Maple Ridge, British Columbia

Maple Ridge is a city in British Columbia, located in the northeastern section of Greater Vancouver between the Fraser River and the Golden Ears, which is a group of mountain summits which are the southernmost of the Garibaldi Ranges of the Coast Mountains. Maple Ridge's population, in 2016 was 82,256. Its downtown core is known as Haney.

History
Maple Ridge was incorporated as a district municipality on September 12, 1874. It covered an area of 33,000 acres (130 km2) yet was home to only approximately 50 families. Maple Ridge is British Columbia's fifth-oldest municipality (after New Westminster, Victoria, Langley, and Chilliwack). Until the expansion of Metro Vancouver (the GVRD) it was part of the now-defunct Dewdney-Alouette Regional District with the City of Pitt Meadows and District of Mission and other north-side communities east to Chehalis.

On March 26, 2014, Maple Ridge residents voted to change the community's status from district municipality to city. Subsequently, Maple Ridge Council submitted its request for status change to the Minister of Community, Sport and Cultural Development. The status change became official on September 12, 2014, which coincided with Maple Ridge's 140th anniversary of municipal incorporation.

Communities
Maple Ridge is made up of several different historical areas including:


 * Albion;
 * Haney (downtown);
 * Iron Mountain;
 * Kanaka Creek;
 * Port Hammond;
 * Ruskin;


 * Silver Valley;
 * Thornhill;
 * Webster's Corners;
 * Whonnock; and
 * Yennadon.

Some of these areas are identified with a cultural group. For instance, Albion and Webster's Corner are represented by the many Finnish families that settled in the area. While Port Hammond is known for its small cottage-like mill houses originally built by the local mill to house its workers. Ruskin is the location of a community hall of the Sons of Norway, although the area was founded by English followers of John Ruskin. Kanaka Creek originally was a community for Kanaka employees of Fort Langley.

Port Haney, located adjacent to the Fraser River to the southwest of downtown Haney, and the site of the West Coast Express commuter rail station, is a heritage district created to protect some of the remaining buildings from earlier times. In addition to buildings already on-site when this was the steamboat landing as well as the CPR station, other heritage buildings from around the City of Maple Ridge were relocated to Port Haney to preserve them and enhance the heritage flavour of the location.

Demographics
In the 2016 Census, the City of Maple Ridge had a population of 82,256.

Economy
Early settlers in Maple Ridge engaged in forestry and agriculture. Forestry companies continue to be the largest private-sector employers in the district. They include Interfor and companies that manufacture building materials, yachts and poles. The soil and climate are not well-suited to the production of traditional food crops, but the Maple Ridge agriculture sector generates upwards of $40 million annually (2001), largely from berry crops, nurseries and horse breeding.

Maple Ridge hosted the only North American high volume manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries, E-One Moli Energy. However, the factory suffered major layoffs due to the 2008 recession and now only hosts a small product testing team.

The City of Maple Ridge has become a popular location for feature films and television series. On almost any day there is a film or TV crew working in the City. The Ridge Film Studios is located in an old retail space in the downtown and serves as a set location for episodic television programs. Maple Ridge's film roots go back to the 70s when scenes for the feature film 'Rambo' were shot here. Over time the City has become a background for a number of films and TV series including The X-Files Bordertown, Smallville, Bird on a Wire, We're No Angels, Percy Jackson & the Lightening Thief, Stargate SG-1 and in recent months the old Bordertown set was featured in an episode of the hit WB series 'Legends of Tomorrow.'

The City is currently working to zone new commercial and industrial lands to expand local employment opportunities.

Arts and culture
Venues for performing arts in Maple Ridge include the Arts Centre and Theatre (ACT), the bandstand in Memorial Peace Park, and various theatres in local secondary schools.

The ACT contains a main stage theatre capable of seating 486 for musical and dramatic performances as well as a studio theatre used for other performances, classes and special events. The ACT is also home to a conference room and smaller classrooms for activities such as pottery and painting. The ACT is a non-profit public resource. The Maple Ridge Art Gallery is also located in the ACT, focusing on local artists and art students.

Maple Ridge also has several festivals and annual parades, including the Santa Claus Parade & Christmas in the Park, Earth Day celebrations in Memorial Peace Park, Canada Day in Memorial Peace Park, GETI Fest in Memorial Peace Park, AdStock Music Festival in Memorial Peace Park, Aboriginal Day celebrations in Memorial Peace Park, The Celebrate the Night Halloween & Fireworks event at Memorial Peace Park, the Caribbean Festival at the Albion Fairgrounds and the one of the longest running agricultural fairs in BC, Country Fest at the fairgrounds.

Maple Ridge offers one of the largest Remembrance Day celebrations in the Lower Mainland each November 11 at Memorial Peace Park. The event is hosted by the Royal Canadian legion Branch #88 and boasts annual attendance of over 2000 local residents for the parade of veterans and first responders and moving Cenotaph ceremony.

The Haney Farmers market runs every Saturday from 9:00 am until 2:00 pm starting in May through to October at Memorial Peace Park

Maple Ridge is the home of the Maple Ridge Concert Band, a community concert band that has been in existence for over 50 years.

