Maple Ridge, a city nestled in the northeastern section of Greater Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, is a charming blend of history, culture, and natural beauty. Located between the Fraser River and the Golden Ears, a group of mountain summits in the southernmost of the Garibaldi Ranges of the Coast Mountains, Maple Ridge is a haven for nature lovers and history enthusiasts alike. As of 2021, the city boasts a population of 90,990, with its downtown core area fondly known as Haney.
Maple Ridge was incorporated as a district municipality on September 12, 1874, covering an area of 33,000 acres (130 km2) and home to approximately 50 families. It holds the distinction of being British Columbia's fifth-oldest municipality, following New Westminster, Victoria, Langley, and Chilliwack.
From 1965 until 1995, Maple Ridge was part of the now-defunct Dewdney-Alouette Regional District, along with the City of Pitt Meadows and District of Mission, and other north-side communities east to Chehalis. Since 1995, Maple Ridge has been a proud member of Metro Vancouver.
On March 26, 2014, the residents of Maple Ridge voted to change the community's status from district municipality to city. The status change became official on September 12, 2014, coinciding with Maple Ridge's 140th anniversary of municipal incorporation.
Maple Ridge is a mosaic of several different historical areas, each with its unique charm and cultural significance. These include:
Each of these areas is associated with a specific cultural group. For instance, Albion and Webster's Corners are represented by the many Finnish families that settled in the area. 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, and 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, is a heritage district created to protect some of the remaining buildings from earlier times. It is also the site of the West Coast Express commuter rail station.
Maple Ridge exhibits an oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb), making it a pleasant destination for visitors throughout the year.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Maple Ridge had a population of 90,990 living in 33,103 of its 34,254 total private dwellings, a change of 10.6% from its 2016 population of 82,256. With a land area of 267.82 km2 (103.41 sq mi), it had a population density of 339.7/km2 (879.9/sq mi) in 2021.
As of 2021, 78.5% of residents spoke English as their mother tongue. The next most common first languages were Chinese languages (2.5%), Punjabi (1.5%), Tagalog (1.5%), Persian (1.5%), Spanish (1.2%), Korean (1.1%), and French (1.0%). 2.2% of residents listed both English and a non-official language as mother tongues.
Maple Ridge is a hub of arts and culture, with venues for performing arts including the Arts Centre and Theatre (ACT), the bandstand in Memorial Peace Park, and various theatres in local secondary schools. The ACT is a non-profit public resource, home to a main stage theatre, a studio theatre, a conference room, and smaller classrooms for activities such as pottery and painting. The Maple Ridge Art Gallery, located in the ACT, focuses on local artists and art students.
Maple Ridge also hosts 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 one of the longest-running agricultural fairs in BC, Country Fest at the fairgrounds.
Translink provides public transit services to Maple Ridge, via 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.
