Register now for a tour to the pristine Coquitlam Watershed on Sunday, August 4, and fall in love with B.C. all over again.
COQUITLAM, B.C., July 18, 2024 – Register now for a tour to the pristine Coquitlam Watershed on Sunday, August 4, and fall in love with B.C. all over again.
With two time slots available, this tour highlights everything from drinking water infrastructure to giant, old-growth Western red cedars and Douglas-firs, a 1913 water intake tower, as well as panoramic views of the watershed, Coquitlam Island and Coquitlam Lake. Visit coquitlam.ca/WatershedTour for event and registration details.
Tour Details
Please note that registration is first come, first served (30 spaces available for each tour).
- Date: Sunday, August 4
- Times: 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. and 12:30 – 4 p.m.
- Cost: Free
These two tours, hosted by Metro Vancouver, are open to adults and youth ages 13 and over.
How to Register
- Email: WaterConservation@coquitlam.ca.
- Please use Watershed Tour in your subject line.
- In the body of your email, advise the number of people in your party.
- Tell us which of the two available tour times you wish to attend.
Those wishing to attend a tour with children aged three to 12 are invited to register for a Family Watershed Tour on the Metro Vancouver website.
Logistics and Accessibility
Registered participants depart Coquitlam Town Centre via bus for a 3.5-hour tour to the unspoiled, restricted-access watershed and water supply area. Please visit coquitlam.ca/WatershedTour for information about the pick-up location and other important tour logistics.
These are technical tours geared towards youth and adults. The bus tour stops 4-5 times and the excursions involve some light hiking and short walks (200m) on trails with uneven terrain and a short set of stairs. Participants must be capable of getting on and off a bus unassisted and walking on rough, unsurfaced sloping trails.
The tour also includes a significant amount of driving on gravel roads.
Participants need to wear comfortable, sturdy shoes and dress in layers; the weather is unpredictable and often cooler in the forest.
Learn More about Our Water System
After visiting 4-5 locations, participants will have a new appreciation for these protected lands and the source of the region's tap water. Through short presentations by the trained tour guide, attendees will learn about the history of our region’s water supply, water quality, water treatment, how it reaches households and the role of a healthy ecosystem in maintaining exceptional water quality.
The City of Coquitlam has developed an interactive Story Map, From Reservoir to Tap, to show how safe, clean and reliable drinking water gets from the watershed to homes in our community.
Learn more about Coquitlam’s water supply at coquitlam.ca/Water, and visit coquitlam.ca/H2O for details on the region’s annual water-use restrictions.
Media Contact
Caresse Selk
Manager Environment
waterconservation@coquitlam.ca
604-927-3500
We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓ əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓ əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.