Maple Ridge, where families and nature meet.

Great blue heron at ease near people in Maple Ridge.

Although I am fond of my amenities of comfort and like being able to access the benefits of city dwelling, I am a naturalist at heart.  The dichotomy of city versus country has long been a point of contention for those of my genre, where having the best of both worlds seems an unlikely prospect.  I am pleased to say that the place where I call home is a pleasant balance of both where one is not sacrificed for the other.

In man's great grab for land and resources it seems that nature has paid a heavy price.  Although a town like Vancouver has its wild places, they have covered up some 56 streams and converted miles of shoreline into places of business or recreation.  I understand the reasoning for such intrusions into the ecosystem, for much of its development took place when we as a species did not have the insight into the value of nature and the eco-cost for the motivation behind such decisions.

Maple Ridge lies some 50 kilometers east of Vancouver; much of it wasn't developed until the end of the last century.  Those that were responsible for development had the wisdom to preserve wild places important for wildlife.  Streams that divide housing developments have a wide berth of forests buffering them from civilization.  Rivers that frame the boundaries of the district have dykes that both tame the unruliness of seasonal flows and separate humanity from nature. 

The Fraser River forms the south boundary of Maple Ridge while the Pitt River defines the western limit.  The western edge is formed by Lowlands are either set aside for wildlife like Pitt Polder Bird Sanctuary or are used in farming blueberries and cranberries.  Rivers, streams, and creeks flow through the district with generous tracts of land provided for their protection.  Salmon are yearly visitors in their quest to spawn.  Beaver, otter, bear, and a host of native species are, for the most part, residents that have adapted to the mixed zoning.  There are hundreds of bird species which make Maple Ridge their home, as least part of the year.

The northern limit to my home consists of great parks such as Golden Ears and the UBC Research Forest.  Eastern boundaries are formed by Hayward and Stave Lake, both bodies of water formed by dams and are valuable sources of hydroelectric power and recreation.  Other lake bodies include Whonnok, Rolley, and Loon lakes, not to mention another dozen or so smaller ones. 

I quite enjoy living here.  On the one hand, I have convenient access to all the benefits of urban development while being able to enjoy nature simply by going for a walk.  Hundreds of miles of trails entice my biking and hiking desires while the miles of waterways are a canonist's paradise.  Maple Ridge is one of the rare places where nature and urbanization meet in a way that produces little conflict and great benefit.  For me, it is a great place to live and raise a family.

Thanks for reading.   www.ericspix.com   Eric Svendsen