Fraser Mills helped shape Coquitlam’s early growth. Lumber work drew people from many backgrounds to the Fraser River, including French-Canadian, Japanese and South Asian workers and families.
The mill community briefly had its own municipal government. The City Archives records that Fraser Mills separated from Coquitlam in 1913 and rejoined it in 1971. Those dates are useful, but the people behind them make the history more interesting: neighbours who worked, raised families and formed a community around an industrial site.
Explore the City Archives or Coquitlam Heritage’s exhibits before visiting the area. Ask which voices appear in the records and which need more attention. A former workplace can tell many stories when we look beyond its machinery.