Port Moody—Coquitlam

Port Moody—Coquitlam occupies the heart of the Tri-Cities region in Greater Vancouver's eastern suburbs, approximately 25 kilometres from downtown Vancouver. The riding encompasses all of Port Moody (population 33,535) and the northern portion of Coquitlam, including the neighbourhoods of Burke Mountain, Eagle Ridge, and Harbour Chines. With a 2021 population of 115,367, the district is defined by its dramatic topography—steep hillsides rising from the head of Burrard Inlet, dense conifer forests, and mountain-fed creeks running through residential neighbourhoods. The Evergreen Extension of the Millennium SkyTrain Line, which opened in December 2016, connected Port Moody and Coquitlam to Vancouver's rapid transit network for the first time, catalyzing a wave of transit-oriented residential development around stations at Moody Centre, Inlet Centre, and Coquitlam Central.

Candidates

Bonita Zarrillo (NDP) A business analyst by training, Zarrillo holds a BA in Sociology from the University of Manitoba, a human resource management certificate from the University of Calgary, and a computer science credential from CDI Montreal. She served three terms on Coquitlam City Council beginning in 2013, focusing on housing affordability, gender equity, and public works. She narrowly lost the riding to Conservative Nelly Shin in 2019 before seeking the seat again in 2021.

Nelly Shin (Conservative) Born in South Korea in 1972, Shin immigrated to Canada at age five, settling in East York, Ontario. She earned a Bachelor of Music and a Bachelor of Education from the University of Toronto and worked as a high school English and music teacher with the Toronto District School Board. She was elected MP for Port Moody—Coquitlam in 2019, becoming the first Korean-Canadian member of the House of Commons.

Will Davis (Liberal) A 21-year Tri-Cities resident, Davis is a consultant, former CBC and Global TV news broadcaster, artist, and actor. A father of five, he chaired a parent advisory council in School District 43 and served as executive director of the Multicultural Helping House Society.

Desta McPherson (PPC) A 34-year British Columbia resident originally from London, Ontario, McPherson has worked as a construction project coordinator and electrician in B.C. and in Alberta's oil sector.

About the Riding

The arrival of SkyTrain reshaped the riding's development trajectory. Condo towers and mixed-use developments clustered around the new stations, and Port Moody—once a quiet mill town at the end of Burrard Inlet—saw its population grow substantially as young professionals and families sought relatively more affordable housing with rapid transit access. Coquitlam's Burke Mountain neighbourhood, in the riding's northeast, emerged as one of Metro Vancouver's fastest-growing suburban areas, with thousands of new single-family homes and townhouses built on formerly forested hillside land.

Housing affordability was the signature issue in the 2021 campaign. Despite being positioned as a more affordable alternative to Vancouver, average home prices in the Tri-Cities had surged past $1 million by mid-2021, and rental vacancy rates hovered near 1%. The riding's proximity to major employers—including the Royal Columbian Hospital in nearby New Westminster and the technology and film production clusters in Burnaby—attracted workers who then struggled to find housing they could afford.

The riding retains significant natural amenities. Buntzen Lake, a BC Hydro reservoir north of Port Moody, is one of Metro Vancouver's most popular recreational areas. The Barnet Marine Park, along the Burrard Inlet waterfront, and the Colony Farm Regional Park at the Coquitlam River's edge provide green space in an increasingly urbanized landscape. Port Moody's "Brewery Row" along Murray Street became a local economic bright spot, with a cluster of craft breweries drawing visitors from across Metro Vancouver and contributing to the city's evolving identity as a walkable, culture-oriented community.