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Reporters' notebooks: What the 'Tri-City News' will eye in 2025

Here are five stories on our radar for next year as we cover our growing communities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra.
Janis Cleugh
Janis Cleugh
jodie-wickens
Jodie Wickens was sworn into office in November 2024 as the new MLA for Coquitlam–Burke Mountain.government of bc

With 2024 nearly behind us, Tri-City News reporters are circling the big stories on our calendars that are coming up for next year.

Here are five on our radar as we cover our growing communities of Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra.

Two elections

As the Liberals shuffle the cabinet in Ottawa, face a non-confidence vote and lose 40 MPs, a federal election before October is likely.

In the Tri-Cities, incumbent MPs Ron McKinnon (Liberal, Coquitlam–Port Coquitlam) and Bonita Zarrillo (NDP, Port Moody–Coquitlam) are running for re-election.

But another MP will emerge for the region following a riding re-distribution two years ago, with a small chunk of southern Coquitlam — south of Austin Avenue and west of Schoolhouse Street (but not the area around United Boulevard) — now included in New Westminster–Burnaby–Maillardville.

And, on Feb. 22, Coquitlam voters will return to the polls to elect a new school trustee following the exit of Jennifer Blatherwick, who became the MLA for Coquitlam–Maillardville in October.

To date, one person has publicly announced their candidacy: Candace Knoll.

Housing deadlines

Municipal councils in the Tri-Cities, and around B.C., have spent the past year grappling with the housing mandates sprung by the provincial government in November 2023 — legislation designed to speed up home construction to meet demand.

Despite hundreds of in-stream applications before municipal halls, the development market has cooled as a result of the uncertainty and delays with civic planners scrambling to update policies, plans and population projections that will impact infrastructure and schools.

Still, with public hearings now banned (unless the bids have OCP change proposals), councils are finally inching forward with some big plans.

In Port Moody, where there is a provincial housing target like in Port Coquitlam, two big developments will likely go for public hearings in January: PCI Development’s application for two 39-storey rental towers by the Moody Centre SkyTrain Station, and Beedie Living’s bid to build three towers at Spring Street and Electronic Avenue.

And in Anmore, Icona Properties looks to tie up its trimmed proposal for the 151-acre site it owns at First Avenue and Sunnyside Road.

3030 Gordon Ave.

All eyes are on Jodie Wickens, the newly elected NDP MLA for Coquitlam–Burke Mountain, whose redistributed constituency now includes the homeless shelter at 3030 Gordon Ave.

With an encampment now outside the provincially funded facility, pressure is mounting from city councillors, emergency personnel and social support agencies to find solutions for the unhoused people, as well as the surrounding businesses and the neighbourhood.

In addition, the Tri-Cities Homelessness and Housing Task Group will need new leadership following the departures this year of coordinator Polly Krier and co-chairs Keir MacDonald and Cristina Pereira.

Spani Pool

After years of construction delays, an updated Spani Pool in Coquitlam’s Mundy Park is expected to re-open for swimmers in the summer.

But the revamp will also come with a new name: Mundy Park Pool.

The $32-million reboot of the half-century-old outdoor tank will come with a new leisure pool, a new warming pool and universal washrooms open year-round for park visitors.

Hazel Trembath Elementary

During the provincial election campaign this fall, Premier David Eby and Port Coquitlam MLA (and deputy premier) Mike Farnworth committed to rebuilding Hazel Trembath Elementary, which burned down in October 2023.

But, much to the dismay of the School District 43 board of education, there's been no timeline given yet for the replacement of the PoCo landmark.

Since the human-caused blaze, more than 200 pupils in kindergarten to Grade 5 have had to be bused from the southern Port Coquitlam neighbourhood to Winslow Centre, in Coquitlam, each week day.

Reporters’ wish list

Meanwhile, the Tri-City News has some wishes for Tri-City municipal halls in 2025:

  • start construction of the long-awaited Fremont Connector in Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam
  • allow parks, arenas and other civic facilities to be named after local sporting heroes — not by a geographical location
  • ensure commercial spaces in new buildings have a variety of tenants (and aren't all taken by dentists)

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