The Rotary May Day Parade, starts at 11am at Atkins Rd. & moves northbound along Shaughnessy St. to Elgin Ave., eastbound on Elgin Ave. to Mary Hill Rd. & southbound on Mary Hill Rd. to Hawthorne Ave., then eastbound on Hawthorne Ave., with the dispersal being on Tyner St. 

Please note: Downtown PoCo will be packed with participants & spectators enjoying all the family friendly activities, therefore the following roads will be closed: 

• Leigh Square Place east of Shaughnessy St. from 7am May 11 – 7pm May 12. 
• May 11 afternoon access to Leigh Square parking lots will be limited due to tent installations & set ups. Including the City Hall lot & the large parking lot between Wilson Ave. & the Elks Hall. Some parking lots will stay closed until Noon Sun May 13. Street parking will be available before & after the parade.
• Donald St.  & the laneway behind Dairy Queen will be closed from 7am- 7pm Sat May 12.
• Shaughnessy (Pitt River to Atkins) Rindall, Central , Hawthorne, Welcher & Tyner Aves. will be closed for parade assembly & dispersal 9am -1pm with no on street parking 7am – 1pm, Sat May 12.
• Shaughnessy St. from Wilson Ave. to the Shaughnessy St. Underpass, Elgin Ave. & Mary Hill Rd. & Hawthorne to Tyner will be closed during the parade 10am – 1:30pm Sat May 12.

The Coast Meridian Overpass & Maple Ave. are OPEN for traffic detouring as usual. 

Questions #1
What year was Port Coquitlam’s first ‘official’ May Day?
a) 1923
b) 1963
c) 2018
Answer: a) 1923
Congratulations to our lucky winner Laurie! Thank you to PoCo Bowl for the prize!

Questions #2
Who was our first May Queen?
a) Tom Jones
b) Evelyn Mars
c) Celine Dion
Answer: b) Evelyn Mars.
Congratulations to our lucky winner Sandra! Thank you to Art Knaps for the gift card & prize package!

Questions #3
In 2006 we had two May Queens, do you know why?
a) The first one moved to Australia
b) The first one went to jail
c) The first one moved to Mars
Answer: a) The first one moved to Australia.
Congratulations to our lucky winner Stephanie W. Thank you to Shoppers Drug Mart for their prize basket donation.

Question #4
What dance do children still perform to celebrate May Day?
a) May Pole Dancing
b) a Polka
c) Zumba
Answer: a) May Pole Dancing
Congratulations to our lucky winner Carolyn M. Thank you to Mr. Mikes Steakhouse for the $25 gift card.

Question #5
Pictured here is 2016 May Day Ambassador Gavin Yang. What year did the position of May DayAmbassador start?
a) 1993
b) 1893
c) 1923
Answer: a) 1993
Congratulations to our lucky winner Janine M. Thank you to Prairie DQ for the cake!

Question #6
What park were the original May Days held in?
a) Robert Hope
b) Stanley Park
c) Aggie Park
Answer: c) Aggie Park.
Congratulations to our lucky winner Karen O. Thank you to Mr Mikes Steakhouse for the $25 gift card.

Question #7
What year did the May Pole Dancing get moved indoors to the Port Coquitlam Recreation Complex?
a) 2017
b) 1970
c) 1865
Answer: b) 1970
Congratulations to our lucky winner Mackenzie MacBride. Thank you to the Cat and Fiddle Pub for the gift card.

Question #8
Which former Ambassador is a talented magician?
a) Alex Seaman
b) Bob Hope
c) Donald Trump
Answer: a) Alex Seaman
Congratulations to Linda Baillie. She won a $70 value gift basket to Shoppers Drug Mart.

