A Walk Through History
Historic Maillardville is rich in lore and stories.
On this tour you will be brought back to explore some of the most iconic heritage sites in local history. Maillardville has changed a great deal since its early days, but you can still vividly imagine what this community looked like by taking a walk through history.
We offer two walking tours:
Maillardville, 1900 - 1920
MAILLARDVILLE, 1930 - PRESENT
For a self-guided tour, stop by Mackin House to pick up an informational brochure and map to guide you on our walk.
Please contact us to book a guided tour.
01: Heritage Square
01: Heritage Square
Established between 1993-2000, Heritage Square is home to a variety of cultural and heritage buildings including Mackin House, Place des Arts (formerly known as Ryan House) and the relocated Fraser Mills CPR station. At Heritage Square you will also find a caboose, a plaque honouring the Francophone pioneers of Maillardville and many other outdoor historic displays.
02: 1125 Avenue Cartier
The two Beaubien brothers, both miners, built this house circa 1917 and rented it to others. In the early 1920s, James Russell purchased it and built a large shed at the back, where he started Maillardville’s first bakery.
03: 1207 Cartier Avenue
This structure was built in the 1940s as three stores. At one time a shoemaker, a drycleaner and a carpenter operated the stores. In the 1950s, the Painchaud family lived in one section and operated a grocery store from the two sections.
04: 1133 Cartier Avenue
Charles Bouthot built this house shortly after he arrived here in 1909 with the first group of pioneers. The rectangular shape and roof gables well represent the style of the early buildings of Maillardville. The family grew and nine children were raised in the home. One of the sons, George, was a drummer for the local brass band, “la Fanfare canadienne de Maillardville”.
05: Our Lady of Lourdes
The local parish “Our Lady of Lourdes” is the third church to be built on the original site. The current structure was blessed in 1937 and was erected on the foundation of the first church, constructed by the pioneers in 1910. (The date can still be seen in the foundation near the front entrance of the church.)
06: Presbytery
Built around 1911, the Presbytery was renovated in 1937 and again in 1976. Vinyl siding conceals a stucco finish, which covers the original wood siding. The front steps, porch skirting and foundation have been altered, as have all the windows.
07: 838 Laval Square
This home was built in the 1920s, and was the residence of Napoleon Croteau, one of the pioneers who arrived in 1910 from Sherbooke, Quebec. In 1929, Mr. Croteau worked as a supervisor for the Canadian National Railway in the Port Mann Yards and travelled to work via the bridge across the Fraser River at New Westminster.
08: 1303 Laval Square
Built in 1920, this was the residence of Johnny Dicarie, a colourful personality in the community, who arrived here in 1909 with his parents. Johnny was a volunteer in the first Coquitlam fire brigade and worked as a shingle sawyer at Fraser Mills for many years, after which he operated a pool hall. A square dance caller, he was very involved in organizing and running events at the Columbia Dance Hall in New Westminster for many years.
09: Millside/Suwa’lkh School
Millside School was built in 1907 to serve the town of Millside and the local farming community. Today Suwa’lkh is an alternative education school that focuses on Indigenous teachings. Suwa’lkh means “New Beginnings” in Hul’qumi’num.
Heritage Square
Mackin House
Mackin House was built in 1909 as the residence for Fraser Mills’ sales manager Henry J. Mackin and his family. The house changed ownership with the sawmill, and remained a residence until 1971. In 1993 the Coquitlam Heritage Society began transforming the mansion into a museum and today Mackin House Museum offers vi
Ryan House
Ryan House was built by the Canadian Western Lumber Company in 1908 for the manager of the Fraser Mills sawmill and his family. Subsequently it housed the RCMP and since 1972 has been the home of the Place des Arts, Arts Centre & Music School.
Fraser Mills Train Station
At its original location across from the Fraser Mills sawmill, this CPR station served passengers, handled the sawmill’s freight business, and provided public telegraph and parcel services. The Francophone pioneers arrived at the Fraser Mills station, at the end of their westward journey.
Caboose
The Caboose in Heritage Square is the Canadian Pacific Railway Caboose #424553. It was made by Angus shops in Montreal. This car was the last one connected to the train and was used to accommodate the train crew.
The Kwikwetlem Nation
Archaeological evidence indicated the Kwikwetlem have lived on these lands for at least 10,000 years, although their oral traditions indicates an extensive prehistoric presence. The Kwikwetlem are part of the Coast Salish language family and speak hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓, a downriver dialect of the larger Halkomelem language group. The word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm consists of a hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ three syllable word meaning “Red Fish Up the River,” referring to the salmon that once travelled up the Coquitlam River to spawn in Coquitlam Lake. The name Coquitlam was derived from the name for these salmon.
