Richard Stewart

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Richard Stewart, Mayor of Coquitlam (sister city to Paju City)

Richard Stewart was elected to Coquitlam City Council in 2005, before being elected Mayor in 2008. He is bilingual (English and French) and has lived in Coquitlam all his life. His extensive volunteer experience includes organizations such as Coquitlam Rotary Club, Knights of Columbus, Maillardville Lions Club, Société Maillardville Uni and Société Biculturelle de Maillardville, local school Parent Advisory Committees, and he is a longstanding member of the Coquitlam Chamber of Commerce.

Coquitlam is sister cities with Paju, Korea. The relationship between Coquitlam and Paju began in 2007 as part of BC’s Asia Pacific Twinning Initiative, focusing on increased economic activity. A Paju delegation visited Coquitlam and signed a letter of intent for establishing a sister city relationship. In 2008, then-Premier Gordon Campbell led a Clean Technology Mission to Asia, which included a delegation from Coquitlam that visited Paju. In 2009, a friendship city agreement was signed during a return visit to Coquitlam by Paju City staff and the Mayor. Key representatives from the Paju Chamber of Commerce and Industry were also included in this delegation, and they met to establish relationships with key businesses in Coquitlam, as well as sign an agreement with the Canada Korea Business Association. Of Coquitlam’s international relationships, the Coquitlam-Paju is the most active. The Province of British Columbia recognized the relationship as an official sister city relationship due to this activity as well as Coquitlam’s significant Korean community. Mayor Richard Stewart was instrumental in contributing to the growing relationship between Coquitlam and Paju.