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Park Features at a glance
Trail Information
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Colony Farm was long known as one of the most fertile and productive farms in B.C. Straddling the lower Coquitlam River, it was farmed intensively for more than 70 years and, until recently, provided food in abundance for Essondale, Woodlands and the Forensic Psychiatric Institute as well as rehabilitative employment for the patients of these institutions. Despite its agricultural potential, however, in the 1980s much of the land ceased to be farmed actively and began to revert to its wild condition, and now the GVRD Regional Parks Department manages it for wildlife, recreation and a little horticulture. Containing marshes, grass and trees as well as streams, ditches and sloughs—and the wildlife attracted by these diverse habitats—the dykes are wonderful places for walking and nature study.
This park is rich in history and is an excellent place for viewing birds such as herons, hawks, woodpeckers and ducks. If you go at dusk there is a big possibility that you may even see a beaver swimming in one of the water ways.