Chief Johnnie lobbied against the construction of the Coquitlam Dam in 1904 knowing it would bring about devastation to the community. He was ignored and the sockeye salmon who relied on this area almost went extinct as a result. Systemic oppression, continually led to displacement, loss of habitat, and disruption of cultural traditions for Indigenous peoples. The Kwikwetlem have remained resilient and continue to decolonize, rebuild, and heal from the past.
The Lumber Industry and the Race Riots
A mill established on the shores of the Fraser River operated under different names for over 115 years, from 1890 to 2005 and was one of the largest private employers in the area. Opening in 1889, the Ross McLaren Mill established Millside, a small community for workers and their families. Heavy silt accumulation in the Fraser River and other difficulties led to a production shut down in 1899.
Fraser River Sawmills or Fraser River Lumber Company occupied this location next, and they lobbied the federal government to have the river dredged to allow ships to sail further upriver. In 1905, the mill reopened and became the largest mill in the Pacific Northwest. In 1907, the company could not meet the demand for labour and almost shut down. Alexander Duncan McCrae (a member of the Anti-Asian League), a lumber investor from Winnipeg, and Peter Jansen, a senator from Nebraska took over the company. They successfully bought up timber rights on Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland and changed the mill’s name to The Canadian Western Lumber Company in 1910. Millside was also renamed to Fraser Mills, forming their own community which seceded from Coquitlam in 1913, later rejoining the municipality in 1971.
Early mill workers were mostly from China, Japan, and India. These men were paid different wages according to their race, received lower wages, and endured more dangerous work conditions compared to their white counterparts. Due to strict immigration laws, their families were not allowed to live here with them. The presence of Asian immigrants antagonized the white supremacists who believed they had exclusive rights to the land and viewed Asians as rivals in the job markets. The anti-Asian sentiment culminated in a series of anti-Asian riots in 1907 across West Coast from San Francisco to Vancouver, including Fraser Mills. As a result, the company decided to establish a workforce of exclusively white workers. Skilled lumber workers were recruited from Quebec and Ontario to work at Fraser Mills. The first group arrived on September 28, 1909. Unlike their predecessors, they were allowed to bring their families along and were even given land and lumber to build a Catholic church, Our Lady of Lourdes Church.
Prominent Places
Laval Square
In 1909, the first French Canadian workers arrived from Quebec and Ontario, establishing the community of Maillardville with Laval Square and Our Lady of Lourdes Church at its centre as was customary in Quebec. The 1911 census of the area showed a diverse population including a Norwegian and Greek community. Despite efforts to displace workers, the South Asian, Japanese, and Chinese communities also never left. Many shops and services were established south of Laval Square on Pitt River Road (later renamed Brunette Avenue for the muddy river that it crosses). These included the post office inside Proulx’s general store, Thrift’s meat market, Grevelyn’s shoe repair shop, Boileau’s poolroom, Leroux’s liquor store, the police and municipal offices of Emeri Paré, and the social centre of Tremblay Hall.
Pitt River Road
Pitt River Road derived its name from the Pitt River which empties into the Fraser River. This river named by James McMillian in 1827 who named it after the Earl of Chatham and British Prime Minister, William Pitt the Younger. This road was officially recorded and cleared in 1862 by the Royal Engineers who were sent to the province to ensure British claims to the territory were protected. When the Royal engineers laid out routes, they often included those already in use by local First Nations. The name has changed over time and what we call Brunette Avenue today makes up part of the original Pitt River Road.
Maillardville
Maillardville was named after the first full-time priest at our new Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Father Edmund Maillard, an oblate who later served at four BC Indian Residential Schools, including St. Joseph’s in Williams Lake, Sechelt, and St. Mary’s in Mission.
Maillardville became one of the biggest Francophone communities in Western Canada. Out of the 110 people who arrived in Coquitlam in 1910, 31 of them were members of the Pare family. Emeri Paré, was sworn in as chief of police, a volunteer fire brigade was formed, and the village was granted a post office in 1913. Attempts at incorporation were unsuccessful, so Maillardville became a part of the District of Coquitlam. The first Coquitlam City Hall was built at 111 Brunette Avenue right across the street from Mackin House in the 1920s. It was located here until 1997 then moved to its current location, 3000 Guildford Way.
A second wave of Francophones came in the 1930s to 1960s from Saskatchewan. Over time, the histories of Francophones and Anglophones were gathered and celebrated. Unfortunately, the legacies of those who did not fit into these groups were left out of popular narratives about the history of Coquitlam and a significant gap in our historical record remains. Today, this area is still very diverse. In addition to being home to people from French speaking countries across the world, Maillardville has become an area of “super diversity.” In fact, there are over 100 languages being spoken in Coquitlam today, many of those in Maillardville.
To learn more about further community development see our West Maillardville: 1930s to Today walking tour brouchure.
Interpretive Sign Walk
You can also find and read all of our signs while walking around! Visit the link down below to see where all our interpretive signs are located.