History and Heritage
Maple Ridge was incorporated on September 12, 1874; it was the sixth municipality to be formed in B.C., preceded only by New Westminster, Victoria, Langley, Lake Cowichan, and Chilliwack. At that time Maple Ridge consisted of 33,000 acres, but had fewer than 50 families. 
By 1874, several small communities had sprung up on the north side of the Fraser River including Port Haney, Port Hammond, Pitt Meadows, Whonnock, Albion, Ruskin, and Webster's Corners. One of the problems of small isolated communities is that they tend to stay small and isolated unless some means is found to build roads between them.
One of the earliest European settlers in the district was John Mclver, a Scot, who homesteaded where the Maple Ridge Golf Course is now located. The first Council was formed on October 3, 1874 when a group of men representing their small communities gathered at Mclver's farm to discuss incorporating the whole district between the Pitt River and Mission to allow taxation for road building. The McIver property with its ridge of beautiful maple trees which stretched for two miles along the river was the source for the name Maple Ridge.
Maple Ridge was not connected to New Westminster until 1913 with the construction of River Road and the Pitt River Bridge and was the only rural municipality in British Columbia through which the Canadian Pacific Railway passed.
Today, the population exceeds 75,000 on the same 33,000 acres.
Climate
Maple Ridge's climate is one of the mildest, enjoying the longest frost-free period and growing season in Canada 
. Spring and Fall can often be very warm and pleasant, especially in June and September. The District experiences an estimated 1,400 to 1,800 sunshine hours annually with 73% of the total occurring during April through September. Summer temperatures range from 22 to 28°C (72 to 83°F). Winters are mild, and if snow falls it doesn't stay long. Average low temperature for December and January is 2 to 4°C (36 to 39°F). The District receives approximately 1,150 mm of precipitation annually, with most rainfall occurring between October and March.
Golden Ears & Pitt River Bridges
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Golden Ears Bridge
The Golden Ears Bridge will link Langley and Surrey on the south side of the river with the north side communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows. The official launch of construction was June 27, 2006; the bridge is scheduled to open in summer 2009. Construction on the Golden Ears Bridge project is now visible in all four host communities. Web Cam
When completed, the new bridge will provide quicker travel times for motorists and truckers. It will also promote business activity, investment and job creation in the host communities and beyond. Video [WAV, 16.5MB)
Pitt River Bridge
The new $180 million Pitt River Bridge and interchange project began construction in 2006, and is scheduled to be completed July 2009. The project is included in the Ministry of Transportation's long-term plan, and is a key component of the government's 2003 Gateway Transportation Strategy to open up the flow of goods, services, and people across the Lower Mainland.
The Pitt River Bridge and Mary Hill Interchange projects include a new bridge to replace the existing swing bridges, as well as an interchange to replace the existing Lougheed Highway and the Mary Hill Bypass intersection. The project is a stand-alone component of the North Fraser Perimeter Road Project.
The new bridge, to be located between the existing bridges, will have three lanes of westbound traffic and four lanes of eastbound traffic on opening day and provide up to 16 meters of marine clearance. It will also provide facilities for cyclists and pedestrians.
