Pitt Meadows B.C. - The Natural Place!

A quick look around and you'll know why families and businesses are attracted to this thriving community. Pitt Meadows offers a temperate climate, affordable housing, and an abundance of green space. It's a City where you'll find a unique blend of urban-appeal and rural-charm. Currently home to 17,500 residents, the City's population is expected to grow to 20,000 by 2020.

Pitt Meadows is a member municipality of Metro Vancouver (formerly Greater Vancouver Regional District). The City's well-planned and compact urban highland is surrounded by majestic snow-capped mountains, parks, rivers and North America's largest tidal lake - all of which present spectacular opportunity and have a positive impact on quality of life. With thousands of visitors per year, it's evident that word of mouth about this great community is spreading.

Median incomes are well above average and public services in areas such as health, education, and recreation are excellent. Residents have enjoyed the lowest level of property taxation in the Greater Vancouver region for several years.

In November 2006, the City commissioned Ipsos Reid to conduct a Citizen Survey. Ninety eight percent of Pitt Meadows residents surveyed rated the quality of life in Pitt Meadows positively.

The planning and development for the City of Pitt Meadows is ongoing and strategic. In 2006 there was an increase in residential construction, funding for the new Pitt River Bridge was announced, construction commenced on the Golden Ears Crossing and development at the Pitt Meadows Regional Airport continued at a robust pace.

Agriculture continues to be the City's main economic driver ranking Pitt Meadows sixth among B.C.'s municipalities in its value of agriculture production. Pitt Meadows is the natural place for cranberries, blueberries, nursery stock and greenhouse crops offering some of the richest land in Canada.

With an ongoing commitment to building an even better community for residents, businesses and visitors, Pitt Meadows is the natural place to live, work, and invest.

History

The District of Pitt Meadows was incorporated on April 23, 1914.

Pitt Meadows is a primarily agricultural area located in the Lower Fraser Valley, east of Vancouver. Situated on the north side of the Fraser River at its junction with the Pitt River, the city is also bisected by the two arms of the Alouette River, along with a number of other sloughs and waterways.

The Municipality takes its name from the Pitt River and Pitt Lake, which were possibly named after former British Prime Minister William Pitt.

The first inhabitants of Pitt Meadows were aboriginal people, and they resided in this area approximately 1000 years ago. James McMillan then explored the area in 1874 and Europeans followed by starting a settlement in the area in the 1870's. This settlement was originally known as Bonson's Landing.

The Municipality of Maple Ridge was first incorporated in 1874 and included Pitt Meadows to the west. However, residents of the Pitt Meadows area petitioned for their removal from the District of Maple Ridge in 1892. Pitt Meadows reverted to unorganized territory but was separately incorporated in 1914. Early settlers were mostly Anglo-Saxon until after 1910 when many French Canadians and Japanese arrived. A large group of Dutch farmers reclaimed much of the low-lying land in Pitt Meadows after World War II.

Local Milestones:

1885: Canadian Pacific Railway is constructed through Pitt Meadows to Port Moody.
1893: The first dyking district is organized.
1894: In the spring of 1894, the major Fraser River Flood event occurs and floods many acres of land.
1948: Pitt Meadows joins the Greater Vancouver Water District
1957: A highway bridge is constructed over the Pitt River
1963: The Pitt Meadows Airport opens.