Bill Herbst was a longtime steward of Port Coquitlam’s green spaces, serving as the City’s Parks Foreman during a transformative era for the community. In the early 1990s, as the downtown core underwent residential redevelopment and more residents began living in condominiums without access to gardening space, Bill recognized a need that wasn’t being met. Together with Anne Pynenburg from the City’s engineering team and Pippa Van Velzen, then president of the PoCo Garden Club, he formed a small focus group with a clear goal: to give every resident, regardless of where they lived, a patch of soil to call their own.
That vision became reality in June 1996, when Mayor Len Traboulay officially opened the community garden at Elks Park, with Bill, Anne, and Pippa standing proudly behind him. What began as 38 plots for organic gardening at the east end of Elks Park has grown into one of the most beloved green spaces in the city, with a waiting list that reflects how essential it has become. Bill served as President of the Port Coquitlam Community Garden Society in its early years, then as a Director for many years.
After Bill retired from the City Parks Department, he resumed an active role as president of the community garden in 2016 and established the volunteer executive committee to help manage the garden operations.
As president from 2016 until he stepped back for health reasons in 2025, Bill led, and often single-handedly carried out, many improvements in the garden:
Bill’s quiet, steady leadership guided the growth of the garden and the executive committee. By championing organic practices, mentoring new gardeners, and inspiring the launch of additional community gardens across PoCo, Bill turned a simple idea into a thriving community, one shared tool, shared harvest, and shared conversation at a time.
Thank you, Bill.
Port Coquitlam Community Garden 