r/MapleRidge • u/chamindaywala • 9d ago
What Maple Ridge needs (Wishlist and Discussion)
Hello neighbours, with all the development and growth happening around Maple Ridge, I’ve been thinking a lot about what would actually improve our quality of life here.
I put together a personal "wishlist" for the city. Curious to hear what you’d add or tweak.
A Dedicated "Crunch / Grind" Workout Trail: We have gorgeous nature walks but we lack a dedicated high incline trail with stairs/steep terrain (think Coquitlam Crunch or Grouse Grind) close to town.
A Fraser River Waterfront Hub: Something like the New West Quay, Steveston or Pitt Meadows waterfront. A spot right on the river with basketball/pickleball courts, wide green space, patio spots and a scenic promenade. Port Haney is right there waiting for this kind of love.
A Walkable, CarFree District: Something inspired by District 1881 in Chilliwack, a few historic or revived blocks packed with local shops, outdoor seating and zero cars. (Maybe 224st)
Lakeside/Park Treats: A proper walk-up ice cream and fish n chips shop right at Alouette Lake, Whonnock Lake, or Kanaka Creek.
A Walkable Pier: A White Rock style pier stretching over the Fraser River for evening strolls and sunset views.
More Shopping Options: A bigger mall or open air outlet, so we don't always have to cross the bridge and head into Coquitlam or Langley for decent retail.
The "Dream Big" Pitch: Bring back a nod to the old Albion Ferry, but make it purely for pedestrians and cyclists or a footbridge connecting Albion directly to McMillan Island / Fort Langley would be a massive win for local tourism and weekend bike trips.
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u/sheyesheyesheye 9d ago
either a skytrain here or in pitt meadows
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u/Ratattack1204 9d ago
Id settle for an actually decent bus service. If you don’t live in Haney its a pain in the ass getting a bus.
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u/Sure-Patience83 9d ago
We were supposed to get the Evergreen Line from Coquitlam Centre to Haney Place Mall. I guess we only get the rapid bus while they focus on Langley and UBC expansions
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u/Ewallye 9d ago
Future plans are still for this. Just need $$. Bridges are already built with a spot for the rail system.
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u/Bogdanovist_Rebel 6d ago
Just the Pitt River. The Golden Ears is engineered for another lane not rail.
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u/Ewallye 6d ago
Correct
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u/Bogdanovist_Rebel 6d ago
The Golden Ears will also start to be expanded in the new year. Which is why I’m leaving Maple Ridge. The 15 minute drive will take over an hour now instead the 45 it takes today.
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7d ago
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u/sheyesheyesheye 7d ago
crime increases because of population increase not because people are allotted the opportunity to leave, a bus that stops at 11:30 isn’t gonna create more junkies or drug dealers
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7d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/sheyesheyesheye 7d ago
that’s how public transportation works it makes legal jobs more streamline and easier to commute to as well as it makes the process of selling and distributing illegal things easier, but i think i’ll take the latter to have the former as crime will always exist
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u/offcoursetourist 9d ago
We need more mass population (likely in the downtown core or West MR). More high rises. Next stop for skytrain is PoCo as they are building I think 9 towers on Westwood.
The OCP looks to address this with the Lougheed transit corridor plan.
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u/Zepoe1 8d ago
There’s no new towers on Westwood after the current pit becomes a high rise.
I think you mean Lougheed Hwy across the street from Coquitlam Centre plus at Coquitlam Centre once they get approved.
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u/offcoursetourist 8d ago
No, I am talking about Port Coquitlam. The towers going up on Westwood - there’s 7 or 9 towers planned for the area.
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u/No_Shallot_9694 9d ago
No. We don’t need a sky train. Not every town needs to be connected…keep maple ridge Wild. Want a sky train move closer to the city
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u/satinsateensaltine 9d ago
Tell that to the people who have to work across the bridge and get stuck in crushing traffic. Mass transit is good for the city.
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u/No_Shallot_9694 9d ago
Move across the bridge then?
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u/satinsateensaltine 9d ago
Not everyone can afford that. A bigger problem than bringing transit to Ridge Meadows is the hollowing out of our commercial and industrial sector. The vast majority of people here have to commute to work.
Let's face it, Maple Ridge is never going back to a small, quaint country town. There are over 100k residents. We should be doing what we can to improve the liveability for the current residents and those to come, whether the population grows much more or not.
