316 Marmont St,
Coquitlam, BC V3K 4R1

You really need to understand the customers’ needs. Business will grow when the customers are satisfied with what we provide.

–Angela Chang

Ridgemont Foods is a grocery store located along Ridgeway Avenue in Coquitlam that opened over 40 years ago. Its current owner, Angela Chang bought the store in 2019 and has since been selling grocery goods, lottery tickets, cigarettes, flowers, and other dollar store items. For Chang, understanding her customers is key to providing what they need. Her initial struggle with the cultural differences between Canada and South Korea taught her that her needs from a corner store differ from that of her customers, so she made sure to ask her customers what they want so that her store would better reflect the wants and needs of the community it serves.

(604) 936-3337
1067 Ridgeway Ave,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 1S

(604) 475-4226
2591 Panorama Dr,
Coquitlam, BC V3E 2Y6

My dad had a business. I used to go to help my dad. I like that environment, the interaction with people. I like the small business. I don’t know, I think the interaction with people, it became a part of my life.
–Rojwol Shrestha

Shana’s Flowers is a flower shop and bodega on Gatensbury, Coquitlam that started its operations in 2013. The store sprung from the idea of an Italian restaurant, which had been the initial plan for owner Rojwol Shrestha, whose background is in hospitality and information technology. Due to regulations, however, he changed his mind and instead opened Shana’s Marketplace, a corner store which sold lottery tickets, snacks, and candies. In 2018, as a means to stay competitive, the store transitioned into a flower shop, after Shrestha’s wife Hashna, a former fashion designer in Nepal with a passion for art, said she wanted to focus on flowers. Although different from his academic background, Shrestha enjoys the freedom of a small business and the environment that comes with interacting with people.

https://shanasflowers.ca/shop/
587 Gatensbury St,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 5G4

We try to be friendly to all customers. And we usually know our customers, even their family, even how many people are living in their home and what’s their problem now. Why are they happy right now. And we know most of our customers even by their first name. And we usually talk to them and try to be happy when they come here. And we try to talk to them and make them happy. If they are not happy, we try to make them happy.
–Masoud Zand Mehraban

Shiraz Farm Market is a grocery store in Clarke Road, Coquitlam that began operations in 2017. Owned by Masoud Zand Mehraban, a former interior designer from Iran, the store prides itself in carrying the first fruits of each season and good quality halal meat, the popularity of which is a testament to Mehraban’s dedication to importing from the best. Their halal meat is sourced from Alberta, which according to Mehraban is the closest in taste to Persian lamb. In addition, they also source fruits from all over the region and even the United States to ensure they can offer the first of each season. Located in Burquitlam Plaza, Shiraz Farm Market is a vital component in the revitalisation of the plaza which is now a growing Persian community.

https://shirazfarm.ca/
552 Clarke Rd #405,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 3X5

When I was a kid, I always wanted to go to the snack store at lunchtime, or before school, or after. We just figured it’s going to do better in this area.

–Deepak Jhand

Tri City Snacks N More is a convenience store along Schoolhouse Street in Coquitlam which opened on February 2022, replacing School House Market & Florist. Specialising in rare snacks and flavours from all over the world, the store began as a side project for owner Deepak Jhand, who also runs a vape shop in Surrey. For Jhand, Tri City Snacks is a way to explore business outside the vape industry, and a way to contribute to the local community, the area of which is surrounded by schools, daycares, residential buildings, and a library. Meanwhile the hired managers of the store, a mother and daughter duo who are local to the area, see the store as a way of keeping alive the spirit of the old corner store that was part of their childhoods.

https://tricitysnacks.ca/
642 Schoolhouse St,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 5P9

Sometimes I wonder whether we need so many choices to provide to customers. But when I’m looking toward [what] our competitors have […], we have to… We’re trying to get as much as possible. And hopefully this brings more people. We’re not complaining that we’re not selling our stuff. Quite opposite.
–Grigori Khaskin

Euro Food Tri-City is a grocery store, deli, and catering company located on the Coquitlam side of North Road. The business started in 2010 as a retirement project for Grigori Khaskin, a former chemist at the Academy of Science in Ukraine and retired professor at Simon Fraser University, who owns and runs the shop with his wife, Svetlana. As its name suggests, Euro Food Tri-City specializes in carrying European grocery goods, such as candies, cakes, meats, and cheeses, as well as locally-made delicacies derived from traditional European recipes. Euro Food Tri-City prides itself in providing delicious, niche European products that are rarely found in Canada and items that aren’t simply a repeat of those in big chain stores.

https://eurofood.ca/
555 North Rd #1,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 1X2

Seeing as things have been sped up with COVID coming into play, the digitisation sped up a lot. So now we wanted to make more consumer goods available in an e-commerce platform.

