HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014 Citizens ReportBritish Columbia, Canada
MAPLE RIDGECity of
as of December 31
CITIZENS REPORT
2014
VISION 2025
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 benefits 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 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.
Citizens Report 2014 n 3
Introduction 4
Meet Your Mayor 6
Meet Your Council 7
Administration 8
Community Development,
Parks & Recreation Services 10
Public Works & Development Services 12
Corporate & Financial Services 14
BC’s Newest City Turns 140 16
Hybrid Vehicles Save Money 18
2014: Financial Spotlight 19
2014: The Year in Photos 31
Maple Ridge Fire Department 38
RCMP: Police Services 40
Spotlight on: A Century of Remembrance 46
Contacts 47
Table of Contents
P31
P12 P17
Learn more about the work done by Public Works & Development Services.Maple Ridge becomes BC’s newest City, AND turns 140!
The Year in photos. From a chilly January to the CP Holiday Train.The ‘Your Maple Ridge Photo Contest’ images taken by your neighbours.
P42
SPECIAL PHOTO CREDITS
COVER
Our cover image was taken by Kim
Wilson who submitted this photo as
part of the ‘Your Maple Ridge’ Photo
Contest.
PAGE 2
Nicole Maniago submitted this photo
from a hike she took on the Spirea
Nature Trail at Golden Ears Park.
We thought it was the perfect photo
for our ‘Vision’ page.
ABOVE
Kim Wilson caught two bald eagles
stopping by for a visit on Christmas
Day, 2014.
4 n Citizens Report 2014
Striving for Engagement and Understanding
Nicole Read Mayor
Jim Rule Chief Administrative Officer
On behalf of Council and staff we are pleased to present the 2014 Citizens Report. This publication will provide you with an overview of the financial performance for the City of Maple Ridge for the year ending December 31, 2014.In addition, there are photo essays and stories that capture highlights for the year. The rest of the material is a celebration of our community. In the past few years we have stretched the definition of a ‘Popular Report’ to try to present this information in a more engaging way and combine the details of important business with information about the events and people that helped shape Maple Ridge in 2014.This year we are experimenting with two new pieces of information. The first are images or charts that we are calling Maple Ridge ‘By the Numbers.’ These factoids will be shared in a series of posts as we approach the unveiling of the 2014 Citizens Report at the Ridge Meadows Home Show at the beginning of May, 2015. The goal is to encourage citizens to access more information from this report, so they can better understand the work that goes on day-to-day at City Hall.The second thing we are doing is recording short videos of our newly elected Mayor and Council. They were elected in November of 2014, and the feature pages on them, and the associated videos, will help you get to know them better. This ‘bonus content’ can be accessed at mapleridge.ca which will provide you with links to our Facebook & YouTube sites for the photo and video materials.
In 2014 we saw the huge potential of this multi-media engagement play out with the work on the Hammond Area Planning Process. The connections we made with citizens have inspired us to work to blend this traditional ‘Popular Report’ with video and social media tools to go from engagement to understanding. Ultimately, that’s the goal of this publication – to provide you with information that helps you better understand the role and work of your local government.We hope that you enjoy the look back on 2014 through this report and the special features including the amazing images that were supplied by area residents as part of the ‘Your Maple Ridge’ photo contest. We look forward to your comments and suggestions on how we can continue the evolution of this report. You can reach us at mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca or by calling 604-463-5221.
Above all, we hope this publication reflects our pride in this amazing community.
INTRODUCTION
2014 CITIZENS REPORTMAPLE RIDGE
Citizens Report 2014 n 5
The Government Finance Officers’ Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has given an Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting (PAFR) to Maple Ridge for its Popular Report for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2013. The 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. The Award for Outstanding Achievement in Popular Annual Financial Reporting is valid for a period of one year only. Maple Ridge has received a Popular Award for the 18th consecutive year and is very fortunate to be one of only eight municipalities in Canada awarded a PAFR for 2013. We believe our current report continues to conform to the
Popular Annual Financial Reporting requirements, and we are submitting it to GFOA.
The print version of this report is 100% recyclable.
The 2014 Citizens Report is part of a suite of publications that include the Financial Plan and the Annual Report. These publications allow citizens to examine the business of Maple Ridge to the level of detail that they desire. This report incorporates tools that allow citizens to more quickly access information on our website mapleridge.ca. The goal is to ensure that our work remains transparent and accessible to all.
This publication is a collaboration between Maple Ridge staff and some very talented local citizens. We would like to acknowledge Oliver Rathonyi-Reusz of InView Images for his photography that enhances many of the articles in this publication. In our Year In Photos section there are a number of photographs that have been supplied by our local community newspapers. We would like to thank the Maple Ridge News and the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Times for supplying photos that graced the front pages of their newspapers. In this context we all get to appreciate the amazing talent that serves our community every day. We would also like to thank our publications designer, Cindy Farnsworth and her colleague Doug McMaster, for pulling all of the content together. Their passion for the community and this project is evident in the final product.
Internally, we are very grateful for the help of many of our fellow staff members who have provided information for this publication. We are very proud to be able to highlight the work of our colleagues who quietly go about their work with professionalism, dedication and passion each and every day.
Finally, I have the honour of working with two very wonderful colleagues, Cindy Dale and Tracy Camire, whose professionalism and enthusiasm are an inspiration. Their fingerprints are all over this document. I thank them for their wonderful ideas, suggestions, corrections and cajoling. They are amazing.
We hope that you enjoy the 2014 Citizens Report and will share this with your family and friends. We are all very proud to serve this community.
Fred Armstrong Manager Corporate Communications famstrong@mapleridge.ca Phone 604-467-7452
This publication is available both in print and in digital format. The digital version is available in ‘Flipping Book’ format and as a PDF download at mapleridge.ca under the Business Plans/Financial Reports section in the Your Government menu.
Maple Ridge is active on social media. You can follow us on Twitter @yourmapleridge and on Facebook at facebook.com/yourmapleridge. We look forward to your comments on the 2014 Citizens Report.
GFOA
6 n Citizens Report 2014
MEET YOUR MAYOR
Back in September I made a decision to run for Mayor. The authors of this report asked each of us to tell you why we decided to run (1), and what we want as our legacy in public life (2). For me, these are easy questions to answer. I got involved in the struggle to save our school site in Silver Valley. That was the spark that led to my decision to run for Mayor. My videotaped answer is more detailed, but each of us on Council has this kind of defining moment where we decided to become part of making our community better.When I think of what I’d like to leave as a legacy to this community I go back to some themes that I stated in my inaugural address. Building neighbourhoods that are safe, resilient, lively, vibrant and complete is of critical importance to me. That’s what I’m working to create.As your Mayor, I want to restore the confidence in the development process, the way our City is growing and evolving, and ensure that there is transparency in how these decisions are made. It is important that citizens know that all of us in City Hall are accountable for the consequences of these decisions. We know that we can do better, and right from day one we’ve all committed to this goal.As this publication goes to press we are up and running with our Task Forces on Homelessness and Open Government and working to bring solutions to the table. Our Council has begun the process of refining our community Vision and the Strategic Plan that will see us develop a list of priorities for the City to work towards. Citizens have given us a great team. Each of us is humbled to have been chosen to serve on Council for the first four year term in BC history. I have had the chance to get to know these remarkable people as we have embarked on our work, and I encourage you to learn more about them by viewing their responses to the questions we were all asked. We share
a commitment to moving our community forward so that our citizens can achieve their personal goals with a sense of pride, safety and confidence in their City.A report like this looks back on the previous year, providing the financial and community highlights of the year ending 2014. I would like to thank our previous Council for their dedication and service to Maple Ridge. We will build on the legacy of their work towards many shared aspirations for our City.I think that the change in designation from District to City is symbolic of the opportunity we have, at this very moment in time, to define who we will be for the next century. In one year you will be reading the publication that articulates that vision. As you flip through and look at the information in the 2014 Citizens Report it’s easy to see why all of us on Council are so dedicated to this community and our work. You inspire us.
