The history of Yennadon should not only be maintained, but celebrated.
That is the sentiment of former city councillor Craig Speirs, who has called Yennadon home for 47 years now.
He particularly loves the stretch from Maple Ridge Park through to the Hot Rocks, and noted the trail system is second to none in the world. Speirs also loves the agricultural makeup of his neighbourhood.
"I can buy lamb and eggs at the end of my road," he said.
As was the case for Speirs, the beauty of the historic neighbourhood of Yennadon also drew the eye of the first settlers who came to Maple Ridge.
Set under the glorious peaks of the Golden Ears Mountains, it was a beautiful backdrop for early settlers to the region, according to a written history of Maple Ridge by Sheila Nickols called "A History of Settlement." These residents knew the community as the South Lillooet, named after the former Lillooet River, now called the Alouette River.
The first to officially develop in the area is believed to be a man named Samuel Edge Junior, who came from Ireland in 1875 with his family – arriving in Langley before making their way to Maple Ridge– wrote Nickols. Edge was followed by other permanent settlers including John Blaney, who would become the reeve of Maple Ridge three times, and the first reeve of Pitt Meadows.
The first school, a one-room structure called the South Lillooet School, was opened in 1895 at present-day 224 Street and 136 Avenue. However, wrote Nickols, school was not always easy to get to with some children sometimes having to travel by boat down the Sturgeon Slough, pushing their boat as far as they could along the narrow channels of 'ditch road' and then wading through the water the rest of the way.
Around 1910, a church and post office were built across the road from the present-day Maple Ridge Park. And in 1911, the name of the neighbourhood changed to Yennadon.
Farming was also a large part of Yennadon's history early on, with early resident Joseph Edgar Trethewey establishing a large sheep and cattle ranch there in 1922.
Many Japanese residents who moved to the area between the First and Second World Wars had their own thriving fruit farms as well.
Sawmills also started springing up in the 1920s, another important source of livelihood, the late author explained in her book.
One of the most interesting features of Yennadon in the mid-1930s, according to Nickols, was its development as a recreation area, with council putting money into improving Maple Ridge Park – which would attract visitors from Vancouver and as far away as California. Davidson's Pool, known as Smedley's Pool at the time, was also popular.
It's this status as a prime recreation destination that City of Maple Ridge director of economic development, Tyler Westover, hopes is maintained as Yennadon continues to development in the coming years.
"We’re going to try to ensure that we have all of the policies in place so folks can drive into the future with really good growth and development into any of these areas," said Westover.
He noted that one of the "coolest" things about Yennadon is that the city is looking at some nuanced usage in the area.
Yennadon, he said, is intended to have interesting, low-usage industrial spaces. He envisions an industrial community that will feature local artisans, like saddle makers, leathersmiths, or makers of other specialized products.
“I really do think that Yennadon will become one of those areas that is like a gem for folks to go see, where really high-quality products are made," and sold directly by the artisans, Westover said.
And, he added, there is gorgeous landscape in the area that he has a "gut feeling" will be incorporated into future plans.
Speirs hopes that as the community moves forward, the neighbourhood becomes more connected, noting that a bridge across the Alouette River at 240 Street would be beneficial, giving residents a second route in and out of the area.
He is happy to see the growth of the Silver Valley area, noting his position as a council liaison when that neighbourhood plan was created.
According to Nickols, the Silver Valley Road was opened in 1944 and was named by Bill and Ruth Shull after the silver balls of frost that would form on the hemlock tips in the Alouette gorge – which would send wisps of silvery vapour down the valley.
Silver Valley is now home to around 11,000 residents and is seen as a gateway to popular recreation areas like the Malcolm Knapp Research Forest and Golden Ears Provincial Park.
Some of the guiding principles of the Silver Valley community plan are: putting the environment first; balancing environmental, social, and economic benefits in the character of the community; and integrating the natural environment, housing, open space, and infrastructure for a healthy and happy community.
"It's come together quite well," noted Speirs.
Speirs also believes that accessibility has to be built into any new development in either Yennadon or Silver Valley, because all people deserve full access to their communities.
He would like to see more attention given to storm water management, for historic waterways like Alouette and Fraser Rivers to be respected, and – with all future development – to minimize the impact on the natural environment.