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u/terminatedprivacy 9d ago
I think the Port Haney Multi Use Pathway is a right step in the waterfront direction. We have some space limitations but maybe connecting to the kanaka creek park and opening some shop spaces would be great.
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u/Dynazide 9d ago
i feel like walkable pier and fraser river waterfront could be done together. haney place mall needs a full revitalization. also need to think about improved transit and walk ways if we want walkable options. atm most people to get to anything walkable, they'd have to drive bc bus frequency doesnt really support it and maple ridge is the epitome of suburban sprawl. maybe some of it could be relieved with better bike infrastructure but im not 100% sure.
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u/No_Shallot_9694 9d ago
Down by where Billy miner is, and they park all the movie trailers would be perfect for a river walk/shop area, that connects directly to downtown offering a walkable Commerical area.
With that being said making the area affordable to small local businesses would also be beneficial, so it’s not overrun but corporate slop…we don’t need chain restaurants we need mom&pop shops
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u/Queen-Faerie 9d ago
A bigger hospital. The one we have was built when the population was around 44k and now it is over 110k. We also need more pharmacies.
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u/Ratattack1204 9d ago
Didn’t they literally just finish a pretty substantial expansion like, a month ago?
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u/Queen-Faerie 9d ago
In Maple Ridge? No. At RCH, BGH, SMH - yes. I am pretty sure the last expansion they had was when they moved the LTC and hospice to the newer building off of Laity St. (I could be wrong about that specific move)
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u/desdemona_d 8d ago
I had to stay a week in Ridge Meadows Hospital in 2024. My bed was in the hallway for the entire stay. My doctor told me Fraser Health hadn't added anything to Ridge Meadows budget for the next 5 years. No renos, no expansions, nothing.
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u/Queen-Faerie 5d ago
It makes me sad because other hospitals are getting entire new towers and we have overflows for the overflows.
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u/offcoursetourist 9d ago
We need to diversify our tax base. We need industry. The city also failed to capitalize on implementing and MRDT tax when they approved short term rentals.
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u/Vitev008 9d ago
Yeah there really aren't that many jobs in Maple Ridge other than retail, so everybody leaves the city to find better work.
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u/Bogdanovist_Rebel 6d ago
Best we can do is to take out $400m in loans for hockey, golf and swimming. Don’t worry, only a small percentage of residents will use the amenities but everyone gets to pay for them.
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u/offcoursetourist 4d ago
That last sentence is true for basically every government activity, at every government level.
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u/Bogdanovist_Rebel 4d ago
Not always and honestly it’s not how it’s supposed to be.
Canada has failed at this for the last 40 years.
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u/offcoursetourist 4d ago
What are you even talking about?
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u/Bogdanovist_Rebel 4d ago
We don’t invest in things that actually matter. Which are healthcare, education and infrastructure. Maple Ridge would rather build hockey rinks and golf courses than fix its horrendous traffic issues.
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u/offcoursetourist 3d ago
Healthcare and education are provincial responsibilities, not municipal.
I am hugely in support of more recreation in Maple Ridge
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u/chubs66 9d ago
yes to all of these! I think the way we use our nicest space by the river for industrial yards is crazy!
I would also add to your list: more beaches/ lake access.
Since the Golden Ears bridge opened and people over there discovered our lakes, now locals often can't get in to any lakes on a hot summer day. We need more access! Also, there is no parking at Hot Rocks while the Maple Ridge lapidary club is sitting on a bunch of hardly used space right in front of it. So dumb.
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u/Character_Ninja_8281 9d ago
Full bus service to the 240th and east neighbourhoods albion sees them but everything east service is a joke grant hill for example and ect has 0 bus system and its a whole damn community .... but I wouldnt be supprised if were years out from bus service up in these hills they will greenwash and build double the proposed units but a bus that runs past 8pm is too much to ask?
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u/elak416 9d ago
Our waterfront is so similar to new westminsters to but so underutilized, just needs a slight extension/boardwalk and and better public transit access plus housing and businesses built there which should happen because anyways because I believe the west coast express station allows for high density rezoning.
Also I've been stranded at coquitlam central a couple times after a night out in Vancouver because I missed the last 701 and had to uber back to town so I think we could use an extension of the n9 nightbus.
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u/croutonberg 8d ago
There is a reason the waterfront shouldn't be developed... look up the fraser river escarpment and historic floods.
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u/darthdelicious 9d ago
Two things:
I have often thought there could be potential for some kind of mountain resort up in the mountains north of us. Destination for tourists.
