02 The story
A mill town with French Canadian roots
Maillardville began beside Fraser Mills, a large lumber mill on the north bank of the Fraser River. In 1909 the mill recruited French Canadian workers from Quebec and Eastern Ontario, and around 40 families settled here that year, with more arriving in 1910. The community was named after Father Edmond Maillard, an Oblate priest, and it grew into the largest francophone centre west of Manitoba. Fraser Mills itself closed in 2001, and the old mill site is being redeveloped into a new waterfront neighbourhood.
The francophone legacy is still easy to spot. Street names honour early families, French immersion schools are common, and Notre Dame de Lourdes Church stands on Laval Square near the original village centre on Brunette Avenue.
Festival du Bois and local heritage
Each year Maillardville hosts Festival du Bois, a celebration of French Canadian music, food and culture held in Mackin Park. It is one of the best times to visit, with fiddle music, dancing and family activities. Mackin House, built for a Fraser Mills manager, is now a small heritage museum, and Place des Arts nearby offers art classes, exhibitions and music lessons in a historic setting. Place Maillardville serves as the neighbourhood’s community centre.
Today Maillardville is a mix of older character homes, townhouses and new low-rise apartments, with growth encouraged along Brunette Avenue. It feels quieter than Coquitlam’s city centre, with a strong sense of neighbourhood pride. Austin Heights’ shops are a short walk uphill, and the Brunette interchange gives quick highway access toward Burnaby and New Westminster.
Tip: if you are here for history, walk the blocks around Laval Square and Mackin Park, where most of the heritage sites are close together.
