Maple Ridge mayor Mike Morden is pleased with the response to the COVID-19 crisis in British Columbia and reminding its residents about the resources available to them during the ongoing state of emergency.
“We are a month into the COVID-19 health emergency and, on behalf of council, I want to thank our citizens for the sacrifices that people are making to flatten the curve on this virus,” he said in a press release issued this week.
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“I would also like to acknowledge the work happening in the community to support our most vulnerable citizens. Organizations like the Friends In Need Food Bank and Ridge Meadows Seniors Society have been doing extraordinary work in these difficult times,” he added.
City Hall and other civic buildings remain closed to the public but council continues to conduct meetings online.
Maple Ridge was one of the first communities in the province to transition to virtual meetings, according to the release. Meeting agendas and live streams can be accessed online at mapleridge.ca/640.
“Staff have stepped up big time to meet the challenge of doing business differently with professionalism and innovation,” Morden said. “We are here to make sure that essential services continue to be delivered.”
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Since the provincial state of emergency was declared B.C. announced local bylaw officers would help enforce provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry’s recommendations and orders – and that includes Maple Ridge.
The City has launched a ‘who to call’ page on its website that provides a centralized resource list for residents to access contact information to reach out to with questions, comments or concerns.
Bylaw officers in Maple Ridge are working with Fraser Health to “monitor compliance with social or physical distancing guidelines for essential businesses” and they are also “responding to calls for service to ensure the closure of local facilities and amenities… is respected.”
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The City has redeployed staff to its park ambassador program, which aims to educate residents about social distancing and wipe down commonly used “touch points.”
The City wants to ensure the public is getting their information from accurate sources and has curated a list online at mapleridge.ca/2410/Getting-the-Facts-Sharing-the-Facts.
For more information about new program announcements from the federal and provincial government, and from local organizations in the community visit mapleridge.ca/2408/COVID-19-Information.
“The response to this health emergency is a team effort, each level of government and all citizens play an important role,” said Morden. “The work we are doing each day lays a strong foundation for the future when we move forward guided by Dr. Henry. We’ve got this Maple Ridge.”
Meanwhile, the City of Pitt Meadows is also regularly monitoring updates from all levels of government and provides updates on its social media channels and at pittmeadows.ca/covid19.
@JotiGrewal_
joti.grewal@blackpress.ca
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