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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMaple Ridge This Month - 06 June Issue.pdf @yourmapleridge @yourmapleridge 11995 Haney Place, Maple Ridge BC V2X 6A9mapleridge.ca Maple Ridge This Month JUNE 2017 INFORMED: June 2017 Contact us at: enquiries@mapleridge.ca If you have a question about any of the content in this ad, or questions about any programs or services offered by the City of Maple Ridge, please email enquiries@mapleridge.ca and one of our team members will respond to you. INFORMED: Tax Time Using Online Services Can Help You Avoid Any Line-Up You should have received your 2017 Property Tax Notice in the mail. From the back of the envelope to the special insert inside, we are trying to give you tips on how to avoid waiting in line to claim your Home Owner Grant and pay your property taxes. You can claim your Home Owner Grant online at mapleridge.ca by clicking on the Online Services link. Select the ‘Home Owner Grant Application’ option and follow the instructions to claim online. You can also set up a ‘My Maple Ridge’ account which gives you 24/7 access to your tax information and has the option for you to sign up for paperless tax noti cation as well as track your payment history. It’s just one way to save time. Once you claim your Home Owner Grant you can pay the balance owing at most nancial institutions either in person or by using online or telephone banking. You can drop off your Home Owner Grant and cheque at the secure drop box located at the west entrance of City Hall near the Economic Development Of ce as another way to avoid lining up. The box is cleared daily and will be emptied at midnight on Tuesday, July 4, 2017. For those of you who prefer to make payments in person, our of ce is open late on Thursday evenings until 8:00 pm throughout the month of June. Take a few moments to read through the materials that came with your tax notice and learn how you can avoid any line-ups. The illustration for this article is the cover of the 2016 Citizens Report. This publication can be found online at mapleridge.ca or in the lobby of City Hall. It’s a great way to learn how your tax dollars are invested in your community. INVOLVED: Seventh Annual Food Garden Contest Time to Nominate your Neighbours with Green Thumbs The seventh annual Food Garden Contest Call for Nominations is underway. You can nominate a neighbour or you can nominate yourself. There are two categories – Front Yard and Back Yard (and sub-categories based on the size of your garden). If you have a food garden in both the back and front yard, you can be nominated in both categories. Start by taking the ‘before’ photo of the garden as soon as you can. Fill out the entry form available online or at City hall and email your entry to smurphy@mapleridge.ca. The deadline to enter is June 30, 2017. Judging will be done in early August (you will be contacted) and they will be looking for the quantity of food grown, the range of food grown, the health of the plants, your gardening practices and the garden design. Winners will receive gift certi cates from the Haney Farmers Market and be recognized at a special presentation at a Council meeting in September. Get growing Maple Ridge! INFORMED: Celebrate Aboriginal Day Mark Your Calendar for a Special Celebration In recognition of National Aboriginal Day, the Eighth Annual Aboriginal Day Celebration will be held at Memorial Peace Park on Saturday, June 24 from 10:00 am until 2:00 pm. This event will feature the unique heritage, diverse cultures and outstanding achievements of our First Nations, Inuit and Metis people. Traditional dance, music and ceremonial blessings, a Bannock cook-off, the farmer’s market, community displays, Aboriginal games, crafts and interactive activities bring people of all ages together for this wonderful celebration. Council Meeting Schedule Mayor and Council encourage everyone to attend these important public meetings. It’s your chance to see how public policy is debated and enacted. June 6 6:00 pm, Council Workshop - Blaney Room June 13 7:00 pm, Council Meeting - Council Chambers June 20 6:00 pm, Council Workshop - Blaney Room 7:00 pm, Public Hearing - Council Chambers June 27 7:00 pm, Council Meeting - Council Chambers Agendas & Minutes Agendas for these meetings are posted online the Friday before the meeting date. Go to mapleridge.ca, click the link under Your Council on the home page. Workshop at a Glance Subscribe to the ‘Workshop at a Glance’ eNewsletter that provides a summary of issues discussed at Council Workshop meetings. Go to mapleridge.ca, click the link to ‘Notify Me’ and sign up today. Council Meeting Videos If you are unable to attend a Council Meeting or Public Hearing meeting you can now watch these meetings on your computer 24/7. The entire unedited meetings are posted two to three days after the meeting. The video is indexed to the agenda package so that you can watch them in their entirety or click through by agenda item. Go to mapleridge.ca and click on the video link at the centre of the home page. In addition, Council meetings are now broadcast on the internet via live streaming using the same technology used for our live budget Q&A sessions. For more information about the live stream go to the ‘Council Meetings’ page at mapleridge.ca. INVOLVED : Explore our Nature Be Part of a Very Special Culture Walk Experience Maple Ridge’s landscape, history and neighbourhoods in new ways through encounters and activities along the walk from/to Kanaka Creek Regional Park (Cliff Falls) and Maple Ridge Museum and Haney House. Join Artists-in-Residence Robi Smith and Kat Wahamaa, Kwantlen First Nation cultural teacher and storyteller Fern Gabriel, Maple Ridge Community Heritage Commission, Maple Ridge Historical Society, Dewdney Alouette Railway Society and Kanaka Education Environmental Partnership Society (KEEPS) for a fun and inspirational afternoon. Create a nature mandala at Cliff Park using found materials, take a walking tour to learn about local First Nations stories and traditions in Kanaka, hunt for new history-focused geocaches in the area, take in tours and exhibits at Maple Ridge Museum and Haney House, including a fascinating miniature train world and learn about environmental stewardship with KEEPS. This Culture Walk celebrates Metro Vancouver Regional Park’s 50th anniversary. Free event; everyone is welcome. Car pool, bike, walk or take the shuttle bus from the four event sites (continuous loop stopping approximately every 15 minutes to pick up/drop off at Cliff Park, Kanaka Creek Park, Maple Ridge Museum and Haney House). Visit mapleridge.ca/1723 for more details. INVOLVED: A Hive of Activity You are Invited to ‘Bees! Bees! Bees!’ The City of Maple Ridge Agricultural Advisory Committee invites you to a free educational seminar on Monday, June 12 at 7:00 pm in Council Chambers to learn about bees, the concerns about their declining populations and the impact of bees on agriculture. Our guest speakers are: Scott Gordon: BC Ministry of Agriculture Provincial Apiary Inspector and owner of Bee Natural Apiaries. Scott has over 20 years of experience working with bees and will provide an overview of bees, their importance to our agricultural community and some of the challenges we face maintaining healthy bee populations. Glen Robertson: President North Fraser Bee Club. Learn how you can be a “bee keeper.” Glen will discuss how you can become a bee keeper and the bene ts of joining our North Fraser Bee Club. If you’d like more information about this free seminar email Siobhan Murphy at smurphy@mapleridge.ca. BEE informed.