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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2012 Citizens ReportSTORY P34 MAPLE RIDGEBECOMES NEWFORENSICS HUB 2012 HIGHLIGHTS: MAPLE RIDGEBritish Columbia, Canada. 2012 CITIZENS REPORT as of December 31, 2012 THE DISTRICT OF www.mapleridge.ca MAPLE MAPLE RIDGE2012 CITIZENS REPORTMAPLE MAPLE RIDGE P36P40 www.mapleridge.ca 10 LITRES FOR A PENNYP40NO SURRENDER 1 MRCR.indd 1 13-04-16 9:11 PM VISION 2025 The District of Maple Ridge is among the most sustainable communities in the world. As a community committed to working toward achieving carbon neutrality, residents experience the value of a strong and vibrant local economy and the benefi ts of an ongoing commitment to environmental stewardship and creation of stable and special neighbourhoods. Maple Ridge is a world leading example of thoughtful development and a socially cohesive community, especially as it relates to the use of leading edge “environmental technologies,” social networks and economic development. Other municipalities consistently reference the District of Maple Ridge for its innovative approaches to dealing with seemingly intractable challenges. MISSION A safe, livable, and sustainable community for our present and future citizens. VALUE STATEMENTS Leadership: To encourage innovation, creativity, and initiative. Service: To be fair, friendly, and helpful. Reputation: To stress excellence, integrity, accountability, and honesty. Human Resources: To recognize that our people are our most valuable resource. Community: To respect and promote our community. Stewardship: To consider the long-term consequences of actions, think broadly across issues, disciplines and boundaries and act accordingly. 2 MRCR.indd 2 13-04-16 9:27 PM Contents Citizens Report 2012 3 P12 P25 P32 Introduction 4 Message from the Mayor 6 QUESTIONS & ANSWERS: Your Mayor & Council 7 Administration 8 Community Development, Parks & Recreation Services 10 Public Works & Development Services 12 Corporate & Financial Services 14 Saving Money and the Planet 16 2012 Financial Spotlight 18 2012 Expenses 20 2012 Revenues 21 2012 Capital Additions & Debt 22 Property Taxes vs. Household Cost 23 Population & Demographics 24 People, Places & Events of 2012 25 RCMP – Police Services 32 Maple Ridge Fire Department 34 On the Water Front 36 Remembering Fred Elder 38 Contacts 39 P10 2012 CITIZENS REPORTMAPLE RIDGE2012 CITIZENS REPORTRIDGERIDGEMAPLE RIDGE 3 MRCR.indd 3 13-04-16 9:30 PM Introduction 4 Citizens Report 2012 Making our Information Accessible Ernie Daykin Mayor Jim Rule Chief Administrative Ocer On behalf of Council and sta we are pleased to present the 2012 Citizens Report. is publication will provide you with an overview of the District’s -nancial performance for the year ending December 31, 2012 as well as a review of the divisional activities and program highlights for the year.is year we are trying an experiment with making our Citizens Report more accessible to the public by stretching the bounds of the typical ‘popular report’ and packaging the information more like a magazine. In fact, we decided to pay homage to Canada’s national news magazine, Maclean’s in the way we pres- ent the information.One of the priorities that Council set as part of the 2013-2017 Financial Plan was to enhance our communications using the tools and technologies avail-able to our citizens and to speak to them more clearly and consistently about our successes. is publication seeks to meet that challenge by presenting a look back at our community, both from the perspec-tive of the work of District sta, but also reecting on how that work has impacted our citizens. From Olympic medalists who have returned home to thank Council for the commitment to recreation facilities to entrepreneurs who are creating the Maple Ridge of the future, there is much for us to celebrate.is 36 page report hints at what makes this community a great place to live and work. It captures the strong vision and determination of our Council and sta and highlights the accomplish-ments of some of our amazing citizens who are making their mark locally and on the world stage. Council welcomes your comments on this publication. Email us at mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca or call us at 604-463-5221. It has been a remarkable year. 4-5 Intro pages.indd 4 13-04-16 9:23 PM Citizens Report 2012 5 e Government Finance O cers’ Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has given an Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) to the District of Maple Ridge for its Popular Report for the scal year ended December 31, 2011. e Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting is a prestigious international award recognizing conformance with the highest standards for preparation of state/provincial and local government popular reports. In order to receive an Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting, a government unit must publish a Popular Annual Financial Report, whose contents conform to program standards of creativity, presentation, understandability, and reader appeal. An Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting is valid for a period of one year only. e District has received a Popular Award GFOA for the sixteenth consecutive year and is very fortunate to be one of only 5 municipalities in Canada awarded a PAFR for 2011. We believe our current report continues to conform to the Popular Annual Financial Reporting requirements, and we are submitting it to GFOA. The 2012 Citizens Report is part of a suite of publications that include the 2013-2017 Financial Plan and the 2012 Annual Report which allow citizens to examine the business of the District at every level. From detailed busi- ness plans and budgets to the audited fi nancial statements, our goal is to ensure that our work is transparent and accessible. The District would like to acknowledge the contributions of a number of individuals and organizations in helping create this publica- tion. Oliver Rathonyi-Reusz of InView Images has provided many of the stunning images used to illustrate the articles in this publication. We thank him for his patience and skill in helping us illuminate the beauty around us. In our People and Places section you will fi nd photog- raphy from the two community newspapers that serve Maple Ridge. Our thanks to the Maple Ridge News and the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Times for supplying images that were part of their publications throughout the year. We are very proud to provide a showcase for the amazing photography that we sometimes take for granted by our local papers. The publication design was done by Cindy Farnsworth and Doug McMaster. They both live in our community and raise their families here, and their passion for our community is refl ected in the quality of their work. We would like to thank staff members from all departments who answered questions, verifi ed data and allowed us to tag along and photograph them as they did their work. The knowledge, experience and professionalism of our team is an inspiration to the Communica- tions team that coordinate this project. Finally, special thanks to Cindy Dale and Tracy Camire. Their ideas, talent and knowledge have been essential in bringing all of this material together (and on deadline). We hope that you enjoy this ‘yearbook’ of the community that we are proud to serve and live in. Fred Armstrong Manager Corporate Communications farmstrong@mapleridge.ca Phone 604-467-7452 This publication is created in print and digital versions. The print version is available year round at the main reception area of Municipal Hall. The digital version is available on the District website www.mapleridge.ca and can be downloaded and printed at any time. The District is also active on social media. Please join us by following us on Twitter @ yourmapleridge and on Facebook at facebook. com/yourmapleridge. We look forward to your feedback on the 2012 Citizens Report. The print version of this publication is 100% recyclable. 2012 CITIZENS REPORTMAPLE RIDGE2012 CITIZENS REPORTRIDGERIDGEMAPLE RIDGE 4-5 Intro pages.indd 5 13-04-16 9:23 PM 6 Citizens Report 2012 is year the team putting together the Citizens Report asked each of us who serve on Council to ll out a little questionnaire similar to the one used by James Lipton on the TV show ‘Inside e Actors Studio.’ One of the questions was ‘What Is Your Favourite Motto?’ e answer that I gave was; “People who work together will win, whether it be againstcomplex football defences or the problems of modern society” I love football and lessons I learned on the eld as a youngster have stuck with me throughout my adult life. e quote is by Vince Lombardi, an American football player, coach and executive. He is best known as the head coach of the Green Bay Packers during the 1960s. With his leadership style and by having a team working together, he led the team to three straight and ve total league championships in seven years, including winning the rst two Super Bowls. e NFL’s Super Bowl trophy is named in his honour. Coach Lombardi was one of my childhood role models, along with Coach John McKenzie my Maple Ridge Secondary School football coach. I learnt life lessons from these men and as I grew older and started my own business, their work ethic and leadership prin-ciples were things that I tried to emulate every day. is particular quote resonates for me on many levels. In the past year I have had the opportunity to get to know my colleagues around the Council table better by listening carefully to the di erent perspectives they bring to our discussions. While at times the debates are vigorous and passionate, they are also respectful. ere is also an understanding that collectively we make better decisions than any one of us could make on our own. It is by carefully examining all sides of an issue that the best direction can emerge. Folks will at times remind us of the campaign promises that each of us made during the election when we make decisions that seem to be at odds with those promises. I learned a long time ago that there’s a big di erence between cam-paigning and governing. All of us have. I am very proud to work with this Coun-cil. e passion, commitment and energy of my colleagues is an inspiration. I am con dent that we have lived up to the motto that I hold dear. Take a look at what has happened in the last 12 months. Take a look at the plan for 2013 and beyond. e key to a successful community is teamwork and collaboration. When we on Council, working with the amazing and engaged citizens of our community and our District sta , put our collective wisdom and energy behind an issue, we’ve demonstrated the capacity to meet every challenge head on and and emerge better and stronger as a community. e result is that Maple Ridge wins! Vince would be proud. I know I am. Mayor Ernie Daykin Message from the Mayor Council’s annual meeting schedule is avail- able online at www.mapleridge.ca. The meeting schedule is available in both a calendar format or as a chronological list. Meetings held in Council Chambers are re- corded and available for viewing a few days after the meeting, with links to the meeting agenda information and presentations. 1. What is your favourite book? THE QUESTIONS Council Meeting Information 2. Who is your favourite musician? 3. What is your favourite fi lm? 4. Who is your hero? 5. What was your fi rst job? 6. What is your favourite motto? 7. What’s the best thing about being a member of Council? 