What do you want to see in Maple Ridge's future?    

The City of Maple Ridge has two opportunities for city residents to weigh in on how we want to live, work and play in two key areas of the city. Both engagement events are happening on Saturday, Sept. 12. Pre-registration for both events is required to allow for Covid-19 physical distancing.  

Events 1 & 2: Town Centre Visioning 

The city planning department is hosting a “WalkShop” and Open House on Saturday, September 12th.  

The morning “WalkShop” is a guided walking tour of several areas within the Town Centre, with discussion along the way. 

The Open House goes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. in Memorial Peace Park (between the Bandstand and 224th Street), with opportunities to provide your thoughts on what makes a vibrant, resilient, sustainable community.

This is an important chance to let the city know we value pedestrian- and bike-friendly design and facilities; green spaces for shade, biodiversity, and connection with nature; ways to reduce emissions such as more charging stations for electric vehicles and more frequent bus service. And that’s just a start! 

Register by email to planning@mapleridge.ca and have your say about the future of our city.

Event 3: Lougheed Transit Corridor Concept Plan 

The Lougheed Transit Corridor Concept Plan has been two years in the making, and Sept. 12 is your opportunity to view the final plan and provide your feedback at an Open House in Memorial Peace Park.  

Look for valuable, climate-forward highlights such as a pedestrian- and bike-friendly greenway stretching from the town centre to the west edge of the city.  

Learn more about the Lougheed Transit Corridor Study, then register for the Sept. 12 Open House by email to LougheedStudy@mapleridge.ca. 

Throne speech to focus on “ambitious green agenda”   

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says his government will unveil an “ambitious green agenda” in the throne speech scheduled to be delivered later this month.

“We know the world is going towards greater energy efficiency. We know the world is going towards lower carbon. We know that the world is moving towards more renewable energy,” he said in an interview with Global News on on Sept 2. 

Earlier that day, the prime minister met online with business leaders in BC, focusing on green economic recovery efforts as the country continues to grapple with fallout from the novel coronavirus pandemic.

Trudeau said green recovery is about “long-term recovery,” and that the country needs to be “leading the way” on the shift to renewable energy and addressing the climate crisis.

Join forces with HUB Cycling   

HUB Cycling is asking the Ministry of Transportation to include safe cycling infrastructure in their plans to expand the Lougheed Highway between Maple Ridge and Mission.

The government’s Cycling Policy makes it clear that their “goal is to integrate bicycling on the province’s highways by providing safe, accessible and convenient bicycle facilities and by supporting and encouraging cycling. 

1. Provisions for cyclists are made on all new and upgraded provincial highways. All exceptions to this policy will be subject to an evaluation procedure, as described in the reference material.”

The project is just in the public engagement phase, which is the ideal time to speak up! Learn more about the project, sign up to receive updates, and: 

• send the ministry your feedback by email to: Hwy7.266to287@gov.bc.ca
  • cc: MLA Maple Ridge/Mission Bob D’Eith
  • cc: HUB Cycling mapleridge-pittmeadows@bikehub.ca.

5 things COVID-19 tells us about fighting climate change    

Solving the climate crisis will address inequality and racism, strengthen the economy, and promote global health. But the clock is ticking. Failure to address the climate crisis at the scale and speed necessary threatens the future of humanity.

The World Economic Forum shares five ways to approach tackling climate change – strategies we’ve learned from our struggles with Covid-19.