‘A Field of Dreams moment’: Construction underway on new PoCo trail

Port Coquitlam residents should start stretching out their hamstrings and quads.

Construction on a new trail connecting ƛ̓éxətəm (tla-hut-um) Regional Park to the Citadel Heights neighbourhood is underway. 

The unnamed hike, which is expected to resemble the Coquitlam Crunch, will include more than 300 stairs and be roughly 6.5 kilometres long. It will also feature 70 metres of elevation gain between Shaughnessy Street and Eastern Drive and be accessible from the Traboulay Trail. 

“This new trek will, without a doubt, become one of our community’s most popular spots, providing a backcountry experience right in the heart of Port Coquitlam,” Mayor Brad West stated in a release. 

At a council meeting last December, Port Coquitlam approved $73 million in its capital program budget for local rehabilitation and recreation projects. Forty million of that budget is slated to go towards finishing upgrades at Leigh Square, a new soccer hub at Gates Park and the unnamed trail, among other initiatives. 

The funding comes from a combination of the city’s reserve funds, revenue and grants.  

At the time, West said the trail would be a hit for residents that are familiar with the Coquitlam Crunch.

“The City of Coquitlam has provided a very popular amenity through the Coquitlam Crunch,” he said at the Dec. 5 meeting. “Having something akin to that, though not exactly the same, in Port Coquitlam is going to be really well received.”

Jenn Geneve, a Port Moody woman who is an admin on the Coquitlam Crunch Facebook page, has completed the Crunch roughly 1,000 times between 2020 and 2023. She applauded the city’s decision to build a Crunch-like trail in Port Coquitlam. 

“I smiled,” Geneve said when she heard the city was building the trail. “I’m not surprised they would do a thing that fosters community.”

There are many physical and mental benefits to the Crunch, Geneve added, namely the toll it takes on bodies and sense of accomplishment after completing a steep hike. 

She encourages residents to start a social media page for the trail — comparing times and posting photos after a hard hike — to grow its popularity in the first few months. Ultimately, though, she expects the trail to be a hit with all Tri-Cities residents. 

“I think it’s a Field of Dreams moment,” Geneve said. “If you build it, they will come. There’s no way people aren’t going to use it.”

Less than one percent of the existing vegetation will be impacted by construction on the hike, according to the city. 

A new access point will be installed to connect the trail to ƛ̓éxətəm Regional Park, and improvements are going to be made to an existing pedestrian crossing at Eastern Drive to Skyline Park. 

Although Port Coquitlam is currently installing roughly 210 steps between Shaughnessy Street and Eastern Drive, the hike is still unnamed. 

The city is encouraging residents to submit name ideas online by Apr. 7. 

A name is slated to be announced when the hike is officially opened to the public in the late spring.