6-7 MRCR.indd 6 13-04-16 9:31 PM The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein Israel Kamakawiwo’ole also known as ‘The IZ’ Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982) My father, Norm Daykin Bagging groceries at Safeway “People who work together will win, whether it be against complex football de- fences or the problems of modern society. “ Vince Lombardi I am able to speak to students of all ages about local govern-ment and how we can have a positive impact on the day to day life of our residents. My goal is to personalize and demystify local government for our youth - our future Plan B 4.0: Mobilizing to Save Civilization by Lester R. Brown Stevie Ray Vaughan Avatar (2009) Austin Pelton a former Alderman and Mayor of Maple Ridge Bagging groceries at Safeway “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Matthew 7:12, The Bible Being a part of a dynamic team of individuals who bring independent thoughts and ideas to the table on a variety of issues. This includes Mayor, Council and Staff Chicken Soup for the Soul by Jack Canfi eld and Mark Victor Hansen Barbara Streisand To Sir with Love (1967) My husband Ron Carhop at A&W Drive-In Restaurant “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, peo-ple will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou The opportunity to serve my community and be a part of shaping Maple Ridge The Stone Carnation (it got me hooked on murder mysteries) by Naomi A. Hintze Bette Midler The Marathon Man (1976) My mom Eldorado Hotel Laun- dry Room, I was 14 years old, I relieved my mom for her sum- mer vacation “You die if you worry, you die if you don’t.” Old Irish Proverb Being a part of all things political Younger Next Year by Chris Crowley Slash Gladiator (2000) Nelson Mandela Delivering fi sh and chips on my bike at the age of 13 “Better to have and not need, than need and not have.” Franz Kafka It is very interesting, varied and intel-lectually demanding work The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams Eminem. He’s a lyrical genius. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) John Lennon I was a gymnastics coach after dedicat-ing over a decade of my life to the sport “With courage you will dare to take risks, have the strength to be compassionate, and the wisdom to be humble. Courage is the foundation of integrity.” Keshavan Nair Being on Council is such a privilege; I get to make Maple Ridge and our Citizens as a whole a priority in my life. Being on Council is volunteering on steroids and I love it! The Runway of Life by Peter Legge I have many, far too many! If I have to choose one it’s Steely Dan It’s a tie, Ronin (1998) and My Cousin Vinny (1992) My mentors. They made me look at life differently and made me a better person I was a newspaper carrier and my fi rst full time job was as a store detective “Imagination Times Vividness Equals Reality.”Source unknown I love being able to successfully advo- cate for a person or group. I advocate for the majority and it seems that isn’t popular, but it’s what I signed up for and I believe that is the right thing to do Michael MordenErnie Daykin Cheryl Ashlie Al Hogarth Judy Dueck Bob Masse Corisa Bell THE ANSWERS: From your Mayor and Council 6-7 MRCR.indd 7 13-04-16 9:32 PM Administration When a plan turns into action One of the roles of the Administra-tion division is to coordinate Emer-gency Planning and Response for the District. District sta train on how we will respond to a wide variety of natural and man-made disasters. e District has a dedicated Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) team and detailed plans of how we will respond to various sce-narios. Last year that plan was put into practice when the combination of a high snow pack, a cool spring and heavy rain-fall combined to cause the Fraser River to swell.e BC River Forecast Centre moni -tors the snow pack, river ows and weather along the entire Fraser River system and in early June 2012 the snow pack on the Upper Fraser, Nechako and Lower Fraser were signicantly above average. In early and mid June, BC was hit with a wave of rainstorms that blew in o the Pacic, and by June 9 some of the communities in the upper Fra-ser were dealing with local ooding. On June 17 the River Forecast Centre issued a High Streamow Advisory for the Lower Fraser Valley. Over the next three days the Fraser River ow rate and level rose steadily and the EOC was activated to a Level One response on June 20. In 2007, the last time the Fraser had risen to this extent, our team ne-tuned the mapping and measurements for the area dyke systems to better predict what areas were at risk. Over the course of the next 72 hours the plan that had been practiced over and over again was put into action with great eciency.Two days later, almost a kilometre of temporary dyking had been constructed to protect low areas in the Albion and Kanaka areas. Evacuation warnings were hand-delivered to over 300 homes in three areas of the community that were most at risk. A community information meeting was held in an area that bor-ders the Kanaka estuary in Maple Ridge where the combination of high rainfalls, high water levels and high tides could create vulnerability for residents. A local business became the sandbagging centre for the community and agreed to stay open 24/7 to help supply the commu-nity. Crews were busy inspecting dykes, streams and all of our utilities daily. All this took place while the day-to-day op-erations of the District carried on.For the next ten days the District pro-vided daily updates on our website and on social media. Photo galleries captured the water levels in each of the risk areas and everyone waited for signs that the weather would improve and the crisis abate. On July 2, the BC River Forecast Centre announced that the High Stream-ow Advisory had ended for the Fraser.ere were some wet basements and the risk was very real. What was extraordinary was to see how well the plan was executed, and the diligence of the team in further rening our data and response methods for a future di-saster. Many citizens did not see the work of the EOC team and the men and women in each department who ex-ecuted the plan. When disaster strikes, we are ready. 8 Citizens Report 2012 08_09_Administration.indd 8 13-04-16 9:34 PM Citizens Report 2012 9 AT A GLANCE Division Head: Jim Rule, Chief Administrative Officer The Administration Division (CAO) is responsible for the overall administration of the District’s departments, developing corporate policy, providing leadership and direction for senior staff in the day-to-day and long-term business affairs of the District in accordance with Council’s Strategic Plan and providing advice to Council about District organization and operating procedures. The Division consists of five departments: Communications, Emergency Program, Human Resources, Strategic Economic Initiatives and Sustainability & Corporate Planning. Department Heads: Fred Armstrong, Manager Corporate Communications Laura Benson, Manager of Sustainability & Corporate Planning Sandy Blue, Manager Strategic Economic Initiatives Michelle Weatherill, Acting Director of Human Resources Two departments in the Administration division have been working together to turn the Council vision of economic pros-perity into action on the ground. In 2012 the Town Centre Investment Incentive program continued to fuel a construction boom in Maple Ridge that is unmatched in our community history. ere were groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings at a number of key projects.In June 2012 riy Foods opened their new Maple Ridge store at Haney Place Mall, while a few hundred feet away, Fal-con Homes, a new mixed-use develop-ment, broke ground. At the other end of the mall the Target Canada renovation project cleared the nal approval stages and the expansion and redesign work be-gan. e new Maple Ridge Gaming Centre broke ground at the end of 2012 and no less than 20 projects are in various stages of planning and construction for a total value of more than $150 million.e policy and bylaw work, now seen as a model throughout BC, captured Coun- cil’s desire to speed up the pace of develop-ment in Maple Ridge. Along with this solid Incentive Program, Maple Ridge contin-ues to be recognized as a ‘Top Five Invest-ment City’ in Canada by the Real Estate Investment Network. We frequently re-mind folks that the District does not build homes and businesses. at is the work of the private sector. We’re condent that we’ve created the framework and opportu-nities for the commercial and residential development community to be successful in Maple Ridge. No matter what street cor-ner you stand on in our Town Centre you can see construction underway. TOWN CENTRE: Creating opportunity 08_09_Administration.indd 9 13-04-16 9:34 PM Community Development, Parks & Recreation Services PARKS: You design them, we build them Green spaces, playgrounds, sports elds and trails all provide places for people to get out, get some exercise and connect with each other. Maple Ridge has 64 parks of varying size and types. Memorial Peace Park, Maple Ridge Park and the Agricultural Fair Grounds are examples of destination parks that serve as a host for community events and festi-vals. Other parks are geared to sports ac- tivities, with baseball diamonds, soccer and football elds and even the School Yard skate park for youth action sports. Along with these great public spaces are smaller neighbourhood parks that are intended to be used primarily by folks who live a few blocks away. ere’s a network of these parks throughout the community, some of them developed be- side schools, some free standing. Bruce McLeod and Sylvia Pendl are the District team working with members of the community to develop parks that will create spaces to play and for people to gather and develop a sense of commu- nity cohesiveness. is model of collabo - ration has resulted in some amazing new amenities in Maple Ridge. In 2012, Webster’s Corners Park and Haney Nokai Park had their ribbon cut- ting ceremonies. e names of these parks reect the history of our commu -nity. Webster’s Corners Park pays trib- ute to the early Finnish settlers of our community while Haney Nokai Park is named for the early Japanese settlers who built our community. ese parks fea -ture adult and youth tness areas, green spaces and historical markers to connect today’s citizens with our rich history.e design and construction of Birch Park, Cedar Park and Deer Fern Park in Silver Valley commenced in 2012 with the ocial openings drawing near. ese parks are located where topography and forest create challenges for traditional park design. Bruce and Sylvia went out into the neighbourhood and held infor-mation meetings on the park sites and general budget. People from each neigh-bourhood volunteered to be part of the Park Advisory Committee, and they worked with the District team to develop amenities that they wanted to ensure the nished park reected their lifestyle and vision. With all of these park projects, the community connection has been critical. While the spaces themselves are intend-ed to help people connect, the process of planning the park has served as a catalyst for neighbours to get together and be-come a community. at’s a philosophy at the core of our works in Community Development, Parks & Recreation Services - connect-ing citizens so that our community ben- ets from the creativity and ideas that make Maple Ridge a special place to live. 10 Citizens Report 2012 10-11_Parks & Rec.indd 10 13-04-16 9:36 PM Citizens Report 2012 11 AT A GLANCE Division Head: Kelly Swift, General Manager: Community Development, Parks & Recreation Services The