Minnekhada Park Association

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Coquitlam, BC
Minnekhada Park Association

We are a volunteer organization which endeavors to bring to the larger public, the unique beauty and setting of Minnekhada Regional Park.

In partnership with Metro Vancouver, we are working at preserving and enhancing this natural environment. Park trails fan out from the large Quarry Road parking lot. From Lougheed Highway in Coquitlam, turn north on Coast Meridian and travel 2.5 km to Victoria Drive. Follow Victoria Drive for 1 km to the crest of the hill and make a deliberate left turn to stay on Victoria. Travel northeast for 3.

5 km to the park entrance on Quarry Road. To get to Minnekhada Lodge from Quarry Road, turn right on Gilley's Trail. Turn left onto Oliver Road which leads to the park and the lodge (parking is limited).

08/09/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Rena Kuit
Here is a small sample of Rena's submission entitled: What We Miss When We Only Think Big

"When we think of speed and power in nature, our minds tend to leap to the large and the obvious. The cheetah, for instance, is often celebrated as the fastest land animal, capable of covering up to twenty times its body length in a single second.
Yet, in the quiet margins of a pond or along the edge of a reed, another creature far surpasses this feat. A damselfly—delicate, easily overlooked—can travel nearly one hundred times its body length in that same instant.
Power, it seems, is not always a matter of scale.
Damselflies live on the threshold between stillness and motion. They perch lightly on leaves that bend under their weight, their slender bodies aligned with quiet precision. In one moment, a single gust of wind transforms a blade of grass into something resembling a rollercoaster, yet the damselfly remains poised, suspended between balance and flight."

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/10/rena-kuit-what-we-miss-when-we-only-think-big/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from@metrovancouverorg and .ca . To see all submissions, please visit our website.

08/06/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Natasha Beauregard
Here is a snippet of Natasha's submission entitled: Nature Detective

"Join me on a journey to become a nature detective! Typically, when people go for a walk and are looking for wildlife, they may walk past the signs and clues that wildlife have left behind. Get your detective skills ready to learn what markings and evidence creatures leave behind.
1 - This first picture looks like the marsh is empty and you don't see any birds or wildlife, but that doesn't mean that they're not there.
2 - In this picture is the Beaver Lodge, and even though you can’t see the beavers, they are cozy in their little home. The next thing you may notice are the pathways cutting through the aquatic plants, showing where the animals have been swimming.
3 - This Western Redcedar has bear claws going up from the bottom of the tree, far up its trunk. This shows that a bear has climbed up the tree
4 - This next one is a bear paw print, which was connected to a set of tracks that I saw going from the marsh to this log it walked over and then on to the pathway."

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/10/natasha-beauregard/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from Metro Vancouver Regional Parks and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation . To see all submissions, please visit our website.

08/04/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Sean Rice
Here is a sample of Sean's submission entitled: Western Painted Turtle

"The wetland of Minnekhada Regional Park at dawn is an image of peace and calm. The mist rises, while the calls of the parks birds cut sharply through the damp park air. To the casual observer walking along the Lodge Trail the park's central marsh appears still. But beneath this glassy surface lies an intricate, ancient world one that moves at it’s own deliberate pace. Resting on half-submerged logs throughout the shallows is the Western Painted Turtle a creature carrying the literal and figurative history of British Columbia’s freshwater ecosystems on its back."

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/10/sean-rice-western-painted-turtle/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from and .ca. To see all submissions, please visit our website.

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08/01/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Ron Grender
Here is a snippet of Ron's submission entitled: Minnekhadians: Doin' What They Oughta.
"Perhaps you remember a Burl Ives song “Little White Duck”? My memory thought it was titled Little Green Frog: apparently frog was just a supporting actor. There’s a little green frog swimming in the water A little green frog, doing what he oughter. He jumped right off of the lily pad that the little duck bit, and he said, “I’m glad I’m a little green frog swimming in the water Glub, glub, glub."
Both the Frog and the Duck were doing what they “oughter” do. The Little Black Bear is just grazing in the grass -a healthy choice. Just what he ought to be doing. And the Painted turtles – basking on logs, soaking up sun. Relaxing. Wouldn’t we all benefit from more of that. Minnekhadians value exercise, eating well, relaxing. They do what they oughta do."

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/10/ron-grender-minnekhadians-doing-what-they-oughta/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from Vancouver Regional Parks and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation . To see all submissions, please visit our website.

