How does one begin to even detail the vast amount of things to do in a rich city such as Coquitlam? Well, this is by no means meant as a directory for everything there is to do, but we’ll break it into the sections of outdoor, recreation, shopping, and entertainment.

For those who enjoy the outdoors, Coquitlam’s plethora of parks each have their unique offerings. By far the largest and most expansive of them, Mundy Park is easily one of the city’s treasured locations. With over 178 hectares of forest, trails and its own lake, Mundy Park is a great place to go for a walk, a run or take in any of a number of recreational amenities. On its west side, you’ll find Spani Outdoor Pool, sports fields, ball diamonds, a lacrosse box, playground, a sheltered picnic area, and nine-hole disc golf course. If it’s park with bodies of water you fancy, Como Lake Park is a short drive away westward along Como Lake Avenue. East of Coquitlam Centre, Town Centre Park features Lafarge Lake in its centre, and is a stunning walk with views of Coquitlam vibrant high-rise residential area. And further east along Lougheed Highway lies one of the charms of the Lower Mainland – Minnekhada Regional Park. Originally a working farm and later a retreat for the wealthy, the 200-hectare park is stunningly wild, home to over 160 species, and the perfect spot to just get away from it all. Not just a destination for day-trippers and hikers, the park is also home to Minnekhada Lodge, a 1930s country estate that is a popular wedding venue due to its historical character and stunning views over the fields below. But if you’re more into smaller and charming parks, Blue Mountain Park, Mackin Park or Riverview Forest Park may be more to your liking. All in all, Coquitlam’s parks feature a mix of deciduous woodland and coniferous forest trees and are home to many bird, insect and mammal species, such as owls, butterflies and bats. Larger animals, such as deer and black bears also frequent the forest at various times of the year.

Hikers rejoice. You definitely won’t get complacent with having to go back to the same area for hiking. First of all, let’s dove-tail on the conversation above about Minnekhada Regional Park. Its hiking trails range from a flat path leading throughout the marsh to an uphill climb to the High Knoll, with incredible views looking over the wilderness and the Pitt River. If you want to stay closer to the city core, the Hoy Creek Trail is a short walk from the Lafarge-Lake Douglas SkyTrain Station. A peaceful 2.8km trail gives you a reprieve in nature, with a chance to spot salmon spawning in the creek. Over at Pinecone Burke Provincial Park, its stunning wilderness area is so incredibly wild and remote, you’ll feel like you’ve left civilization behind. Plenty of market trails and great views from the higher elevations make this a top spot. And if you really want to take in a serious hike, Westwood Plateau Trails is 23 km of trails that wind their way through city parks, natural areas, and greenways on Eagle Mountain.

Now, let’s for a moment duck inside and let’s say you want to spend the day shopping instead of being of being at the park or on the trails. Coquitlam Centre is at the heart of the city’s main district. Built in 1979 and expanded in 2001, it offers 910,000 sq. ft. of retail space, including key brands such as Hudson’s Bay, Guess, Sport Chek, London Drugs and even T&T Supermarket. Across the way from Coquitlam Centre lies Henderson Place Mall, which is a Chinese themed mall with unique restaurants and one-of-a-kind retailers. Then, if you take a drive westward on Lougheed Highway towards Vancouver, you’ll come across the Lougheed Shopping Corridor, which offers mega stores like IKEA, Canadian Tire, Staples, Canadian Superstore and Homesense. And over in Austin Heights is where you’ll find a larger number of the city’s professional offices for accountants, doctors, deli stores, medical service, and physiotherapy/massage therapists. Finally, if you’re an early riser on Sunday mornings, be sure to take in the Coquitlam Farmers Market. Launched in 1996, its Poirier Street location opens in early May every year and runs until October. As the longest running suburban farmers market in the Lower Mainland, you’ll find a wide variety of vendors gathering to showcase their products – made, baked, grown, or raised in BC.

After a day of shopping, it’s time to take in Coquitlam’s entertainment scene. Over at the Evergreen Cultural Centre, music, dance, theatre and comedy shows run every year from September through May. Offering a diverse roster of talent from across the city, and the country, the Evergreen is now in its 21st year and always presents something for everyone’s taste. Across Lougheed Highway and Highway 1, the Hard Rock Casino Vancouver is a great place to escape for a bit of Las Vegas in the Greater Vancouver area. Aside from the standard games on its casino floor, their entertainment brings in some of the world’s biggest entertainment acts, such as Matchbox Twenty, Trisha Yearwood, Sandra Bernhard, Chicago, Jann Arden and more. The nearby Cineplex Cinemas Coquitlam & VIP is one of the few movie theatres in the Lower Mainland offering VIP service that gives ticket holders access to an adults-only section. Order wine or a spirit of your choice, and enjoy seat-side-service for nibblies before the movie starts. If you want a competitive night out with your friends, Zone Bowling is the perfect to see who takes home the trophy, and Climb Base Five will challenge you and your friends to take in Metro Vancouver’s largest indoor climbing gym. There are, of course, seasonal entertainment events, such as the Summer Concert Series at Lafarge Lake. The annual Festival Du Bois, now running for almost 30 years, is the largest and most attended Francophone festival on the west coast of Canada and is held in the Maillardville neighbourhood. And around Christmas time, the Lights at Lafarge Lake becomes a magical wonderland to stroll through on a cool night.

What about recreation, you say? Don’t worry. We’ve saved the best for last! Let’s start by taking in a round or two of golf at either Eaglequest Golf, the Westwood Plateau Golf & Country Club, or the Vancouver Golf Club. If golf isn’t your forte, the Coquitlam Tennis Club offers lessons for juniors, adults, and hold tournaments from its outdoor club near Town Centre Park. Lawn bowlers will meet friends, new and old, at the Coquitlam Lawn Bowling Club. With over 150 members enjoying the sport from April through September, its extensive facilities include an attractive clubhouse, equipment shed, lockers, & one of the finest natural grass greens in the lower mainland. And lastly if you want a choice of a number of things to do in a day, the Poirier Sports & Leisure Complex is definitely the place to spend a morning or afternoon. At a staggering 190,000 square feet, this multi-purpose all-season complex features ice and fitness facilities with a lap pool, a leisure therapy pool, a relaxation area with whirlpool, steam room and dry sauna, diving boards and a number of accessible features. It also offers a variety of ice skating, aquatic, fitness and dry floor programs as well as drop-in classes. And for sports history buffs, the Poirier Sports & Leisure Complex is home to the Coquitlam Sports Hall of Fame.