to know about the catchment housing in Burquitlam · Como Lake corridor.
Quick Answer
What should you know about Dr Charles Best Catchment Homes?
École Dr. Charles Best Secondary School (2525 Como Lake Avenue, V3J 3R8) — full school profile: programs, catchment, registration, feeder pathway, plus a Coquitlam REALTOR® Craig Johnston, Top 1% Team Member — Greater Vancouver REALTORS® 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.
Quick answer
École Dr. Charles Best Secondary School — École Dr. Charles Best Secondary School is a secondary school in Coquitlam, serving grades 9–12 in the Burquitlam · Como Lake corridor area. SD43's primary Coquitlam-side French Immersion secondary continuation. Address: 2525 Como Lake Avenue, V3J 3R8. Phone 604-461-5581.
Verified school facts · SD43
School type
Secondary
Grades
9–12
District
SD43 (Coquitlam School District)
Address
2525 Como Lake Avenue, Coquitlam, BC V3J 3R8
Phone
Website
Administration (2025–26)
Dave Cyr (Principal)
VP: Confirm current VP roster with the school office.
Enrolment
Confirm current-year enrolment with the school office.
School hours
Confirm the current year's bell schedule directly with the school at 604-461-5581.
In-catchment registration
Cross-catchment / school of choice
Catchment locator
School details verified against the SD43 school page (May 2026). Bell schedules, administrators, and program details can change year to year — confirm the current year directly with the school office before relying on any specific number.
What this school is best known for
École Dr. Charles Best is one of two SD43 secondary French Immersion continuation hubs (alongside Riverside on the PoCo side). The FI program was added in 2001 and pairs Bilingual Dogwood graduation with the standard English-track academics. The school is named for Charles Best, the Canadian co-discoverer of insulin — a quiet nod to its science/STEM identity.
Programs & academic profile
Bilingual Dogwood graduation pathway. Continued FI students from Maillard Middle and Banting Middle.
Full English-track academics with broad elective catalogue.
Sciences, technology, applied skills.
Music, band, drama.
Athletics across multiple sports.
Catchment, feeders & cross-catchment
Burquitlam, Como Lake, and parts of central Coquitlam. The French Immersion stream draws district-wide.
École Maillard Middle (FI continuation), Banting Middle (FI), Hillcrest Middle.
Post-secondary.
SD43 allows cross-catchment enrolment when space permits, allocated by lottery with in-district and sibling priority. SD43 cross-catchment policy →
Catchment lines run down individual streets and can put one side of a road in one catchment and the opposite side in the next. Always verify a specific address with the SD43 school locator before relying on any boundary statement.
Extracurriculars · sports · clubs
Programs change year to year. Confirm the current season's club and sport list on the school's Programs / Clubs page.
Inside the catchment · housing read
Inside the Dr. Charles Best Secondary catchment in Burquitlam · Como Lake corridor, you're looking at established residential streets. Verify the exact catchment for your address through the SD43 locator before committing — boundary lines can run down individual streets.
Frequently asked questions
Dr. Charles Best Secondary is an SD43 grade 9–12 secondary school. A primary French Immersion continuation hub for SD43 (FI added 2001) — pairs the Bilingual Dogwood pathway with full English-track academics. Named for the Canadian co-discoverer of insulin.
A primary French Immersion continuation hub for SD43 (FI added 2001) — pairs the Bilingual Dogwood pathway with full English-track academics. Named for the Canadian co-discoverer of insulin.
Burquitlam, Como Lake, and parts of central Coquitlam. The French Immersion stream draws district-wide. Verify a specific address through the SD43 school locator.
Dave Cyr.
École Maillard Middle (FI continuation), Banting Middle (FI), Hillcrest Middle.
Yes — through the SD43 cross-catchment / school-of-choice process when space permits. Placement is by lottery with in-district and sibling priority.
No. SD43 has discontinued regular bus transportation district-wide.
Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12.
2525 Como Lake Avenue, Coquitlam, BC V3J 3R8. Phone 604-461-5581.
Continue your Coquitlam school research
Main hub
The full SD43 schools guide for the Tri-Cities.
Hub
Ranked guide to the top Coquitlam SD43 schools.
Programs
Every SD43 French Immersion entry point.
Private
Independent schools serving Coquitlam, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam.
Sources & methodology
School facts verified against the SD43 Dr. Charles Best Secondary school page, the SD43 2025–26 School Listings (administrators) PDF, and the SD43 school locator. Catchment, registration, and cross-catchment information from SD43's cross-catchment policy page. Real estate commentary is the professional opinion of Craig Johnston, REALTOR® license V99960, working under The MACNABS at Royal LePage Elite West and serving the SD43 Tri-Cities market.
Page reviewed and dated May 2026. License V99960 · BCFSA-regulated. Confirm school program details with the school office before relying on them for an enrolment decision.
A long-time Tri-Cities resident and licensed REALTOR®, Craig knows the catchment streets, the boundary risks, and the homes that come up inside the Dr. Charles Best Secondary catchment before they hit the public market.
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