'Uncertainty' remains as cleanup of Coquitlam, B.C., mudslide continues

Crews have made progress clearing debris from a mudslide in Coquitlam, B.C., but uncertainty looms with more rain the forecast.

Crews made good progress over the weekend and into Monday clearing debris from a mudslide in Coquitlam, B.C., last week, but a city official says uncertainty looms with more rain the forecast.

Jaime Boan, Coquitlam’s general manager of engineering and public works, said the mudslide completely covered a portion of Pipeline Road with mud, logs and debris after a deluge of heavy rain last week.

He said Monday that the situation was “quite different,” after crews tackled the slide area beginning on Saturday.

“It was a big job,” Boan said. “There was a lot of material that came down and there’s still a lot uncertainty.

“Essentially we are not permitting any public up into that area, including the residents, until we would get that clearance from the geotechnical engineer, because we need to ensure it is going to be safe.”

The city said Friday that the slide had affected four homes and two industrial properties, and Coquitlam Search and Rescue had to airlift stranded residents and their pets out of the area.

Boan said it was expected that the road would be cleared enough by the end of Monday for some single-lane traffic to pass through, but he said there’s still material to clear.

“The worry is that more material could still come down with further rain,” he said. “We understand it’s been tough for those residents affected and certainly they’ve been wanting to get back up there to their houses to collect things, but we are having to ensure safety.”

Environment Canada’s forecast for Coquitlam predicts between 15 and 25 millimetres of rain falling on Tuesday, with more possible on Wednesday, and sunny skies on the way later this week.

Boan said the road was “completely covered” in logs, mud and debris on Friday after the mountainous area got more than 300 millimetres of rain.

He said the cause of the landslide is still under investigation, but “extreme weather events” trigger landslide risks in upper mountainous areas.

“I think we need to get more clarity and understanding of what caused this particular landslide,” he said.

“We’ve been through landslides before. We’ve got a pretty good system in place, which is why this has gone well. You know, emergency crews were able to get the residents out very, very quickly.

“I’d say from that perspective, it actually has gone extremely well.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 23, 2026.