Coquitlam--Port Coquitlam

Coquitlam--Port Coquitlam is a federal electoral district in the eastern reaches of Metro Vancouver, situated roughly 10 to 15 kilometres east of downtown Vancouver. The riding encompasses the southern portions of the City of Coquitlam and all of Port Coquitlam, bounded by the Fraser River to the south and the foothills of Burke Mountain and Eagle Mountain to the north. The Coquitlam River threads through the district, connecting the Coquitlam Lake watershed in the north with the Fraser River at the riding's southern edge. Created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and first contested in 2015, the riding had a population of approximately 114,460 as of the 2021 census.

Candidates

Ron McKinnon (Liberal) is a veteran member of Parliament who has represented Coquitlam--Port Coquitlam since 2015. Born in Alberta, McKinnon holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta and an honours diploma in Computer Technology from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology. He first ran federally in the 2008 election in Port Moody--Westwood--Port Coquitlam before winning in this newly created riding in 2015.

Katerina Anastasiadis (Conservative) is a communications professional who served as executive director of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce. She holds a bachelor's degree from Simon Fraser University and a master's degree from the University of Victoria. Anastasiadis managed the Conservative campaign in Port Moody--Coquitlam during the 2015 election and was involved in both Peter MacKay's and Erin O'Toole's leadership campaigns.

Laura Dupont (NDP) is a two-term Port Coquitlam City Councillor and former president of the Lower Mainland Local Government Association. She also served as a board member of the Union of BC Municipalities, bringing extensive municipal governance experience to her federal candidacy.

Kimberly Brundell (PPC) grew up in the Coquitlam--Port Coquitlam area and worked in administration and sales for a bathroom renovation products manufacturer. A mother of four, she served as a Cub Scout assistant with Scouts Canada and was an active member of the Central Community School PAC.

About the Riding

Coquitlam--Port Coquitlam is one of the most ethnically diverse ridings in British Columbia. According to the 2021 census, its most commonly reported ethnic origins include Chinese (18.5%), English (14.6%), Scottish (11.5%), Irish (9.1%), and Canadian (7.9%), with significant Iranian, Korean, and Filipino communities as well. Port Coquitlam alone had a population density of approximately 2,109 people per square kilometre, reflecting the area's increasingly urban character.

The riding blends established suburban neighbourhoods with rapidly growing residential developments, particularly on the slopes of Burke Mountain in Coquitlam, where new townhouse and single-family housing projects have transformed former forested hillside into one of the Tri-Cities' fastest-growing communities. Port Coquitlam's downtown core along Shaughnessy Street retains a small-town main street feel, anchored by independent shops and restaurants.

Transportation infrastructure is central to the riding's identity. The Evergreen Extension of the SkyTrain Millennium Line, completed in 2016, connected Coquitlam to the broader Metro Vancouver rapid transit network, spurring significant transit-oriented development around stations. The West Coast Express commuter rail also serves the area, with stops in both Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam providing service to downtown Vancouver.

The district's natural amenities include the Coquitlam River corridor, Traboulay PoCo Trail -- a 25-kilometre loop encircling Port Coquitlam -- and proximity to Minnekhada Regional Park and the Pitt River marshlands. These green spaces, combined with relatively more affordable housing compared to Vancouver, have made the riding attractive to young families and newcomers to Canada.