Mayor Nicole Read
Citizens Report 2014 n 7
Corisa Bell
MEET YOUR COUNCIL 2014-2018
Kiersten Duncan Bob Masse
Gordy Robson Craig SpeirsTyler Shymkiw
1. I heard from my friends, and through conversations in the community, that people were losing faith in government. I have always been passionate about democracy and our human rights and if we don’t continue to have a voice and lead our government, they will lead us. I believe that I can be one of those voices.
2. I would like to be seen as someone who is passionate about life, people and quality of life. Someone who takes very seriously the responsibility of those who came before us and made our lives the way they are today. I would like to be seen as somebody who is passionate about passing on a better tomorrow for future generations.
1. I’d been an advocate for years and I’d just
got to a point where I felt I was making a
difference, but I felt I could do more. By
getting elected I could help people who
are marginalized; who couldn’t represent
themselves and help them have their
voices heard. It was a good opportunity
to get other young people involved.
2. I’d like to leave a positive example of
leadership. I’d like people to be able
to look back and say that I was open,
honest and accountable. My hope is
that I will set a good precedent for
future leaders and get others to run,
particularly other young women, to
increase representation across the
board.
1. Some dissatisfaction I had as a
businessman going through the process
at City hall. It was kind of a negative
reason to begin with. Once you get
elected you find out what the job really is
and forget the singular incident that got
you involved and you just get right into
the job.
2. I would love to see the Province
recognize the need for mental health
care and how grossly that has been
neglected and how it’s affecting every
community in every way. On a local level
I would be so proud and happy if we
could get post-secondary education so
kids have the same opportunity as kids
in other communities.
1. I decided to run this time for Council
because I thought the City was in for
change and I wanted to be part of it.
I wanted to get with these younger
members of Council and help them
change things.
2. I think the only legacy I really want to be
known for are my kids.
1. I grew up in Maple Ridge and I’ve always
believed that it’s the best place in the
world to raise a family. I ran for office last
fall to ensure that our reputation as the
best place to raise a family continues.
2. At the end of the day ten years from
now I’d like people to be proud of their
community when they go out to a sports
field or walk down their streets. That’s
the only thing I’m looking for out of this.
1. I’ve always been active politically. What
really spurred to throw my name in the
hat was a development clear cut up in
Silver Valley, Rock Ridge. I remember it
very well; I was standing in the pouring
rain beside a ditch that was running
black with the soil from this cleared site.
It just told me inside that we needed to do
better and I needed to help us do better.
2. I think we are defined more by what we
don’t develop than what we do. Making
quality housing for people is important
but we need to get away from the creeks,
lakes and rivers. For me the most
important thing is water. Clean water is
the biggest factor in life. You just need it.
Citizens Report 2014 n 9
The District of Maple Ridge became the ‘City of Maple Ridge’ on September 12, 2014. We now have the distinction of being both the sixth oldest community AND the newest City, the 50th to get this designation. The change in designation reflects the coming of age of our community, and evolution that has been accelerated in recent years as the community has grown at a pace nearly double the national average. The Town Centre is almost unrecognizable to citizens who lived here 20 years ago. In early 2014 Council passed a resolution to ask the province of BC for the change in designation from a Municipality to a City and the Administration team, led by Chief Administrative Officer, Jim Rule played a leadership role in our organization and in the rebirth of our community. Our local MLAs worked behind the scenes to move this matter to the cabinet, while here in Maple Ridge we started the planning for our 140th Birthday on September 12, 2014.It was a great party, featuring reenactments of speeches by actors portraying Mayors from our past, live music from talented local musicians, a music flash mob from the Maple Ridge Concert Band and most of all, the best birthday present ever, the formal announcement that on the day of our birthday we became a City. Legendary train robber Billy Miner even made an appearance, and was promptly arrested by actual members of the Ridge Meadows RCMP detachment dressed in period clothing. The following day, September 13, the Haney Farmers Market teamed up with the Maple Ridge Museum and Archives to make it a two-day celebration. In 2014 social media engagement exploded with follows on Maple Ridge’s
City Twitter and Facebook pages doubling over the course of the year. There was a strong interest in the 2014 election, and voter turnout improved to over 31%, a six percent increase over the 2011 election.The City website continues to grow and evolve. In January of 2014 the new website was launched and by the end of 2014 the site had 555,894 visits, a 6% increase over the previous year. More and more, we are able to connect citizens directly with information that they are looking for during critical project periods, such as taxation and election information.In 2014 the Human Resources Department completed negotiations with our unionized staff and a new three year agreement went into effect. They have also been busy ensuring that Maple Ridge maintains the ‘Certificate of Recognition’ by WorkSafeBC. This program ensures that all City workers have a strong focus on workplace safety and offers reductions in premiums for the organization.Council has focused on the Strategic Economic Initiatives Department to ensure that their goals around the development of post-secondary program delivery in Maple Ridge are met. They hosted a major forum here in the
community that brought leaders from the region’s post-secondary providers together with key government leaders to showcase what we have to offer.The City continues to champion sustainability initiatives across the organization, including energy retrofits of our facilities as part of regular maintenance cycles and in 2014 the LEED Gold certification for Fire Hall No. 1 was announced as a testament to our leadership in reducing our carbon footprint.The Administration Division is small, but they work closely with their colleagues across all divisions to ensure that Maple Ridge continues to grow with efficiency, effectiveness and engagement.
BCs Newest City. Embracing our Future.
Jim Rule
Chief Administrative Officer
ADMINISTRATION
Frances King Director of Human Resources
Fred Armstrong Manager Corporate Communications
Laura Benson Manager of Sustainability & Corporate Planning
Patrick Cullen Emergency Program Coordinator
Paul Gill Acting Manager of Strategic Economic Initiatives
Department Heads
Citizens Report 2014 n 11
In 2014 Maple Ridge Council attended the opening of a park in the historic Hammond neighbourhood that borders the Fraser River. The park is named for one of the community’s early western settlers, Emmeline Mohun, who helped lay out the original town site. The park design was driven by community volunteers who worked closely with City staff to identify the amenities that they wanted for their neighbourhood.Led by Kelly Swift, General Manager: Community Development, Parks & Recreation Services, this process highlights one of the cornerstones of the Division’s working model; community engagement, collaboration and community capacity building. Parks and Recreation programs and facilities are managed through a partnership with the City of Pitt Meadows and School District No. 42. In 2014 that relationship was reviewed and was reaffirmed that it meets the five benefit criteria that it was intended to achieve.In 2014 the agreements with the Ridge Meadows Seniors Society and the Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows Arts Council were restructured to ensure a strong alignment with broad community goals around access and effective stewardship.
Last year was a banner year for festivals and events. Parks staff helped support over 80 events in 2014 including special celebrations for Maple Ridge’s 140th Birthday and the 40th Anniversary of the Museum & Archives. In addition to supporting the events, the festivals and volunteer teams helped provide training to the organizers of community events and connected hundreds of volunteers with projects that were suited to their skills and interests.The Maple Ridge Leisure Centre saw renovations that included retrofits of the lighting systems to both improve the environment for our customers and to dramatically reduce energy costs around lighting. The new designs of common areas and the workout spaces have been very well received using the taglines ‘Our Community, Our Centre’ and ‘Everyone Welcome.’ All imagery throughout the facility use real photos of customers to create a welcoming, inclusive environment that helps our citizens connect with their neighbours who have already discovered how an active lifestyle improves their quality of life.In addition to the opening of the new Emmeline Mohun Park along the Fraser River in Hammond, Maple Ridge saw
the upgrade and redesign of the baseball field at Hammond Stadium, the opening of a new water spray park in Albion as well as the Mountain Bike Skills Park. The Community Services Department undertook important work with the Planning Department to complete the Housing Action Plan. Supporting work by the Social Planning Advisory Committee helped develop resolutions that were endorsed at the 2014 Union of BC Municipalities conference. Maple Ridge, through the support of our Council, is a strong advocate for improved addiction and mental health services.The Division has a consistent focus on ensuring that Maple Ridge is a connected, engaged and collaborative community. With the support of Council, amazing volunteers and active citizens, we are meeting that goal.