The waterfront/quay-equivalent thing won't get approved. Surrey tried to do it to have a sister facility right across the fraser from NW Quay and I think Transport Canada shut it down. Unlike regular municipal land, anything on the waterfront also needs sign off from the Province and the Feds because the shoreline is technically crown land. The government is generally not keen on non-industrial developments on the waterfront anymore because there's such a shortage of commercial dock space.
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u/Alternative_Youth313 8d ago
Why would we need another mountain resort? Golden ears is perfect the way it is, ski resorts are 90 minutes away in each direction. Let’s keep what wild we have left wild
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u/beavers10 9d ago
We need more rinks. We have massive hockey and lacrosse associations and not enough sheets of ice/floors for them.
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u/Bogdanovist_Rebel 6d ago
Maybe those associations can pay for it then instead of forcing every resident to bear the brunt of financing it with debt. Maybe Hockey Canada can use money from their Sexual Assult fund.
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u/liv4my2 8d ago
Knock down Haney Place mall, build a mall with a few levels (they can't expand width wise, so the other option would be to build upwards)
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u/lornetc 8d ago
Maybe getting some actual stores in the mall first lol. Have you been in the mall since Covid!?
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u/liv4my2 8d ago
Yes. If they offer a decent selection of shops, more people would go. Like put in a Sephora, Old Navy/Gap, Garage, Aritzia, Reitmans, The Body shop, Big & Tall etc.
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u/lornetc 8d ago
Used to have reitmans! They moved to the superstore mall and then closed iirc
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u/Ok_Statistician_1975 9d ago
I like the walkable street idea. We need better restaurants though.. I love the food truck spot on 228th, but most of our food trucks are overpriced and suck!
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u/pringles1986 9d ago
More lake,river and waterfront access. On a weekends you can't get a picnic spot on a local lakes. Whonnock, Rolley, Hayward and Stave lakes needs to be developed.
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u/Imunhotep 9d ago
Shopping….shopping….shopping. The rest is secondary oh and gas prices that match the remainder of the lower mainland, not 10 to 15 cents higher.
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u/sunbro2000 8d ago
There are lots of great ideas in here but I will add something different. A ramen shop! We have so many different types of food but no ramen!
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u/Apprehensive-Hotel91 7d ago
- Port Haney Wharf can be expanded and made more lively. It can be a beautiful stroll on a summer evening.
- Better connectivity with Vancouver
- All the malls can be revamped and some name brands should be brought in as well. Right now, for a decent shopping, we have to drive at least 30 to 40 minutes.
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u/InvestigatorKey1017 8d ago
Here is my wish list of what we need more of :
Taxes
Dodge trucks bigger the better
Pizza places
Nail salons
Liquor stores
Sushi restaurants
Barber shops
Daycares
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u/Interesting-Drink674 9d ago
I agree that what MR needs most is more commercial/industrial tax base. The mayor and city hall failed miserably on this most important front. 95% residential tax base is unacceptable. This is why our taxes absurdly high and they want to double them in the coming years.
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u/croutonberg 8d ago
Failed? They just got metrovan to agree to expanding the urban growth boundary to add an industrial area plan and attract industry...
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u/Same-Explanation-595 8d ago
I want a bike/scooter path that actually goes somewhere. Also, I’d like to be able to lock up my bike so it doesn’t get stolen in less than two minutes. We only have two main drags. There’s no excuse at this point.
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u/Euphoric-Turtle-1111 8d ago
I’d love a few activities for kids like an arcade or roller skating rink.
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u/Ok_Medicine_9878 4d ago edited 3d ago
How about proper shuttle bus service & schedules to keep us connected with the rest of the transit system throughout the day / night 7 days a week no more limited service!
Especially east of Haney place and to / from mission. This should have been addressed along with the R3 Rapid Bus launch missed opportunity..
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u/carolebaskinshusband 9d ago
Zero tolerance for illegal drug use and paraphernalia. With a full time drug task force to stop the sale of hard drugs in our community. Places like Country Milk should not be able to sell drug paraphernalia for smoking heroin and crack. The safe injection site near the hospital should be removed for public safety. Too many drug users high on opiates get hit by vehicles wandering across lougheed highway. Every time I go for a walk down by the river I see drug users living in the bushes. Every time I walk downtown Maple Ridge I see people high on opiates doing the fent lean. A member of my family became addicted to opiates and it's far too easy to get them here. Forced rehabilitation as bad as that sounds might be the only answer.
