Introduction

A celebration of 100 years is a noteworthy event in the life of any community. It is of particular significance in this Centenary of Maillardville. To have established and maintained a visible French community for 100 years in the westernmost part of our vast country is a truly remarkable achievement. But, there is even more to the story! From the very beginning, Fraser Mills, Maillardville and Coquitlam have been rooted in many cultures. English, French, Chinese and Japanese, East Indian and eventually Scandinavian people have all been a part of the ongoing cultural development of this area. Thus, Maillardville and the greater Maillardville area becomes a microcosm of Canadian life and culture. What a truly fascinating study!

The early 20th century was marred by racist overtones…"No Asian labour!" to take away jobs from our own! It was in this vein that the management of Fraser Mills sent two intrepid scouts (with their own agendas) to the east to recruit a stable work force to support the burgeoning industry at Fraser Mills. And so they came. In 1909 and 1910, pioneer families from Ontario and Quebec arrived at Millside, in the wilderness, to establish a new life for themselves. The new arrivals were full of hope for a future abundant in opportunity. Perhaps they did not realize the long road ahead. Whatever their first impressions, their stalwart spirit drove them on.

This story is about the life of Maillardville, from the beginning a mix of people and races, but overall a French community that has survived against all odds. It is the story of a hearty and intrepid people who, over the decades, understood that survival depended upon the need to nurture and preserve their culture, transplanted from such a distant part of Canada and indeed from another time and place.

How did this fragile seed survive? The story of Maillardville is a testament to the fortitude of a people who were brought together by the call of opportunity at Fraser Mills.

A community of people who, physically isolated as though in a womb, were left to mature and grow strong to prepare for the trials ahead. It is about a community bound together by the strong influence of the Catholic Church. It is the saga of French Canadians whose fierce pride in their culture, their language and history, has time and again over the decades responded to outside threats by establishing francophone initiatives to keep alive at all costs "La Francophonie". And it is a portrait of the joie de vivre and humour of this people.

So the story of Maillardville is really the story of many things. Without Fraser Mills, there is no Maillardville. Without Maillardville, the early history of Coquitlam is significantly diminished. Without the efforts of so many individuals, both great and small, Maillardville would not have survived.

A surprisingly large body of research and documentation about the history and evolution of Maillardville already exists. It is the objective of this project to bring together much of this knowledge of our community into one resource and (we hope) to add to it by lending the reader a perspective of Maillardville that goes beyond its own borders and examines the community in relationship to the "outside" world of which it is a part.

And we look to the future with a mixture of optimism and fear. The influence of the Church, the Catholic schools and of the Caisse Populaire has been either extinguished or diminished. How will this precious jewel continue to shine? Inspired by the Quebec motto "Je Me Souviens" we march into our future. And to paraphrase another modern survivor, Barack Obama; "Oui Nous Pouvons!"

A. Boire

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