Fraser Mills
Encyclopedia
Fraser Mills is a neighbourhood
and formerly separate village municipality in the southwestern part of Coquitlam, British Columbia
.
Located on the northern shore of the Fraser River
, the area was originally the site of a sawmill
. The mill was known at first as the Ross McLaren Mill and opened in 1889. However, it closed soon after when co-founder James McLaren died. The site remained unused for many years until the mill was reopened as the Fraser River Sawmills. Due to a labour shortage, 400 Francophones were recruited from Quebec
. They settled in an area just north of the mill now known as Maillardville. During the Great Depression
many workers were laid off. Wage reductions which were imposed on the remaining workforce led to a six-week strike. The mill eventually closed in 2001.
The current plans by the developer, The Beedie Group, have re-zoned the area for commercial and residential use. The new architects for the project are Henriquez Partners led by Gregory Henriquez
.
Neighbourhood
A neighbourhood or neighborhood is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition...
and formerly separate village municipality in the southwestern part of Coquitlam, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Located on the northern shore of the Fraser River
Fraser River
The Fraser River is the longest river within British Columbia, Canada, rising at Fraser Pass near Mount Robson in the Rocky Mountains and flowing for , into the Strait of Georgia at the city of Vancouver. It is the tenth longest river in Canada...
, the area was originally the site of a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
. The mill was known at first as the Ross McLaren Mill and opened in 1889. However, it closed soon after when co-founder James McLaren died. The site remained unused for many years until the mill was reopened as the Fraser River Sawmills. Due to a labour shortage, 400 Francophones were recruited from Quebec
Quebec
Quebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
. They settled in an area just north of the mill now known as Maillardville. During the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
many workers were laid off. Wage reductions which were imposed on the remaining workforce led to a six-week strike. The mill eventually closed in 2001.
The current plans by the developer, The Beedie Group, have re-zoned the area for commercial and residential use. The new architects for the project are Henriquez Partners led by Gregory Henriquez
Gregory Henriquez
Gregory Henriquez is a Canadian architect, best known for the design of community-based mixed-use, institutional and social housing projects in the Downtown Eastside of Vancouver, Canada...
.