Maple Ridge’s long-term economic outlook is tied to major infrastructure projects being planned and financed by the city and senior government, said Mayor Dan Ruimy.
Widening Abernethy Way all the way to 256th Street will both provide a new, critical east-west crosstown route, and open up the industrial park there to greater development.
Another key project will see TransLink install bus rapid transit (BRT) from Haney Place to Langley, with four train-style stations in Maple Ridge, and that will create a new Lougheed highway corridor with new development.
The mayor sees the city at a crossroads, transitioning from a bedroom community to a complete city that attracts investment and local jobs. He said these projects will be key.
“Between BRT and the Maple Ridge Moves campaign to get Abernethy widened… they are linked together, because once they are complete the face starts to change.
“The Lougheed Highway starts to change,” said Ruimy. “That’s where we want our density – more commercial space, and more residential up on top.”
He predicts the Lougheed corridor redevelopment will bring more people, and more customers for future businesses. There could also be a lot of professional offices and clinics along the Lougheed.
“In other communities, we’ve seen two years after BRT was implemented you start to see clusters of doctors offices and RMPs (registered medical practitioners) all along the route,” he said.
TransLink is still planning the BRT, and is now involved in community engagement sessions. Ruimy said the buses could be running before 2030.
The 256 Industrial Lands area is already occupied by some businesses, and complete buildout is not expected for 20 years.
The city is in the process of acquiring all the land necessary to extend Abernethy from 232nd to 240th Streets. A following phase would take it to 256th, and that will open up a new direct truck route for industry.
At the other end of Abernethy, the city is doing detailed design work to expand Golden Ears Way, to reduce a bottleneck approaching the Golden Ears Bridge. The project will expand the corridor from the current two-lane configuration to a four-lane roadway between the Highway 7 interchange and 210 Street. Design is underway, with the goal of starting construction in 2027.
If small business is the backbone of the economy, Maple Ridge is getting more backbone. There are over 5,500 active business licences and 956 new applications among commercial, industrial, home-based and non-resident businesses, according to city hall.
“That’s a testament that people want to be here,” said Ruimy.
Anecdotally, the mayor is a fan of the type of boutique new businesses opening, including the Project+Blend Cafe, and AbracaShaba Focacceria. The cafe is a cool place where customers can play records, he said. The focacceria operators started at farmers markets, where patrons loved their sourdough, and decided to open a new bakery. Both are on Dewdney Trunk Road downtown.
Ruimy said the Ridge Meadows Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association have been key partners to the city in attracting and retaining businesses.
He’s confident any new business opening here will have lots of customers, as the city is growing fast – forecast to reach 150,000 population in 15 years.
“I don’t see that slowing down,” he said. “We’re still affordable, and we’re a beautiful place to live, with rivers and mountains, and the outdoor recreational pieces that are there.”
He notes the city exceeded its provincial targets for new housing by 23 per cent, and delivered 751 new units in a single year.
Ruimy points to the film sector as another area where city hall has helped to stoke the fire of economic activity, in particular by adding a new film kiosk off the Haney Bypass, where crews can recharge their batteries.
“That industry has been growing phenomenally,” said Ruimy. “We’re doing things to attract people to film here.”
The city reports it has created $730,000 in revenues for city hall, which charges fees to productions. It also creates an estimated $9.4 million in economic impact, which is a 15 per cent increase.
Being a great place to live and do business is one of the keys, and Ruimy said the city has worked hard to create civic pride, offer fun events that bring the community together, and create a place where people enjoy quality of life. That includes everything from beautification to community safety.
It’s a new image, and the mayor notes the city has won awards for logo design and marketing.
“It was time to refresh who we are, and what we stand for,” said Ruimy.