–Saabir Daya

Door Treats is a virtual convenience store that delivers snacks throughout the Lower Mainland from its base of operations in Ketch Court, Coquitlam. Launched in 2022, Door Treats takes its cues from e-commerce platforms such as Shopify and Amazon to bring a new twist to the classic corner store model. Owner Saabir Daya, a digital marketer by profession, notes that the digitisation of consumer goods has only sped up with the pandemic and wanted a way to make quality snacks and goodies readily available in a same day delivery platform. However due to the virtual nature of the store, Daya admits that they lack the interactive element inherent in physical shops, and have taken to sponsoring events and maximising their digital media to connect with consumers.

https://doortreats.ca/
1312 Ketch Ct Unit #101,
Coquitlam, BC V3K 6W1

We pride ourselves in our customer service, getting to know our customers, what their needs are, meeting their needs, and to meet the price range as much as we can.
— Janet Tan

Blue Mountain Produce is a grocery store on Ridgeway Avenue, Coquitlam which began its operations as a produce market before expanding into a grocery store. Its owner Janet Tan, a social worker born in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, emphasises the importance of community in their business philosophy. To Janet, running a corner store goes beyond selling goods to customers, it is forging relationships with people to better meet the needs of the community. This philosophy has allowed the store to expand its catalogue, which now includes dry goods, frozen meat, and dim sum, as well as support other businesses by carrying locally made and produced goods, such as bakery items.

https://bluemountainproduce.com/
1041 Ridgeway Ave Unit B & C,
Coquitlam, BC V3J 1S6

Mostly I have 80% Filipinos [customers]. It’s all walks of life and all ages. It can be so young and really old. It’s like a home to them. They enjoy coming. Besides, I am the only Filipino store in this area, so it’s a meeting place for everybody.

–Laramie Tan-Amit

Located in Austin Heights, Jeepney Mart is a convenience store that specialises in imported grocery goods from the Philippines. The store opened in 2009, after owner Laramie Tan-Amit was laid off from her accounting job and decided to try her hand at retail business, something she grew up doing in the Philippines. As the only Filipino store in the area, Jeepney Mart prides itself in providing a sense of home for its largely Filipino clientele. For Tan-Amit, Jeepney Mart is not just a place for people to buy things, it’s a place where people can feel comfortable, exchange stories, and learn from one another. Tan-Amit has also incorporated her work as an accountant into Jeepney Mart and currently offers accounting and income tax services in store.

https://www.facebook.com/jeepneymart/
1071 Austin Ave,
Coquitlam, BC V3K 3P2

​In the 1920s and 30s, a modest baseball diamond on the current Mackin Park site attracted loyal ball fans from across the region. Each Sunday afternoon, large crowds descended on the park, paid their 10 cents and filled the stands. Many came to cheer on the “Circle F” Fraser Mills team as it challenged teams from Seattle, New Westminster, and the Asahi team from Vancouver. The Mill managers would often import college players from the United States to improve their line-up. These people would be given jobs at the mill. However, they very seldom showed up for work. One man would punch in for about 10 of them.

Group portrait of Circle F players in 1930. Photograph courtesy of City of Coquitlam Archives – CCOQ F20-S02-F20.3338CCOQ C6-S01-C6.933.

On April 12, 1943, the Canadian Western Lumber Company Limited donated Mackin Park to the District of Coquitlam. Mackin Park was officially dedicated as a public park on December 4, 1979.

During the 2011 Canadian Winter Olympics, the Olympic flame came to Coquitlam and a reception was held in Mackin Park on February 11, 2011. The flame was carried by Chris Wilson, a Coquitlam resident and championship wrestler, who represented Canada at the Olympic and Commonwealth Games.

Anecdotes

During the ’20s-30s, Children would fetch balls for the player in exchange for a nickel, they sometimes earned up to 70~80 cents in an afternoon.

Baseball games were very popular in Maillardville, and they would draw big crowds. People had to come early in order to even get a seat. In the earlier days, women were generally not allowed to come the games, but some women did not take this nonsense and came anyways.

Kenneth Charlton (born in 1919) lived on #47 King Edward Ave., where Mackin Park is now. When he was a kid he planted two chestnut trees. He remembered them being “oh, just two little guys”.  Later, when the City cleared out all the houses in the area to make way for the park, they left the two trees standing. One of the trees died in the 1980s. Mr. Charlton, an old man by then, used to walk by every once in a while and pat it and say, “Come on, get better,” but it didn’t. Later, the other tree grew sick and had to be taken down as well.

The Windies Cricket club was created when two teams merged into one. One team, Westcan Cricket Club, was started in 1978 by Vibert Jack of Saint Vincents & Grenadines, and Neville Pemberton, from St. Kitts & Nevis and others. They initially played on a field near Pine Tree. Their rival club was a group of West Indians, mostly from the Surrey area, called the ‘Carib Cricket Club.” The two clubs competed against each other to see which was the best cricket club in the league and determined that they were both good. They decided to form a club with a social club-like atmosphere, that they hope would be the best team in the British Columbia Mainland Cricket Leage (BCMCL) and merged to form the Windies Cricket Club in 1997,  under the society name Windies Sports and Cultural Association. They chose the cricket field in Mackin Park to be their home field, and it has served them since 1974.

