MAPLE RIDGE, BRITISH COLUMBIA

'Maple Ridge' is a District Municipality in British Columbia, located east of Vancouver on the Fraser River. It is a member of the Greater Vancouver Regional District and has a population of approximately 73,000.

Contents

History

Recent growth

Industry

Demographics

Education

Sports

Theatre

Notable people from Maple Ridge

Surrounding municipalities

External links

History

The District of Maple Ridge was incorporated September 12, 1874, it covered an area of 33,000 acres (130 km²) yet only had approximately 50 families living in the town. Maple Ridge is British Columbia's sixth-oldest municipality (after New Westminster, Victoria, Langley, Lake Cowichan, and Chilliwack.)

Recent growth

In the past 20 years, Maple Ridge has grown very rapidly, with a 12.5% population increase between the 1996 and 2001 censuses. The construction of new residential subdivisions has threatened many sensitive wildlife habitats as well as the District's limited agricultural land. About two-thirds of those who work outside the home commute into other suburbs or downtown Vancouver. Highlighting the trend towards a more urban attitude, Maple Ridge joined the GVRD in 1995, having historically been a member of the largely rural FVRD. The recently-started construction of the Golden Ears Bridge and the announced new high level Pitt River bridge span also signals growth. The prices of housing in Maple Ridge
is expected to rise significantly when the Golden Ears Bridge is completed.

Industry

The 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 (whose Hammond mill employs more than 300) as well as 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. The biggest challenge for the District is to attract commercial and industrial investment while trying to preserve the "close to nature" feel that is Maple Ridge's biggest asset.

Demographics

Demographics according to Statistics Canada 2006 census.

★ Population: 68,949

★ 2001 to 2006 population change (%) : 9.2%

★ Area: .

★ Density: .

★ Location:

Education

Public schools are administered by School District 42 Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows. Meadowridge School, a K-12 independent school, is located in Maple Ridge. A public technological school called Samuel Robertson Technical Secondary School opened in 2005. Samuel Robertson offers more technical courses than any other school in the district. Thomas Haney Secondary School, home of the Thomas Haney Thunder, is also one of Canada's only Self Directed Schools. Maple Ridge is also home to Kanaka Creek Elementary School, a year round modelled school.

Sports

Maple Ridge is known for being the hometown of several high-profile athletes, such as baseball player Larry Walker, deceased race-car driver Greg Moore, and hockey players Cam Neely, Brendan Morrison and Andrew Ladd. These professional athletes are the product of very well organized youth sports programs, including a baseball program which has produced three Midget AAA Western Canadian Championship teams since 2001, including back-to-back championships in 2001 and 2002.

Theatre

''The ACT Theatre'' is located in the downtown core of Maple Ridge, and is home to such groups as The Millennium Players and Emerald Pig. It is a non-profit public resource serving the artistic and cultural needs of the diverse audiences in the communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. Offering a wide range of activities including live music, theatre, classes, workshops and events, ''The ACT'' also houses the Maple Ridge Art Gallery.
http://www.theactmapleridge.org/qs/page/4509/1965/-1

Notable people from Maple Ridge

★ Brendan Morrison, NHL player for the Vancouver Canucks

★ Rick Tippe, country music singer

★ Chris Rolin, award winning guitar player

★ Brent Hayden, swimmer

★ Andrew Ladd, NHL player for the Carolina Hurricanes

★ Greg Moore, race car driver, formerly raced for Penske Racing

★ Robert Mundell, Nobel prize-winning economist

★ Helen Mussallem, nurse

★ Cam Neely, NHL player, formerly played for the Vancouver Canucks

★ Molly Parker, actress

★ Aaron Pritchett, country music singer

★ Jaswinder Kaur Sidhu, murder victim

★ Larry Walker, baseball player, formerly played for the St. Louis Cardinals and Montreal Expos

Surrounding municipalities

External links

★ District of Maple Ridge Local government home page

★ History of Maple Ridge A variety of information on the history of Maple Ridge, including historical images, information on heritage buildings, and more.

★ History of Maple Ridge on the towns website.