Although Coquitlam hasn't hosted a May Day celebration in nearly half a century, its past tradition of marking the arrival of spring has been kept alive by the city's archives.
An online exhibit of Coquitlam May Days has been assembled by the archives.
May Day ran from 1940 to 1962 in Coquitlam when it was abandoned because the city's school population was growing so fast, its teachers were too busy to prepare students for the event. May Day celebrations featured maypole dancing, the crowning of a May Queen, banquets, a parade and more.
The city even made it an annual half-day holiday.
It was revived in 1971 for the province's centennial celebration but hasn't happened in the city since, although the tradition continues in Port Coquitlam.
(Port Coquitlam's May Day opening ceremony and banquet will be held May 4, with a block party and parade May 12.)
Coquitlam archive staff have pulled together newspaper clippings, photos and other materials together to form the exhibit called May Day — The Celebration of Spring, which can be viewed at www.coquitlam.ca/city-hall/city-government/archives/online-exhibit-may-day.
Coquitlam's exhibit is the latest in a quarterly series of online exhibits.