Sports
Maple Ridge is the hometown of several athletes such as baseball player Larry Walker, deceased race-car driver Greg Moore, and hockey players Cam Neely, Brendan Morrison, Ryan Butler, and Andrew Ladd.

Government
Maple Ridge is governed at the municipal level by a seven-member council made up of six councilors and a mayor. Five of the seven school trustees elected to the School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Board of Education are chosen by Maple Ridge voters. School trustees, councilors and the mayor are elected on the same ballot for four-year terms. In addition, residents of Maple Ridge vote for representatives to the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia and the House of Commons of Canada.

Mike Morden is the current mayor of Maple Ridge. He was first elected mayor on October 20, 2018. Previous mayors include Gordon Robson, Kathy Morse, Al Hogarth, Bill Hartley, Belle Morse, Carl Durkson, Ernie Daykin, and Nicole Read. The next Municipal Election will be held in the fall of 2022.

Maple Ridge has two constituencies in the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia. In the 2017 BC Provincial Election the British Columbia New Democratic Party won both of Maple Ridge's seats. NDP MLA Bob D'Eith holds the Maple Ridge-Mission constituency while MLA Lisa Beare represents the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows constituency.

Maple Ridge has one constituency in the House of Commons of Canada. In the 2015 federal election, the Liberal Party of Canada won the seat. The MP is Dan Ruimy.

Transportation
Translink provides public transit services to Maple Ridge, including buses and the West Coast Express. Haney Place Exchange is the main bus exchange, with every bus line in Maple Ridge stopping here at some point along its route.

Maple Ridge is connected via Highway 7 to Pitt Meadows in the west and Mission in the east, and also by the Dewdney Trunk Road, a more northerly route which crosses into Mission via the community of Stave Falls.

The Golden Ears Bridge connects Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows to Langley.

The Pitt Meadows Regional Airport is the only Fraser Valley airport (other than water airports) located on the Fraser River's north side. It is located 2.5 km east of the confluence of the Pitt and Fraser rivers, and serves the area north of the Fraser River from Mission up to and including Vancouver.

Abbotsford International Airport, which is situated 40 km away in Abbotsford, offers flights daily throughout Canada and to the Caribbean and the United States.

Education
Public schools are administered by School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows. The school district serves residents of Maple Ridge and neighbouring Pitt Meadows, along with students transferred in from other British Columbia school districts. The district also accepts international students.

The school district operates eighteen elementary schools, five secondary schools, an adult learning centre, a community college, and several other educational facilities in Maple Ridge.

Several of the five public secondary schools have specialized in certain areas and/or started academy programs to attract more students.

Thomas Haney Secondary School operates on a self-directed learning system that is designed to allow students to plot their own paths toward fulfilling ministry learning outcomes. The school also operates an equestrian academy for all abilities as well as music, theatre and athletic programs.

Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary School, opened in 2005, was designed to allow students to experience various technologies as well as their traditional education. The school offers various trades programs in partnership with local trade schools and colleges.

Garibaldi Secondary School offers the International Baccalaureate program and DigiPen Technology Academy.

Westview Secondary School and Maple Ridge Secondary School are the other two public high schools in Maple Ridge.

Several of the elementary schools also offer non-traditional systems. These include: Kanaka Creek Elementary, which operates a year-round schooling system, exchanging a long summer break for shorter breaks throughout the year; and Yennadon Elementary School, which operates a cyberschool program, enabling some students to work from home on a computer on certain days.

Several private schools are located in Maple Ridge. These include: Meadowridge School, a JK-12 independent non-denominational school; James Cameron School a school for children in Grades 2-7 with learning disabilities; and St. Patrick's, a Catholic school. These are not operated by the school district, but must still meet British Columbia Ministry of Education standards.

Post-secondary education in Maple Ridge is available through:
 * BCIT, which offers courses as part of the BCIT School of Business Entrepreneurship Associate Certificate Program;
 * Douglas College, which has a campus in Thomas Haney Secondary School and also offers courses at the Ridge Meadows Maternity Clinic; and
 * Sprott Shaw College, which is a private post-secondary institution.

Notable people

 * Elizabeth Bachinsky, poet
 * Matthew Good, rock musician
 * Susan Jacks, singer/songwriter
 * Alexz Johnson, Music Artist/Vocalist, Actress in Instant Star, So Weird, Final Destination, Stranger With My Face
 * Tyler Labine, actor
 * Andrew Ladd, professional hockey player
 * Karina LeBlanc, professional soccer player for Team Canada
 * Madeline Merlo, country music singer/songwriter
 * Greg Moore, deceased Champ Car driver
 * Michael Moriarty, U.S.-Canadian stage and screen actor and jazz musician
 * George Mussallem, former Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) of British Columbia
 * Helen Mussallem, Companion of the Order of Canada recipient
 * Cam Neely, former professional hockey player
 * Molly Parker, actress
 * Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, domestic murder victim, subject of documentaries and a made-for-television movie
 * Scott Smith (musician), bassist for Loverboy
 * Rick Tippe, country music artist
 * Larry Walker, former professional baseball player