Wildwood Mobile Home Park has become a topic of conversation in this election, due to residents calling on the City of Coquitlam to implement a ‘standards of maintenance’ bylaw, to ensure residents’ safety, as they struggle with the management practices of the current owner, so I decided to file an FOI request…

Residents feel that the owner is failing to properly maintain the property, resulting in flooding, fire, pollution, lack of snow removal, and more. They feel forced to sell, but when they try, their homes are devalued, due to the park’s condition, the owner refusal to complete necessary paperwork, for those looking to buy, and the owner’s admission that he wishes to develop the property. When homes in Wildwood Park get listed, the owner buys them and rents them out, while not allowing other residents to rent their units. Residents say that they struggle to take collective action, because the owner prohibits residents from going door-to-door.

In addition to safety concerns, the City of Coquitlam has noted environmental concerns related to Wildwood Park, with Popeye Creek being contaminated with wood and concrete debris, in 2019, and sewage, in 2020:

The City of Coquitlam responded to residents’ concerns about the the owner’s desire to develop the property by emailing the owner, Ron Chambers, to tell him that the city has no intention of approving a zoning change, to allow for the property’s development:

The mayor of Coquitlam, Richard Stewart, also responded to residents’ concerns:

Who is the owner of Wildwood Park, Ron Chambers? Based on publicly available information, he appears to be a business person. He is the President of Chambers Electric, located at #101 – 204 Cayer St:

Ron Chambers is also the owner of Wildwood Park, which carries a business license under the name of KKBL No 629 Ventures Ltd, located at 201 – 204 Cayer St, the same address as Chambers Electric. According to the City of Coquitlam, KKBL No 629 Ventures paid $319,610 in taxes, in 2018, making it the 52nd largest contributor in the city.

This FOI request may not provide the residents of Wildwood Park with any comfort, or any deeper understanding of why they aren’t receiving the help they’re asking for, but it does provide some insight into the issues residents are facing.

As of the date of publishing, the mayor and council candidates who have listened to the request of Wildwood Park residents, and who support implementing a ‘standards of maintenance’ bylaw, are Rob Bottos, Phillip Buchan, Mohammad Darwish, Paul Lambert, Brian Misera, Benjamin Perry, and Ali Tootian.

Despite other municipalities having implemented similar bylaws, the mayor of Coquitlam, Richard Stewart, does not support this proposed solution:

For more information on the 2022 Coquitlam candidates, click here.

Election Date: October 15th, 2022