BC's Top Employers (2026) Magazine - Magazine - Page 42
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BC’S TOP EMPLOYERS (2026)
Coquitlam offers meaningful work with real impact
F
or nearly nine years,
Lesley Joyce has seen the
impact of community
first-hand. As the
supervisor at Glen Pine
Pavilion — one of Coquitlam’s
adult recreation centres — as
well as part of the community
services department at the City
of Coquitlam, she works at the
heart of programs designed to
help residents maintain their
well-being.
“It’s incredibly rewarding,”
she says. “Every day, I see how
our programs help people —
especially our older clients — stay
active and prevent isolation
by building meaningful social
support networks. The work that
we do matters.”
I feel valued and trusted.
There’s space to bring
forward new ideas and a
culture that supports
continuous improvement.
— Lesley Joyce
Recreation Facility
Supervisor
That sense of purpose is
something many City employees
share, says Graham Stuart, chief
human resources officer.
“Local government is the level
of government that makes an
impact in the day-to-day lives of
people in a way that prospective
and new employees don’t
always anticipate,” he explains.
“Whether it’s maintaining roads
and sidewalks, planning new
neighbourhoods or supporting
essential services, there’s a lot of
The City of Coquitlam offers employees a sense of purpose, a supportive environment and opportunities to
grow professionally.
opportunity for people to come in
and make a real contribution to
the community.”
With a population of over
160,000, Coquitlam is one of the
fastest-growing communities in
the region and an emerging urban
hub. With that comes exciting
opportunities for innovation that
supports the City’s growth and
provides the community amenities
that make Coquitlam an enjoyable
place to work, live and play.
For Joyce, what keeps her at the
City is the people-first culture:
employees feel heard, trusted and
supported.
“My background is in recreation
therapy, and from the start,
I’ve felt empowered to use that
expertise,” she says. “I feel valued
and trusted. There’s space to
bring forward new ideas and a
culture that supports continuous
improvement.”
One of those ideas became
a major project. When Joyce
joined Coquitlam, she proposed
developing a formal outcomesbased framework for recreation
programs that identified goals
beyond the activity itself, such as
fostering social connection. Her
manager encouraged her to lead
the work.
The project took a couple of
years, but it has now influenced
hundreds of programs for all ages
in recreation — both physical and
non-exercise.
That culture of trust extends
across the organization.
Employees describe Coquitlam
as collaborative, respectful and
supportive — a place where
people challenge perspectives,
share ideas and feel a strong sense
of belonging.
Coquitlam invests heavily
in employee growth and
development, offering in-house
and online training, mentorship
pop-ups and opportunities for
stretch assignments. The City
also runs the Core and Strategic
Leadership programs, which bring
staff from across the organization
together to learn, connect and
improve their leadership skills.
Learning is inclusive and
accessible — whether for a
front-line staff member looking
to build customer-service skills
or a supervisor looking to expand
their toolbox in areas like strategic
financial management. Employees
are encouraged to explore new
roles or stretch projects across
the organization, and managers
actively champion their internal
progression.
“We invest in people — in their
growth, their development and
their ability to make a difference,”
Stuart says.
