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Port Coquitlam grads spark 'Grad 2020 Week' across the province

What started as a weeklong series of events for Riverside secondary grads in Port Coquitlam has quickly ignited a B.C.-wide official celebration sanctioned and promoted by premiere John Horgan.
Stefan Labbé

Premier John Horgan dropped a big surprise on students across the Tri-Cities Monday when he said he would declare this week “Grad 2020 Week” after being inspired by a handful of Port Coquitlam students who led the charge.

The move was announced on KiSS Radio after one of the show’s hosts — a former Riverside secondary student himself — bombarded the premier with emails. 

For the announcement, KiSS invited onto the show a couple of students from the Port Coquitlam graduation committee.

“It really means a lot,” Riverside student Holly Coughlan told the hosts Monday.

It wasn’t the first time the province heeded the students’ suggestions. After calling on locals to support students Saturday, June 20, with a front line worker-like cheer at 8:20 p.m. (20:20 military time), the province said it would be following suit. 

Then the city of Port Coquitlam went all in, declaring this week “Grad 2020 Week” and lighting up city hall each night in the official colours of the city’s respective secondary schools.

BC Christian Academy
From drive through grads, like this one held for BC Christian Academy graduates on Saturday, to neighbourhood cheers, and special discounts, this is how Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Anmore and Belcarra will be sending off the graduating class of 2020 during the COVID-19 pandemic. - ANDREW LUKIANIUK

Over the weekend, Port Moody too declared it would be joining the weekly celebrations, part of a long list of special events commemorating grads across the Tri-Cities, including special photo shoots, drive-thru convocations and planting trees. 

“I thought it was going to be a Riverside thing. I never thought it was going to get this big,” said Coughlan, referring to the official “Grad 2020 Week.”

To cap off the week and ring in the special hour Saturday, the radio station will be hosting a special two hour set for grads, punctuated by a countdown and aired across the country.

In Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, city halls will be lighting up the colours of local secondary scho
In Port Coquitlam and Port Moody, city halls will be lighting up the colours of local secondary schools this week, among other gestures. ⁠Here the blue and green of Riverside secondary school gets a special nod from the city of Port Coquitlam.⁠ - City of Port Coquitlam

In a nod to “the first graduating class in a pandemic in over 100 years,” premier John Horgan congratulates the students for getting through 12 years of school and kindergarten.

Horgan went on to say that education minister Rob Fleming will be officially declaring this week grad week in a move that will have the province reaching out to districts across B.C. “to see if we can get a cheer going in every city in B.C., started right there at Riverside.”

“Grad is such an important time in your lives. This is going to be the most unique grad ever,” added Horgan before giving Riverside secondary and Port Coquitlam kudos for asking the question, “How can we make this matter? For not just now but for all time.”

“It’s a time to celebrate, not just for the grads, but for the entire community.”