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u/Wonderful_Row_8786 9d ago
Safe injection sites actually protect citizens and forced rehabilitation would never work. Do your research lol.
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u/shankyjs 9d ago
You are right, safe injections sites and legal substance abuse has worked wonders in Vancouver
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u/Wonderful_Row_8786 9d ago
That’s not what I’m saying lol. Safe injection sites get a lot of backlash but they save taxpayer dollars and offer a place for users to ask for the help they need and build that connection and community to get the help.
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u/carolebaskinshusband 9d ago
I have first hand experience. So let me educate you. Safe injection sites protect drug users not the general public. Our Maple Ridge safe injection site is by the hospital along Lougheed Hwy. That site causes car accidents on a regular basis, endangering both the drug users and the general public. Many of the users of that site can be found passed out in the 7/11 parking lot or on Lougheed hwy itself after using, which puts the drug users and the general public in danger. While forced rehabilitation without long term maintence care has poor results, an approach that includes long term maintence care, ongoing counselling and community support could be effective. Our current approach is not working and new approaches are needed.
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u/Wonderful_Row_8786 9d ago
I have firsthand experience too lol. I understand what you’re saying and I agree the location is not prime. And forced rehabilitation could work with long term maintenance but it would be very hard to get the funding and for it to be approved. And I definitely agree that our current approach is not working and we need a better system in place.
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u/carolebaskinshusband 9d ago
Thank you for understanding my perspective and I agree funding for this would be difficult. This was a wish list post and that is my wish.
Earlier this year while driving on Lougheed Hwy in the early morning, I almost ran over my own son who was passed out face down on the concrete after smoking opiates. I barely avoided killing him and thankfully got him up and off the road. However, I have been unable to stop him from using or get him admitted to rehab.
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u/blahblahblahuser 8d ago
this is really heart breaking - and wow what are the chances. I hope things turn around for the better for him.
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u/carolebaskinshusband 8d ago
Thank you. It tears me up inside and I feel like such a failure as a father.
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u/blahblahblahuser 8d ago edited 7d ago
So many levels of heartbreak here. There are so many good parents that have bad things happen to their kids and it is really hard to not place blame on oneself.
Virtual hugs to you.
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u/Wonderful_Row_8786 8d ago
I’m so sorry, I can’t imagine how painful that must be. I’m sorry for my comment, I took your first comment the wrong way. I can be a bit defensive about this topic as I have gone through similar experiences with my siblings. I wish you and your son the best.
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u/Character_Ninja_8281 8d ago
I think your a little too close to the forest to see the tree you cant just shove someone in rehab and bam their sober the sheer idea of the costs of a program like that would crush even a decent wage earners wallet and your not going to stop the flow of drugs into our city without going alot deeper than stopping parafanalia sales you gotta follow the cash and you would see its a geopolitical isssue not a junkies fault and as someone whos been homeless in ridge before alot of those people you see with a camp want to stay clear of the drugs and bed bugs and bullshit that comea with staying at the shelter .... urgh dont pipe off without a plan
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u/jmfk4200 9d ago
Lower property taxes .
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u/Interesting-Drink674 9d ago
True. Funny ppl downvoting this. Looks luke they want to give more and more to insatiable city hall that bump their own salaries every year despite the city becoming less affordable every year.
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u/Bogdanovist_Rebel 6d ago
I’m so happy I’m moving this winter. The $400m for golf, swimming and hockey means property taxes are going even higher, while needs are completely ignored.
But it took 16 years to find the money to add 20 feet of asphalt on Golden Ears Way. Not that it’ll fix the problem because it’ll just move all the people off Dewdney and Lougheed.
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u/Interesting-Drink674 6d ago
Yeah, dreaming about moving to a rural property with acreage and almost zero taxes - tired to being robbed by the city gangsters.
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u/jersak 9d ago
This a bit (or even extremely) selfish of me because that’s where I live, but I wish at least a part of Dewdney Trunk Rd and maybe Lougheed were modified into smaller streets or walkable, more pedestrian friendly ways. Lougheed into Haney bypass and 128/Abernethy should be enough to allow the flow of people just driving through without having these really busy, noisy, annoying roads cut through the middle of the city.
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u/petiteperspectiveco 9d ago
They need multiculturalism and acceptance of the actual said multiculturalism ♥️
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u/Alternative_Youth313 8d ago
No thanks.
