Colony Farm past -- present -- future

Colony Farm industrialization

2011-09-13T16:42:00.000-07:00

Metro Parks are scheming behind the scenes as usual to industrialize OUR parks. A sane person would think that they would learn from the previous experiment at the farm with the heavily publicly subsidized PICS farming experiment, that failed the minute it ran out very quickly of OUR money.!

Regional Parks Plan, draft ( 1.08 Mb, PDF )

They want some Feedback from the above document, Give it to them !
As usual the feedback form is very poorly constructed.

Vancouver Sun article: Colony Farm agricultural academy plan goes to committee despite objections

Tri-City News: Planned academy at Colony Farm advances

Yikes ! A done deal, it appears; 5 Million of OUR dollars; those are some heavily subsidized vegetables.!

The best land of the farm is now mostly alienated by the Lougheed Highway corridor, and Riverview Hospitals arboretum. I have the detailed records of production and costs associated with Colony Farm/ Riverview growing years; and they never could have got the production that they sometimes achieved without the almost free, Huge patient labour pool. The high production came at a cost; they were using herbicides; pesticides, and there are well-documented records of pesticide resistant insect pests because of it.

Download the draft Colony Farm Sustainability Plan (published way back in August, 2009)
I guess that there must be a Final report somewhere that the bureaucrats based their decisions on; or maybe not.
The September 13, 2011, Agenda where they voted it as a go.
And another draft plan, labelled with the cryptic Attachment_4

Barn Swallows declining in B.C.

2011-07-22T16:48:00.000-07:00

A Global News article about Barn Swallows declining in B.C
There is also a short video that talks about the barn swallows; was filmed at Colony Farm and Minnekhada Farm. The team led by Derek Matthews of the Vancouver Avian Research Centre has a bird banding station set up at Colony Farm; and also as seen in the video at the Minnekhada Farm stables.

May 2011

2011-05-03T10:41:00.000-07:00

From the Tri-City News; Colony Farm plan fishy to Port Coquitlam mayor

Colony Farm tidal restoration proposal, causing concerns

2010-06-20T05:59:00.000-07:00

Colony Farm park habitat compensation risks disrupting wildlife By Anne Murray, Georgia Straight

Colony Farm fish habitat will hurt birds, naturalist says. By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun June 18, 2010

Fish habitat will hurt birds, naturalist says. By Kelly Sinoski, Vancouver Sun June 19, 2010

Draft conceptual plan for Wilson Farm north tidal channels. ( PDF 809 Kb ) The plan has been changed a few times since this report was generated.

Metro Vancouver, Parks Committee agenda for June 17, 2010. ( PDF 4.96 Mb )

Dr. Golds brings up an important point, in that there is nothing in place to protect bird, small mammal habitat loss, through the existing parks bylaws, via a "No net loss policy".

If a portion of the parks are removed for other uses, they should be replaced with the same amount of habitat, preferrably nearby. These proposed "tidal" channels will impact considerable hectares of land, now used by other forms of life. Restoration of part of the farm to tidal flows, may seem a good thing at first glance, but the bed of the Coquitlam River is actually raised above the surrounding area, a condition that did not exist prior to the dikes being built in 1908.

The riverbed of the Coquitlam River, has infilled considerably mainly due to gravel extraction, channelization throughout most of its length, and lastly urbanization of a large part of the lower watershed.

DFO, affectionately known as the Dysfunctional Fisheries Organization, is also to blame for their policy of not restoring old channels, but creating entirely new ones, that can take many years, if ever to gain their full potential. Whereas the old channels frequently still have intact riparian areas, and the streambeds are intact.

Wilson Farm proposed destruction, Open House

2010-04-23T02:30:00.000-07:00

Notice of Open House

Colony Farm Tidal Restoration and Habitat Enhancement Project

Metro Vancouver Regional Parks and the Transportation Investment Corporation invite you to attend an open house on Monday, May 3 to view and comment on a proposed project to restore tidal flow and enhance habitat for fish and wildlife in the Wilson Farm, an area within Colony Farm Regional Park that was drained and diked for agriculture in the early 1900s. This work is proposed as part of Port Mann/Highway 1 Improvement Project’s environmental commitments.

