Port Moody is a city of some 24500 inhabitants over 3435
hectares in
British Columbia,
Canada. Port Moody, along with the cities of
Coquitlam and
Port Coquitlam, forms what is called the
Tri-Cities area.
Before the Europeans made it to the area, it was inhabited by the Squamish and Muskwiam peoples of the Coast Salish First Nations.
In 1858, the gold rush on the Fraser River hit the area of Port Moody. In 1859, under the command of Colonel Richard Moody (the city's namesake), Royal Engineers were set to clear a trail (which became what is now North Road) from New Westminster to Burrard Inlet in order to provide a backdoor defense for New Westminster. These Royal Engineers were given land grants, and one John Murray eventually acquired almost half of the town land. Consequently, many of the city's streets carry names given by the Murray family.
In 1879, Port Moody was officially named the western terminus for the Canadian Pacific Railway, and on July 4, 1886, the first Canadian transcontinental train arrived in Port Moody, at noon. Soon, however, the westernmost terminus became Vancouver, due to the high cost of expansion in Port Moody, and the town did not grow to more than 250 people for a long time. With new industries, the town began to grow in the 1900s, and Port Moody was incorporated as a city in 1913. In the early 1920s, lumbermilling was the primary industry. There were no fire-fighting services in town.
Currently, Eagle Ridge Hospital is Port Moody's largest employer, with about 700 employees. Port Moody's main cultural facilities include the Inlet Theatre, the Port Moody Arts Centre and the Station Museum.
Port Moody has three main parks; Rocky Point Park, Old Orchard Park, and Sasamat Lake, with White Pine Beach. Rocky Point Park has a boat launch ramp, a pier, a seawall, an outdoor pool, playgrounds, trails, and a large grass area. Sasamat Lake is surrounded by a trail which crosses over a floating walkway, and has a public and a private beach.