COQUITLAM, B.C., Oct. 27, 2022 – Coquitlam residents are encouraged to honour veterans in meaningful ways this Remembrance Day.

Coquitlam’s traditional Remembrance Day ceremony and parade, hosted by the Coquitlam Royal Canadian Legion Branch 263 – will be held on Nov. 11 and is open to the public for those wishing to pay respects. The parade will begin at Como Lake Middle School at approximately 10:15 a.m. and will continue with a ceremony at the Blue Mountain Park Cenotaph starting at approximately 10:30 a.m.

Honouring Veterans in Meaningful Ways

In recognition of the achievements and sacrifices of those who have served our nation in times of war and military conflict, residents are encouraged to show their respect for veterans in a variety of ways this year:

• Poppy Painting along Veteran's Way: Stop by Blue Mountain Park (975 King Albert Ave.) to paint a large poppy on the grass along Veteran’s Way as part of a temporary display. Participate at any of the following times: 
  • Tuesday, Nov. 1 from 1 – 4 p.m.
  • Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Thursday, Nov. 3 from 1 – 4 p.m.
  • Friday, Nov. 4 from 1 – 4 p.m.
  • Saturday, Nov. 5 from 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
  • Tuesday, Nov. 8 from 1 – 4 p.m.
  • Thursday, Nov. 10 from 1 – 4 p.m.
• Poppy Painting at Spirit Square: Join us at Spirit Square on Burlington Drive, across the street from Coquitlam City Hall, on Nov. 9 to add your painted poppy to the temporary outdoor display. 
• Messages of Remembrance: Write a message of remembrance and tie it to a tree with yellow ribbon along Veteran's Way in Blue Mountain Park. The messages are kept on the trees until Nov. 18 at which point they will be transcribed and forwarded to Canadian veteran groups. If you are unable to go in person, you can email your message to parkspark@coquitlam.ca, and your message will be transcribed and tied to a tree for you. 

Veteran Experiences – Indigenous and Racialized Communities 

Nov. 8 is National Indigenous Veterans Day in Canada and honours the many First Nations, Inuit and Métis soldiers, and their contributions and sacrifices to military service.

Many Indigenous Peoples and racialized people proudly served in uniform despite facing discrimination and racism. During the First World War, more than 4,000 Indigenous soldiers served in uniform, and in the Second World War more than 3,000 First Nations members, as well as an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous recruits, served. The call for military service was answered once more during the Korean War.

First commemorated in 1994, National Indigenous Veterans Day invites Canadians to better understand the role Indigenous veterans have played in Canadian history and honour their sacrifices. 

To learn more, visit https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories/indigenous-veterans 

Other racialized groups also played integral roles prior to and during the First and Second World Wars. To learn more about these often unheard military stories, visit https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/people-and-stories 

Honouring Veterans Throughout the Year

The City commemorates the lives of fallen Coquitlam soldiers on rolls of honour on the second floor of City Hall, and at the cenotaph at Blue Mountain Park, open year-round. 

Coquitlam continues to provide free parking in City lots and street parking spaces for those displaying a veteran’s licence plate, a tradition started in 2006. For information, visit the Parking Regulations section at www.coquitlam.ca/parking.

Media contact:

Wendy Wiederick  
Parks Operations Manager 
Parks, Recreation, Culture & Facilities 
604-927-6224 
parks@coquitlam.ca