Question #9
What is our May Day parade presently called?
a) The PoCo Palooza
b) The Rotary May Day Parade
c) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade
Answer: b) The Rotary May Day Parade
Congratulations to Mariel Espanola, winner of a White Spot gift card valued $95

Question #10
What former May Queen still works as a PoCo elementary school principal?
a) Marilyn Monroe
b) Debbie Ponsart
c) Tom Jones
Answer: b) Debbie Ponsart
Congratulations to Kathy Gerding, she won a gift card to Sabai Thai Spa

Question #11
How do current May Queens and Ambassadors get chosen?
a) Random Draw at the Selection Tea
b) a foot race
c) a beauty pageant
Answer: a) Random Draw at the Selection Tea
Congratulations Donna Rutherford, she won a gift card to Earls Port Coquitlam

Question #12
Which May Queen attended school at Essondale?
a) Marilyn Monroe
b) Tom Jones
c) Pauline Talbot
Answer: c) Pauline Talbot
Congratulations to Chrissy Lloyd-Jones, she won a gift card to Me-n-Eds Pizza Port Coquitlam

Question #13
Which former May Queen was president of PoCo Heritage for one term?
a) Greg Moore
b) Nancy Oglivie
c) Marilyn Monroe
Answer: b) Nancy Oglivie
Congratulations to Chuck Jones, he won a $25 gift card to Mr. Mikes Steakhouse

Question #14
What significant anniversary was celebrated during May Day 2013?
a) The War of 1812
b) The City’s 100th birthday
c) The Mayor’s wedding anniversary
Answer: b) The City’s 100th birthday
Congratulations Sunshine Hanan, she won a gift certificate to the Dairy Queen.

Question #15
A flatbed truck was used in the 1930’s as the “Royal Carriage” for the Royal Party in the May Day parade. What family-run business provided this vehicle?
a) Walmart
b) Me-n-Eds Pizza
c) PoCo Building Supply
Answer: c) PoCo Building Supply
Congratulations to Alisha Koubi, she won a gift certificate for Jamila’s Kitchen & Grill

Question #16
The May Queen’s throne was donated to the City in what year?
a) 1931
b) 1876
c) 2018
Answer: a) 1931
Congratulations to Kim Nahl, she won a gift certificate to Sabai Thai Spa

Question #17
The first May Day festival was in 1923. Which of the following activities was NOT a part of the original part of the festival?
a) The May Pole dancing
b) The selection of a May Queen
c) The May Day Parade
Answer: The May Day Parade.
Congratulations to Kim Jeahyng. He won gift certificates to Dairy Queen and Jamila’s Kitchen & Grill.

Question #18
The May Day Festival used to include a car show. What year did the car show begin as a stand-alone event?
a) 1928
b) 2005
c) 2017
Answer: b) 2005.
Congratulations to Herman. He won gift certificates to Sparta Greek Taverna and Big Flat Pancake.

Question #19
Who was the original organizing group of the May Day Festival?
a) The Women’s Institute
b) The YMCA
c) PoCo Minor Hockey
Answer:

The month of May is believed to have been named for the Roman goddess of spring and growth, Maia. The month of May heralds the awakening and flourishing of nature and the coming of spring. In the City of Port Coquitlam, this month marks the celebration of May Day.

In ancient times, May was a time for outdoor celebrations. In Rome, it was a time that was sacred to Flora, the goddess of flowers. The Romans celebrated May Day with flower-decked parades. In England, the village youth went to the woods to gather spring flowers and hawthorne branches, returning singing and dancing. The flowering boughs they gathered were used to decorate the May tree. As the white flowered hawthorne tree became the tree most often decorated, it came to be called the May tree. In more recent celebrations, the May pole, symbolic of the May tree it has replaced, has been decorated with colourful ribbons.

The City of Port Coquitlam first introduced the celebration of May in 1916 when the principal of James Park School, Mrs. Enid Cox, arranged a small celebration for her pupils. The first official community May Day was held in 1923, when James Park and Central schools combined their efforts. It was in 1923 that Miss Evelyn Mars was crowned as Port Coquitlam’s first official May Queen.

In today’s Port Coquitlam May Day celebration, a May Queen and an Ambassador, along with the Royal Party, preside over the festivities, which include a parade, music, entertainment and dancing around maypoles.