Meeting the Challenges of a Growing Community
Department Heads
COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, PARKS & RECREATION SERVICES
Kelly Swift
General Manager:
Community Development
Parks & Recreation Services
David Boag
Director of Parks & Facilities
Sue Wheeler
Director of Community Services
Wendy McCormick
Director of Recreation
Maple Ridge Leisure Centre 11925 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, V2X 6G2 Phone: 604-467-7322
Citizens Report 2014 n 13
In a presentation to Council Frank Quinn, General Manager for the Division, noted that the things his team are responsible for are much like an iceberg. What you can see above the water barely hints at what’s below and in the case of our community, what’s below the ground is the majority of our billion dollar infrastructure.Mr. Quinn’s team are responsible for the water, sewer and storm water systems buried beneath the ground, as well as the roads, sidewalks and traffic signals above. Two of the most reliable utilities citizens can count on are the water and sewage treatment. Millions of litres of clean drinking water are supplied to citizens through a vast network of pumps, pipes and reservoirs. Additionally, the network of sewer pipes and pumps ensures that millions of litres
of liquid waste are sent for treatment before the water returns to the ocean. Above ground there were a number of high profile projects in 2014. The new 232 Street Bridge over the North Alouette River opened early in the year, and along with that the construction of a separated multi-use pathway along 132 Avenue was completed with input from an area citizens’ committee. Similar citizen input resulted in the installation of sidewalks along ‘Shady Lane’ and River Road, as well as a new traffic circle near Kanaka Creek Elementary School. This high level of public engagement is helping ensure that both infrastructure and policy work in Maple Ridge allows citizens to have a strong voice as we examine ideas to improve our community.The Planning Department rolled out a huge public consultation around the development of the #MyHammond Area Plan Process and the community has responded to extraordinary levels. At the start of the consultation, citizens provided over 300 photos as part of a ‘Community Character’ photo project, and community elders participated in the creation of the ‘Hammond Stories’ videos that allowed all citizens to understand the history and lifestyle of
this important historic neighbourhood. In 2014 there were two very well attended open houses, a second video series from the ‘Next Generation’ of residents and literally hundreds of comments and interactions on the City website and social media channels. This project and the passionate citizens of this neighbourhood have helped establish a new benchmark of public consultation.In 2014 a number of significant policies came before Council including the Commercial and Industrial Strategy, the Strategic Transportation Plan, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and Bylaw as well as other important work that will move the community forward. In 2014 the City of Maple Ridge issued over 3,500 building related permits and Council saw close to 200 development reports. Our community continues to grow at a fast pace. The Licences, Permits & Bylaws Department processed over 3,000 enforcement requests and delivered updates to numerous bylaws from Business Licensing to Animal Control. We encourage you to look at the Budget Handbook that has a more detailed list of the work completed in 2014 and the projects and policy work that are scheduled for 2015.
There’s a Lot Going on Below the Surface
Department Heads
Frank Quinn
General Manager:
Public Works &
Development Services
PUBLIC WORKS & DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
Christine Carter
Director of Planning
David Pollock
Municipal Engineer
Liz Holitzki
Director of Licences, Permits & Bylaws
Russ Carmichael
Director of Engineering Operations
Citizens Report 2014 n 15
Paul Gill, General Manager: Corporate & Financial Services leads a team of people whose job it is to account for every dollar spent by the City of Maple Ridge. To do that work requires a strong policy framework that sets out the responsibilities of all staff and the technological tools to track and report this work.In 2014 the City of Maple Ridge processed 106,199 financial transactions for everything from invoices to tax payments. Council is provided with a Disbursements Report each month and the Financial Statements of the City are audited every year. The results of that audit are reported in the financial section of this report. The City of Maple Ridge is a 100 million dollar venture with over a billion dollars of assets.This report is just one of many that are available to the public that offer citizens the opportunity to drill down to a detailed level of the City finances. Many of these reports are mandated by various regulatory bodies, but Maple Ridge has been a leader in trying to go beyond ‘what’s required’ to help connect citizens with more information on ‘where tax dollars are spent.’
The expanded section in the centre of the Citizens Report is just one example. The Financial Overview Report that’s prepared for Council has been reformated to make the document more accessible for citizens. In addition, we are using technology to expand access for citizens to the many meetings where decisions on how to invest tax dollars are made.In the summer of 2014 the Blaney Room, which hosts a wide range of public meetings, received a digital upgrade to expand the capacity of the City to broadcast meetings live to the public. Council Chambers also had a technology refresh to expand the capacity of that facility to improve the quality of broadcasts. In the fall and winter of 2014 the number of meetings that were live-streamed was increased and citizens can now access meetings using the agendas, reports and the video replay.In 2014 the Information Technology Department supported the launch of the City website and helped implement a new Google search engine native to the site. Technology has also been pushed out to offer greater interactivity for the
Building Inspectors and Bylaw Officers who now use tablet computers in the field to link their work immediately back to the City’s database. Just as with our colleagues in Public Works, there is so much work done behind the scenes that citizens don’t see. Maple Ridge gets over one million emails a year and each one has been scanned to ensure spam email is blocked.This Division is also responsible for the oversight of the Maple Ridge Fire Department and the contract relationship with the RCMP. There are sections for both departments starting on page 38 of this report, but it is important to recognize Mr. Gill’s role at the National and Provincial table helping manage the contract relationship in BC with the RCMP. This insight gives our community access to information that helps us manage our detachment with great effectiveness and efficiency. From award-winning reports to a strong focus on ensuring financial accountability to Council and citizens, the Division is proud of the role it plays ensuring citizens have access to all the information.
You Can’t Have ‘Accountability’ Without Managing the Accounts
Department Heads
Paul Gill
General Manager:
Corporate &
Financial Services
Catherine Nolan
Manager of Accounting
Ceri Marlo
Manager of Legislative Services & Emergency
Program
Christina Crabtree
Director of Information Technology
Dane Spence
Fire Chief
John Bastaja
Director of Corporate Support
Kathleen Gormley
Manager of Business Systems
Maureen Jones
Senior Manager of Police Services
Silvia Rutledge
Manager of Revenue & Collections
Trevor Thompson
Manager of Financial Planning
CORPORATE & FINANCIAL SERVICES
Citizens Report 2014 n 17
On September 12, 1874 a group of citizens gathered together at the McIver Farm and decided to incorporate the lands between the Stave and Pitt Rivers as the ‘District of Maple Ridge.’ These pioneers represented families from Port Haney, Port Hammond, Pitt Meadows, Whonnock, Albion, Ruskin and Webster’s Corners who recognized that their small isolated communities would not grow unless there was some capacity to build roads to connect these emerging neighbourhoods. The ‘District’ would unite these settlements into a new entity that took its name from a ridge of maple trees that grew along the bank of the Fraser River on McIver’s farm. Maple Ridge was born. In the early years our community was known for logging and the sawmills that were located along the Fraser River from the Stave River west to the Pitt River. Additionally, Maple Ridge had a diverse agricultural base with dairy, orchards and berry production exports supplying the region and international markets.Over time the original borders of the District changed. Port Coquitlam was incorporated in 1913, and the slice of land west of the Pitt River became part of Port Coquitlam. In 1914, Pitt Meadows ceded from the District of Maple Ridge over issues relating to the cost of dyking the lands bordering the Pitt River.
