Restart plan sees big crowds at community events

2022 was the year B.C. emerged from the strictest measures imposed to fight the COVID-19 pandemic. And with the re-opening, a recurring story in Maple Ridge was how happy people were to again take part in community events in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.

Time and again, they came out in record numbers.

With BC’s restart plan, on March 11 British Columbians were no longer asked to wear masks in public indoor places.

On April 8, the vaccine card program – which had asked people to show proof that they had been inoculated against COVID before entering restaurants and other venues – also ended. At the same time, businesses were allowed to transition away from COVID-19 safety plans.

READ ALSO: Mask mandate lifts in B.C. Friday, COVID vaccine card program to end April 8

Iconic community events that had been shut down or taken online for two years were suddenly back, and held in-person.

Goodbye Chums was one of the first community events to celebrate the re-opening, and the Kanaka Education and Environmental Partnership Society had one of its best turnouts ever for the April 24 salmon fry release.

“Everybody was just so ready – it was the right thing at the right time,” said KEEPS spokesperson Ross Davies.

“It’s a spring tradition that’s been going on since the 1980s. It’s like an old friend when you get together again – and it’s just so right.”

The same weekend, big crowds were in Memorial Peace Park for the celebration of Earth Day.

Then April 29 brought one of the largest annual events in the city in the Ridge Meadows Home Show, which had an estimated crowd of 24,000 over the three days, which was up from the last year it had been held in 2019.

“People were happy to see people again, after two or three years,” said executive director Graham Vanstone. He said the re-established show will have a foundation to build on for 2023.

June 4 brought Pitt Meadows Day, and record numbers for the all-day event that started with a pancake breakfast, proceeded through a variety of family events including a parade, and ended with fireworks at night.

“This is one of the biggest I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been to quite a few,” said Mayor Bill Dingwall. “Seeing the smiles is great. People were looking forward to this.”

Sports was hit hard by COVID-19, with some sports shutting down, while others played in front of empty gyms. So early May brought the Nick Wilkes Invitational track and field meet at Maple Ridge secondary, with athletes back in action – there were 368 students from 22 different schools taking part.

So it went through the year, with the community re-establishing its longstanding events, one by one.

Some new things have arrived – like Zoom meetings – and are here to stay. Other things changed – like commuting to work on the West Coast Express. Only about a quarter of the ridership has returned.

We are still fully appreciating the many ways that the COVID-19 pandemic changed our lives.