07/30/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Bruce Harvey
Here is a snippet of Bruce's submission entitled: GROUNDED IN NATURE

"The alarm rang at 5:30 AM, but Bruce left his phone alone. He pulled on his old hiking boots and checked his pack: water, trail mix, a map of Minnekhada Park, and his grandfather’s field guide to Pacific Northwest birds. Driving west from Abbotsford, the city sounds faded away, and the sun began to brighten the edges of the coastal mountains.
The parking lot at Minnekhada was quiet. Bruce stepped onto the Lower Marsh Trail, and the boardwalk creaked under his feet. The air smelled of damp earth and pine. A wood duck and its mate floated in the shallow water, their reflections clear in the still pond. Bruce paused to take in the calm. For the first time in weeks, his to-do list was far from his mind. Then he noticed something black moving in the trees above the pond: a black bear with three cubs. The bear looked across the pond, either deep in thought or simply watching. "

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/06/bruce-harvey-grounded-in-nature/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from Metro Vancouver Regional Parks and Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation . To see all submissions, please visit our website.

07/28/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Trish Quan
Here is a snippet of Trish's submission entitled: RAT RACE

"Get where you’re going fellow travellers; the sojourners who walk the way with me a little while. Sometimes buoyed by the tides and the winds,sometimes going against the grain.When you see me do you wonder where I’m going? We are different; i’m still in the rat race even though I’m not a rat. You, on the other hand, may not feel in any rush to get anywhere or do anything in particular. Yet we are the same in ways- being made of star stuff, to count one similarity. Your path, now interwoven with mine, is frozen in time. Just keep swimming, floating, grinding. Wherever you are going, just get there."

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/10/trish-quan-rat-race/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from Metro Vancouver Regional Parks and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation . To see all submissions, please visit our website.

07/25/2026

👉UPDATE (Aug 1, 2026): New Date Added
Wow! This program filled quickly. There were enough people on the wait list that we've added an additional date - Aug 6. There is limited room remaining but if you're still interested please sign up...

🦇A rare opportunity to come watch as bats emerge from different colonies in this unique park. Learn what makes each bat species unique and why they call this park home.

🗓Aug 5 or Aug 7, 7:45 – 9:45 pm
📍MINNEKHADA REGIONAL PARK, Coquitlam
Registration required
➡https://anc.ca.apm.activecommunities.com/mvregionalparks/activity/search?onlineSiteId=0&activity_select_param=2&activity_keyword=bats&viewMode=list

07/23/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Andrea Vazquez
Here is a snippet of Andrea's submission entitled: MICRO-COSMOS: THE WORLD UNDERFOOT

Constellation | Photo 1
This tiny galaxy, structured with near-flawless architectural precision, waits quietly on the breeze. A single breath could cause it to explode, sending its delicate stars expanding across the universe underfoot

Hearts | Photo 2
Contemplating these elegant frosted hearts reveals how the grandest artistry hides in the quietest corners: a universe where little hearts seem to pump life and water through the very veins of the plant

To see the full submission and all Andrea's photo descriptions please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/06/andrea-vazquez-the-world-underfoot/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from Metro Vancouver Regional Parks and Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation . To see all submissions, please visit our website.
📷 Andrea Vazquez

07/19/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: Shannon Komar
Here is a snippet of Shannon's submission entitled: RECIPROCITY

Being in nature is something I hold sacred. This land has stories to tell, whispering as I walk through. Here long before me, and here long after me. I feel a sense of peace and calm wash over me as I walk into the park, Burke Mountain towering above, watching over this space. As I walk these paths, plants reveal themselves around me, showing me their beauty, wanting me to listen and learn from their wisdom. I watch bears pass through, protectors of this land. I see all the little things, yet I take in the bigger picture, like the eagle flying overhead. I see the little details in the moss and ferns unfurling.

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/10/shannon-komar-reciprocity/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from Vancouver Regional Parks and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation . To see all submissions, please visit our website.

07/16/2026

Minnekhada As Muse Photography project: David Gray
Here is a snippet of David's submission entitled: WHAT REMAINS

"I’m drawn to the wild spaces, though harder to find in the local region. Strangely, I was late to finding Minnekhada, discovering it in 2020.
Its impact on me was instant and consistent. Each visit is special and I’ve never had the same experience twice. So, I thought this challenge would be simple. It was not. Distilling everything to 3 photos proved daunting.
There are so many micro moments of awe and wonder. As time goes on, some are cross-checks. Have horsetail shoots started? Are toadlets migrating earlier? Where are the bears? The combinations are endless."

To see the full submission please visit ---> https://minnekhada.ca/2026/07/10/david-gray-what-remains/

Participants in this year's Muse addition were asked to submit photographs and story to the theme: Natural Narratives: Weaving Together Image and Word to Tell Nature’s Stories.
This project was possible due to support from Metro Vancouver Regional Parks and Metro Vancouver Regional Parks Foundation . To see all submissions, please visit our website.

Address

4455 Oliver Road
Coquitlam, BC
V3E3H6

Telephone

6045206442

Website

http://www.minnekhada.ca/

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