Community Development, Parks & Recreation Services (CDPR) Administration Division’s role is to ensure planning and coordination of resources in the management and development of parks, facility operations and delivery of recreation and cultural services. In addition this Division is also responsible for providing opportunities that build individual, neighbourhood and community capacity. By connecting citizens and groups, sharing information, developing resources and facilitating planning that supports community-driven efforts this Division is building on community capacity and assets. Identified community needs are addressed by a variety of approaches from the direct provision of services to establishing partnerships that leverage expertise and funding from other sources. The division consists of three departments: Community Services, Parks & Facilities and Recreation. Department Heads: David Boag, Director of Parks & Facilities Wendy McCormick, Director of Recreation Sue Wheeler, Director of Community Services Maple Ridge is a vibrant and auent community. But like every community in the world there are citizens who are facing issues of mental health, addiction, poverty and homelessness. e Federal and Provincial governments are respon-sible for health care and social services. However, the provision of those services has an impact on our community and we need to be engaged.ere are close to 50 organizations providing social services for everything from childhood development to sup-porting those who are struggling with addiction or poverty. e District sits at the table with these groups to bring our expertise to bear to help these groups achieve their vision and help create con-nections that will benet our community and the lives of our local citizens.e results are impressive. In 2012 the ribbon was cut on Alouette Heights, a supportive housing project that com-bines the resources of Maple Ridge, the Provincial government and the Alouette Home Start Society to create 45 high quality residences for citizens who have been struggling with aordable and sta -ble housing. e building, built to LEED Gold Standards is a beautiful addition to our skyline.e best part is that Alouette Heights is indistinguishable from the private developments in the town centre and located close to service providers who work with residents to help them achieve their goal of independence. Other pro-grams include the Iron Horse Youth Safe House which provides a safe place to live for youth aged 13 to 18 for up to 30 days. is program is geared to helping kids avoid becoming part of a more street-entrenched lifestyle.A new program was launched recently called ‘Route 29: e Road Home.’ Fund -ed by the Vancouver Foundation’s Youth Homeless Initiative, this program has a focus on providing intensive, long term support to youth transitioning to adult-hood, and on helping them acquire the skills to achieve long-term success.e District has partnered with these programs and the service providers who run them, to create action to deal with the most vulnerable in our community. What’s most rewarding is to see the level of support for area citizens who donate their time and money to ensure that these programs remain strong. It is a partnership and collaboration we are proud to be part of. Offering a helping hand 10-11_Parks & Rec.indd 11 13-04-16 9:36 PM Our Capital Plan: The path to our future ere’s a rule of nature that states ‘wa -ter seeks the path of least resistance.’ is rule also applies to trac, and much of our public works is focused on dealing with the issues of managing pedestrian and trac safety. Each year, as part of the nancial plan -ning process, sta review, evaluate and prioritize a large list of potential Capital Works projects that become part of the Dis-trict’s ve year plan. is allows sta to ex -plore the scope of work, coordinate projects across departments and look for funding partners at the regional, provincial and fed-eral levels of government. As projects move from the preliminary approval through a more detailed engineering analysis, it is our practice to engage and inform the public and seek feedback on proposed projects. In 2012, two of these projects were spe-cically related to pedestrian safety, one of Mayor and Council’s priority areas. e possible locations where pedestrian acti-vated lights should be installed. Starting in the spring the Parks Department, who manage the landscaping for the District, removed the existing plants in the islands and replaced them with colorful, low pro-le plants.e installation of the pedestrian acti -vated trac light took place in late spring and was ready in May of 2012. In conjunc-tion with some work on the sanitary sewer system along 224 Street, sidewalks were re-paired or replaced to alleviate the mobility challenges. Finally, late in the year, the en-tire area was repaved and new street mark-ings were put into place. A nal addition was the placement of a stop sign at Brown Avenue and 224 Street.Of the large list of projects executed in 2012 there are two others that stand out. e rst was the trac calming, walkabil -ity improvements and repaving of a section 12 Citizens Report 2012 rst was the installation of a pedestrian activated trac signal at 240 Street and Hill Avenue in front of Albion Elementary School. e signal required the input of the provincial highways department due to the proximity to Lougheed Highway. Once that approval was secured, the project moved into the 2012 Capital Plan for the divi-sion. On September 4, 2012, Mayor Daykin joined Ron Lanzarotta, Principal of Albion Elementary and Rachel ompson, Presi -dent of Albion Elementary PAC for the rst day of school and the unveiling of the new signal. In the fall of 2011, a public meeting was held at the Royal Canadian Legion to seek public input on the situation along 224 Street north of Dewdney Trunk Road. At that meeting District sta heard resident’s opinions on how some sidewalks were too narrow for mobility aids, how some of the street plantings obscured view lines and Public Works & Development Services 12-13_Public Works.indd 12 13-04-16 9:38 PM AT A GLANCE Division Head: Frank Quinn, General Manager: Public Works & Development Services The Public Works & Development Services (PWDS) Division is responsible for carrying out corporate initiatives as directed by Council. The division manages the District’s activities with respect to the administration and implementation of municipal policies, bylaws and services. These services include development processing, the issuance of building permits and business licences and the construction, operation and maintenance of municipal infrastructure. In addition, the division attends to enquiries and requests for assistance from the public. The Ridge Meadows Recycling Society liaises with Council through the division. The division consists of four departments: Licences, Permits and Bylaws, Engineering, Operations and Planning. Department Heads: Russ Carmichael, Director of Engineering Operations Christine Carter, Director of Planning Liz Holitzki, Director of Licences, Permits and Bylaws David Pollock, Municipal Engineer of road between 216 Street and 220 Street along 121 Avenue. e project started in August, 2012 and progressed into October. e result was the installation of multi-use pathways on both sides of the street, instal-lation of three trac buttons, improve -ments to the storm water system and new paving along this entire section. e result is that the east west ow of trac has been calmed, there are provisions for alternate trac modes and the area residents can now walk their children to and from school safely.e second major project was the com -pletion of a watermain installation by Metro Vancouver along Abernethy Way from 232 Street to 224 Street. is section of road is designated as one of our major east west connectors; however the four-way stops along this section caused drivers to nd other routes to bypass this road in the morning and evening. is is the principle that we mentioned at the beginning. Trac always nds the path of least resistance.Our Engineering Department developed a plan to install trac signals along this Citizens Report 2012 13 section of road, and in addition, to create a multi-use pathway in the portion of the road allowance dedicated for future expan-sion. e result is that this section of road has improved as an east west route, as the lights only cycle when cars need to travel north south across it. e multi-use path has given pedestrians and cyclists a safe place to travel away from the road. is project was funded under the Federal In-frastructure Program.On October 17, 2012, in a break in the fall weather, paving was scheduled for three sections of road that commenced at 9:00 am in the morning aer rush hour. On that day 300 tons of asphalt was paved over ve kilometres of road, a single day record for our community. As you can see, work on these projects oen begins years before the construction starts. From the planning, design, tender to the daily inspection of work sites leading to the nal completion, our team of plan -ners, engineers, technicians and trades all work to turn the Business Plan into con-crete and asphalt on the ground. By keep- ing projects ‘shovel ready’ as part of our multi-year planning processes, we are able to stretch the scope of work of local dollars by attracting funding from other sources. at’s a key part of how we do business in Maple Ridge. 12-13_Public Works.indd 13 13-04-16 9:38 PM Corporate & Financial Services In December of 2012 District sta pre - sented the 2013-2017 Financial Plan to Council in a series of public meetings. One of the challenges in presenting this information is that area residents have many other commitments in their life that compete for their time and attention.In January of 2012, Paul Gill, General Manager: Corporate & Financial Servic-es, went back east to witness, rst hand, how the City of Waterloo, Ontario con- ducted their community consultations on their nancial plan. While he looked at the logistics on location, members of the Business Planning team back here in Maple Ridge watched the live streaming and social media interaction of the bud- get presentation.Fast forward to late October 2012, when Mr. Gill put a project team together to ex-amine the technical challenges of replicat-ing that work here in Maple Ridge. ere were two issues that needed to be ad-dressed. e rst was the actual technical challenges of delivering a high quality live stream event and the second was man-aging the input from email, phone calls, social media and live questions from the audience seamlessly.Quietly and eciently the team ex -plored the best way to deliver this project. In late November tests were conducted using the digital recording equipment that we already have to stream that signal out to the world. Our technical team worked on the audio and video challenges while the second team worked on the process to address citizens’ questions in a live forum. ere were a number of dress rehears -als, and we discovered limitations to our equipment. We also dealt with the chal-lenges of capturing information from as many sources as possible to ensure that all who wanted to participate would be able to. As the days went on the challenges were met, and the dress rehearsals began to run smoothly. In late November, with most of the wrinkles ironed out, the deci-sion was made to go live.Ads were placed in the local newspaper and the word went out by social media. On Monday, December 10, aer a full day review of the Financial Plan, Coun-cil convened the rst digital Municipal Hall meeting and turned the oor over to the broadcast moderator Ms. Laura Ben-son, Manager Sustainability & Corporate Planning and Mr. Paul Gill. For the next hour, they presented a top line Financial Plan overview and then opened the oor to questions from the audience and cyber-space.Questions came in on Twitter, Face-Book and via email, and members of the audience added their questions as has been the practice in the past. Behind the scenes, a team of sta from the Finance, IT and Communications departments worked to ensure that citizens’ ques-tions were cycled through to the Council Chambers. In addition to the live respons-es, all of the questions were compiled and answered in greater detail on the District website within 48 hours. Council returned the next day and completed their review of the 2013-2017 Financial Plan and it was moved onto the agenda for the December 18, 2012 Council meeting where it was given its rst readings. e Financial Plan Bylaw was passed at the rst meeting in January, 2013.Financial Planning is a year round pro-cess and even as you read this document, Council and sta are well into the devel -opment of the 2014-2018 Financial Plan. As the methods that citizens use to engage each other evolve, the District has to meet the challenges of staying current with new communications tools to ensure our work is accessible and transparent. 