Maple Ridge, British Columbia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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

Contents 1 History 1.1 Recent growth 2 Industry 3 Demographics 4 Education 5 Sports 6 Theatre 7 Famous people from Maple Ridge 8 Surrounding municipalities 9 External links

[edit] History

The District of Maple Ridge was incorporated 12 September 1874, and is British Columbia's fifth-oldest municipality (after New Westminster, Victoria, Langley, and Chilliwack.)

[edit] 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.

[edit] 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.

[edit] Demographics

Demographics according to Statistics Canada 2006 census.

• Population: 68,949
• 2001 to 2006 population change (%) : 9.2%
• Area: 265.79 km².
• Density: 259.4 people per km².
• Location: 49°13′12.0″N, 122°35′56.1″W

[edit] 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. Also, St. Patrick's is the town's only religious K-7 school. St. Patrick's is known for its French and music program. There is also a brand new technological school called Samuel Robertson Tech Secondary School which opened in 2005, but is full to capacity. 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.

[edit] Sports

Maple Ridge is known for being the hometown of several high-profile athletes, such as baseball player Larry Walker, race-car driver Greg Moore, and hockey players Cam Neely, 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.

[edit] 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

[edit] Famous people from Maple Ridge

• Rick Tippe, country singer
• 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

[edit] Surrounding municipalities

	Pinecone Burke Provincial Park	Golden Ears Provincial Park	Fraser Valley Electoral District F
	Pitt Meadows		Mission
		Maple Ridge
	Barnston Island, Surrey	Langley Township	Abbotsford

[edit] External links

• Maps and aerial photos Coordinates: 49.21848° -122.57486°
  • WikiSatellite view at WikiMapia
  • Street map from Mapquest
  • Aerial photograph from Terraserver
  • Topo, Nautical, Aeronautical maps from Maptech
• 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.

Neighbourhoods in Maple Ridge, British Columbia
Main neighbourhoods	Port Hammond | Haney | Websters Corners | Silver Valley | Yennadon | Whonnock | Ruskin | Iron Mountain | Thornhill | Albion | Kanaka Creek
First Nations:	Katzie | Whonnock
Other areas:	Maple Meadows Industrial Park