Port Coquitlam

Port Coquitlam sits on the eastern edge of the Coquitlam Basin, wrapped on two sides by water where the Coquitlam River meets the Pitt River before both empty into the Fraser. It's a compact city — roughly 29 square kilometres — with a population of about 61,500 according to the [2021 Census](https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/), which gives it the feel of a mid-sized town tucked inside the larger Tri-Cities region. The City of Coquitlam wraps around the western and northern boundaries, while the Pitt River separates PoCo from rural Pitt Meadows to the east, crossed by the Pitt River Bridge that replaced the old 1957 swing bridge in 2009. Port Coquitlam was [incorporated in 1913](https://www.portcoquitlam.ca/) when the original District of Coquitlam was split and the rail-yard and port area became its own city — the "Port" in the name still nods to the CP Rail Coquitlam Yard running along the southern edge. The community is best known as the hometown of Terry Fox, who trained for the Marathon of Hope along PoCo streets and is honoured locally through Terry Fox Secondary and the Terry Fox Library. It's also known for the 25-kilometre PoCo Trail, a multi-use loop that follows the dykes and inland park corridors around the entire city. The neighbourhoods that follow range from the established blocks on the west and north sides, to the peninsular Mary Hill area between the two rivers, to the newer family subdivisions of Riverside and Citadel Heights, and the downtown core around Shaughnessy Street where the West Coast Express commuter rail connects residents to downtown Vancouver.