Emily Lonie got a pleasant surprise in the mail last summer.
The archivist for the city of Coquitlam received a scrapbook from a woman in Connecticut, who had cleared out her grandmother’s attic and found an album with about 60 photos of the building of the Coquitlam Dam.
The book is a treasure trove, showing black and white images of the construction crews and their families from the winter of 1912 to the summer of 1913.
The pictures, which have since been uploaded on the city’s website, show the camp, a bridge and skaters on the Coquitlam Lake, among other leisurely scenes. “It’s an amazing collection of photography,” Lonie said.
It’s these kinds of unique donations that are steadily building the city’s archives, a collection created when Lonie was hired about three years ago.
And, next Wednesday as part of the Coquitlam 125 celebrations and in conjunction with BC Heritage Week, she will talk about the fonds that are now being housed on the ground floor of city hall.
Her presentation, titled 125 Years: An Archival Tour of Coquitlam’s 13 Decades, will start with a document of the first council meeting on Aug. 22, 1891 — presided by Reeve R.B. Kelly, when there were two motions on the table: to hire a clerk and to adjourn the meeting — and the 1894 letters patent to incorporate the district of Coquitlam.
Her slide show will also include a timeline; the original boundary map of Coquitlam (without Fraser Mills, the largest sawmill in the Commonwealth at the time); photos of the Minnekhada hunting lodge (used by two B.C. lieutenant governors); Riverview Hospital; and the Westwood racing circuit (the first purpose-built track for motor sports in Canada).
“Coquitlam certainly has a rich history considering its size,” Lonie said. “There’s been a very dominant narrative about the city but there’s more to be told and that can be found in our records.”
Lonie said she’s eager to expand the archives and plans to be at several Coquitlam 125 events throughout the year to educate the public about handing over their one-of-a-kind materials to the city for preservation. These include photos, letters, diaries, business records, newsletters, maps and videos, for example.
Recently, Lonie received the meeting minutes from the Northeast Coquitlam Ratepayers’ Association — a valuable resource to look at the history of Burke Mountain, an area the city plans to develop with 25,000 more residents over the next decade or so.
• 25 Years: An Archival Tour of Coquitlam’s 13 Decades will be held on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m. at Coquitlam city hall (3000 Guildford Way). Admission is free. Visit coquitlam125.ca.
[email protected]
@jwarrenTC
