staff reporter
Maple Ridge-Pitt Meadows MLA Doug Bing’s office is open and ready for business, and has been since Dec. 23 when the doors first opened.
The rookie MLA elected last May in a surprise win over the NDP, wanted a location right on the border between the two communities, leading to the selection of office space at No. 104 – 20130 Lougheed Hwy.
The location is on a side road and requires a bit of navigating to reach from the highway.
Constituency assistant Cheryl Ashlie said Bing wanted to ensure he didn’t choose one community over the other. The location is midway between both town centres. “He just really wanted to make it clear he was serving both communities.”
A grand opening of the office won’t take place until mid February, though a date hasn’t been set.
Much of the furniture for the office came from former NDP MLA Michael Sather.
Ashlie said she’s also happy with the location. It’s not near municipal offices so people aren’t confused about municipal and provincial issues.
The office has lots of security features required for MLA offices, such as a panic alarms, a panic room, and for visitors to be buzzed in.