Tri-Cities residents, communities and organizations are paying their respects with words and photos of the Queen.
Elizabeth II died today (Sept. 8) at 96 years old.
Buckingham Palace announced her death on social media hours after she was placed under medical supervision because doctors were concerned for her health.
Her passing officially ended the longest-reigning monarchy in British history. Elizabeth II was age 25 when she became Queen of the United Kingdom and leader of the Commonwealth in 1952 following the death of her father.
A year later, June 2, 1953, she became Canada's Head of State.
And since then, she made 22 trips across the Atlantic to visit dozens of Canadian communities; her last visit in 2010, while her last in B.C. was in 2002 in Vancouver and Victoria.
While she may not have visited the Tri-Cities, her parents came to the region in 1939 while on a cross-country tour.
It was rumoured King George VI and Queen Elizabeth I vacationed at Minnekhada Lodge while travelling through Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam.
According to Tourism Coquitlam, Eric Hamber, then Lieutenant Governor of B.C., bought the farm in 1932, transformed the area into a retreat for the "world's elite," and included a polo club and hunting lodge.
Minnekhada Lodge still stands today in Minnekhada Regional Park, off Oliver Road, and the house is open every Sunday between February and December for visitors to explore.
Today, flags have been lowered to half-mast at a number of local facilities, including Port Coquitlam city hall, Port Moody Police Department and Port Moody Fire Hall No. 1.
"She had an unwavering place in the hearts of her people," Coquitlam Legion #263 said in a social media post about the Queen's death.
"She was the longest-ruling British monarch, outpacing her great-great-grandmother, Queen Victoria. For most Canadians, the 96-year-old is the only sovereign they have ever known."
Tri-Cities community leaders also issued statements expressing condolences to the Royal Family on their loss.
"Like many people in our community, I am reflecting on the long and historic life of Queen Elizabeth II. She was a strong mother, grandmother, and great grandmother and I offer my condolences to her family," said Port Moody-Coquitlam MP Bonita Zarrillo.
"Upon her coronation, her Majesty solemnly committed to devoting her life to the Commonwealth and its people," said Coquitlam-Port Coquitlam MP Ron McKinnon to the Tri-City News.
"For over seventy years, she was a calm and steady presence in a period of tremendous change. Her life was one of service and devotion to the Commonwealth and to Canada’s democratic constitutional order. I grieve with all the Commonwealth, and my thoughts are with her family, and with his Royal Highness King Charles III."
"For many of us, Queen Elizabeth is the only monarch we have known," added School District 43 (SD43) board chair Michael Thomas.
"She was a tremendous stabilizing force in our world. Renowned for her composure and stalwart dedication to tradition, Queen Elizabeth will be remembered for her incredible reign and the many historical changes that occurred in her lifetime. She dedicated her life to public service and the public good. She saw us through countless global challenges with grace and dignity. Her absence will be missed for many years to come. Our sympathies go out to the Royal Family at this most difficult time."
The Tri-City News will update this story with more reaction to the Queen's passing as more content becomes available.
- with a file from The Canadian Press
