2000-2009
This final decade of Maillardville's one hundred year history is a mirror image of the previous one. There were high hopes as the nineties opened and they ended with Maillardville's future fading into obscurity. The beginning of the 21st century for Maillardville was a study in urban decay. The revitalization effort that had been initiated in the mid eighties had failed. This fact was recognized early in the decade as mention is made several times in council minutes of "revitalizing" Maillardville. A third effort initiated in 2005 has yet to bear fruit in 2009. Yet, in 2009, there are hopeful signs that the drive to renew the village will finally be successful. Many influences are at play to encourage this rebuilding and we will take a look at some of them.
There can be no argument that the effort to revive Maillardville's commercial district was a failure. The beautification of Brunette and the building of the mixed use complex where the Maillardville Shopping Centre once stood turned out to be mere window dressing. It attracted no "European" businesses. There was no proliferation of coffee shops, bakeries or boutiques. In fact, the last decade saw everything that was a draw to Maillardville taken away from it, not to be replaced by other attractions. The major shopping venue was lost, replaced by a poorly managed mixed use building. The commercial units, never filled to capacity, would soon be attracting the wrong types of businesses. Activity at city hall that for so many decades contributed to Maillardville's vibrant life also disappeared when council packed up for the move to Town Centre. The benefits of affordable housing notwithstanding, Maillardville lost yet again when council moved to create the housing complex that now exists. This decision was made against the strongly expressed wishes of the community, based on a promise made a decade earlier that a public facility would be located there. Even Festival du Bois moved from Maillardville. Finally, council failed to carry through with its revitalization plan for Maillardville. While tens of millions were being poured into the development of Town Centre, much of Maillardville's "beautification" money came from either government grants or the good will of business men and women along Brunette. The bicycle and pedestrian corridor from Millside School to Woolridge Street that was supposed to link residents to its own commercial development was never built. Even the clock that was supposed to be installed in the gateway tower was not installed until 2007. It was installed with federal grant money!
It would be stated later in the decade, during the third attempt to breathe life into Maillardville's commercial corridor that the failure came because there was insufficient residential density to support a vibrant commerce. While there is some truth to that notion, it is the author's opinion that the problem of density alone is insufficient to explain the systemic failure that has occurred. The reality is that a failure on the part of city council and staff to fully engage in the project and follow through to encourage commercial growth in Maillardville was a significant contributing factor. Additionally, a high rate of absentee commercial landlords who allowed their properties to decay also fueled the general downward spiral of the area.
So, Maillardville decayed. Its reputation as a low income area with higher rates of crime contributed to the sense that it was an undesirable place to live. Was this reputation deserved? Was Maillardville a high crime area? Not really. The papers throughout the first half of the decade are filled with stories of the proliferation of marijuana grow ops on Coquitlam's Westwood Plateau and of very serious violent crime along the North Road corridor. Maillardville by comparison was relatively quiet. But its reputation as a seedy area was deserved and it was well cultivated. "Crack Houses" began to appear. Prostitution, driven by drug addiction, became more visible. Mackin Park was seen as an unsafe place to go at night having become a hangout for the troubled youth of the area. And the sagging commercial strip? With few "mainstream" businesses interested in locating in Maillardville, their opposite numbers began to appear. In addition to side by side pubs, unregistered massage parlours, in some cases fronts for prostitution, a pawn shop, tattoo parlour, two adult retail stores and a triple x video store all located within a two block area on Brunette Avenue. The Coquitlam Now, December of 2003 reported on one particular incident and illustrated the general condition of Brunette Avenue:
"Suspected 'prostitution ring' shut down in Maillardville It employed women called Frisky Brunette, Busty Blond, Spanish Hottie and Chocolate Fantasy, and charged $150.00 for "all inclusive" services. Ultimate Shiatsu, a thorn in the side of Coquitlam City Hall, and at least one former tenant in Maillardville's Village Square strip mall, has lost its supreme court bid to stay open....But while Coquitlam's mayor hopes the closure of Ultimate Shiatsu will spur a renewal of the historic area, empty storefronts in the Village Square shopping centre tell a different story. A sign advertising Karen's Place hair salon is still displayed on the faux heritage clock tower that greets visitors to the green roofed strip mall wedged between the French Quarter and Woody's on Brunette pubs on Lougheed Highway. But the hair salon relocated a year ago according to owner Karen Rogers. Some of the other panels on the sign advertise businesses that have moved on. Others are blank. About half the businesses have "for lease" signs in their windows....Jimmie Jang and his son Randy, who own the Village Square shopping centre, both declined to comment when reached by the Now...Coquitlam Mayor Jon Kingsbury said the process of shutting down Ultimate Shiatsu has been long and difficult, but that Randy Jang has assured the city "that he's going to clean that area up and become a responsible landlord and do a great job for the community--so we're really looking forward to him living up to his word." Kingsbury labeled Maillardville "an area in transition" but said he feels positive about its future."