14 Citizens Report 2012 Engaging the public in new ways 14_15_Corporate and Financial.indd 14 13-04-17 10:28 AM Citizens Report 2012 15 e overall annual Financial Plan for Maple Ridge is close to 100 million dol-lars and the District has assets of close to a billion dollars. One of our commitments is to provide the District’s Financial Plan and nancial data at any level of detail that you want.is report, the Citizens Report, is pre -sented annually and provides the audited nancial statements for the District along with photos and articles to provide you with an overview of the District’s accom-plishments and nancial performance for the previous calendar year. is publica -tion is presented both in print form and as a downloadable document on our website. e 2011 Citizens Report won the presti -gious Platinum MarCom Award, Gold Hermes Award and the GFOA Award for Popular Financial Reporting. In recent years we’ve been working hard to make the content accessible for people who do not have a nancial background, but are interested in local government.For those of you who do have a back-ground in nancial planning the District also presents the Annual Report which provides a more detailed look at the Dis- trict’s nances and talks more specically about the role of each division and some of the key methods that we use to measure performance at the District. is publica - tion is available in limited quantities as a print edition, and online as a download- able PDF document. As with the Citi-zens Report, this document is a perennial award winner having been recognized by the GFOA for each of the last 22 years. e nal piece of data available to citi - zens is the detailed Five Year Financial Plan. is is the document that Council uses for their budget deliberations and has a detailed breakdown of the capital and operational budgets for the upcoming year. is budget is produced as an online document and published on the District website.ese three publications summarize reports and presentations that are made throughout the year as part of the Dis- trict’s nancial planning process. e goal is simple – whatever information you want, it’s at your ngertips either by turn - ing the page or clicking the mouse. AT A GLANCE Division Head: Paul Gill, General Manager: Corporate & Financial Services The Corporate & Financial Services (CFS) Division is responsible for making recommendations to merge and align strategic planning, best practices, performance measures, and budget priorities that guide decision making in our organization. The division consists of three departments: Clerk’s, Finance and Information Technology. Corporate & Financial Services also provides support to the RCMP, Police Services and the Fire Department and is responsible for maintaining and improving the website. Department Heads: John Bastaja, Director of Corporate Support Christina Crabtree, Director of Information Technology Kathleen Gormley, Manager of Business Systems Peter Grootendorst, Fire Chief, Director of Operations Maureen Jones, Senior Manager of Police Services - Finance & Admin Derrick Keist, Manager of Police Services - Operations Ceri Marlo, Manager of Legislative Services & Emergency Program Catherine Nolan, Manager of Accounting Silvia Rutledge, Manager of Revenue & Collections Dane Spence, Fire Chief, Director of Community Fire Safety Trevor Thompson, Manager of Financial Planning Dave Walsh, RCMP Officer in Charge In print or on the web: All the data, all the time 14_15_Corporate and Financial.indd 15 13-04-16 9:38 PM 16 Citizens Report 2012 Sustainability Sustainability is good for the environment and the budget A key part of the District’s business planning process is looking at how we can improve our e ciency and e ectiveness in the delivery of municipal services. As we look to replace District infrastructure at the end of its life cycle we always look for ways to improve nancial and environmental sustainability of our operations. From the upgrade of washroom facilities to the review of the latest electric vehicle technology, each new purchase undergoes a rigorous business examination. LED Street Lights As part of the realignment of Abernethy Way at 224 Street, the District took the opportunity to create a test location for new LED street light technology. People have commented on the difference in the quality of light over the traditional ‘High Pressure Sodium’ lights like the ones being held by Elec- tronics Technician, Mitch Stripp. LED technology is new and is continuing to evolve. It has the potential to reduce energy consumption, save money and achieve other benefi ts. The District is currently evaluating the performance of these street lights as well as the energy and maintenance savings. The New Roof at the RCMP Detachment In 2012, the roof was replaced on the RCMP detachment. A large number of companies quoted on this work, and when the analysis was done of all the bids the recommendation was to install this white roof lining product. In addition to keeping the building dry, the material refl ects the sunlight in the summer months, thereby reducing the costs of air conditioning for the building. That, in turn, saves money and energy. Toilet Fixture Replacement Elsewhere in this report we detail the work that is required to treat and deliver clean safe water to the community. One of the biggest uses of water is for sanitary purposes, and the District operates a large number of facilities where there are public washrooms. In 2012, there was a need to replace a dozen toilet fi xtures at four area parks. The old technology automatically fl ushed the fi xtures every 15 minutes 24 hours a day. This used over three million litres of water a year. These fi xtures were replaced with fi xtures that fl ush when they are used, cutting the water use in half. Electric Vehicles In 2012, the District applied for a Community Charging Infrastructure fund from the province to construct eight Level 2 electric vehicle charging stations in Maple Ridge. In 2010, the District unveiled its fi rst fully electric vehicle built by our own staff, including George Veltin, shown here. This project recycled a Chevy Sonoma truck that was bound for disposal at auction and saves on fuel costs and maintenance costs. This is a technology where we are leading the way in local government. The Leisure Centre Effi ciency Upgrades The fellow standing in front of the solar panel array atop the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre is the District’s Facility Maintenance Coordinator Andrew McAusland. He and his team maintain a system of upgrades that, in total, have resulted in a 15% reduction in electricity use and a 52% reduction in natural gas use since they were installed in 2009, and cut greenhouse gas emissions in half. Here are some examples of how the District has embraced new technologies and practices that save energy, resources, money and the planet. A key part of the District’s business planning process is looking at how we can improve our e ciency and e ectiveness in the delivery of municipal services. As we look to replace District infrastructure at the end of its life cycle we always look for ways to improve nancial and environmental sustainability of our operations. From the upgrade of washroom facilities to the review of the latest electric vehicle Here are some examples of how the District has embraced new technologies The Leisure Centre Effi ciency Upgrades The fellow standing in front of the solar panel array atop the Maple Ridge Leisure Centre is the District’s Facility Maintenance Coordinator Andrew and e ectiveness in the delivery of municipal services. As we look to replace District infrastructure at the end of its life cycle we always look for ways to improve nancial and environmental sustainability of our operations. From the upgrade of washroom facilities to the review of the latest electric vehicle Here are some examples of how the District has embraced new technologies The fellow standing in front of the solar panel array atop the Maple Ridge 16-17 sustain finance.indd 16 13-04-16 9:37 PM Citizens Report 2012 17 BEHIND THE NUMBERS You are pretty good with your money. You have a good budget that makes sure the monthly bills are paid, that you are saving some money for retire- ment, putting money away for your chil- dren’s education and even managing to put some money away for a family vacation. Then one day the roof starts leaking, and you fi nd out that it has to be re- placed; the warranty has expired and all of a sudden your budget is out the window. You need to decide if you are going to forego the family vacation, take money out of the education fund, the retirement fund or go to the bank and borrow, which will increase your monthly budget. That’s a typical scenario for most folks. The District has close to a billion dollars worth of assets and our budget needs to ensure the future health of those assets. Reserve Funds and Re- serve Accounts are tools that help to ensure that we have the money need- ed to maintain and replace those as- sets and to ensure our annual fi nancial plan is not derailed by an unexpected shortfall in revenue or a large expense. Here’s how they work. Reserve Funds are established by a bylaw and can only be used for the pur- poses for which they are established. Further, any spending from these funds has to be approved by Council as part of the fi nancial plan. Sometimes you need to use a little Reserve in Financial Planning There were six different Reserve Funds representing just under $30 million at the end of December, 2012. Each year, money is placed into these accounts to fund specifi c projects that are part of the long term business for the District. It is not unusual for the balance in a reserve to be deliberately built up over time so that we can make sure we have the funds available for larger projects. For example, the Fire Department Capital Acquisition fund was deliberately built up over a period of about eight years so that we had enough money to pay for the renova- tion of Fire Hall No.1. Having the mon- ey ‘in the bank’ means that the District avoids having to borrow money or do a one-time hike in taxes to fund projects like this. The second tool that’s used by the District is called a Reserve Account. These are funds that are set aside to help meet business needs. In total, the 20 Reserve Accounts added up to just 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Having the money ‘in the bank’ means that the District avoids having to borrow money or do a one-time hike in taxes to fund projects like this. Canadian Municipalities collect only eight cents of every tax dollar paid in Canada. We maintain, operate and own 50% of the nation’s infrastructure Source: Federation of Canadian Municipalities under $25.5 million dollars at the end of 2012. Each of these accounts is estab- lished for a specifi c purpose and, as with the reserve funds, are an impor- tant planning tool. A very simple exam- ple is the Snow Removal Account. The account was established a number of years ago in recognition that in any one year a signifi cant series of snow- falls can create a huge bill for snow removal. This account is capped at $700,000 and in any year where the snow removal costs exceed the annual budget; this account is there to draw on, which means that we don’t need to pass those unexpected costs to our taxpayers. Each year, as part of the business planning process, Council receives a briefi ng on the District’s fi nancial re- sources, including the Reserve Funds and Accounts. This briefi ng allows Council to assess the adequacy of re- serve balances and consider any nec- essary changes. Our goal, with solid fi nancial practic- es, is to make sure that we are as pre- pared as we can be for the unexpected. Reserves are just one tool that we use to ensure the fi nancial health of Maple Ridge today and into the future. Our fi nancial statements follow on pages 18 & 19 and the reserve bal- ances are part of what makes up our Accumulated Surplus. 