Coquitlam's traditionally French-Canadian enclave may soon have plaques on some of its street posts to honour the pioneers who have roads named after them.
The city's Maillardville Commercial and Cultural Revitalization Task Force recently made the suggestion to council to formally pay tribute to the pioneers and their families that settled in the area about 100 years ago and whose names appear on street signs around the community, including Paré Court, Booth Avenue and Allard Street.
Emery Paré was Maillardville's first police chief while Ralph Booth was reeve from 1904 to 1908 and his dairy farm was the site of many annual community picnics; Amedée Allard, a prominent logger, also served on council.
At the last land use committee, councillors asked city staff to work with the Maillardville Residents' Association and the Coquitlam Heritage Society to look at ways to publicly acknowledge those pioneers by, perhaps, putting up honour plaques on street posts. Coun. Doug Macdonell said a registry of street names showing their origins should be created for the entire city - not just Maillardville.
Honour plaques on buildings are commonplace in cities with long histories, said Mayor Richard Stewart, referring to his recent trip to Quebec City, so preserving the heritage of a city with only 100 years is vital.
City engineers are now considering upgrades to all of Coquitlam's street signs to improve visibility, especially for the aging population, the task force heard.
