COQUITLAM, B.C., November 3, 2026 – Remember and honour veterans in meaningful ways this Remembrance Day through community initiatives such as poppy painting and messages of remembrance.

Remembrance Day Services on November 11

Coquitlam’s traditional Remembrance Day ceremony and parade, hosted by the Coquitlam Royal Canadian Legion Branch 263, will be held on November 11 at 11 a.m. Anyone wishing to pay their respects is welcome. 

The parade will start at Como Lake Middle School (1121 King Albert Avenue) at approximately 10:25 a.m., and make its way to the Blue Mountain Park Cenotaph (975 King Albert Avenue), where the ceremony will begin at 11 a.m.

Other Ways to Honour Veterans in Meaningful Ways

In recognition of the achievements and sacrifices of those who have served our nation in times of war and military conflict, join the Park Spark team in showing respect for veterans through a variety of meaningful activities this year:

• Poppy Painting along Veteran's Way
  Stop by Blue Mountain Park (975 King Albert Avenue) to paint a large poppy on the grass along Veteran’s Way as part of a temporary display. Participate at any of the following times: 

• Tuesday, November 3, 2 to 4 p.m.
• Wednesday, November 4, 9 to 11 a.m.
• Friday, November. 6, 3 to 5 p.m.
• Saturday, November 7, 10 a.m. to noon
• Sunday, November 8, 10 a.m. to noon and 2 to 4 p.m.
• Monday, November 9, 9 to 11 a.m.
• Tuesday, November 10, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 3 to 5 p.m.

• Poppy Painting at Spirit Square
  Add a painted poppy to the temporary outdoor display at Spirit Square on Burlington Drive, across the street from Coquitlam City Hall, on Thursday, November 5 from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. 
• Messages of Remembrance
  Write a message of remembrance and tie it to a tree with yellow ribbon along Veteran's Way in Blue Mountain Park. The messages will remain on the trees until November 14, then will be transcribed and shared with Canadian veteran groups. If you cannot visit in person, email your message to ParkSpark@coquitlam.ca to have it added for you. 

Centenary Poppies on Ridgeway Avenue

Have you noticed the poppies along Ridgeway Avenue? Installed to commemorate the Coquitlam Legion’s centenary, Centenary Poppies is a public art installation honouring sacrifice, remembrance and the important role the Legion has played in our community. Created by Vancouver-based artist and designer Linfeng Zhou, the installation transforms light posts into poppy stems. Inspired by the enduring symbolism of the poppy, the artwork reflects both remembrance and hope. Learn more about Art in Public Spaces at coquitlam.ca/PublicArt.

Veteran Experiences: Indigenous and Racialized Communities 

November 8 is National Indigenous Veterans Day in Canada and honours the many First Nations, Inuit and Métis soldiers, their contributions, and their sacrifices to military service.

Many Indigenous peoples and other racialized people proudly served in uniform despite facing discrimination and racism. During the First World War, more than 4,000 Indigenous soldiers served and in the Second World War more than 3,000 First Nations, as well as an unknown number of Métis, Inuit and other Indigenous recruits, served. The call for military service was answered once more by Indigenous soldiers during the Korean War (1950-53).

First commemorated in 1994, National Indigenous Veterans Day invites Canadians to better understand the role Indigenous veterans have played in Canadian history and honour their sacrifices. 

To learn more, visit veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/people-and-stories/indigenous-veterans.

Other racialized groups also played integral roles prior to and during the First and Second World Wars. To learn more about these often unheard military stories, visit veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/people-and-stories.

Honouring Veterans Throughout the Year

The City commemorates the lives of fallen Coquitlam soldiers on rolls of honour on the second floor of City Hall, and at the cenotaph at Blue Mountain Park, open year-round. 

Coquitlam continues to provide free parking in City lots and street parking spaces for those displaying a veteran’s licence plate, a tradition started in 2006. For information, visit the Parking Regulations section at coquitlam.ca/parking.

Media contact:
Sara Yastremski
Manager Parks Services 
604-927-6224
SYastremski@coquitlam.ca

We acknowledge with gratitude and respect that the name Coquitlam was derived from the hən̓q̓əmin̓əm̓ (HUN-kuh-MEE-num) word kʷikʷəƛ̓əm (kwee-KWET-lum) meaning “Red Fish Up the River”. The City is honoured to be located on the kʷikʷəƛ̓əm traditional and ancestral lands, including those parts that were historically shared with the q̓ic̓əy̓ (kat-zee), and other Coast Salish Peoples.