16-17 sustain finance.indd 17 13-04-16 9:38 PM Accumulated Surplus - Represents net economic resources, the amount by which all assets, both financial and non-financial, e[ceed all liabilities. ,t indicates that a goYernment has net resources aYailable to proYide future serYices, but does not represent aailable cash. Amortization - The cost of using an asset oYer time. Annual Surplus/Deficit - The difference between annual reYenues and annual e[penses. ,f positiYe it is refered to as Annual 6urplus, if negatiYe, it is referred to as Annual Deficit 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 18 Citizens Report 2012 5estated 2012 2011 Financial Assets &ash and temporary inYestments $103,940,358 $26,998,661 3ortfolio inYestments 33,315,006 90,812,593 Accounts receiYable 19,464,140 17,547,470 5ecoYerable local improYments 1,853,310 1,637,104 Other assets 684,971 610,856 ,nYentory aYailable for resale 187 187 159,257,972 137,606,871 Liabilites Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 12,934,269 13,142,472 Deferred reYenue 9,236,244 8,928,225 5estricted reYenue 45,357,203 41,042,622 5efundable performance deposits and other 12,176,806 8,964,044 (mployee future benefits 4,745,500 4,684,900 /ong term debt 42,086,722 38,505,484 126,536,744 115,267,747 Net Financial Assets 32,721,228 22,339,124 Non Financial Assets Tangible capital assets 814,115,960 801,626,175 8ndeYeloped landbanN properties 14,448,184 14,832,041 6upplies inYentory 303,347 400,606 3repaid e[penses 629,721 447,067 829,497,212 817,305,889 Accumulated Surplus $862,218,440 $839,645,013 The Consolidated Statement of Financial Position is the Public Sector version of the Balance Sheet, listing the government entity’s financial assets, liabilities and non-financial assets as at December 31. Key things to note on this statement are Net Financial Assets and Accumulated Surplus. Net Financial Assets are the excess of financial assets over liabilities and provides an indication of financial flexibility. Accumulated Surplus is the total of Net Financial Assets and Non-Financial Assets. *Financial Statements The )inancial 6tatements are presented in comformity with generally accepted accounting practices *AA3 . )or a copy of the full  Annual 5eport including audited  &onsolidated )inancial 6tatements which include more detailed information, please contact the )inance Department at -- after -une , . Glossary Consolidated Statement of Financial Position As at December ,  5estated 2012 2011 18-19 Financial.indd 18 13-04-16 9:35 PM 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Citizens Report 2012 19 Restated Actual Budget Actual 2012 2012 2011 Revenue Taxes for municipal purposes $64,939,423 $65,038,017 $61,065,872 User fees and other revenue 34,698,238 35,086,269 32,936,021 Senior government transfers 4,421,302 13,997,301 12,817,578 Development revenue 5,626,781 26,725,747 3,920,830 Interest and investment income Investment income 3,204,700 Interest income 825,549 Less: Deferred amount (544,221) Interest and investment income 3,486,028 1,753,000 3,473,800 Gaming revenues 819,341 500,000 756,427 5efinancing and other gains - - , Gain (loss) on disposal of capital asset (1,530,761) - , Contributed tangible capital assets 16,709,523 12,250,000 19,875,197 129,169,875 155,350,334 134,315,518 Expenses Protective services 30,619,435 32,344,677 28,793,697 Transportation services 16,781,930 17,287,026 16,032,874 Recreation and cultural 19,529,726 21,635,975 19,729,780 Water utility 13,138,936 16,281,644 10,581,132 Sewer utility 9,279,252 10,059,710 8,787,219 General government 13,307,270 15,584,156 12,816,529 Planning, public health and other 3,939,899 4,321,633 3,665,417 106,596,448 117,514,821 100,406,648 Annual surplus 22,573,427 37,835,513 33,908,870 Accumulated surplus - beginning of the year 839,645,013 839,645,013 805,736,143 Accumulated surplus - end of the year $862,218,440 $877,480,526 $839,645,013 Consolidated Statement of Operations The Consolidated Statement of Operations is the Public Sector version of an Income Statement, showing the government entity’s revenues and expenses realized over the course of the fiscal year. The difference between annual revenues and expenses is referred to as the annual surplus. The key point to keep in mind with this statement is that the annual surplus does not represent a cash surplus as the amounts reported under expense includes general operating costs and the annual depreciation of tangible capital assets used in service provision, but does not include the amount of cash invested in infrastructure during the year. Financial Assets - Assets that could be used to discharge e[isting liabilities or finance future operations, such as cash receivables and portfolio investments. Net Financial Assets - The e[cess of financial assets over liabilities Non-Financial Assets - Assets that are acTuired, constructed or developed that do not normally provide resources to discharge existing liabilities, but are normally employed to deliver government services or may be consumed in the normal course of operations. Tangible Capital Assets - Assets of long-term character that are intended to continue to be held or used, such as land, buildings, machinery, furniture, and other eTuipment. These assets haYe a sigificant Yalue and a useful life of greater than one year. &apital assets are also called fi[ed assets. For the year ended ended December 31, 2012 18-19 Financial.indd 19 13-04-16 9:35 PM 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Expenditures & Expenses By Object 2008-2012 20 Citizens Report 2012 2012 Expenses ProtectiveServices 29% Recreation& Cultural 18% GeneralGovernment 12% WaterUtility 12% Debt Per Capita Based on estimated population of 78,124 Council incorporates the use of borrowing into the capital funding strategy. The debt per capita is reduced as the debt is repaid. Planning, PublicHealth & Other 4% SewerUtility 9% Transportation 16% 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 27% 36% 2% 10% 12% 13% $138.3 24% 31% 2% 17% 14% 12% $148.9 23% 31% 2% 19% 14% 11% $145.9 24% 32% 2% 19% 12% 12% $134.0 22% 30% 2% 14% 20% 12% $132.8 ContributedInfrastructure Amortization Expense TotalExpenses(in millions) Capital 2012 $539 2009 $563 2011 $497 2008 $595 2010 $528 2007 $528 Labour Goods & Serivces DebtServicing 20-21 Financial.indd 20 13-04-16 9:34 PM Revenues by Source 2008-2012 Citizens Report 2012 21 2012 Revenues Taxes 50% Other 12% Development Revenue 4% Grants 3% Investment Income 3% Gaming Revenues <1% 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 50% 27% 3% 4% 3% 1% 0% -1% 13% $129.2 45% 25% 10% 3% 3% 1% 0% 0% 15% $134.3 44% 25% 7% 6% 3% 0% 0% 0% 16% $129.6 46% 26% 4% 7% 4% 0% 0% -1% 13% $116.7 41% 24% 2% 6% 4% 0% 0% 0% 22% $121.7 Taxes User Fees &Other Revenues Senior Government Grants Interest & Investment Income GamingRevenue Refi nancing & Other Gains Gain (Loss) on Disposal of TCA* Contributed TCA* Total Revenue(in millions) Development Revenue User Fees& Other 27% See Chart *TCA is Tangible Capital Assets 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 20-21 Financial.indd 21 13-04-16 9:34 PM Transportation 62% Recreation and Cultural 13% Water Utility 11% Sewer Utility 9% Protective Services 2% General Government 2% Planning, Public Health & Other 1% 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 22 Citizens Report 2012 Capital Additions 2012 Financial Plan This chart represents the investments that were made in Capital Assets. Additions to our water system, sewer system, road construction, park acquisitions and development are all examples of Capital Additions. Municipal &ouncil adopted a fi nancial plan that allows citizens to receive quality services at tax rates that are very competitive when compared to other municipalities in the region. Council maintained its commitment to a longer term fi nancial strategy which gradually increases the funding available for infrastructure maintenance and repairs to reduce the cost and likelihood of infrastructure failures. The condition of infrastructure due to years of inadequate funding is a critical issue that all levels of government will eventually need to address. Council’s long term view and commitment to sustainability will reduce the fi nancial burden placed on citizens in the future and ensure that current service levels delivered through our assets can be maintained. 