The project has been designed to meet multiple objectives including: the restoration of natural tidal flows to improve water quality; the provision of winter rearing habitat for juvenile coho and chinook; greater control and flexibility of drainage regimes for vegetation management; and enhanced habitat for resident and migratory birds.

The open house will provide information on:
· Existing conditions and project objectives
· Proposed work required to restore tidal flows and allow fish passage
· Drainage improvements and the implications for park management
· Potential benefits for salmon and other aquatic wildlife
· Habitat enhancement components for resident and migratory birds

When: Monday, May 3, 2010

5:00 – 7:00 p.m. Informal open house
7:00 – 7:20 p.m. Presentation
7:20 – 8:00 p.m. Question and answer session

Where: The Outlet, 2100 - 2253 Leigh Square Place, Port Coquitlam

For more information, contact Metro Vancouver Parks at 604-520-6442.

W.J.Moore panorama's 1913-4

2009-11-07T10:56:00.000-08:00

from the Georgia Strait

2009-08-21T00:35:00.000-07:00

Coquitlam's Colony Farm is a hidden oasis

Colony Farm 1914

2008-12-19T16:01:00.001-08:00

1921 Colony Farm

2008-01-05T01:12:00.001-08:00

CPR station, located in the middle top area of the map

1920 Colony Farm

2008-01-05T01:10:00.001-08:00

Notice how Pitt River Road, is named Dewdney Trunk Road

1919 Colony Farm

2008-01-05T01:08:00.001-08:00

1914 Colony Farm

2008-01-05T01:06:00.001-08:00

The CPR station shows up on this map in the far left, as a black pie-shaped object, just inland from the steamer landing. This is the earliest map, I have of the property.

Veterans Unit at Colony Farm in 1949

2006-11-16T00:23:00.000-08:00

Aerial view in 1928

2006-11-05T23:44:00.000-08:00

From the 1928 Hospital annual report

Farm House,(Farm Cottage) 1924

2006-11-05T23:41:00.000-08:00

This building housed the patients who worked the farm. The building was removed many years ago.

Clydesdale at Colony Farm 1924

2006-11-05T23:38:00.000-08:00

"Colony Lady Pride" They actively bred Clydesdales at Colony Farm.

Holstein herd 1913

2006-11-05T23:36:00.000-08:00

Holstein herd at Colony Farm in 1913, note the drover in the background.

Clearing of Colony Farm 1910

2006-11-05T23:33:00.000-08:00

Clearing of Colony Farm in 1910, they eventually utilized six Donkey engines to clear the site.

Dredging at Colony Farm in 1910

2006-11-05T23:30:00.000-08:00

Dredging the ditches at Colony Farm in 1910.

Colony Farm 1921 map

2006-11-05T00:35:00.000-08:00

Note the sloughs on this map, they have nearly all been filled in through the years. The Indian Reserve, shows where the Catholic church was, since destroyed.

Colony Farm 1920 map

2006-11-05T00:30:00.000-08:00

The fields were all numbered, extensive records of the production of each field still exist in the Hospital annual reports. Map is from the 1921 annual report.

2006-11-05T00:27:00.000-08:00

The tank house on the right, missing its water tower today. The Farm "Cottage" on the left,now gone. Essondale,(Riverview) Hospital visible in the distance.

Map of Colony Farm 1914

2006-11-05T00:24:00.000-08:00

This is the earliest map that I have been able to find of Colony Farm. Notice the two steamer landings!. Paddlewheelers at one time also over-wintered in the Coquitlam River, to escape the river ice in the Fraser River.

Tank House in 2006

2006-11-05T00:21:00.000-08:00

The Tank House,(Bunkhouse) in 2006, before the roof was rebuilt later on 2006.

Farm managers house

2006-11-05T00:18:00.000-08:00

The farm managers house at Colony Farm in 2006, with a new roof.

Colony Farm barns

2006-11-05T00:14:00.000-08:00

This picture was taken from the roof of the Tank House,(Bunkhouse) in 1911. All that remains is the brick wall in the foreground, and the rebuilt tankhouse.

Clydesdale mares at Colony Farm

2006-11-05T00:06:00.000-08:00

The young Dutch Elm trees, that line the road into Colony Farm are visible in this picture. Most have been removed today(2006)

Tank House,(Bunkhouse) during 1921 flood

2006-11-05T00:03:00.000-08:00