Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam, city in the Greater Vancouver Area, southwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located at the confluence of the Pitt, Coquitlam, and Fraser rivers, east of Vancouver. It is a commercial and distribution center for an area of diversified agricultural production. It is also home to the main Canadian Pacific Railway yard in British Columbia. Major manufactures include boats, processed food, chemicals, electronic equipment, rubber, wood, and metal products. High-tech industries are important to the economy. A branch campus of Douglas College is located in the city. Bordered by mountains and rivers, Port Coquitlam offers abundant recreational opportunities, including hiking and bike riding along the rivers on the citywide PoCo Trail. One of the city’s annual events is the May Day Festival.

The community was established as a railroad junction in the mid-19th century. Its name is derived from a Cowichan term for “small red salmon.” Port Coquitlam incorporated in 1913. The city grew rapidly in the last half of the 20th century as a residential suburb.

Port Coquitlam covers a land area of 28.8 sq km (11.1 sq mi). Population 36,773 (1991); 51,257 (2001).