While Coquitlam is a community abundant with modern infrastructure, the City Archives encourages residents to dig into the history of Coquitlam’s built heritage.
COQUITLAM, B.C., Dec. 10, 2020 – While Coquitlam is a community abundant with modern infrastructure, the City Archives encourages residents to dig into the history of Coquitlam’s built heritage.
The latest online exhibit by the City of Coquitlam Archives, Built History: Coquitlam’s Heritage Homes, showcases successful restoration projects on homes built in early 1900s as well as other eras, and details the process to uncover the history of a house in Coquitlam.
The online exhibit is available to view at www.coquitlam.ca/builthistory.
Preserving Coquitlam’s Built Heritage
Over the years, Coquitlam has designated 27 buildings through heritage designation bylaws, including Ryan House/Place des Arts (1120 Brunette Ave.), Mackin House (169 King Edward Ave.), Alsbury-Munday House (907 Walls Ave.) and many others. Restoration projects have successfully integrated heritage homes into larger residential developments, preserving the history while supporting growing communities.
Punctuated with historical and present day photos, snippets of assessment cards, census records, crown land grants and other documents from a variety of archival sources, Built History: Coquitlam’s Heritage Homes offers an engaging and educational look at heritage properties in Coquitlam and encourages readers to embark on the journey to discover the history of their own property.
Explore Online Exhibits
The Archives website at www.coquitlam.ca/cityarchives now features 14 online exhibits on a variety of topics. Archives staff produce a new exhibit each quarter, delving into 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 digitized documents, maps and photos to bring the subjects to life. Online visitors can while away a pleasant afternoon learning about Coquitlam’s May Day tradition, the local business that was Canada’s first plywood producer, Coquitlam’s First World War soldiers, the City’s changing boundaries, Colony Farm’s Holstein herd, the Westwood racing circuit, the story of psychiatric nursing at Essondale among other topics.
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 program, the Archives has been raising its profile to encourage people to use its services and discover the trove of records in the collection. Outreach initiatives include quarterly online exhibits, occasional physical exhibits at the Archives, workshops and presentations, and weekly #TBT posts on the City’s social media platforms.
For more information about the City of Coquitlam Archives, to see their operating hours and to view the online exhibits, visit www.coquitlam.ca/cityarchives.
Media contact:
Emily Lonie
City Archivist
City of Coquitlam
604-927-3907
elonie@coquitlam.ca