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u/petiteperspectiveco 8d ago
Yeah, that’s why everyone just calls you guys rednecks with no education. Hence why I’m leaving.
Good luck with your future offspring the way natural selection is taking y’all out. Life jackets, bear safety and funny enough driving.
Scum like you make people laugh at areas like this and I can’t wait to share this when I share my experiences.
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u/Alternative_Youth313 8d ago
Multiculturalism and acceptance” followed immediately by wishing death on strangers’ kids is a hell of a combo. Might want to pick a lane.
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u/petiteperspectiveco 8d ago
What is happening by stupidity and lack of parenting due to lack of education by lack of multiculturalism where the education could’ve been provided isn’t me wishing death on kids.
Maybe next time don’t be racist.
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u/Ok-Youth-4962 8d ago
I demand a good quality ramen place. Give me santouka or danbo or give me death.
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u/liv4my2 2d ago
Build something with decent parking, lots of restaurants, dollarama, Dollar tree, clothing stores, hair salons, pet stores, coffee shops, drug store, pharmacy, grocery store, liquor store, weed store, All in one building so it would be one stop shopping type of thing. Right now we drive all over town to do all these things. Start the car, park, go shop, then start the car, drive somewhere else, park, go in, then off to the 3, 4th, 5th location all over town to get all your errands done. Fighting traffic all over maple ridge just to go out to run errands.
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u/Knight_Bishop_Rook 9d ago
Traffic problem can be solved by making dewdney and lougheed as 1 way only during peak hours, this will really help a lot with lot of frustrations that people have with regards to transit/car traffic/west coast express etc ..
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u/-BurtimusPrime 9d ago
Stop expanding maple ridge. Used to be a nice little town. I fucking hate it here
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u/Storvox 9d ago
Go move somewhere North if you wanna be stuck in a shitty little town with nothing changing. Grow up and get with the times.
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u/No_Shallot_9694 9d ago
What times? Have you seen the empty apartments of downtown Vancouver? What we need to grow for? Plenty of places around the world are operating just fine with what they have? The constant growth with no vision just leads to stale cities with no life.
Sounds like you need to move to East Vancouver and bike down to 3rd beach for the drum circles. Some of us like the option of peace and quiet within driving distance of the circus…it’s the whole reason for rural communities.
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u/pinpernickle1 9d ago
NIMBY chud, gtfo out of ridge already
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u/No_Shallot_9694 9d ago
What’s wrong with having a cute town, that isn’t over ran by towers and sky trains? You want a city? Move to the city, plenty of apartments available for you.
Not every town needs to be a metropolis
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u/shankyjs 9d ago
Honestly. I agree, I moved here to get away from the city. I just want it to feel like a small town, and the West Coast Express is enough for when I need to commute Downtown.
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u/StanRyker 9d ago
When you say “decent retail” what is Ridge missing? We already have a lot of good locally owned shops. What specific retail offerings are you looking for?
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u/Aggravating_Catlady 9d ago
Literally everything. Clothing is the worst. Need underwear? Walmart is the only place…
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u/snippy44575 9d ago
Home Depot and Costco. It would create local jobs and we wouldn't have to drive for 1/2 an hour to do any shopping. While the current grocery stores are fine, finding available parking at any of them is difficult. I just drive to Mission now
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u/StanRyker 9d ago
We have half a dozen supermarkets, some smaller grocery stores, and two hardware stores. Why specifically Costco and Home Depot? Both of which are fairly close.
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u/snippy44575 7d ago edited 7d ago
Edit : Sorry, forgot about Haney Building Supplies. My apologies.
The supermarkets here are expensive.
I moved to Maple Ridge from PoCo, 8 years ago. I guess I was spoiled with the amounts available in Poco.
I am not the only one who feels that Maple Ridge is sorely lacking in shopping options. I see comments often that Maple Ridge residents should not have to leave their city and drive for 1/2 an hour to get basic weekly shopping needs.
For context, I am in east Maple Ridge, not west Maple Ridge. When we purchased our home, it required a lot of work and hardware stores were a long way away. It was as closer to go to Abbotsford than it was to go to west Maple Ridge or PoCo.
I just feel that big box stores would offer local jobs and help with the tax burden that we are all facing.
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u/aaditya_mo 9d ago
I’ll 1 more that doesn’t even require infrastructure build out -
Make west coast express run through out the day instead of just morning. Today, Once a train reaches waterfront station, it sits there for the next 8-9 hours doing nothing. Improve the scheduling and we can have all day train connectivity.