02 The story
Coquitlam’s downtown, built around transit
For decades this part of Coquitlam was defined by Coquitlam Centre, the large regional mall that opened in 1979 on Barnet Highway. Today the mall is just one piece of a much bigger city centre. Since the Millennium Line’s Evergreen Extension opened in 2016, towers have filled in around Coquitlam Central, Lincoln and Lafarge Lake–Douglas stations, and the area now feels like a true downtown.
Civic life is concentrated here too. City Hall, the City Centre Aquatic Complex, Percy Perry Stadium, Pinetree Secondary and Douglas College’s David Lam campus all sit within a few blocks of each other along Pinetree Way and Guildford Way.
Lafarge Lake and Town Centre Park
The green heart of the city centre is Lafarge Lake, a former gravel pit turned into a lake with a flat walking loop that draws joggers, families and dog walkers year round. Town Centre Park wraps around it with sports fields, playgrounds and an outdoor stage, and the Evergreen Cultural Centre next door hosts theatre, concerts and a public art gallery. In summer the park becomes a gathering place for outdoor events.
The city centre works well as a base for exploring the rest of the Tri-Cities. Buses fan out from Coquitlam Central to Westwood Plateau, Burke Mountain and Port Coquitlam, and the Coquitlam Crunch trailhead is a short trip away. Expect a mix of chain stores, food courts and independent restaurants spread across strip plazas, covering a wide range of cuisines.
Practical tip: driving and parking are easy at the mall, but the station areas are busy at rush hour. If you are visiting from Vancouver, SkyTrain is usually the simplest option.