As predicted by the founders of Maple Ridge, roads began to connect the community. The development of the Stave Falls Dam and logging operations meant that Dewdney Trunk Road was established, and it wasn’t until 1931 that the Lougheed Highway connected communities along the north side of the Fraser River. In the early 30s businesses moved up the hill from Port Haney along this new road, and the ‘downtown’ of Maple Ridge emerged.By the end of the 30s almost one-third of Maple Ridge’s citizens were of Japanese descent. Their role in establishing our community as a leader in agriculture, public education and international shipping has to be acknowledged. The internment of Japanese Canadians after Japan entered WWII resulted in these citizens leaving our community and their lands were sold off. This was a tremendous loss to our community. Post war, Maple Ridge grew quickly and in the early 50s our community got its first street light at the corner of what is now 224 Street and Lougheed Highway and the ferry service to Fort Langley commenced. The post war boom carried on into the 60s, and the population continued to grow exponentially. In fact, in the last century the population of Maple Ridge has doubled every 20 years. In 1974 Mayor Betty Dube, the first
female Mayor of our community, led the community in a centennial celebration that is fondly remembered. In 1999 the community celebrated the 125th anniversary of the community with concerts, historical displays and the production of a book of photos, art and writing called ‘Moments in Time.’In the late spring of 2014, Council passed a motion requesting that the Province of BC consider a change of status for Maple Ridge from a District to a City. There is a protocol and criteria for these requests, and the provincial officials set about reviewing the request.Meanwhile, the preparations began to celebrate the 140th anniversary of our incorporation. On September 9, 2014, Premier Christy Clark announced that the BC Cabinet had approved the change of designation from a District to the City of Maple Ridge. The change in designation would take effect on September 12, 2014, 140 years after the incorporation of the community. On that day, Maple Ridge officially became BC’s 50th City. So that’s how Maple Ridge became the newest City in BC on the day that we celebrated our 140th birthday.
How can the newest City in BC be 140 years old? Here’s how the story unfolds.
British Columbia’s Newest City Turns 140
THE CITY OF MAPLE RIDGE
In 2011 staff members in our Operations Centre converted a Chevy Sonoma truck that had reached the end of its life to a fully electric vehicle using off-the-shelf technology. That truck was a test bed to see what the impact was of using fully electric vehicles and analyzing the costs associated with the technology.Maple Ridge had already purchased a number of hybrid vehicles that use a combination of electric and conventional engines. The Toyota Prius and the Ford Explorer Hybrids became part of the fleet starting in 2006.In 2013 the City acquired the first three fully electric vehicles to add to our fleet. The cost of these vehicles was offset by Provincial grants which effectively made the vehicles the same cost as conventional fuel vehicles. Another bonus was the Provincial program to install charging stations throughout BC, and Maple Ridge participated in the program installing eight charging
Some Unexpected Savings from
Hybrid Vehicles
HYBRID VEHICLES
stations, two in Memorial Peace Park, three in the City Hall parkade, two outside City Hall on Dewdney Trunk Road and one at the Operations Centre.The combination of the pricing incentives and the new infrastructure to charge the vehicles made this a solid business decision. The vehicles can be recharged for pennies a day and because they are used for trips within the City, the range does not factor into the discussion. While we’ve seen a huge fluctuation in gas prices, the introduction of the hybrid technology in our fleet has resulted in savings in our fuel costs, but there has been another substantial savings.Maintenance costs are much lower with the hybrid and electric vehicles. Conventional vehicles use engines and transmissions to power the vehicles. These engines require fuel, and lubricants throughout their lifecycle. Electric vehicles are different. The motors power the wheels, eliminating the transmission, and the electric
motors do not require the same level of maintenance that combustion motors do. The net effect is that we are seeing long lifecycles in some of our hybrid vehicles and reductions in the costs associated with regular maintenance. Combine that with the lower fuel bill and you have a winning business case for these vehicles. On December 31, 2014 the City of Maple Ridge had four fully electric vehicles and 35 hybrids in operation.As taxpayers, you count on us to make a solid business case for every purchase, and these vehicles are a good choice from that perspective. But more broadly, as citizens of the planet, we all need to look at ways we can reduce our carbon footprint. These vehicles meet that test as well. Less fuel burned is less carbon in the atmosphere. Less oil changes and transmission services means less hydrocarbons in the environment. No matter how you slice it, we’re saving money and the planet.
18 n Citizens Report 2013
The next 12 pages of our report are dedicated to the 2014 Financial Spotlight. We’re the first to admit that pages and pages of numbers can be pretty daunting, but we are required to publish some of this information, and over the last few years we’ve dedicated ourselves to making the data a bit easier to understand and are highlighting important stories that may be hidden in this information.Last year we held a Live Question and Answer period as part of the preparation of the 2014 Financial Plan. The QR code below will take you to the video of that session, which was broadcast live and allowed citizens to ask questions, in person, by telephone, by email or on our City Facebook and Twitter feeds. In addition to the live responses, we also recorded all the questions and created a written response to the Frequently Asked Questions and posted them online at mapleridge.ca/faq. If you go to that link you will find FAQ lists for many departments, but when you scroll down you will see the questions asked in the April 2014 and the December 2013 Q&A sessions.Here are some examples of the most Frequently Asked Questions about the 2015 Financial Plan;
The average tax increase is 3.5%. Why did my property taxes go up more than that?Firstly, we have to understand what we mean by ‘average’. An ‘average’ means that there are people on the high side and people on the low side. When it comes to our budget and we are talking about a tax increase of 2% we do not take what everyone paid last year and add 2% to it. That is not the system, it is not the methodology we are given by the Province to work with, and so we can’t do that. The methodology that we use results in us pooling all the assessed values for the Residential Class, seeing what they went up by on average and setting one tax rate. Because we do that, you will have people on both sides of the average. Every year
Just the FAQs Please
we do a presentation for Council on this. We’ve been tracking certain properties for well over a dozen years and when you look at them you will see the experiences that different homes have. In some years they received very large increases, in other years not so large and over a longer term you will see a trend toward the average, but that doesn’t help you in any particular year.
There’s more about this question on Page 30 in the article ‘The Real Average.’
Why don’t we just tag our tax increase with the Consumer Price Index, or the cost of living index, or inflation? Why do we come up with our own rate?There are several consumer indices which is the first thing to keep in mind. Secondly, what is a Consumer Price Index? If you pick one, it represents the change in prices on a basket of goods. A typical basket of goods includes items such as groceries, rent, mortgages, gas and heating. The Consumer Price Index doesn’t include fire trucks, police, the sort of things we have to buy as a municipality. It’s not an apples to apples comparison. The City doesn’t buy the typical basket of goods. The basket of goods we buy on behalf of our citizens is very different, thus the difference between our cost increases and what the Consumer Price Index might represent.
I’m concerned about the police budget, is it going up by $925,000 every year? The police budget is going up by about $900,000 this year and a large part of it is driven by pension rates. We’re not sure what those increases will be in 2015, but year-over-year we have seen an increase in police costs in excess of $500,000 for a long period of time. Look for the rest of the questions at mapleridge.ca/faq. If you have a question about the City’s budget you can email us at budget@mapleridge.ca. We are proud to present this snapshot of the City’s financial position.
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Citizens Report 2013 n 19
Accumulated Surplus - Represents net economic resources, the amount by which all assets, both financial and non-financial, exceed all liabilities. It indicates that a government has net resources available to provide future services, but does not represent aailable cash.
Amortization - The cost of using an asset over time.
Annual Surplus/Deficit - The difference between annual revenues and annual expenses. If positive it is refered to as Annual Surplus, if negative, it is referred to as Annual Deficit
Financial Assets
Cash and cash equivalents $14,098,635 $7,036,384
Portfolio investments 140,752,034 138,716,752
Accounts receivable 18,910,387 19,147,770
Recoverable local improvments 1,772,386 1,882,735
Other assets 739,180 718,361
Inventory available for resale 374,343 24,266
176,646,965 167,526,268
Liabilites
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 17,215,076 16,271,819
Deferred revenue 9,516,042 9,407,028
Restricted revenue 44,195,434 45,149,975
Refundable performance deposits and other 12,006,924 10,325,126
Employee future benefits 5,086,600 4,890,700
Long term debt 36,828,024 39,501,414
124,848,100 125,546,062
Net Financial Assets 51,798,865 41,980,206
Non Financial Assets
Tangible capital assets 881,235,810 859,057,643
Undeveloped landbank properties 14,385,160 14,385,160
Supplies inventory 336,897 364,511
Prepaid expenses 568,450 698,347
896,526,317 874,505,661
Accumulated Surplus $948,325,182 $916,485,867
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.