The Windies, pre-COVID, met regularly at Mackin Park, and hope to resume when things return to normal.  The club offers senior men’s cricket for ages 18 to 70, and junior boys’ and girls’ cricket for ages 6 – 18. The Super Strikers are their junior team. They also enjoy social events, such as celebrations of various West Indian Islands’ Independence Days.  (The club is supported by various fund-raisers.)

Windies Cricket Club, circa 1990. Photo courtesy of Windies Sports and Cultural Association.

King Street is named after Lum King (林北琼), a Chinese farmer who lived on Alderson and Blue Mountain Street.

Lum King was born in 1877 or 1878, he immigrated to Canada in 1894 and became a naturalized citizen of Canada in 1902, had no religious beliefs, and was literate.

In Lum King’s early days, he had a nice home with a piano and a lovely chandelier in the living room. Sometimes, when people went to pay their milk bill, he would invite them in, and play and sing for them. One of the songs he used to sing was “Annie Laurie”.

He had two horses, Dukie and Dullie. He loved them. As he grew older, Lum King made less money, but refused to sell these horses. This resulted in him losing most of his property to pay his feeding bill.

King was a good friend and neighbor to many people, but after losing most of his property, he shared a stable with his last horse until his death in 1958. (He was 80 years old.)

Those who attended his funeral were each given a shiny five-cent coin. Not a Chinese tradition (that we know of), but a kind gesture, nonetheless.

Many houses in this area are either built or remodeled in the 1930s ( including 1077 Alderson, 1037 Alderson, 1038 Alderson, 1039 Alderson, 1045 Alderson, 1055 Alderson…)

Before the 1930s. People built bigger houses, then the Great Depression hit, and people started to seek smaller houses with less maintenance. People who already owned property also tried to downsize and built smaller houses.

During the Depression, one could easily rent great big homes with four and five bedrooms for $10 or $12 a month. At the time, wages were 25 cents an hour for the single men and 27 cents for married men. For reference, in those days you could buy six loaves of bread for 25 cents.

The Maillardville Village Plaza was designed to function visually at a vehicular scale as a green oasis welcoming people to Maillardville. It referenced the structure, materials, and programming of public plazas in France and Quebec in order to capture an appropriate sense of place and pay homage to the French-Canadian heritage in Maillardville.

To further establish this style, in 2001, the City commissioned for a village clock to be put in place. The clock is designed by renowned artist and horologist Raymond Saunders, maker of the famous Gastown Steam Clock.  He provided several design drafts to the City. They eventually landed on the design with fleur-de-lys spandrels on the dial and a weathervane on top. At night, it is lighted up by LED lights (originally neon lights), making the time visible, even from afar.

Raymond is currently 82 years old. He performs regular maintenance on the clock every year during daylight saving time.

Raymond Saunders giving Coquitlam Heritage staff a tour in his horology workshop.

Allard Family Portrait. Thomas Allard is on centre back. Photograph courtesy of City of Coquitlam Archives – CCOQ F20-S02-F20.3338

Tom Allard was one of four entrepreneurial brothers who came here with their parents in 1912 from Quebec via Saginaw, Mich., and Revelstoke, where they operated a lumber mill.

From growing mushrooms behind municipal hall, and selling them, the enterprising Allards branched out into various endeavors: Tom Allard operated a lumber mill in Ranch Park with his brother, Frank.

Jim Allard started a gravel pit on Pipe Line Road in northeast Coquitlam–it is still in the family. Bill Allard—he was always called the rich Allard—owned a funeral home before establishing a foundry in New Westminster. Later on, Tom Allard would also have a gravel pit on Schoolhouse Road. He was a pipefitter by trade, and was involved in the installation and maintenance of Coquitlam’s water works. He also served as a Coquitlam alderman for 12 years (1929-1942). Allard Street was named after him.

Installed in 2010 by local British Columbia artist Douglas Taylor. Opened on October 23, 2010, “Pioneer Spirit” is a gift from the City of Coquitlam commemorating the 1909 to 2009 Centenaire de Maillardville/Maillardville Centennial. The piece embodies the spirit of the pioneers who arrived in the area at the turn of the century, and provides a way-finding presence in the heart of Maillardville.

The kinetic work includes four sails and three solar panels, powering Led lighting and three listening stations. The listening stations allow you to experience a variety of sounds: natural sounds from the immediate area collected by parabolic microphone, archived recordings of the pioneers of Maillardville, and a choral piece called “Ils Rêvent d’un Village” “The Dream of a Village”. This piece was commissioned by the Societe du francophone Maillardville through the 2009 Cultural Capitals of Canada program, and is performed by “Les Échos du Pacifique”.

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