2012 Projected Funding Sources - $219.3 million 2012 Projected Uses of Funding - $219.3 million Administration $4.3M Corporate & Finance $6.7M Fire Protection $8.6M Sewer $8.2M Water $14.6M Public Works & Development $15.0M Police Services $19.1M Parks, Recreation & General Properties $20.3M Reduce Book Value of Assets (Amortization) Reserves(net) Development Fees Fees &Charges Interest, Grantsand Other Borrowing Proceeds $65.0M $18.0M $13.4M $39.0M $35.2M $16.2M $32.5M Property Taxes & Parcel Charges Capital Program Amortization Debt Payments Other $97.3M$96.8M $18.0M $7.2M 22-23 Financial.indd 22 13-04-16 9:32 PM 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT Citizens Report 2012 23 Property Taxes vs. Household Costs What’s On Your Annual Tax Bill? School Levies 29¢ Greater Vancouver Transit Authority 5¢ British Columbia Assessment 1¢ Greater Vancouver Regional District 1¢ Dyking District <1¢ Municipal Finance Authority <1¢ Recycling (includes capital) Development Services General Government Fire Services Sewer (includes capital) Capital (includes debt) Community Dev’t Parks & Rec Water (includes capital) Police Services Home Security Sytsem Cable (Basic) Telephone (Basic) Internet (Basic) Home Insurance BC Hydro (Electricity) Fortis BC (Gas) Municipal costs based on 2012 average single family residence Did you know that 37 cents of every dollar we collect goes to other authorities?Here’s a breakdown of where each dollar goes $5.68 $16.95 $20.83 $24.78 $20.84 $25.57 $33.28 $37.58 $28.00 $39.14 $56.00 $59.42 $68.17 $90.14 $39.09 $40.00 Your 2012 tax bill is comprised of the following elements. This allows you to compare these categories to the other expenses in the operation of your home. As with other household bills, you can pay your taxes monthly with our ‘pre-authorized withdrawal’ program. Look for details online at mapleridge.ca or with your tax notice. Monthly cost of Municipal Services Standard Monthly Household Costs 63¢ Taxes for MunicipalPurposes 37¢ for other authorities 22-23 Financial.indd 23 13-04-16 9:33 PM 2012 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT 24 Citizens Report 2012 Maple Ridge population is projected to grow by almost 40% in the next 20 years. Here’s a snapshot of our demographics and key projections Defi nition: The “Median Age” is the age at which 50% of the population are younger and 50% are older 79,000 77,000 75,000 73,000 2008 2008-2012 2009 2010 2011 2012 PopulationGrowth Population Estimates Median Age 200838.7 YEARS OLD Population by Age 20% 13% 11% 18% 17% 10% 6% 5% 14% 9% 11% 16% 15% 13% 12% 9% Ages 0-14 Ages 15-24 Ages 25-34 Ages 35-44 Ages 45-54 Ages 55-64 Ages 65-75 Ages 75+ 2006Census 2013ProjectionAge Group 2012 POPULATION78,1245.9%GROWTH RATECANADA2006-2011 Population Estimates BC Stats People 28% Projection 2012 Estimate ...................95,747 Metro Vancouver Growth Management Scenario 4.0 2012 Estimate ..................97,200 Typlan and Hudema Projection with Fraser Crossing 2012 Estimate ................108,000 BC Stats People 28% Projection 2031 Estimate ................108,871 Maple Ridge Demographics 203144.6 YEARS OLD 10.3%GROWTH RATEMAPLE RIDGE2006-2011 24 Financial.indd 24 13-04-16 9:32 PM Karina LeBlanc PEOPLE PLACES EVENTS One of the most compelling stories of the 2012 London Olympic Games was the journey to the Wom- en’s Soccer Bronze Medal. Karina LeBlanc, a long time Rotary Home Town Hero, was a goaltender on Team Canada. This photo was taken at an appearance she made at her old high school, Maple Ridge Secondary School, in October. She told the students how proud she was to call Maple Ridge home and reminded them all that you can achieve anything if you dream big, work hard and follow your passions. She’s just one of the amazing people that we salute this year. (Photo Courtesy of The News) P25 2012 25 MRCR .indd 25 13-04-16 9:30 PM P26 On January 2, Linden John Lee Fowles was born becoming Maple Ridge’s ‘New Years Baby’. Lindens’s sister, Ryenne, joins parents John and Tiphane to commemorate the occasion. Photo courtesy The Times. In May we honoured the amazing volunteers in our community with a special BBQ at Greg Moore Youth Centre. 40% of our citizens volunteer in sports, the arts, churches, community associations, service clubs and numerous charity organizations. Amazing people! The Outdoor Show that’s part of the Ridge Meadows Home Show draws huge crowds the fi rst weekend of May. In January, 2012 Premier Clark joined local MLA Marc Dalton for a visit to the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society. Later in the year a long term extension of the supportive work program was announced. Photo courtesy The Times 26-27.indd 26 13-04-16 9:29 PM P27 Kris Kupskay’s new mural was unveiled as part of the Greg Moore Youth Centre upgrades. Photo courtesy The News Candace Gordon was named Citizen of the Year at the 2012 Maple Ridge Community Foundation dinner. Candace has been a lifelong volunteer in our community and her list of accomplishments refl ects her ongoing passion for food security, recycling, the arts and helping those in need. Photo courtesy The News The incredible art of Haisla artist Lyle Wilson was featured at the Maple Ridge Art Gallery. Photo courtesy The News In 2012 the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society celebrated its 40th Anniversary of service to the community with a giant Earth Day celebration in April. 26-27.indd 27 13-04-16 9:29 PM P28 Ridge Meadows RCMP Supt. Dave Walsh briefs the media on the police standoff with armed suspect, Angus Mitchell. He was spotted by a local citizen, Susanne Murphy, who was out for a walk. Her call that morning saved lives. Photo courtesy The News Barrel racing is just one of the events of the annual Country Fest held every summer. It’s a great place for kids to connect with agriculture and animals. Photo courtesy The News The Hammond Community Association gave the pool facilities a facelift with a colourful new paint job in 2012. Photo courtesy The Times In the fall of 2012 work began on the new Kanaka Creek Stewardship Centre. Dave Smith, President of KEEPS is one of the many dedicated volunteers who work to protect the habitat along the creek. Photo courtesy The Times 28-29.indd 28 13-04-16 9:28 PM P29 In 2012, Rick Hansen celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the Man In Motion Tour with a special ‘Many In Motion’ relay that saw this medal go from coast-to-coast. Rick Hansen medal bearers for the Maple Ridge portion of the ‘Man In Motion’ 2012 anniversary relay. The young man in the middle, Nathan Bragg, was chosen to be part of the community celebration. He’s an inspiration to us all! The Rotary Duck Race helps raise close to $100,000 an- nually for local youth groups. Maple Ridge fi refi ghters brave the cold mountain waters of the South Alouette River to help the ducks get to the fi nish line. Photo courtesy The News Fred Elder, a beloved volunteer, receives the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal. (See story page 38) 28-29.indd 29 13-04-16 9:28 PM P30 The newest public art project called ‘Balance’ was unveiled in the early fall. It’s located at the corner of Lougheed High- way and 224 Street in front of Westminster Savings Credit Union, the funding partner. The Ruskin Dam is getting a major upgrade. Located on the eastern border between Maple Ridge and Mission, the dam has been providing power for almost a century. The bridge over the Ruskin Dam was a setting for the 1989 fi lm “We’re No Angels” starring Robert De Niro and Sean Penn. Photo courtesy The News Local youth held a public memorial to Amanda Todd, whose story became a rallying point to take action against bullying. The event has helped galvanize local youth on the impact of bullying and highlight the challenges of the new cyber world to parents. Photo courtesy The News The annual Terry Fox Run at Hammond Stadium hit a new record fundraising amount in 2012. (See story page 38) Photo courtesy The News 30-31.indd 30 13-04-16 9:26 PM P31The groundbreaking for the Maple Ridge Gaming Centre took place in November 2012. Located at the corner of Lougheed Highway and 227 Street, the construction of the building and connection of 227 Street into the port Haney neighbourhood is projected to be complete in the fall of 2013. Margaret Kury was the emcee for the annual Remembrance Day ceremony at Memorial Peace Park, one of the largest events in the Lower Mainland. Back to school after the Labour Day weekend. Young friends reacquainted after the summer. Photo courtesy The News In late November the Christmas decorations in the Town Centre signal the arrival of the holiday season. This photo, taken after the annual Santa Claus parade, shows off the beautiful winter streetscapes. 30-31.indd 31 13-04-16 9:26 PM Maple Ridge Fire Department Answering the alarm On August 26, 2012 just aer midnight the 9-1-1 call came in about a re at the Waldun Cedar Mill at the eastern edge of Maple Ridge near the intersection of 284 Street and Lougheed Highway. As people will recall, the last signicant rainfall oc -curred a couple of weeks earlier and the weather had been blazing hot for a cou-ple of weeks. Witnesses described ames soaring 100 feet into the air.e Maple Ridge Fire Department ar -rived on scene and immediately called for extra resources including mutual aid from the Mission Fire Department. Over the next hour they managed to bring the re under control and nally extinguish the blaze. e investigation determined that a faulty electrical switch was the likely cause of the re. e next day the charred wreckage was evident from the road. No one was hurt in the blaze that eventually required the involvement of 49 reght -ers and 14 pieces of reghting apparatus.On September 26 on a hot aernoon, near the tail end of the long dry spell, a construction worker accidentally started a re at a home he was working on in Sil -ver Valley. e re spread quickly to the partially completed homes where the un-protected open wood burned rapidly, fu- 32 Citizens Report 2012 eled by the warm winds.When the reghters arrived, it was clear that three of the homes were now fully ablaze and a fourth was starting to ignite, fueled by the heat and winds from the now large re. e local radio trac reporter noted that the updra created from the heat of the re was bueting her plane.e rst crews to arrive quickly moved to limit the spread of the re and called for more resources. Over the course of the next hour the response grew to 65 reghters and 17 pieces of equipment. ankfully, no one was injured in this blaze. 32-33_Fire Department.indd 32 13-04-16 9:25 PM Citizens Report 2012 33 AT A GLANCE Maple Ridge Fire Department Address: 22708 Brown Avenue 60 paid-on-call Firefighters 48 Career Firefighters Hall No. 1 7 firefighters on duty 24/7 Supported by paid-on-call firefighters Hall No. 2 Address: 27503 112 Avenue. Staffed by paid-on-call only, supported by Career firefighters from Hall #1 and #3 Hall No. 3 Address: 11777 203 Street 4 firefighters on duty 24/7 Supported by paid-on-call firefighters 8 Administrative Staff and 1 shared IT support person. Emergencies call 9-1-1 Non – Emergencies 604-463-5880 (Monday to Friday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm) www.fire.mapleridge.ca Last year, reghter Chris Gaudette was working at Firehall No. 1 when he heard a banging at the front door on the Dewdney Trunk Road side of the Firehall and then he heard Rob Payne implore him to hurry up as his wife was about to give birth in the driveway.In short order the doors were opened and one of the re trucks moved so that Rob could back his SUV into the Firehall. His wife Tara was in labour and there was no way they were going to make it through trac to the Ridge Meadows Hospital.Of course, as luck would have it, right at that moment a 9-1-1 call came in, so four of the seven reghters roared out of the building leaving reghters Gaudette, Mary Butler and Devin Ramsay to help deliver Tara’s baby. e narrative published in the local newspaper, the Maple Ridge News, cap-tures the rest of this story perfectly;Butler hopped in the back of the SUV and started asking her questions. How far along was she? When did her water break? How far apart were her contrac-tions? “It only took a couple of pushes from that point and the baby’s head was out”, said Gaudette.