Province investing $250K into post-secondary study in Ridge Meadows

The next generation of high school students in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows may be able to study closer to home. 

On Feb. 2, the province announced that they are investing $250,000 into a feasibility study that will look at bringing a new post-secondary education option in Ridge Meadows. 

The study will be led by Kwantlen Polytechnic University, Douglas College, the Justice Institute of British Columbia and the University of the Fraser Valley. 

“I am thrilled about the potential of post-secondary educational opportunities in Ridge Meadows,” stated Pitt Meadows Mayor Nicole MacDonald in a press release. 

Although it’s unclear what the post-secondary opportunity will look like, the announcement comes two years after the provincial government held an assessment that identified the need for post-secondary education and skills training for students in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. 

The needs assessment, which also came with a $250,000 investment from the province, consulted with students, parents, residents and school district staff. It found that a post-secondary option would help the region as its population is expected to rise over the next two decades. 

Maple Ridge, specifically, experienced a population increase of more than 10 per cent from 2021 to 2016, according to the latest census data. The city’s population is now nearly 91,000, up from about 82,000 in 2016. 

Pitt Meadows had a 3.1 per cent population increase over the same time frame. 

“Having post-secondary options close by would allow more people to upskill, re-skill and train towards well-paying jobs in our region,” wrote Bob D’Eith, MLA for Maple Ridge-Mission. 

Maple Ridge Mayor Dan Ruimy also voiced his support for the study, adding that post-secondary education is vital to the city’s growth as the population continues to grow.  

Elaine Yamamoto, board chairperson of SD #42, said the school district’s graduation rate is one of the highest in B.C., however, many students are having issues accessing post-secondary education. 

The graduation rate for students in the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows school district was 93.2 per cent in 2019/20, which was higher than the provincial average of 89.6 per cent at the time. 

“This study underscores the continued and growing need for more post-secondary options in our communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows,” Yamamoto stated. 

The feasibility study is expected to be complete by spring 2025.