Craig Johnston Personal Real Estate Corporation · Brokerage: Royal LePage Elite West
Coquitlam History
Riverview Hospital opened in 1913 as the Essondale Branch of the Provincial Hospital for the Insane on 1,000 acres in Coquitlam. BC's flagship mental health institution for most of the 20th century. Home to a significant arboretum (established 1911 by John Davidson, BC's first Provincial Botanist). Most facility closed by 2012; lands held by the Province under the 'Renewing Riverview' redevelopment plan.
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What should you know about Riverview Hospital?
Riverview Hospital opened in 1913 as the Essondale Branch of the Provincial Hospital for the Insane on 1,000 acres in Coquitlam. Craig Johnston, 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
Land purchased
1904 — 1,000 acres
Construction begins
1909
Hospital opens
1913 (as Essondale Branch of the Provincial Hospital for the Insane)
Namesake
Dr. Esson Young — Provincial Secretary & Minister of Education
Arboretum
Established 1911 by John Davidson, BC's first Provincial Botanist
Peak capacity
Thousands of beds in mid-20th century
Decline
1960s-2004 — anti-psychotics, deinstitutionalization
Final operations
Hospital largely closed by 2012
Future plan
BC Housing's 2015 'A Vision for Renewing Riverview' — housing for mentally ill + Indigenous housing
Other use
Frequently used for film productions
Coquitlam History · Real estate connection
Riverview is one of Coquitlam's largest contiguous green spaces. The arboretum, heritage buildings, and adjacency to ƛ̓éxətəm (formerly Colony Farm) create a unique landscape feature. The eventual residential redevelopment will reshape this part of Coquitlam materially.
A 47-year Coquitlam resident and licensed REALTOR® at Royal LePage Elite West. The local context that makes the numbers make sense.
History is interesting on its own — but for anyone buying or selling in central Coquitlam, the Riverview lands also shape the everyday feel of the streets around them. Here is what matters on the ground.
Green space
The grounds hold one of the region's richest collections of mature and rare trees, an arboretum-scale green space that gives the surrounding blocks a leafy, established character newer subdivisions simply cannot replicate.
Heritage
Landmark early-20th-century buildings give this pocket of Coquitlam a gravity and identity uncommon in the city's newer neighbourhoods — the kind of setting that quietly supports long-term desirability.
Location
The lands sit in central Coquitlam near Lougheed Highway and Como Lake, keeping shops, schools and SkyTrain within an easy reach for households buying nearby.
On screen
The grounds have a long history as a film and television location and are still used for filming — a small point of local colour buyers often enjoy learning about.
In transition
The property, also known by the name səmiqʷəʔelə, is the subject of long-term provincial and Kwikwetlem First Nation planning; anyone buying close by should keep an eye on how future use may evolve.
For you
For buyers, protected green space and heritage nearby read as an amenity; for sellers, they are a story worth telling. Do your own diligence on any planning that could affect the immediate area.
None of this replaces looking at a specific home and street for yourself, and the value of proximity to the Riverview lands depends heavily on the exact block, sightlines and how future planning unfolds over time.
If you are weighing a purchase or sale near here, Craig — a longtime Coquitlam resident — can walk the specific streets with you and give an honest read on how the setting helps, and where to be careful.
A provincial mental-health facility in Coquitlam set on a roughly 1,000-acre site whose land was acquired in 1904. It's known for its heritage buildings and one of BC's most significant collections of mature and rare trees.
The site has been the subject of long-running provincial redevelopment planning that balances mental-health facilities, heritage protection and housing. Plans evolve, so confirm the current status.
The grounds and arboretum have historically been publicly accessible and popular for walks and filming, though access can change with redevelopment and construction. Check current signage and provincial notices before visiting.
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“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.
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