“Once the baby’s head was out, I just told her probably one or two more push-es. Once the shoulders are out, the baby’ll come right out.” “So she pushed one more time and the baby came out,” he said “I just caught him and Mary assisted with sucking up the nose and the mouth with a ball suction to get the mucous out. As soon as she did that, the baby started crying.”Jack Robert Payne, named aer two of his great grandfathers, entered the world at 5:01 pm, at 9lbs 6oz, with brown eyes like his dad. “I just think it was so excit-ing,” said Tara. “I was lucky that he was healthy and I’m just so happy that he is nally here.”is is one of those occasions where the crew didn’t have to respond to a medical call, it came to them. All in a day’s work. Fire Hall No. 1 becomes a maternity ward in March e Chief at the scene noted that when a home is at the framing stage, before drywall and sprinklers are installed, is the most vulnerable time. In addition to en-suring that nearby homes were not dam-aged, the crews worked to keep the re from jumping into the natural vegetation surrounding the development.ese are just two of the more than 250 re related calls that were answered by the Maple Ridge Fire Department in 2012. Here in Maple Ridge the Fire De-partment uses a ‘composite model’ to de-liver re services with a combination of career reghters and paid-on-call sta to supplement when the response is war-ranted.With the wide availability of cellular telephones, folks are calling 9-1-1 faster than ever and the Maple Ridge Fire De-partment’s objective is to be on the scene in seven minutes from the time they are dispatched in the urban areas of the community. In 2012 that standard was met 83% of the time. One of the things that our department takes great pride in is that during a re response the career reghters and paid-on-call sta are in -distinguishable. ey train together and develop the communications and leader-ship skills required to deliver this service at the highest standards.e Maple Ridge Fire Department work in conjunction with other rst re -sponders like the RCMP and BC Ambu-lance Service to ensure that citizens who are injured in accidents or have extreme health issues are treated and transported for medical attention as rapidly as pos-sible. When the call comes in, the Maple Ridge Fire Department is there to answer the alarm. 32-33_Fire Department.indd 33 13-04-16 9:25 PM RCMP – Police Services In early 2012, Inspector Gary Leydier announced that the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment’s capabilities would increase with Maple Ridge becoming a regional hub for the RCMP Integrated Forensic Identication Services (IFIS). He explained to the Maple Ridge News:“Our intention is to expand our opera-tions within the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment building to allow for greater support for investigations in the Fraser Valley and see the local detachment ben-et with the placement of highly trained investigative sta within the detachment working from this community.”e rst member of the new team to arrive in Maple Ridge was Sta Sergeant Jim Hignell, who handled the logistics of setting up the local facilities and bring-ing the regional team together. e IFIS team, now complete and in place, bring expertise in ngerprinting and deoxy -ribonucleic acid (DNA) analysis. In ad-dition, the team has expertise on crime scene video analysis, an emerging tool in investigations.Sta Sergeant Hignell is very proud of the support that the regional hub is providing for investigators. He noted, “Whether it’s a stolen vehicle or a ho-micide investigation, our team is there to support the investigator and provide them with an analysis of the evidence and crime scene that will allow them to move as quickly as possible to an arrest.” He continued, “Our services combine the skills and expertise of both career police ocers and highly trained civilian experts to provide the best and highest quality evidence so that we can ensure that when a case goes to trial the Crown has everything they need to get a convic-tion. I should add that the IFIS team can also help us quickly identify innocent suspects to keep an investigation moving in the best direction.”e combination of tools and knowl -edge are helping to raise the skillset here at the Ridge Meadows RCMP detach- 34 Citizens Report 2012 ment. e regional hub brings a benet to the public of faster processing for se- curity and criminal record checks re- quiring ngerprint identication. What used to take a couple of weeks now can be done in a couple of days. “Maple Ridge was the rst commu - nity in BC to sign on to the new RCMP contract negotiated by the Province with the federal government. Our community has taken a leadership role in the ne- gotiations. We see the value of the rela- tionship that has developed here in our community,” said Mayor Ernie Daykin. “e leadership team at our detachment works closely with us to address local is- sues. From innovations such as the Com- munity Safety Ocers to the recent addi - tion of the regional Integrated Forensic Identication Services hub, our citizens sleep soundly knowing that the RCMP are at work protecting our community,” he concluded. Science and Policing Converge in Maple Ridge 34-35_Police.indd 34 13-04-16 9:24 PM Citizens Report 2012 35 AT A GLANCE RCMP – Police Services Ridge Meadows RCMP Detachment 11990 Haney Place Maple Ridge, BC V2X 9B8 Emergency Phone Number: 9-1-1 Non Emergency Phone Number: 604-463-6251 Internet address: www.ridgemeadows.rcmp.ca Like us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sgt.good.will Follow us on Twitter: @RidgeRCMP Maple Ridge RCMP Detachment: Staffing: 89 Members plus 3 Community Safety Officers 25 Auxiliary Officers Fleet Size: 50 vehicles: 30 fully marked and 20 unmarked RCMP Integrated Teams: • Integrated Homicide Investigation Team (IHIT) • Emergency Response Team (ERT) • Air 1 and 2 (Traffic Air Services) • Police Dog Services (PDS) • Integrated Forensic Identification Services (IFIS) • Integrated Collision Analyst Reconstruc- tionist Services (ICARS) Community Policing Programs: • Speed Watch • Citizens on Patrol • Citizens Bike Patrol 24 hours a day, seven days a week, members of the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment are on patrol, in cars, on foot and undercover. In addition to regular members, Maple Ridge is served by in-novative Community Service Ocers as well as a huge team of Auxiliary Con-stables. Add to that the civilian support team, the volunteers supporting the Citi-zens on Patrol, Bike Patrols and Speed Watch programs and we have a lot of eyes on the streets every day. Without question, one of the most popular programs of the Ridge Mead- ows RCMP detachment is the ‘red serge’ patrols that have become a beloved part of community celebrations. From Can- ada Day to Christmas caroling at local seniors’ residences, members don that iconic red uniform and interact with the community at every opportunity. Even more remarkable is that the members who come out to these events are volunteering their time. ey have trained very hard to earn their uniforms, and they take great pride in wearing them and sharing the opportunity to talk with citizens and visitors and to have their photo taken. Our detachment does an incredible job keeping the community safe. A lot of times their work is done out of the pub- lic eye. Surveillance, preparing testimony and court appearances are a routine part of the job which happens every day. But every so oen, nothing is more reassur -ing than seeing a group of ocers in red serge. Just remember, in or out of that iconic red serge, these men and women dedi- cate their lives to protecting our commu-nity and ‘Maintaining the Right.’ Sometimes, it’s important to be seen 34-35_Police.indd 35 13-04-16 9:24 PM Spotlight on Water e United Nations estimates that each of us require a minimum of 20 to 50 litres of clean, safe water per day for drinking, cooking and personal hygiene. Polluted and untreated water is not just ‘dirty’, it can be deadly. In the developing world millions of people die each year from diseases they get from drinking and bathing in untreated water.Water is something that we oen take for granted. Every day we wake up and turn on the tap and without fail some of the cleanest and safest water in the world pours out. In fact, the average household in Maple Ridge uses 340 li-tres per day.For citizens of Maple Ridge, the glass of water you use to brush your teeth in 36 Citizens Report 2012 of treated water each day for approxi-mately one-third of the Metro Vancou-ver region, including Maple Ridge. At this facility the water is treated using an ozonation process that reduces the amount of chlorination necessary to deliver clean, safe drinking water. In addition, Metro Vancouver is currently constructing an ultraviolet disinfection system to supplement the ozone process to meet the new federal guidelines for water treatment. e water leaves the Coquitlam water treatment plant through a network of pipes that eventually cross the Pitt River and run along the Lougheed Highway. From a location in west Maple Ridge the treated water enters the 380 kilometres On the water front the morning starts its journey to your home when rain falls and snow melts lling the Coquitlam Reservoir, one of three reservoirs operated by Metro Van-couver.Rain water and snow melt collects be-hind an earthen dam and the water be-gins its journey to your home through the collection pipe on the lake side of the dam. e water then enters the treat -ment facility where the water quality is measured to determine the steps that will be needed to ensure the water that leaves the plant meets the drinking wa-ter standards set out by the provincial and federal governments.e Coquitlam water treatment plant supplies an average of 390 million litres 36-37 Water.indd 36 13-04-16 9:21 PM Citizens Report 2012 37 of water pipes and seven reservoirs that make up the Maple Ridge waterworks. Under almost every major roadway are water pipes, sanitary sewer pipes and water drainage pipes for managing storm water. If you are wondering where the watermains are located, just look for the nearest re hydrant. Most people don’t make the connection that the same water we use for our homes is also there for reghters in an emergency. Maple Ridge sta operate and main -tain the network of pumping stations and reservoirs to ensure that citizens have access to all the water they need ev-ery hour of the day. Behind the scenes, our team manages the storage of wa-ter in reservoirs throughout the day to make sure that when everyone wakes up in the morning we all have plenty of water for morning hygiene and cooking. In the evening there’s also a spike in the usage of water. In a re emergency, that full reservoir is critical to make sure that there’s adequate water to ght a re.e Fraser Health Authority enforc -es the provincial regulations on water treatment. Water is tested locally and in-dependent samples are sent to the Metro Vancouver lab facility to ensure that all standards are being met throughout the water distribution network.e integrity and safety of our lo -cal water system is paramount. Testing, additional treatment and system main-tenance are the year round focus of the District waterworks team. e District delivers the water to the curb of every home and business, and we are also dili-gent about protecting the water system from contamination from a private user.at’s why we inspect new construc -tion projects tapping into the system to make sure that backow protection systems are in place to protect all citi-zens from unsafe water. Upgrading the system is also an ongoing project. In the last ve years the District has taken advantage of federal and provincial in-frastructure cost-sharing programs to update and replace older watermains to ensure the highest quality and reliability for our citizens.Depending on where you live, that morning glass of water may have trav-eled through 40 kilometres of pipes be-fore coming out the tap into your glass. Maple Ridge, with our partners at Metro Vancouver, delivers some of the highest quality drinking water in the world. What does all this cost? e Water Utility appears as a line item on the an-nual tax bill sent out in May. Based on the Average Consumption Per Person statistics the estimate is that a Maple Ridge resident gets 10 litres of clean, safe drinking water for a penny. at is probably the most impressive part of the story. 