Reporting Entity and Basis of Consolidation These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Canadian Public Sector accounting standards using guidelines developed by the Public Sector Accounting Board (“PSAB”) of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada.They consolidate the activities of all of the funds of the District and the District’s wholly owned subsidiaries C.D.M.R. Developments Ltd. and Maple Ridge Municipal Holdings Ltd. Transactions between the District’s funds and wholly owned subsidiaries have been eliminated and only transactions with outside entities are reported.
Consolidated Statement of Financial Position
As at December 31, 2014
Restated
2014 2013
20 n Citizens Report 2014
Glossary
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
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 existing liabilities or finance future operations, such as cash receivables and portfolio investments.
Net Financial Assets - The excess of financial assets over liabilities
Non-Financial Assets - Assets that are acquired, 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 equipment. These assets have a sigificant value and a useful life of greater than one year. Capital assets are also called fixed assets.
Restated
Actual Budget Actual
2014 2014 2013
Revenue
Taxes for municipal purposes $71,350,132 $71,230,476 $68,079,360
User fees and other revenue 38,572,819 37,143,448 35,843,766
Senior government transfers 2,511,485 4,854,461 3,796,633
Development revenue 8,693,788 18,393,256 9,799,094
Interest and investment income
Investment income 2,764,104
Interest income 239,684
Less: Deferred amount (578,909)
Interest and investment income 2,424,879 1,853,000 2,577,212
Gaming revenues 1,056,051 1,050,000 896,008
Gain (loss) on disposal of capital asset (1,353,953) - (2,449,158)
Contributed tangible capital assets 23,232,212 16,500,000 46,582,459
146,487,413 151,024,641 165,125,374
Expenses (segment report)
Protective services 31,988,914 35,220,668 31,159,175
Transportation services 17,323,495 18,795,864 16,624,764
Recreation and cultural 21,183,974 22,571,923 19,628,824
Water utility 15,375,275 20,010,147 14,809,051
Sewer utility 9,341,867 10,271,937 9,582,651
General government 14,517,314 18,987,635 13,565,957
Planning, public health and other 4,917,259 4,674,976 5,487,525
114,648,098 130,533,150 110,857,947
Annual surplus 31,839,315 20,491,491 54,267,427
Accumulated surplus - beginning of the year 916,485,867 916,485,867 862,218,440
Accumulated surplus - end of the year $948,325,182 $936,977,358 $916,485,867
For the year ended ended December 31, 2014
Citizens Report 2014 n 21
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
The 2014 Annual Report contains more detailed
information on the financial position and results
of operations. Copies can be obtained from the
Fraser Valley library, Maple Ridge hall and online
www.mapleridge.ca/163/Annual-Report.
22 n Citizens Report 2014
Expenses
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Expenses & Expenditures By Object 2010-2014
23% 22% 27% 24% 23%
30% 30% 36% 31% 31%
1% 1% 2% 2% 2%
11% 10% 10% 17% 19%
13% 26% 12% 14% 14%
11% 10% 13% 12% 11%
(In Millions)
Labour
Capital
Goods & Services
Debt Servicing
Contributed Infrastructure
Amortization Expense
Total Expenses & Expenditures
2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
$157.4 $176.4 $138.3 $148.9 $146.0
Sheet3
Page 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Total Expenses in 2014: $114,648,098
The chart below shows you the total of all Expenses as well as the Developer Contributed Assets and Capital Investments classified as ‘Expenditures For Accounts.’ The combination of these items collectively is known as Expenditures & Expenses by Object.
This graph
shows you
how much of
each dollar
Maple Ridge
spends
goes to fund
specific
services and
projects.
Protective Services
28¢
15¢19¢
13¢
8¢
13¢4¢
Transportation Services
Recreation and Cultural
Water Utility
Sewer Utility
General Government
Planning, Public Healthand other
Citizens Report 2014 n 23
Revenues
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Revenues by Source 2010-2014
This chart breaks
down the total
revenues collected
from 2010 to 2014.
This graph breaks down the Revenue Sources for 2014 by category.
*Definition: Tangible Capital Asset. These are assets that have a physical form. Examples include machinery,
buildings and land. Each year the accounting team do an extensive review of all assets to ensure that the value
of our community’s assets are accurately reflected.
43%
23%
13%
5%
2%2%1%
(In Millions)
43% 41% 50% 45% 44%Taxes
5% 6% 4% 3% 6%Development Revenue
13% 27% 12% 15% 16%Tangible Capital Assets*
23% 22% 27% 25% 25%User Fees & Other Revenue
2% 2% 3% 10% 7%Government Transfers
1% 2% 3% 3% 3%Interest & Investment Income
1% 1% 1% 1% 0%Gaming Revenue
Total Revenue
2014 2013 2012 2011 2010
$146.5 $165.1 $129.2 $134.3 $129.6
Taxes User Fees & Other Revenue Tangible Capital Assets Development Revenue Government Transfers Interest & Investment Income Gaming Revenue
24 n Citizens Report 2014
2014 Financial Plan
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
2014 Projected Funding Sources
Property Taxes and Parcel Charges $71.2 Million
Fees & Charges $37.1 Million
Development Fees $35.4 Million
Reserves (Net) $28.2 Million
Reduce Book Value of Assets (Amortization) $19.4 Million
Borrowing Proceeds $18.5 Million
Interest, Grants and Other $7.2 Million
$217.1 MillionTotal Revenues
Sheet1
Page 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
33%
17%16%
13%
9%9%3%
This chart shows where the money is coming from to support Council’s 2014 Financial Plan.
2014 Projected Uses of Funding
Parks, Recreation & General Government Properties $21.3 Million
Police Services $21.0 Million
Public Works & Development $16.3 Million
Water $18.3 Million
Fire Protection $9.4 Million
Corporate & Financial $9.3 Million
Sewer $8.3 Million
Administration $5.1 Million
Capital Program $83.9 Million
Amortization $19.4 Million
Debt Payments $4.9 Million
Total Other $108.9 Million
Total Uses of Funding $217.1 Million
This chart shows how the money is used for Council’s 2014 Fnancial Plan.
If you would like more information about the 2014 Financial Plan and the associated 2014 Business Plan visit our website at mapleridge.ca . You can use the QR Code on this page to access the information directly.
50%
39%
9%
2%
2014 Capital Additions
Transportation $24.6 Million
Recreation & Cultural $7.7 Million
Protective Services $2.9 Million
Sewer Utility $2.9 Million
Water Utility $2.3 Million
General Government $1.6 Million
Planning: Public Health & Other $0.8 Million
Total Capital Additions $42.8 Million
Citizens Report 2014 n 25
Capital Additions
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Sheet3
Page 5
24.6
7.7
2.9
2.9
2.3
1.6
0.8
Capital Additions
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
57%
18%
7%
7%5%4%2%
This chart
represents the
investment that
we made in
Capital Assets.
Additions to our
water system,
sewer system,
road construction,
park acquisitions
and development
are all examples of
Capital Additions.
Look for information
and photos on
Pages 12 and 13
relating to some
of the major
transportation
projects that
were undertaken
during 2014.
The Maple Ridge
official Facebook
page, www.
facebook.com/
yourmapleridge,
has photo galleries
of Capital projects.
26 n Citizens Report 2014
Population & Demographics
40.2
44.6
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Population by Age
Ages 0-14 20% 14%
Ages 15-24 13% 9%
Ages 25-34 11% 11%
Ages 35-44 18% 16%
Ages 45-54 17% 15%
Ages 55-64 10% 13%
Ages 65-74 6% 12%
Ages 75+ 5% 9%
AgeGroup 2006Census 2031 Projection
Median
Age
2011 Median Age
for Maple Ridge
1921 1941 1961 1981 2001 2011
2031 Median Age
Estimate for
Maple Ridge
Definition:
The Median Age is the
age at which 50% of the
population are younger
than this age and 50%
are older.
