Did you take lessons with the Dupre School of Dance?
Did your sports team ever celebrate at Mother Tucker’s restaurant?
And do you remember shopping at Woodward’s in Coquitlam Centre?
As Coquitlam Archives gathers photos and records from the past, it’s also calling on long-time residents to share the city’s stories.
This year, Leah Rae, the city’s archives and records officer, added three sets of donations from residents that stitch together Coquitlam’s history:
- Shyla Seller, an archivist, writer, editor and musician, offered images of her years in Coquitlam from the 1980s. Seller, who attended Parkland Elementary, Como Lake Middle and Centennial Secondary schools, worked at Lougheed Mall for her grandparents’ chain, Hol ’n’ One Donut House.
- Tim Kernighan, a firefighter and fire prevention inspector, submitted photos of Coquitlam from the 1970s to 1990s. Kernighan, who graduated in 1973, attended Lord Baden–Powell Elementary, Como Lake Middle and Centennial Secondary schools.
- The Champagne family — Cecile and Roger, and their kids Doris, Audrey and Gary — donated images of family life in the French–Canadian enclave of Maillardville in the 1970s. The family attended services at Our Lady of Fatima Church, sang in the Chante Clair Choir and went to Brownie events.
Their donations can be seen in Rae’s online exhibit, Community Records, which came out Sept. 15 via coquitlam.ca/communityrecords.
In a news release, city archivist Jamie Sanford said the donations from residents, businesses and organizations are given the same attention and care as government documents.
And the photos, letters, maps and other material helps to “paint a complete picture of Coquitlam’s history and its people,” he said.
• To donate, call 604-924-3900 or email [email protected]. You can also search for archival information about Coquitlam via coquitlam.ca/cityarchives.
