Letterbox: Where is the Tri-Cities headed as it grows?

Dear editor,

Coquitlam and the Tri-Cities are growing, but are we keeping pace with the needs of the people who live here? Housing targets, density and development approvals matter, but it is time to ask a more fundamental question: are we building complete communities that support people at every stage of life?

As a grandparent, I see young families struggle to find affordable, accessible daycare. Without reliable childcare, parents face difficult choices about work, family finances and caring for their children. Yet childcare facilities can be overlooked when new residential developments are planned.

More recently, my family experienced the challenges of arranging end-of-life care for my mother. It deepened my appreciation of how essential compassionate hospice and palliative care are to patients and their families. When someone we love is nearing the end of life, access to appropriate care, dignity and support should not add uncertainty and stress.

These are community needs, not isolated family concerns, and they deserve greater attention as the population grows and ages. We need housing, as well as the services and infrastructure that make neighbourhoods livable: places for children to learn and grow, support for working families, accessible services for older adults, and compassionate care at the end of life.

We should reconsider how development is approached and whether decisions account adequately for long-term community needs and changing circumstances. Once mature trees are removed, established green spaces are lost or opportunities to provide essential services are missed, those losses can be difficult, if not impossible, to reverse. Development decisions should not be viewed in isolation; they shape neighbourhoods for generations. When opportunities arise to provide meaningful community benefits, we should ask whether enough is being done to ensure growth serves the people who will live with its consequences.

Could municipalities and developers work together to make purpose-built daycare facilities a more consistent part of community planning? Could meaningful partnerships and contributions support hospice and palliative-care services? Could decision-makers give greater consideration to protecting mature trees, preserving natural spaces and maintaining the environmental benefits of established neighbourhoods?

I recognize that these services require funding, partnerships, appropriate operators and careful planning. No single development can meet every community need. That is why municipalities, developers, health-care providers, childcare operators and the broader community need to work together in a coordinated way.

As the Tri-Cities continue to grow, we have an opportunity to do more than build homes. We can build neighbourhoods where families can raise children, older adults can receive the care they need, and natural spaces are valued for the benefits they provide. Growth should be measured not only by the number of homes built, but also by the quality of life created for the people who live in them.

I urge elected representatives, developers and fellow residents to reconsider what we expect from development and ask whether we are planning adequately for the needs of the whole community. We still have opportunities to make thoughtful choices. Let us not wait until essential services are overwhelmed, mature trees are gone and opportunities for better planning have passed.

The question is not whether the Tri-Cities should grow. It is whether we have the foresight to ensure they grow well.

With the municipal election approaching, residents have an opportunity to reflect on the kind of community they want the Tri-Cities to become and what they expect from elected representatives. Beyond housing targets and development approvals, we should ask candidates how they intend to address childcare shortages, access to hospice and palliative care, the protection of mature trees and the long-term livability of neighbourhoods. Are current approaches meeting these needs, or is it time to rethink how we plan for growth? These are important questions for residents to consider as they decide who will lead their communities into the future.

Janet Krgovich

Coquitlam, B.C.