The City of Coquitlam is celebrating the legacy of a man who shaped the City’s recreation landscape with a new online exhibit titled Don Cunnings: City Champion.
COQUITLAM, B.C., October 9, 2024 – The City of Coquitlam is celebrating the legacy of a man who shaped the City’s recreation landscape with a new online exhibit titled Don Cunnings: City Champion.
The exhibit highlights the life and work of Don Cunnings, Coquitlam’s first Parks and Recreation Director, who played a pivotal role in developing many of the City’s most beloved parks, facilities, and programs over his nearly four-decade career.
A Lifelong Advocate for Recreation
Don Cunnings' journey began in East Vancouver, overcoming challenges with his vision to become a trailblazer in the field of recreation. His passion for gymnastics paved the way for a career that led him to Coquitlam, where his work left a lasting mark on the City’s parks and recreation programs.
Cunnings’ tenure saw the creation of essential recreation spaces, including Town Centre Park, where his innovative thinking transformed a quarry into the vibrant hub it is today. His vision also extended to establishing Coquitlam Search and Rescue in 1972, a service that remains active and essential to the community.
A Lasting Legacy
In recognition of his significant contributions, the City named one of its sports fields in Town Centre Park Cunnings Field in 1999. Cunnings was also awarded the Freedom of the City in 2014, Coquitlam’s highest honour. The exhibit pays tribute to these milestones and more, capturing his passion for public service and his impact on the community.
Residents and history enthusiasts are invited to explore the online exhibit, which features archival photos, personal anecdotes, and stories that paint a vivid picture of Cunnings' enduring legacy.
For more information, visit the Coquitlam Archives at coquitlam.ca/CityArchives.
What You Can Find at the City Archives
Archival records at the City Archives can be divided into two groups: civic and community.
The City of Coquitlam civic records held by the Archives have long-term legal, administrative and historical value, including Council and committee minutes, bylaws, plans maps and aerial photographs.
The City Archives also collects non-government community records that document the social, political, economic, cultural and community life of Coquitlam. These records are donated by individuals, families, businesses, schools, community groups, artists and non-profits, and may include manuscripts, photos, maps, art and recordings.
Both types of records are available to the public at the City Archives at 1171 Pinetree Way. For those who are interested in doing historical research but don’t know where to begin, the online exhibit Archives 101 walks readers through the various options for accessing archival records, including a comprehensive, illustrated step-by-step guide for using the Quest online portal.
Explore Online Exhibits
The City of Coquitlam Archives’ webpage, coquitlam.ca/OnlineExhibit, features more than 20 online exhibits on a variety of topics. Archives staff produce a new exhibit each quarter, mining the Archives for insightful and sometimes quirky stories about Coquitlam’s past. Some exhibits also share information about new acquisitions and highlight upcoming events.
Each online exhibit marries engaging text with scans of documents, maps and photos to bring the subjects to life. Examples include exhibits on Coquitlam’s First World War soldiers, the local business that was Canada’s first plywood producer, early scrapbooking efforts, Colony Farm’s Holstein herd, the Westwood racing circuit, psychiatric nursing at Essondale, the 1981 B.C. Summer Games and more.
About the City of Coquitlam Archives
The City of Coquitlam Archives serves a dual purpose: to preserve and to make accessible. Since the inception of the archives program, the Archives has been raising its profile to encourage people to use its services and discover the many records in the collection.
For more information about the City of Coquitlam Archives, visit coquitlam.ca/CityArchives.
Media contact:
Jamie Sanford
City Archivist
604-927-3900
archives@coquitlam.ca
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.