New Partington Creek Neighbourhood at Burke Mountain

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At Monday night’s Coquitlam City Council meeting and public hearing, Wesbild received approval to begin work on our first neighbourhood in the Partington Creek Neighbourhood.  This community will feature single family homes, a future elementary school site and a park containing a streamside protection area and a nature trail.  Our plan for this area upholds and represents what is outlined in the Northeast Coquitlam Area Plan by the City of Coquitlam.

Site preparation including tree falling, tree removal and storm water management installation will commence in January 2015 and complete by May 2015.  Subdivision development will commence in Spring 2015, complete in Spring 2016 and include earthworks, retaining wall installation, road construction and landscaping.  House construction in this new neighbourhood is planned to begin in Fall 2015.

At the public hearing, we heard a lot of frustration surrounding the current lack of schools at Burke Mountain. We, too, are frustrated.   While we have been diligently lobbying the importance of schools for community with the powers that be, we have absolutely no control over the timeline of the schools or funding for new schools on Burke Mountain.   That control lies with School District 43 and the Ministry of Education.

Wesbild has been in regular contact with SD43 Trustees and staff, and provincial government officials, stressing the urgent need for schools in our community. In fact, Wesbild has offered to bridge-finance the construction of a school and to manage the land assembly for Smiling Creek Elementary School. Sadly, none of our offers to help have resulted in school construction. As a stopgap measure, Wesbild has been subsidizing a parent organized trial school bus route for Burke children to get to school safely.

It is our sincere hope that the new School Board and new Superintendent move Burke Mountain schools ahead with the speed and urgency that this community deserves. We encourage those concerned to contact local decision makers for action.

Contact your elected school trustees, MLA, and Education Minister and ask for their support in bringing schools to Burke Mountain:

School Trustees (Coquitlam)

Burke Mountain/Coquitlam MLA

British Columbia’s Minister of Education

Wesbild’s President, Kevin Layden, is interested in conducting a town hall meeting to share what Wesbild knows about school’s on Burke Mountain. We will be looking to book that meeting as soon as possible and share those details with you as they become available.

As always, Wesbild staff is available to answer questions about the development process at The Foothills. We strive to provide residents as much information as we can through our Facebook Page and this blog, as well as in our quarterly resident newsletter and our Resident Email List.

If you would like to be added to the Resident Email List, or you have any questions, please contact Jen Derbyshire at 604-694-8829 or jderbyshire@wesbild.com.