Why is this important?
The Median Age helps
all levels of government
plan for the delivery of
services. We use this
data to plan for policy,
program and service
delivery to ensure that
citizens have the
amenities to live
comfortably.
This graph illustrates the growth in
Maple Ridge’s population during the
last century. The blue bars represent
20 year periods starting in 1921. As
you can see, the population virtually
doubled every 20 years. The orange
bar represent the growth in the 10
year period from 2001. The Maple
Ridge Official Community
Plan projects a
population of
118,000 by
2041.
Maple Ridge’s Historical
Population Growth
76,052
63,169
16,748
32,232
6,476
3,772
Source: Statistics Canada,
prepared by BC Stats
Citizens Report 2014 n 27
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Employment & Debt
2013
$496
2012
$535 $520
20102014
$458
Top 10 Maple Ridge Employers
Industry
School District No. 42 Education
Ridge Meadows Hospital Health Care
City of Maple Ridge Government
Overwaitea Food Group Grocery
Fraser Regional Corrections Corrections
Ridge Meadows Association for Community Living Health Care
Arcus Community Resources Health Care
Safeway Maple Ridge Grocery
West Coast Auto Group Vehicle Sales
Waldun Forest Products Wood Products
Based on Number of Employees
Source: BC Stats
Debt Per Capita
Based on estimated
population of 80,434
Council incorporates the use
of borrowing when it makes
sense. The debt per capita is
reduced as the debt is repaid.
Year Unemployment Employment Employed Rate Rate Persons
2011 Census 6.8% 64.2% 39,435
2006 Census 4.6% 66.4% 35,935
2001 Census 6.2% 64.9% 31,310
1996 Census 7.6% 63.7% 28,910
Maple Ridge
Employment Rate
British Columbia
Employment Rate
64.2%
59.5%
*Statistics Canada 2011 Census
2011
$498
28 n Citizens Report 2014
Property Taxes vs. Household Costs
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
The monthly costs are based
on the taxes paid for a home
valued at $457,302. This was
the ‘Average Single Family
Home’ for 2014. The Standard
Monthly Household Costs
are a combination of Statistics
Canada Census Data and a
survey of service providers.
Your 2014 tax bill is comprised
of the elements listed on the chart to
the left. Below are comparisons to
standard household operating costs
using monthly averages.
As with other household bills, you can
pay your taxes using our monthly
‘Pre-Authorized Withdrawal Program.’
Look for more information in the Online
Services menu at mapleridge.ca.
Monthly Cost of Municipal Services
Police Services $45.43
Water (Includes Capital Costs) $41.82
Community Develpment, Parks & Recreation $35.69
Capital (Includes Debt) $29.42
Sewer (Includes Capital Costs) $26.84
Fire Services $22.62
General Government $18.98
Development Services $18.03
Recycling (Includes Capital Costs) $5.85
Standard Monthly Household Costs
Principal Accommodation $1390.08
Transportation $932.00
Food Expenditures $673.67
Clothing & Accessories $287.58
BC Hydro (Electricity) $89.00
FortisBC (Gas) $81.36
Cell Phone (Basic) $69.33
Home Insurance $65.08
Cable Television (Basic) $53.56
Telephone Landline (Basic) $35.37
Internet (Basic) $32.85
Home Security System $28.00
Citizens Report 2014 n 29
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
1
Residential91%
BusinessClasses9%
Taxable ValuesBy Property Class
2014 Total Value of All Property Types
$12,640,147,899
2014 Total Property Tax Levies
Residential78%
BusinessClasses22%
General TaxationBy Property Class
VERSUS
Property Values
In 2014, 91.4% of the
value of property was in the
Residential Class. That’s
91.4% of the over $12.6
billion figure supplied by BC
Assessment.
Property Taxes
While 91.4% of the value
is in the Residential Class,
only 77.8% of the tax
collected comes from
Residential.
22.2% of tax collected
comes from Business
Classes, which account for
8.6% of the total property
value. This type of ratio
is common in Metro
Vancouver.
Total property tax levied in
Maple Ridge during 2014
was just over $66 million.
Definition: The term Business Class on
this page refers to Utilities, Industrial,
Business, Seasonal Recreation and
Farm properties.
(for general purposes, NOT school, GVTA, BCA, etc.)
$66,224,164
Property Values vs. Taxation
The 2014 Annual Report contains more detailed information on the financial position and results of operations. Copies can be obtained from the Fraser Valley library, Maple Ridge hall and online www.mapleridge.ca/163/Annual-Report.
Understanding Your Tax Notice
What are you paying & who gets the money?
Total Municipal TaxesThese are the funds collected to pay for the operation of the City of Maple Ridge. We would recommend that you look at
the 2014 Financial Overview Report at mapleridge.ca for a more detailed breakdown of what these ‘categories’ fund.
Your local taxes consist of:
1. General, Debt & Library
2. Drainage Improvements Levy
3. Parks & Recreation Improvements Levy
4. Parcel Charges
Total Utility ServicesThese funds are collected for specific uses. In the case of the Water and Sewer levies, a significant portion goes to Metro Vancouver to fund the infrastructure to deliver these services. The Blue Box Service Levy goes to the Ridge Meadows Recycling Society who provide this service in our community. Some communities bill their Water, Sewer and Recycling separately, often at the beginning of the year. We have opted for the single bill, both to save mailing and transaction costs, and to be more transparent with an ‘all in’ number.
School TaxesThe Provincial Government determines how much is required for School Taxes. School Taxes are paid to the Province, not the local
School District.
Total Other Government TaxesVarious government organizations havethe authority to collect money usingproperty taxes. We are required to collect
money for:
1. Greater Vancouver Regional District
2. TransLink
3. BC Assessment
4. Municipal Finance AuthorityThese organizations use this money tofund their organizations.
30 n Citizens Report 2014
2014 MAPLE RIDGE FINANCIAL SPOTLIGHT
Santa Claus is Coming to Town
The ‘Red Bell’ decorations were donated by the Downtown Business Association in 1967 and have been an iconic
part of Maple Ridge’s Christmas celebration ever since. This photo was taken just a few minutes before the start
of the annual Santa Claus Parade in December 2014.
P31
2014
YOUR MAPLE RIDGE
P32
The year started with cold
temperatures. In this photo Kazue
Nakamura-Huber and her son are
bundled up as they walk along
the dykes at the north end of 216
Street. Photo Courtesy The News
CBC Radio did a full day broadcast from the
Billy Miner Restaurant and Pub in January.
Stephen Quinn, host of ‘On the Coast” and his
sidekick and traffic guru Lisa Christiansen keep
us all informed and entertained from 3:00 to
6:00 pm weekdays. City of Maple Ridge Photo
Sophie Zhao performed a fan
dance as part of a Chinese New
Year celebration at Meadowridge
School. The dance is a
celebration of Spring and the
hope for a great New Year.
Photo Courtesy The News
6000 books arrive at the CEED Centre destined for
distribution to children in the community as part of a
program to encourage literacy in families with financial
challenges. Andrew Hargrave from PLEA Community Services
Society waves to the camera as the books are sorted for
distribution. Photo Courtesy The Times
LOOKING BACK ON 2014
P33
Darin McClain, Manager of the Bell-
Irving Hatchery, shows some of the
thousands of salmon fry that were
released into the Kanaka Watershed as
part of the ‘Goodbye Chums’ event held
every Spring in our community.
Photo Courtesy The Times
In March, Amanda Rohl and Alex Angus
announced that they would be getting
married on June 14 as part of the 20th
Anniversary celebration of the Maple Ridge
Bandstand. They tied the knot surrounded
by family, friends and bandmates from the
Maple Ridge Concert Band who organized
the event. Photo Courtesy The News
14 year old Sean Okawa graduated
from Thomas Haney Secondary and
was offered scholarships from McGill
University in Montreal and Simon
Fraser University closer to home. This
extraordinary young man is interested in
biochemistry and is looking forward to
the challenges of university.