That strip mall has continued to deteriorate. The stucco is falling off its walls and blue tarps have draped its eastern wall for a number of years.
The problems surrounding the proliferation of such businesses were indeed recognized by city council. As early as December of 2001 a motion was put forward to regulate "pawn shops, non therapeutic massage parlours, adult video stores, phone sex services and nude entertainment." These businesses were termed "undesirable" However, no significant change came until in 2007. Largely because of an outcry from the community, council passed a new by-law tightening control over pawn shops. In 2009, a by-law governing "undesirable" business was put in place. It banned certain businesses outright, imposed restrictions on others. The measures were too late for Maillardville as most of the above named businesses were already established there, but it was astep in the right direction.
By 2005, the challenges facing Maillardville were undeniable. A grass roots movement of business owners, nonprofit societies and residents began to gain momentum. In its attempt to resolve some of the problems facing the village, this working group paved the way for the formation of a Mayor's Task Force for Maillardville. This new effort came thirty years after "Plan Maillardville" made the first attempt. Thirty years! Ten to twenty years is a typical time frame to see revitalization projects to fruition from planning to completion. And here was Maillardville going back to the drawing board in 2005!
In 2006 and 2007, local government and businesses partnered to "clean up" Brunette Avenue once again. Generous financial incentives were offered to commercial land owners to paint their buildings and install new awnings. The Gateway Tower finally received its clock and "flower towers" were placed at strategic locations throughout Maillardville. History repeats itself. Most of these improvements were made possible by grants from the federal and provincial governments.
However, not everything was the same. It is significant that all three levels of government, city staff and all stakeholders in Maillardville were represented at the table. A new neighbourhood centre plan for Maillardville was passed by council in the summer of 2008. The plan was not so very different from the old one. It still envisioned capitalizing on the area's French history and sought to establish a vibrant "European" commercial district. The "grand boulevard" that was conceived in 1994 connecting Mackin Park and Woolridge Street along Adair Avenue has been revived. The same traffic calmed, pedestrian oriented experience is still the goal. Design guidelines that emphasize iron railings, balconies and tall windows are to dominate the streetscape. What was different? Time and density. Most space in Maillardville 2009, commercial and residential is underutilized. Unlike 1974, Greater Vancouver is a much broader area and Maillardville is, geographically, close to its centre. It is at the junction of the Trans Canada Freeway and the Lougheed Highway. Rapid transit is now nearby. In addition, the housing stock is aging and much of it has reached the end of its practical service life. The Task Force , working closely with almost every city department, helped to create a comprehensive revision of the Maillardville Neighbourhood Centre plan, along with changes to the commercial design guidelines. The new plan reinforced the notion of creating a "Franco European" village, but it has added something new to the mix; high residential densities. In addition to condominium units over commercial space throughout the area, the new plan allows for a half dozen high-rise towers. Once again, all is in place for the revitalization of Maillardville. One hopes that the same historical error of "waiting" for developers to come to Maillardville is not made in 2009. But there are many hopeful signs that this latest effort will finally be successful.
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