Community

West Coast Auto Group’s Scott Jones and Michelle Jones-Ruppel presented a cheque for $2,000 to Tina Kirkpatrick, centre, director of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society. (West Coast Auto Group/Special to The News)

People still asking for help this Christmas in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

Less than a week before Christmas, the Christmas Hamper Society can only help those in dire need

West Coast Auto Group’s Scott Jones and Michelle Jones-Ruppel presented a cheque for $2,000 to Tina Kirkpatrick, centre, director of the Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows Christmas Hamper Society. (West Coast Auto Group/Special to The News)
Ron Nicolaye and the pole on the Island Highway at the Campbell River bridge that a drunk driver crashed into in 1983, changing his life forever. Photo by Marc Kitteringham – Campbell River Mirror

Impaired driving survivor implores people to not drink and drive this holiday season

Campbell River man looks back on 37th anniversary of life-changing incident

Ron Nicolaye and the pole on the Island Highway at the Campbell River bridge that a drunk driver crashed into in 1983, changing his life forever. Photo by Marc Kitteringham – Campbell River Mirror
Maple Ridge Secondary School will be presenting a virtual choir concert on Friday evening. (Special to The News)

Maple Ridge Secondary presents virtual choir performance for holidays

The concert – featuring the school’s best vocal talents – will premier on YouTube Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Maple Ridge Secondary School will be presenting a virtual choir concert on Friday evening. (Special to The News)
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Woman sings Christmas song in Golden Ears Provincial Park to delight of onlookers
Downtown Maple Ridge BIA Win Your Wish contest
Archer Reid was the Ridge Meadows Hospital New Year baby
Polar Plunge Alouette Lake
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Through his lens, Doug Cook captured this picture of the Fraser River, Mount Baker, an eagle, and even the Golden Ears Bridge on a sunny fall afternoon. The photo was taken from the wooden walkway leading down to the Pitt Meadows Regional Airport float plane dock. (Special to The News)

SHARE: Mount Baker sparkles on sunny late fall day

Send us your photo showing how you view Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows, and it could be featured soon

  • Dec 17, 2020
Through his lens, Doug Cook captured this picture of the Fraser River, Mount Baker, an eagle, and even the Golden Ears Bridge on a sunny fall afternoon. The photo was taken from the wooden walkway leading down to the Pitt Meadows Regional Airport float plane dock. (Special to The News)
Now retired fire Capt. Gary Proznick received a kiss from a dalmatian puppy during a public education event earlier this year. It seemed a fitting goodbye for the retiring firefighter, the dalmatian being the iconic firehouse dog. He's featured in this year’s firefighter fundraising calendar. (Natalie Amoore/Special to Langley Advance Times)

Firefighter calendar boasts super cute factor

Langley Township fire crew return with a popular, and ideal last-minute gift idea

Now retired fire Capt. Gary Proznick received a kiss from a dalmatian puppy during a public education event earlier this year. It seemed a fitting goodbye for the retiring firefighter, the dalmatian being the iconic firehouse dog. He's featured in this year’s firefighter fundraising calendar. (Natalie Amoore/Special to Langley Advance Times)
Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue were involved in a rescue that was featured in the Knowledge Network’s docu-series, Search and Rescue: North Shore. (Coquitlam Search and Rescue/Special to The News)

Ridge Meadows SAR in Knowledge Network docu-series

The local Search and Rescue team makes an appearance in episode four

Ridge Meadows Search and Rescue were involved in a rescue that was featured in the Knowledge Network’s docu-series, Search and Rescue: North Shore. (Coquitlam Search and Rescue/Special to The News)
Deanna Fontaine, Fraser Health, Treena Innes, Ridge Meadow Division of Family Practice, and Sandy Drieschner, Fraser Health, dish out some holiday cheer at the Ridge Meadows COVID Testing Site on Monday. (Special to The News)

Dishing out holiday cheer at the COVID testing site in Maple Ridge

The Ridge Meadows Division of Family Practice held a thank you parade

Deanna Fontaine, Fraser Health, Treena Innes, Ridge Meadow Division of Family Practice, and Sandy Drieschner, Fraser Health, dish out some holiday cheer at the Ridge Meadows COVID Testing Site on Monday. (Special to The News)
Birgit Giesser has won a provincial award for her music therapy program during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Community Living B.C./Special to The News)

COVID-19: Mobile musical therapy earns provincial award for Maple Ridge music therapist

The WOW awards have been handed out since 2009 by Community Living British Columbia

Birgit Giesser has won a provincial award for her music therapy program during the COVID-19 pandemic. (Community Living B.C./Special to The News)
There were 135 participants in the Maple Ridge Community Foundation’s Season of Giving Community Card Project. (Colleen Flanagan/The News)

Christmas card project targets isolated seniors in Maple Ridge

PERSONAL ACCOUNT: This is the first year for the community foundation’s Season of Giving card project

There were 135 participants in the Maple Ridge Community Foundation’s Season of Giving Community Card Project. (Colleen Flanagan/The News)
Jenifer Streiling and her guests are all smiles as they take advantage of the new visiting booth at Maple Ridge Senior’s Village. (Special to The News)

Maple Ridge Senior’s Village builds visiting booth in time for Christmas

Allows more than one member of a family to safely visit loved ones in long term care home

