History

What’s in a name?…Lots!

Where did the name Maillardville come from and how in the
heck do you pronounce it? The name itself comes from the
French Canadian pioneers who came to the west coast in
1909 to work at the Fraser Mills lumber company. They
founded their little village around the church at Laval
Square.

The area was known for a time as the “French Settlement” or
“Frenchtown” But the villagers eventually chose to name it
Maillardville in honour of their first parish priest, Father
Edmond Maillard.

Pronunciation has been something of a challenge from the
beginning. The local newspaper, the Coquitlam Star, in 1912
reported that a new name had been chosen and they felt
compelled to include instructions on its pronunciation. They
did a pretty good job of it.

In modern times, most would pronounce Maillardville using
“L” sounds in both syllables. However, the name being of
French origin would correctly be pronounced: ” My-yard-ville” with
emphasis on “yard” and the d being silent.

Let’s be proud of our history and heritage in this
neighbourhood that is unique in all of Canada…let’s do
it right!