The Editor,
I have the pleasure of being a member of Coquitlam’s Community in Bloom focus group. Recently, we toured our beautiful city with the judges who will determine Coquitlam’s status as a Community in Bloom.
As a proud and longtime resident of Coquitlam, I was prepared to showcase our city at its best but even I was in awe of what our city has to offer.
We started the tour visiting some of my favourite areas, including the Centennial Rose Garden at Dogwood Pavilion, Mackin House, Place Des Arts and the beautiful new gardens in Mackin Park.
The tour continued in parts of Coquitlam I have wanted to explore more fully but never managed to find the time to, until now. These included the magnificent Riverview arboretum, the new Burke Mountain neighbourhoods, Hockaday Park (which backs onto the Coquitlam River) and the incredible Inspiration Garden in Town Centre Park.
You or your child may have participated in one of the many special events associated with this project if you happened to plant a flower at the new community garden or on one of the eco-sculptures.
Other activities included chalk art, yarn bombing and banner painting in Mackin, Victoria or Como Lake parks. There was also a pop-up beach in Blue Mountain Park where children could build sandcastles and parents lounged on brightly coloured Adirondack chairs.
Each and every stop was filled with so many interesting facts provided by passionate and knowledgeable city staff or community volunteers. I plan to re-visit most of these sites again at my leisure and
I encourage you to take advantage of all the city has to offer and check out some of these incredible and beautiful sites as well.
Thanks to Kathleen Reinheimer and all the Coquitlam team members who made for such an enjoyable experience, including those involved with the amazing equipment dance (you know who I mean).
Some of the goals for participating in this project are to build community spirit, encourage environmental responsibility and beautify public spaces. I would suggest that these goals were certainly met and, in fact, were surpassed.
Erin Davidson, Executive Director, Austin Heights BIA
