City guides
The Tri-Cities — Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam — is one of BC's fastest-growing Iranian communities. Many Persian families looking for somewhere more affordable than North Vancouver or the West Side are settling here: green, calm, family-oriented, close to SFU and connected to Vancouver by SkyTrain. This guide walks you through everything you need to settle in.
More affordable housing than North Vancouver or downtown, a fast-growing Iranian community, plenty of nature (Lafarge Lake, Burnaby Mountain, Port Moody's waterfront parks), good schools and a safe, family feel. Being near SFU is a draw for student and academic families. It's still Metro Vancouver, though — take your housing budget seriously from day one.
Coquitlam Town Centre — lively and apartment-dense, by the SkyTrain stations and Lafarge Lake, best for car-free living. Burquitlam/Lougheed — redeveloping fast, new towers by SkyTrain and near SFU. Port Moody — waterfront and scenic; Suter Brook and Newport Village are popular. Port Coquitlam — quieter and usually cheaper, more detached homes, family-friendly.
The Tri-Cities is usually cheaper than North Vancouver or Vancouver's West Side, but it's still part of pricey Metro Vancouver. Prices shift constantly, so check live listings (rentals.ca, PadMapper, Facebook Marketplace, and Farsi rental groups) rather than a fixed figure. Note: in BC the security deposit is capped at half a month's rent.
Unlike North Vancouver, the Tri-Cities has SkyTrain: the Evergreen Extension on the Millennium Line links Coquitlam and Port Moody to Burnaby and downtown Vancouver. Lafarge Lake–Douglas, Lincoln, Coquitlam Central, Inlet Centre, Moody Centre and Burquitlam are the key stations. TransLink buses cover the rest, and transit connects up to SFU on Burnaby Mountain. Get a Compass card for everything. By car, Lougheed Highway and Highway 1 are the main routes (busy at rush hour).
Register for the BC health card (MSP) as soon as you arrive; coverage starts after a waiting period, so private interim insurance for the first weeks is wise. Family doctors are scarce in BC — until you find one, use a walk-in clinic or call 8-1-1 (24/7 nurse line).
As the Iranian community in the Tri-Cities grows, so do Persian groceries (fresh bread, produce, halal meat), bakeries, restaurants, salons and Farsi-speaking accounting and immigration offices — especially along the busy Coquitlam and Port Moody corridors. To find verified Iranian businesses across Metro Vancouver, use our directory:
Browse Iranian businesses in Greater Vancouver →
The Tri-Cities public schools (School District 43) cover Coquitlam, Port Moody and Port Coquitlam and are well regarded; enrolment is based on your home address, so check the catchment school before you rent. To keep your kids' Farsi alive there are weekend and online classes in the area — plus our free Farsi-school tools:
Free Farsi tools for kids →
1) Get your SIN · 2) Open a Canadian bank account · 3) Enrol in MSP · 4) Buy a Compass card · 5) Get a Canadian SIM · 6) Register your address. Full step-by-step in our newcomer guides below.
General info, subject to change — always verify with official sources.