Maple Ridge needs more rec facilities; Hammond plan still divisive

There is a shortage of recreation facilities in Maple Ridge, according to the results of a recent public engagement survey. 

At a committee of the whole meeting Tuesday, city council discussed the responses  from more than 2,300 residents who participated in the survey that was held from January to February. Hundreds of people also took part in the engagement process through open houses, group surveys and interviews. 

“This was one of the highest participation rates we’ve seen in a city engagement,” Mayor Dan Ruimy wrote in a press release. 

The survey aimed to assess recreation needs in Maple Ridge, a growing community that saw its population rise by 10.6 per cent between 2016 and 2021 — three per cent higher than the provincial average. 

The overarching sentiment was that the city sorely lacks swimming facilities. 

“Across all methods of engagement, including stakeholder interviews, survey data, and open houses, we heard that community members feel that the demand for aquatic facilities and programming surpasses the current supply,” city staff summarized in a report to council. 

Respondents also said there is not enough ice time for public skating, lessons, and hockey. 

But many residents are still wary of a new proposal that would give Maple Ridge its second indoor pool and fifth ice sheet. 

The city launched a study in September to assess the potential of building a new recreation centre at Hammond Community Park. The location is currently home to a community centre and outdoor pool that are at the end of their lifespans. 

The project initially received pushback from Hammond residents on Facebook, who feared a rise in traffic and a loss of two baseball fields. 

Although the survey did not have questions related to the Hammond proposal, 172 people wrote that they opposed the project. Eighty-seven per cent of those people lived in the V2X postal code region of west Maple Ridge, where the Hammond project is located. 

Another 257 people wrote that they were concerned about losing the park’s baseball facilities, Hammond Stadium and Larry Walker Field, which serve as home fields for the Ridge Meadows Minor Baseball Association. 

Both fields would be relocated if the project proceeds, according to the city. 

Quentin Talbot-Kelly, a partner at Cornerstone Planning Group, a consultant organization hired by the city, said some residents responded to the survey with alternative ideas for a new recreation centre. 

The first option, next to Planet Ice, is not suitable for a swimming pool, Talbot-Kelly said.

He added that there was a strong desire from residents to have a new recreation facility to serve ongoing developments in the eastern side of Maple Ridge. 

“They felt, as a whole, and fairly consistent across participants of the open houses, that the location should be further east,” Talbot-Kelly said. 

But no plans were made to alter the new recreation centre proposal for Hammond.  

The new facility may also have more of a leisure focus, according to the results of the survey. 

Residents said drop-in swimming was their most popular aquatic activity, but there are long waitlists for swim lessons and not enough drop-in sessions. 

Although competitive swimming was ranked least important by residents, Talbot-Kelly said a new aquatic facility — featuring a 25-metre pool — could still be used for serious swimmers.

“There’s definitely opportunities within a leisure-focused amenity that could support competition,” he said.  

The results of the survey will be discussed again at the next council meeting. 

The public will have the chance to share their thoughts on the proposal again in June, after the city is scheduled to release design plans of the proposal for Hammond Community Park.