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Halloween Ideas and Events in Port Coquitlam
Nightmare on Rae Street's home-haunt display, the City's Halloween Howl at Hyde Creek, and this year's fireworks permit cutoff.
The blog
Port Coquitlam guides & local news
I started writing these because I was answering the same questions one text message at a time. Where to take a visiting parent for dim sum. Whether the night market is worth the parking. What is still open on a wet Sunday in February. The long answers live here, and they are written for people who are going this weekend, not for people planning a trip next year.
Written and checked by
Fern Kellaway
16 guides published
Every guide comes from going. I rank places, I tell you what the ranking is based on, and when I have not been back since somewhere changed hands I put that in writing instead of hoping you do not notice. Some of it is logistics: parking, the hour the lineup starts, which places take cash only, how to feed eight people on a Saturday without a booking. Some of it is me being opinionated about lunch.
The one rule I hold to is that the guides cover the whole city, including the half that is harder to write about.
What's in here
- Place guides I take one neighbourhood, or one plaza, at a time. Where to park, when to turn up, and what to walk past.
- Best-of lists I put them in order and say out loud what the order is based on.
- Seasonal and events These run on dates. What sells out, what to book, and where to leave the car.
- Practical guides These answer the awkward ones. Nine days of rain, where the dog is welcome, feeding eight people without a booking.
Notes from the loop
A guide that likes everything is useless. So I rank things, I say why, and I tell you when I haven't been back since the owners changed.
More from the blog
Everything else worth reading
The newest guide sits at the top. I go back and rewrite the older ones when something changes on the ground.
What to Do in Port Coquitlam on the Labour Day Long Weekend
A free outdoor screening of Zootopia 2 at Gates Park on Saturday, the self-guided Bike the Dike route running right through Labour Day, spray parks to eight, and one pool closure to know about.
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Things to Do in Port Coquitlam: A Local's List
Walk the 25 kilometre Traboulay loop, dig into the railway past, bowl a frame or throw an axe. A local's list of things to do in PoCo, rainy days included.
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Vets and Pet Care in Port Coquitlam
With the Traboulay loop and two rivers, PoCo is built for dogs. Here are the vets, groomers and supply shops that keep the city's pets cared for.
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Auto Repair and Tires in Port Coquitlam
Wet roads and commuter kilometres keep PoCo's repair bays busy. Here is the lay of the land, from the McLean Avenue belt to the tire, glass and transmission specialists.
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Beauty and Self-Care in Port Coquitlam
PoCo's salons, barbers, nail studios and spas are small, independent and scattered across the city's strips. A local's guide to booking your next appointment.
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Childcare and Preschools in Port Coquitlam: A Parent's Guide
Finding licensed childcare in PoCo means tours, waitlists and a lot of questions. Here is where the programs are and what to ask before you put a deposit down.
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Gyms, Yoga and Martial Arts in Port Coquitlam
Strength gyms in industrial bays, yoga studios in the plazas, and one of the deepest martial arts scenes around. A guide to training in PoCo, whatever your level.
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Hiring a Trade in Port Coquitlam: What to Know First
The trades run out of bays and workshops north of the rail line and serve the whole Tri-Cities. Here is how hiring one works in PoCo, and what to ask before work starts.
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Grocery Shopping in Port Coquitlam: The Independent Stores
Skip the big-box script: PoCo's grocery life is independent grocers, butchers, delis and a farmers market. Here is where the city actually fills its cart.
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Breweries and Pubs in Port Coquitlam
PoCo's brewers have built a taproom cluster on the city's east side, and the old-style pubs still hold their corners. A guide to drinking locally in a railway town.
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Bakeries and Sweets in Port Coquitlam
From donuts on the Shaughnessy strip to Belgian chocolate on Marpole Avenue, PoCo's bakeries and dessert counters cover every occasion. A sweet-toothed local's map.
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Tips and corrections
Somewhere I missed, or something I got wrong?
I read everything that comes in. If a place has closed, changed hands, or is simply better than I gave it credit for, tell me and I'll go back and eat there again.