Evergreen Line officially opens: the day in pictures

All photos by Isabelle Docto

The Coquitlam Central Station was the venue for the grand opening of the Evergreen Line.

People braved the rain, waiting for the train rides to open to the public.

Lines began to form at 10:30 a.m. as people waited to ride the rails of the SkyTrain extension, whichhas been 10years in the making.

Meanwhile, on the MillenniumLine platform, the SkyTrainpulled in to drop off the honourary guests of the event.

B.C. Premier Christy Clark stepped off thetrain, endingthe inaugural ride that launched the opening celebrations.

Clark was greeted by representatives from the Kwikwetlem First Nation.

Representatives of the project's partners cut the ribbon to officiate the line's grand opening. The province said the project cost$1.43 billion.

Clark handed a piece of the ribbon to Marion Harmer, who conceived the "Evergreen" name for the line.Harmer won TransLink's2005 contest to name the line.

Soon after the news conference, the station opened to the public and thefirst busker soon appeared.

TransLinkestimatesthe extension will carry 70,000 people per day by 2021.