Before it was a housing development and golf course, Westwood Plateau was a 1,400 acre-odd parcel of land that included a racetrack.
All photos by Bruce Stewart in 1970.
Two of the streets in the development – Deer’s Leap Place and Carousel Court – were named for the track’s most challenging sections.
According to a write-up on the City of Coquitlam’s website, the course was named for Earle C. Westwood, then minister of recreation and conservation, who was instrumental in acquiring the land which included the 1.8 mile racetrack.
“The track was designed by the Sports Car Club of BC, and followed the natural features of the land. The famous Deer’s Leap came about because of the steep gradient of the land, which could not be easily flattened,” says the website.
Bruce Stewart tells me that Fred Herzog (shown chatting with a racer above in 1970) used to race at Westwood. “He had a variety of bikes, but preferred the English ones,” says Bruce. “He even wiped out once or twice around the hairpin!”
My favourite photo is the guy with the cigar who is helping to fuel up the motorcycle (above). It reminds me of that scene from Zoolander of the gas fight. If you don’t remember it—or were born after 1985—you can watch it here
Bruce took the photo (above) from the overhead walkway that went across the track in 1970. You can see the old Port Mann bridge in the background.
Fun fact: a 1988 episode of MacGyver called “Collision Course” was mostly filmed at Westwood. In the show it was called the “Westwood Springs Racecourse.”
The first race was held in the summer of 1959 and the last race was October 8, 1990.
There is a Facebook page called Remembering Westwood Mountain High Racing
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