Parks & Facilities

Features and Amenities

Como Lake is a natural setting offering a rich park experience that includes:

• Fishing for enthusiasts of all ages - The lake is stocked with catchable-size rainbow trout. Each May, Festival Coquitlam hosts the Como Lake Fish Derby, a free event for children and youth 16 years and younger.
• Free Wi-Fi for park users - Coquitlam continues to roll out free public Wi-Fi at major parks and outdoor facilities as part of a Technology Roadmap to enhance City services and “Smart City” technologies.
• A one kilometre lakeside loop trail for a quiet walk or a fitness jog - Lakeside benches, open grass areas, picnic amenities and a playground invite relaxing, socializing and casual play.
• A seasonal or permanent home for many species - As the headwater of the Como Creek Watershed, the lake environment is an ecologically sensitive habitat that supports a variety of bird and other species.
• Views in every season, with the spring display of crimson rhododendrons and cherry tree blossoms or a December snow blanketing the trees and meadows. Photographers will find much to inspire them here.

Do Not Feed Ducks and Geese

The Canada goose population in Como Lake Park has increased to excessive numbers in recent summers. This is due to a seasonal migration of geese during the moulting season in June and July when they replace their feathers and are flightless.

Nearly 200 Canada geese can be counted in the park at this time of year, which is not healthy for the geese, the lake, park users, or other animals. Feeding the geese and the lack of shoreline vegetation are two major factors that make this park attractive to so many geese. To reduce the impact in the short term the City will be relocating the geese when they are flightless in June. To ensure a smaller and more sustainable population of Canada geese over time the City will be:

1. Install temporary shoreline fencing May through June to discourage moulting geese
2. Working with park users to stop all feeding

We appreciate your cooperation.

History

When the French Canadians arrived in the early 1900s to begin work and a new life at Fraser Mills, they brought with them their love of hockey and skating. Many early residents recall skating on Como Lake whenever an extended freezing spell thickened the ice. Succeeding generations continued the tradition during especially cold Coquitlam winters.

At other times of the year, the lake was reportedly quite boggy, but it offered a place to cool off on hot summer days. Children hiked or cycled from their farms and homesteads and made their way through the dense bush to go for a swim. In the early days, Como Lake may have also played a role in fire protection - an early Coquitlam resident recalled Fraser Mills running a pipeline from the lake to the mill, and storing the water in a tower for emergencies.

By the 1960s, the Como Lake had become a vibrant park for the growing community. The District introduced a playground, water taps, picnic tables, and trout for fishing. Fishing derbies were organized, like the one held during the 1967 centennial year, and depicted in the image.

Source

“Coquitlam 100 Years: Reflections of the Past,” District of Coquitlam, 1990; “Coquitlam Then and Now,” Coquitlam Public Library New Horizons for Seniors Committee, 2010

Fun Fact

The series, "Supernatural", was filmed at many locations in Coquitlam including Como Lake.