Maple Ridge will soon have a new garden to memorialize the city’s Japanese pioneers.
Construction on a Japanese Garden at Jim Hadgkiss Park has started, marking a milestone in a project to honour the legacy and contributions of early Japanese Canadian families who settled in Maple Ridge in the early 1900s, and helped shape the community’s agricultural roots.
The park is located at 22520 116 Ave., beside the Haney Bypass, and its development has been funded by the Japanese Canadian Legacies Society. It was designed through community engagement, and in collaboration with the Vancouver Japanese Gardeners Association. The garden will be located near the Maple Ridge Museum and serve as a place of reflection, remembrance, and learning.
During construction, Jim Hadgkiss Park and the Maple Ridge Museum will remain open during normal operating hours.
Residents and community members were invited to share feedback on the proposed design concept in summer 2025. Based on the feedback, several updates were made to refine the final design, including:
• Shifting the garden south to retain more of the toboggan hill.
• Adding a small planted linear berm between the garden and toboggan hill to help protect the garden.
• Adding a water feature to the entrance garden plaza.
• Incorporating strawberries as groundcover in the planted area and on the rock spiral mound.
• Interpretive information boards that highlight the history of local Japanese Canadian settlement, community, farming, and internment during the war.
The garden design is rooted in the Japanese phrase “Ichi-go, Ichi-e,” meaning to treasure a once-in-a-lifetime encounter. The design includes traditional elements such as a sunken mist rock garden, water bowl, pergola shelter, and a stone-and-brick wall. Local trees, plants, and natural materials will also reflect the surrounding environment and the historical significance of the site, including the legacy of the Port Haney Brick and Tile Company.
The location of the garden complements the Maple Ridge Museum’s exhibit on early Japanese Canadian settlement and the treatment of Japanese Canadians in Maple Ridge. In the early 20th century, Japanese Canadians represented a significant part of the local population, with many families farming strawberries and other crops before their internment during the Second World War.
To learn more about the project, including a summary of the engagement results, and to sign up to receive project updates, visit Engage.MapleRidge.ca/JapaneseGarden.
Completion is anticipated this fall.