COQUITLAM, B.C., May 9, 2023 – New and upgraded recreation facilities, parks, roads, utilities, public art and more are being delivered throughout Coquitlam this year, with the help of millions of dollars in grants and non-tax revenue.
Coquitlam’s 2023 Capital Plan is in full swing, with planning and construction of over $300 million of public assets to support the growing community, $128 million of which was approved as part of the 2023 Capital Plan. Council received updates on the City’s many capital projects at yesterday’s Council-in-Committee meeting.
What Coquitlam Has In Store for 2023
Residents can look forward to infrastructure and public spaces improvements taking place throughout the community in 2023, including:
- Major overhauls of Spani Pool complex and Town Centre Park Community Centre (formerly the Innovation Centre), new outdoor community plaza at Maillardville Community Centre and the start of civic services at the future Burke Mountain Secondary School/Park site;
- Upgrades to more than a dozen parks, including an updated track and new artificial turf at Town Centre Park and improvements elsewhere such as playgrounds, irrigation, fencing, backstops and courts;
- Active transportation enhancements including the first stage of the Guildford Greenway, a new multi-use path on Lougheed Highway between Pinetree Way and Westwood Street, and sidewalk and pathway extension on Austin Avenue;
- Citywide road improvements including various paving, lighting and signal upgrades along Lougheed Highway and Mariner Way;
- Utility works including upgrades to the Foster Water Pump Station, new storm and sanitation sewer on Upper Victoria Drive and Pollard Street, and continuation of sewer, drainage, road and environmental upgrades at Cedar Drive and Partington Creek; and
- Streetscape enhancements including lighting, public art and street furniture throughout the community.
Reducing the Impact on Taxpayers
Coquitlam’s capital projects are funded through a combination of developer fees, taxes and utility fees, non-tax revenue and grant funding.
Amid rising prices and supply chain issues, the City seeks every opportunity to offset the costs of much-needed capital projects. Examples include competitive procurement processes and maximizing non-tax funding sources such as developer contributions.
Coquitlam has a high success rate for its grant requests, including:
- $4.4 million for the Spani Pool upgrades from the federal Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program
- $750,000 for the Town Centre Park Lake Loop from the federal Canada Community Revitalization Fund; and
- $4.55M from TransLink and $500,000 from the BC Active Transportation Program for the Guildford Greenway project.
The City also pursues grants and rebates to offset the cost of integrating climate-resistant and energy-efficient features in new buildings, actions identified in the Environmental Sustainability Plan. For example, Coquitlam received a $1.3 million grant as part of the provincial Local Government Climate Action Program to support energy-efficiency, fleet replacement and a new climate and energy manager.
New Grants Support Housing, Public Art
Earlier this year, Coquitlam was awarded $18.6 million from the B.C. Growing Communities Fund to invest in infrastructure and amenities that support new housing in the community.
The City is taking a measured, strategic approach to the welcome influx of funding to ensure it is used for projects that best meet the criteria and support the greatest community need. Decisions about the grant funding will be part of the 2024 budget process.
Coquitlam also recently received a $435,000 provincial Destination Development Grant for up to eight new art installations for its commercial districts. The art installations – which could be murals, sculptures or other forms of public art – would add to the array of public art already in place, such as 12 painted salmon sculptures and other examples at coquitlam.ca/publicart. The City is currently defining the project scope and plans, and anticipates issuing a call for participants in the coming months.
Media contact:
Gorana Cabral
Director, Finance
media@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-kwuh-tlum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem) traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the sq̓əc̓iy̓aɁɬ təməxʷ (Katzie), and other Coast Salish Peoples.