Photo Courtesy The News
Donna Wakefield and Connie-Jean Moore with
the Garibaldi Art Club were joined by Maple
Ridge Art Gallery curator Barb Duncan in the
park that inspired an art show. The show ran
throughout March and April, and this painting, by
artist Diane Speirs, now hangs in Mayor Read’s
office. Photo Courtesy The Times
YOUR MAPLE RIDGE
P34
Cindy Lea-Stephenson reacts to learning that she and her
partner George Saunders were heading to England for a free
trip courtesy of the Global TV Show ‘Operation: Vacation.’
Friends and family plotted the reveal for weeks, and as you
can see, they were successful in the surprise!
Photo Courtesy The Times
At the end of May the ‘Ka-Vroom: Maple
Ridge Secondary Soap Box Derby’ shut
down North Avenue west of 224 Street
for the afternoon. Seven year old Dayton
McKellar entered his ‘Batmobile’ into the
race. Photo Courtesy The News
Bob Shantz was named Citizen of the
Year by the Maple Ridge Community
Foundation. Bob has been involved in
many local charities and in recent years
has been the chair of the Rotary Duck
Race. Photo Courtesy The News
In May, 2014, the first Open House in the #MyHammond
Area Planning Process took place. Area residents submitted
hundreds of photos as part of the Community Character
Photo Project, and they served as a backdrop for the
displays at the Hammond Community Centre where the
meeting was held. The #MyHammond hashtag has been
used as part of the social media outreach for this project.
City of Maple Ridge Photo.
LOOKING BACK ON 2014
P35
Big Feast Chef and Owner Mike
Mulcahy instructs local youth on how
to cook potato pancakes at ‘Food
Revolution Day’ held at the Haney
Farmers Market in May of 2014.
City of Maple Ridge Photo
The judges are taking a close look at the
goats as part of the Annual Country Fest
celebration held at the Albion Fairgrounds.
Photo Courtesy The News
Scott Lamb, Quest Hansen and Joshua
Tokaryk paint a salmon icon at the storm
drain near the intersection of 224 Street and
124 Avenue as part of their Youth Futures
Day Camp. This lets people know that this
drain leads to a salmon bearing stream.
Photo Courtesy The News
In August, 2014 there was a three hour
Commercial opening for the returning sockeye
salmon. The fish were landed at the Albion docks
for an eager public. Photo Courtesy The News
YOUR MAPLE RIDGE
P36
Kathleen Hatley, a member of the
Emerald Pig Theatrical Society,
portrays Mayor Betty Dube as part
of the Maple Ridge 140 Celebration
held at Memorial Peace Park on
September 12, 2014.
City of Maple Ridge Photo
Teniko Okabe couldn’t make it to
the hospital to deliver her baby, but
fortunately the Maple Ridge Fire
Department and BC Ambulance Service
were there to help bring newborn
Carter Ramsay into the world. Carter is
surrounded by his four year old brother
Jayce, mother Teniko and father Ben.
Photo Courtesy The News
The Laity Pumpkin Patch is part of the
fall traditions in Maple Ridge. Nine
year old Nikysha Edwards found herself
the perfect pumpkin to carve for
Halloween. Photo Courtesy The News
In October of 2014 a huge fire at Fraser Cedar Products
Shake and Shingle Mill in east Maple Ridge required a full
deployment of the Maple Ridge Fire Department and mutual
aid from Mission and Pitt Meadows. Photo Courtesy The Times
LOOKING BACK ON 2014
P37
The Maple Ridge Fire
Department hosts a community
Fireworks display each year on
Halloween down at the Albion
Fairgrounds. It was a fun night
despite a bit of rain.
Photo Courtesy The Times
In 2014, Maple Ridge went to the polls to select the Mayor and
Council who will serve the first four year term in BC history. After
the votes were counted Nicole Read was elected as our new
Mayor. Voter turnout rebounded by 6% in this hotly contested
election with just over 31% of eligible voters casting a ballot.
Photo Courtesy The News
Canadian music legend Jim Cuddy
performed as part of the CP
Holiday Train stop in December
2014. This annual event is one
of the largest fundraisers for the
Friends In Need Food Bank.
Photo Courtesy The News
Over in east Maple Ridge work has been
underway on an upgrade to the Ruskin
Dam. Heavy rains late in the year required
a controlled release of water from the Stave
Lake reservoir. The effect is quite spectacular.
Photo Courtesy The News
YOUR MAPLE RIDGE
Citizens Report 2014 n 39
When Maple Ridge Fire Chief Dane Spence appeared before Council and spoke about the projects that he felt were most significant for 2014 he spoke to the development of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and Bylaw for properties in the forest interface, the Superior Tender Shuttle Service Accreditation for the Fire Underwriters Survey and improvements to the retention and recruitment program for firefighters to ensure the department has on call resources to serve the eastern portion of our community.The first project, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan and associated Bylaw recognizes the risk of a forest fire coming to our community as happened in the interior of BC over a decade ago. The plan ‘hardens’ the properties in the forest interface with the use of more fire resistant materials and better practices around landscaping. Combined with the work the department has done in training to fight fires in this environment, Maple Ridge is making progress to ensure that our community is safer from a catastrophic blaze like those that decimated communities in other parts of
British Columbia.The second project demonstrates the capacity of the department to bring large volumes of water to a fire that is not part of the City water system. This can have an impact on the insurance rates for residents in these rural areas and ensures that a structure fire can be controlled so it doesn’t spread and cause greater damage to property and the environment.The final project reflects the unique approach that Maple Ridge uses to provide fire protection services for our community. The Maple Ridge Fire Department uses a ‘composite’ model of career firefighters that are supported by paid-on-call firefighters who are called in when extra manpower is required. Fire Halls No. 1 and No. 3 are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so that the appropriate number of personnel are available to deal with a structure fire. As greater resources are needed, they are activated.Chief Spence noted that the combination of the composite staffing model and the bylaw that requires the installation of sprinklers in new
construction in our community are two ways that Maple Ridge is ensuring citizens are protected from harm in an efficient and effective manner.Maple Ridge firefighters respond to over 3,000 calls for service in a year. From fires to the most serious medical emergencies, they are there to help citizens in times of dire need. One of the symbols on the Fire Department crest is the ‘jaws of life’ apparatus used to help extricate people from vehicles or confined spaces, but sometimes the skills that they bring are their high level of first aid training.On Sept. 11, 2014 Maple Ridge firefighters were on hand with paramedics from the BC Ambulance Service to help Teniko Okabe deliver her baby boy Carter, continuing a multi-year run where firefighters have had the honour of welcoming new children to the community. The fast response by Maple Ridge firefighters combined with the high level of cooperation between the BC Ambulance Service and RCMP helps ensure that our citizens are safe.
Fighting Fires Before They Start
Saves Lives, the Environment & Property
MAPLE RIDGE FIRE DEPARTMENT
Dane Spence
Fire Chief
Fire Hall No. 1: Staffed 24/7
22708 Brown Avenue Fire Hall No. 2: No staffing
27503 112 Avenue Fire Hall No. 3: Staffed 24/7
11777 203 Street Stafing Levels
6 Chief Officers
64 Paid-on-Call Firefighters
52 Career Firefighters
3 Civilian Staff
Citizens Report 2014 n 41
Back in 1874 when Maple Ridge was first incorporated Canada’s national police force was known as the Northwest Mounted Police. Up until the 50s Maple Ridge was served by the peace officers that were part of the BC Provincial Police (BCPP) Force and a Municipal Police Force. When the BCPP disbanded many of the police officers became part of the RCMP ‘E’ Division.Maple Ridge’s policing has been contracted to the RCMP since the 60s. Since that time our population has quadrupled from approximately 20,000 residents to close to 80,000 residents. The detachment has evolved in that time as well; both in the number of police officers serving our community and the skills and techniques that are used to reduce crime for our citizens.