36-37 Water.indd 37 13-04-16 9:21 PM 38 Citizens Report 2012 Remembering Alfred Daniel Elder A dedicated police ocer. A tireless volunteer. A proud father. A trusted friend. Fred’s career took him to the Burnaby Detachment, but he called Maple Ridge home. His favourite haunts were the Silver House Restaurant and his beloved Maple Ridge Equi Sport Centre, where he could be found holding court many evenings. He loved horses, and it was a passion that he shared with his daughter Katie. In 2010, at the beginning of the year, Fred went to the doc- tor because he wasn’t feeling well. He was diagnosed with cancer and given a few months to live. He beat that diagnosis. In September of 2010 there was a giant birthday party held in his honour and his daughters and friends gathered for what everyone thought would be his last birthday. Seldom does one get to at- tend their own wake, but the night was lled with stories and laughter and above all love. Fred continued to defy the diagnosis through 2011, but by early 2012 it was clear that his battle was coming to an end. e end of life is never easy. He conded to friends that he once arrested Cliord Ol - son years ago for a trac vio - lation. He, like so many police ocers, lamented that they had been unable to stop him sooner. He was presented with his 35 year service medal by his colleagues at the RCMP. In July of 2012, at the last meeting of Maple Ridge Council before the summer break, Fred was awarded a Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Medal by Member of Parliament Randy Kamp. e Council Chamber was lled with friends and family that evening. On August 25, 2012, at the McKenney Creek Hospice in Maple Ridge, a place that Fred helped raise money to build, his life came to an end. It is one of the great ironies of life that one of the charities that Fred served the longest was the Terry Fox Run where he spent 20 years making sure this event ran smoothly. His family asked that in lieu of owers people sup - port the Terry Fox Run. On September 11, 2012 ‘Team Elder’ raised over $10,000 of the $34,000 raised that day. It was the largest fundraising day in the history of the local Terry Fox Run. A tting tribute to a person who gave so much. ALFRED DANIEL ELDER was born on September 24, 1952 in Saskatchewan. He grew up in Moose Jaw, the middle child in a clan with ve kids. Everyone who knew him called him ‘Fred.’ Fred always had the gi of the gab, an easy laugh and a way of putting people at ease. His skills of observation and his ability to recount and retell stories led him down the path of Journalism, and he enrolled in Mount Royal College in Calgary, to work toward a degree in that eld. He com - pleted his studies but decided on another career path. In 1976 he signed up to become an RCMP Ocer and headed back to Saskatchewan for training at the Regina Depot. When Fred completed his training he was sent to Mission, BC to begin his policing career. Many a kid avoided a trip to the detachment and ended up being driven home where Fred would determine if the parents were a better source of justice than the courts. He recognized, a long time ago, that you can change the path of someone’s life with a bit of compassion rather than an arrest record. But it was understood that you better not squander the ‘second chance’ you’d been given. Fred’s policing career included under- cover work, drug enforcement and eventually he found the perfect outlet for his skills and personality in Community Po- licing. Fred met a local woman and got married, and while the marriage didn’t last, he was blessed with two daughters, Sarah and Katie. He doted on them as children, and it was always a delight to see him and the girls together. His love and pride for his daughters was endless. Fred’s policing career brought him to the Ridge Meadows RCMP Detachment and he took his role of Community Po- licing seriously. ere are few organizations that Fred did not volunteer with. He served on the Municipal Advisory Com- mittee on Accessibility Issues, as a Director for the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Arts Council and had key roles in the 1992 BC Disability Games and the 1998 BC Summer Games hosted by our community. He was recognized by the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation with the ‘President’s Award’ for his service to the community. ere were few events and committees that he did not contribute his time to. He was not good at saying ‘no.’ 1952 – 2012 38 MRCR.indd 38 13-04-16 9:20 PM A Administration ...........................................604-463-5221Arts Centre & eatre (ACT) ...................604-476-2787 B Building Inspections Building ..................................................604-467-7312 Electrical .................................................604-467-7313 Gas-Plumbing .......................................604-467-7314 General ...................................................604-467-7311 Aer-Hours Inspection Requests .......604-467-7380 Business Licences ......................................604-467-7440 Bylaw Enforcement ...................................604-467-7305 C Cemetery ....................................................604-467-7307Communications ......................................604-467-7452 Council Members ......................................604-463-5221 D Dog Licences ..............................................604-467-7384 E Engineering ................................................604-467-7339Environmental Enquiries .........................604-467-7499 F Finance Accounts Payable .... ..............................604-467-7388 Accounts Receivable .............................604-466-4334 Administration & Accounting ............604-463-5221 Property Taxes & Utilities ....................604-467-7336 Fire Department (Non-Emergency) ........604-463-5880 Flooding (Aer-Hours) ............................604-463-9581 G Garbage – Metro Vancouver .....................604-466-9277 H Human Resources ........................................ 604-467-7350 L Library ......................................................... 604-467-7417 M Manager Legislative Services ...................604-463-5221Mayor’s Oce ............................................604-463-5221 Municipal Emergency Program ..............604-467-7301 Nights & Weekends ..............................604-463-9581 P Parking Enforcement ................................604-467-7305Parks & Leisure Services Direct Info Line (24 Hrs) .....................604-467-7322 Direct Reservation Lines Arenas - Booking/Program Information Municipal Ice Rental ........................604-465-2499 Pitt Meadows Arenas ........................604-460-1531 Planet Ice (Maple Ridge) ..................604-467-2883 Facilities - Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows .................................604-465-2499 Picnic Shelters ..................................... 604-465-2499 Sportelds .......................................... 604-465-2499 Festivals Society ..........................................604-467-7325 Greg Moore Youth Centre .........................604-467-7354 Leisure Centre ..................................................................... General Enquiries ................................ .604-467-7322 or ................................................... ..........604-465-2452 Aquatics Supervisor ............................. .604-467-7302 Program Registration ........................... 604-465-2470 Parks & Facilities Administration ...........604-467-7346 Pitt Meadows Family Rec Centre ............604-465-2452 Sportseld Conditions & Closures ...........604-465-2499 Volunteer Services .....................................604-467-7459Youth Services Children’s Programs ............................ .604-466-4339 Youth Outreach Initiative ..................... 604-467-7354 Planning General Enquiries .................................604-467-7341 Administration .......................................604-467-7343 Police - RCMP (Non-Emergency) ...........604-463-6251 Volunteer Services Coordinator .........604-467-7644 Pitt Meadows Community Policing ...604-465-2402 Property & Risk Management .................604-467-7315 Public Works General Enquiries .................................604-463-9581 Public Works Emergency – 24 hours .604-463-9581 Purchasing ................................................... 604-466-4343 R Recycling ....................................................604-463-5545 Roads Maintenance ...................................604-463-9581 S Schools ........................................................604-463-4200Seniors’ Programs & Information ...........604-467-4993 Sewer Maintenance ....................................604-463-9581 Sidewalk Maintenance ..............................604-463-9581 Snow Removal ............................................604-463-9581 SPCA ...........................................................604-463-9511 Strategic Economic Initiatives .................604-467-7320 T Trac Enquiries ........................................604-467-7339 W Water Maintenance ...................................604-463-9581 Z Zoning .........................................................604-467-7341 Municipal Contact Information Switchboard/General Information ...............604-463-5221 District of Maple Ridge General Fax Line ...........................................604-467-7329 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9 Public Works Emergency – 24 hours ............604-463-9581 enquiries@mapleridge.ca www.mapleridge.ca Fire, Police & Ambulance Emergency ..........................911 Citizens Report 2012 39 39 Contacts.indd 39 13-04-16 9:13 PM NATHAN STEINMy Home Town - Maple Ridge Silver Medalist, 2012 Paralympic Games What strikes you when you fi rst meet Nathan is his tall, lean frame and megawatt smile. This is a supremely confi dent young man who has a goal of turning his 2012 London Paralympic Silver Medal into Gold. Only nine years ago Nathan found out he has osteochondritis dissecans. where the bone at the bottom of the femur, the condyle, is underdeveloped and breaks away. In 2009 he was given a SB9 classifi cation, which means a swimmer has minimal weakness affecting his legs and some deformity in his feet or minor loss of part of a limb. He never looked back. By the end of that year, despite his ever-changing abilities, he was competing for Canada at the International Paralympic Committee World Championships in Rio de Janeiro and broke the record by three seconds in the 100-metre breaststroke. Before joining Team Canada, Nathan swam for the Haney Neptunes and Surrey Knights. In June of 2012 the Haney Neptunes members and their parents came out to help send Nathan to London with a swim meet fundraiser that featured the adults swimming in a parents-only relay. A few months later the members of the club welcomed their coach back, but this time he was wearing the silver medal he won in the 50-metre freestyle. In October 2012 Nathan was inducted as a Rotary Home Town Hero at their Annual Sports Banquet. His poster now hangs in every school telling his journey to the Olympic Medal podium. While humbled by the honour, and thankful for the support from the community on his journey, Nathan served notice that this is just the beginning. “There’s only one place to go from here and I’m ready,” Stein told the crowd of about 200. “I’m scared for everyone else, because I just keep getting faster.” The tattoo over his heart says ‘No Surrender.’ Don’t bet against that gold medal. 40 MRCR.indd 40 13-04-16 9:11 PM