Canada is a country with an extremely interesting history. Moreover, the past of each settlement and province is endowed with amazing facts from the life of their first settlers.
As a rule, the cities and villages of the British Columbia province are related to indigenous peoples. They were the first to settle the lands of the future provinces and cities.
In addition, the life of indigenous peoples was studied by many travellers and archaeologists. Based on their discoveries, contemporaries have the opportunity to learn more about the history of a certain city, village and province.
This information helped a lot in studying the past of all of Canada. After all, like any other state, it consists of certain administrative and territorial units. The history of each of them is a part of a whole.
Coquitlam is one of the largest cities in British Columbia.
Its territory was explored by Simon Fraser in 1808. Then he first saw the Indigenous Coast Salish people.
Europeans began to settle in those lands in the 1860s. Fraser Mills was built on the North Bank of the Fraser River in 1889. In 1908, the area already had a diverse and developed infrastructure, which brought life in the city to a new level.
Learn more about the history of Coquitlam at ivancouver. (Source: coquitlam.ca)
Settling the lands
This territory was first settled by the Coast Salish people. According to archaeologists, they have occupied these lands for 900 years.
Simon Fraser explored the region in 1808 and European settlement began in the 1860s.
Access to an important area
In the 19th century, Coquitlam became an intermediate link with the construction of the North Road. It gave the Royal Engineers access to the area with port facilities.
City development
A significant event for the young municipality was the opening of ultra-modern Fraser Mills in 1889. It cost $350,000, an incredibly large sum at the time.
The Coquitlam Corporation was incorporated in 1891. In 1908, there was a small town around the mill. It had a full-fledged and developed infrastructure.
The construction of a mill manager’s residence began too. Later, it became Place des Arts.
New community
Over the following years, many French Canadian mill workers came to the territory of Coquitlam. It led to the emergence of the Maillardville community.
Over time, it acquired the status of a large French-speaking centre. Its history has been reflected in street names, the education system and various holidays.
Post-war period
It‘s worth noting that after the end of the war, Coquitlam began to expand noticeably and its population increased too.
The emergence of the Lougheed Highway in 1953 was a significant step towards the development of residential construction.
The merger of Coquitlam and Fraser Mills took place in 1971. Thus, the city received a large industrial base. It means that urban development has reached a new level.
Photo source: wikipedia