Jenifer Streiling and her guests are all smiles as they take advantage of the new visiting booth at Maple Ridge Senior’s Village. (Special to The News)
META STILL LIFE, 40 X 60 inches, acrylic and graphite on canvas. (ACT Art Gallery/Special to The News)

Nationally renowned artist coming to the ACT gallery in Maple Ridge

Meditations: The Still Lives of Leslie Poole coming to the ACT Arts Centre in January

META STILL LIFE, 40 X 60 inches, acrylic and graphite on canvas. (ACT Art Gallery/Special to The News)
Claudette Schulte, left, and Sheila Diebel, built a gingerbread church to raise the spirits of the residents at Sunwood Retirement Residence over the holiday season. (Colleen Flanagan/The News)

Maple Ridge friends create gingerbread church for local retirement residence

Church stands about 70 centimetres tall from the base to the tip of cross on the steeple

Claudette Schulte, left, and Sheila Diebel, built a gingerbread church to raise the spirits of the residents at Sunwood Retirement Residence over the holiday season. (Colleen Flanagan/The News)
Marilynn McDonald, left, and Vicki Laleune, volunteers with Christmas Haven wrap presents. (Christina Waschko/Special to The News)

Christmas Haven delivering this Christmas Eve across Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows

Christmas Haven provides Christmas dinner and gifts for those in need

Marilynn McDonald, left, and Vicki Laleune, volunteers with Christmas Haven wrap presents. (Christina Waschko/Special to The News)
Foundation donor, Judy Denham designed all the ornaments for the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation’s Share the Love: Adopt a Resident initiative. (Special to The News)

Hospital Foundation initiative makes sure long-term care patients have gift to unwrap on Christmas morning

Residents at Maple Ridge’s Baillie House benefit from Share the Love: Adopt a Resident program

Foundation donor, Judy Denham designed all the ornaments for the Ridge Meadows Hospital Foundation’s Share the Love: Adopt a Resident initiative. (Special to The News)
Elly Roberts shared this scenic picture of the snowy mountain tops peaking through the fog, from the dikes along the Alouette River. “Snow is coming,” she said. (Special to The News)

SHARE: Beauty emerges through the clouds and fog

Send us your photo showing how you view Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows, and it could be featured soon

  • Dec 14, 2020
Elly Roberts shared this scenic picture of the snowy mountain tops peaking through the fog, from the dikes along the Alouette River. “Snow is coming,” she said. (Special to The News)
Loneliness in persons living with dementia is a chronic and systemic issue in British Columbia and beyond. A webinar hosted by a Maple Ridge woman is being held Tuesday, Dec. 15. (Special to The News)

Locally hosted webinar on dementia and culture draw national attention

Marissa Stalman, working with United Way, is hosting an awareness event Tuesday, Dec. 15.

Loneliness in persons living with dementia is a chronic and systemic issue in British Columbia and beyond. A webinar hosted by a Maple Ridge woman is being held Tuesday, Dec. 15. (Special to The News)
Walking the dikes on a late fall day in 2020, Maple Ridge's Alistair Higgins captured a series of scenic photographs. "I see Maple Ridge as a nice, quieter country area, with the sophistication of the big city only a 30 to 40 minutes drive away. I work on highrises around the Lower Mainland, and I love the fact I can retreat back to Maple Ridge, where it feels a little more relaxed," he said, noting these were taken on the dikes near Pitt Lake, while out walking his dog. (Special to The News)

SHARE: Rural retreat in the country

Send us your photo showing how you view Maple Ridge or Pitt Meadows, and it could be featured soon

  • Dec 13, 2020
Walking the dikes on a late fall day in 2020, Maple Ridge's Alistair Higgins captured a series of scenic photographs. "I see Maple Ridge as a nice, quieter country area, with the sophistication of the big city only a 30 to 40 minutes drive away. I work on highrises around the Lower Mainland, and I love the fact I can retreat back to Maple Ridge, where it feels a little more relaxed," he said, noting these were taken on the dikes near Pitt Lake, while out walking his dog. (Special to The News)
Stephanie Marcil and Michael Vogel tie a four-metre-high tree to the top of their Honda Civic. (Colleen Flanagan/The News)

Busier season than usual for Maple Ridge Christmas tree farm

Owner expects to run out of trees by Monday

Stephanie Marcil and Michael Vogel tie a four-metre-high tree to the top of their Honda Civic. (Colleen Flanagan/The News)
Leading up to Christmas, Ridge Church is offering free Starbuck coffees to any area residents. It’s a way of bringing people together – members of the congregation or not – during the holiday season. Staff of the local Baptist church are out at the different stores in the community Sunday mornings waving and sharing wishes for a joyous holiday season. (Special to The News)

Maple Ridge church offers a free Starbucks coffee to the community

It’s as easy as showing the bar code, ordering a drink, and getting on with your day

Leading up to Christmas, Ridge Church is offering free Starbuck coffees to any area residents. It’s a way of bringing people together – members of the congregation or not – during the holiday season. Staff of the local Baptist church are out at the different stores in the community Sunday mornings waving and sharing wishes for a joyous holiday season. (Special to The News)
One of 31 holiday light displays that are part of a self-guided light tour to raise spirits this year. (Kim Dumore/Special to The News)

Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows students organize self-guided holiday light tour

31 outdoor light displays are on the map

One of 31 holiday light displays that are part of a self-guided light tour to raise spirits this year. (Kim Dumore/Special to The News)