The city of Coquitlam has closed all civic facilities to the public until further notice following the provincial government’s announcement Wednesday of state of emergency due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Community centres and libraries were shut down earlier in the week but, as of Thursday, March 19, the list of facilities grew to include city hall, all fire halls, the Town Centre recycling depot, the Coquitlam Animal Shelter, the Coquitlam RCMP detachment and Robinson Memorial Cemetery Park administrative offices.
“Part of our role as a municipality is to provide core public services that are essential to the health, security and stability of the community,” the city said in a statement Wednesday night. “While all civic facilities are closed to the public, all essential city services will be maintained. City staff will continue to work and will be accessible by phone or email.”
The city has also cancelled a public hearing scheduled for March 30 and a town hall meeting set for April 2.
But regular council meetings will continue as scheduled, with members of the public able to watch the proceedings online at www.coquitlam.ca/webcasts. The meetings can also be viewed on the city’s CoquitlamConnect app.
Residents can still use the city’s online services and can learn more at www.coquitlam.ca/eservices. For example, utility bills can be paid online at www.coquitlam.ca/utilitypayment with a debit or credit card. The payments are due March 31 — the city has not extended the payment deadline, as Port Coquitlam council voted to do earlier this week.
Garbage and green waste collection is also operating normally for the time being. For more information, go to www.coquitlam.ca/recollect.
For up-to-date city information, go to www.coquitlam.ca/covid19 or email [email protected]. Residents can also ask questions of an operator by calling 604-927-4383 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m.
Read more of our COVID-19 coverage here. Send us your news tips and personal stories to [email protected].