There is a ratio of one police officer for every 777 citizens in Maple Ridge. In the last year they reported a drop in property and violent crime as well as improvements in the number of crimes solved in our community. The detachment works closely with the City of Maple Ridge to ensure that there is a strong alignment of the national and provincial policing goals with those of the community.The police officers are supported by a dedicated team of Maple Ridge civilian employees who work behind the scenes processing paperwork and doing routine tasks to ensure that the trained police officers are out on the streets to the highest degree possible. In addition to these paid staff, the RCMP’s work is aided by dedicated volunteers from Block Watch, Speed Watch, Citizens on Patrol and the RCMP Youth Academy program.Last year the region invested half a million dollars in upgrades to the crime lab that is located in Maple Ridge and serves as a Regional hub for work done by the Integrated Forensic Identification Services. The location of this lab in our community brings special skills that are
valuable to law enforcement in Maple Ridge.In 2014 the RCMP were front and centre at numerous community celebrations. The ’Red Serge Patrols’ add a special flair to the festivities and create a strong sense of security for citizens. The officers in full dress uniforms are backed up by a dedicated team of volunteer Auxiliary Officers helping citizens and keeping the peace.In September members of the RCMP detachment wore historical uniforms and were a key part of the Maple Ridge 140 Birthday celebration by arresting ‘Billy Miner’ as he wandered into the celebration. Later in the year, after attacks in eastern Canada against military members, both serving and retired members came out in force to march in full uniform for the Remembrance Day parade, and uniformed officers worked diligently in the crowd to ensure our safety. It was a display of resolve and solidarity around our freedoms.The RCMP delivers policing services for Maple Ridge citizens with great efficiency, effectiveness and, above all, caring and compassion. They are partners in our goals around safety and security.
RCMP is the Fabric of our Community
Ridge Meadows RCMP Detachment11990 Haney Place
Maple Ridge, BC V2X 9B8
Emergency Phone Number: 9-1-1
ridgemeadows.rcmp.ca
Facebook: facebook.com/sgt.good.will
Twitter: @RidgeRCMP
Staffing Levels
94 RCMP Officers
10 RCMP Officers assigned to Integrated Teams
3 Community Safety Officers
43.5 Civilian Staff
RCMP - POLICE SERVICES
David Fleugel
Superintendent:
Officer in Charge
P42
2014 PHOTO CONTESTYour Maple Ridge
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PHOTO CONTEST We asked citizens to send us images of the places and things that inspire them
as part of the ‘Your Maple Ridge Photo Contest.’ The submissions were spectacular.
Here are our favourites, in print form, and these, along with all the images submitted,
will be in a photo gallery on the City Facebook page at facebook.com/yourmapleridge.
Enjoy the beauty captured by your neighbours.
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2014 PHOTO CONTESTYour Maple Ridge
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PHOTO CONTEST “ A great photograph is a full expression of what one feels about
what is being photographed in the deepest sense, and is thereby, a
true expression of what one feels about life in its entirety.”
ANGEL ADAMS
46 n Citizens Report 2013
A Century of Remembrance
During 2014 Maple Ridge celebrated its 140th Anniversary, but there was a more somber anniversary, the
100th Anniversary of the start of World War I (WWI). Maple Ridge’s iconic Memorial Peace Park name derives from its role as the place that our community gathers to honour the men
and women who served our nation in conflicts that began in 1914, and are ongoing around the world.
The cenotaph was first dedicated in 1923 and stood at the Maple Ridge Cemetery in the western part of our community. It is humbling to note the names on the Cenotaph of soldiers
who lost their lives in ‘the war to end all wars.’ Many of the surnames are now street names in our community reflecting
the fact that these young men came from the founding
families of Maple Ridge, and their loss was felt greatly in what was a small tight knit community.
In 1939 World War II (WWII) began, and the young men and women in our community answered their nation’s call and joined all branches of the armed forces. The Cenotaph
reflects the reality that many of them did not return home, and in 1951 the Royal Canadian Legion Branch #88 established
the tradition of marching to the Cenotaph as part of the
Remembrance Day ceremonies.It became apparent that the long march down Dewdney
Trunk Road was a hardship for the senior and wounded veterans and a plan was made to bring the Cenotaph to the civic centre of Maple Ridge. In conjunction with the
coronation of Queen Elizabeth in 1953, the Cenotaph was moved downtown to a place on 224 Street just a bit south of
THE CITY OF MAPLE RIDGE
SPOTLIGHT ON:
where it is today. This was made possible by the Maple Ridge Women’s Institute, who had been the driving force for the creation of the monument after WWI. Memorial Peace Park was born. In 2001, when the Civic Centre was rebuilt, the Cenotaph and Bandstand were moved to their current locations to become the centerpiece of Memorial Peace Park. In addition to the Cenotaph there are four stones that have been inscribed with the names and dates of key battles in WWI. Two more were added after WWII and they all sit in a special garden west of the Cenotaph. In 2001 the section of road from Brown Avenue to Haney Place along 224 Street was renamed ‘Veterans Way’ to further honour those who serve our nation.As this publication goes to press in 2015, it is the 100th Anniversary of the second battle of Ypres, one of the four battles memorialized by the special stones in Memorial Peace Park. Lest we forget.
Maple Ridge 11995 Haney Place Maple Ridge, BC V2X 6A9 Canada
General Information Tel: 604-463-5221 Fax: 604-467-7329 Hours: 8:00 am – 4:00 pm enquiries@mapleridge.ca mapleridge.ca
Mayor & Council Tel: 604-463-5221 mayorandcouncil@mapleridge.ca
Clerk’s Tel: 604-463-5221 Property & Risk Management: 604-467-7477 clerks@mapleridge.ca
Communications
Tel: 604-467-7452 farmstrong@mapleridge.ca
Emergency Program Tel: 604-467-7301 Nights & Weekends: 604-463-9581 emergencyprogam@mapleridge.ca
Engineering Tel: 604-467-7339 engineering@mapleridge.ca
Finance Accounts Payable: 604-463-5221 Accounts Receivable: 604-466-4334 Property Taxes & Utilities: 604-467-7316 revenue.collections@mapleridge.ca
Fire Department Non-Emergency: 604-463-5880 Emergency 9-1-1 fire@mapleridge.ca
Human Resources Tel: 604-467-7350 hrenquiries@mapleridge.ca
Licences, Permits & Bylaws Building: 604-467-7311 permits@mapleridge.ca Bylaws & Licensing: 604-467-7305 licencesandbylaws@mapleridge.ca
Operations Centre Tel: 604-463-9581 Public Works Emergency – 24 hours: 604-463-9581 operationscentre@mapleridge.ca
Parks & Leisure Services Direct Info Line (24 hours): 604-467-7322 Cemetery: 604-467-7307 Facilities: 604-465-2499 Greg Moore Youth Centre: 604-467-7354
Leisure Centre: 604-467-7322 Planet Ice: 604-467-2883 Volunteer Services: 604-467-7459 Youth Services: 604-467-7354 parksandleisure@mapleridge.ca
Planning Tel: 604-467-7341 Environmental Enquiries: 604-467-7499 planning@mapleridge.ca
Purchasing Tel: 604-466-4343 procurement@mapleridge.ca
RCMP – Police Services Non-Emergency: 604-463-6251 Emergency 9-1-1 rm.inquiries@rcmp-grc.gc.ca
Strategic Economic Initiatives Tel: 604-467-7320 invest@mapleridge.ca
Non-Municipal Services Arts Centre & Theatre (ACT): 604-476-2787 Garbage (Metro Vancouver): 604-466-9277 Library: 604-467-7417 Recycling: 604-463-5545 Schools: 604-463-4200 Seniors’ Programs: 604-467-4993 SPCA: 604-463-9511
Citizens Report 2013 n 47
SERVICES & CONTACT INFORMATION
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