Tuesday, July 30, 2013 A perky pig named Lucy has won the hearts of a Maple Ridge farming family.
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Family fun at Fest Grace Robertson, two, from Maple Ridge, squeezed a rubby duckie that her dad bought for her at the Rotary Duck Race booth at Country Fest this weekend. • See more fair coverage on pages A3, A4, and A14. Sylver McLaren/TIMES
Real estate
Still second best place to invest Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows were once again ranked at No. 2 in a list of top B.C. investment towns. by Sylver McLaren
smclaren@mrtimes.com
Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows landed in second place for the third time on the Real Estate Investment Network’s (REIN) top British Columbia investment towns list. It’s an exciting announcement, said Sandy Blue, the manager of Strategic Economic Initatives at the District of Maple Ridge. “I think it shows the ability to attract the investment we need. We are seeing significant interest from around the world now,” Blue said. “It’s a positive, optimistic time. It’s great for us,” she added. The 110-page report analyzes the current and future prospects for real estate investment opportunities in the province for the next decade.
“Both communities have been hamthe Gateway Program. pered by poor transportation infrastrucIn 2009, the new Golden Ears Bridge ture for decades, detracting people from officially opened to traffic. The six-lane moving to the area and keeping real bridge is the first direct route from the estate prices low,” said Don R. Campbell, communities of Maple Ridge and Pitt one of the report authors and senior anaMeadows to Langley and Surrey. lyst at REIN. The transportation improve“The completion of the ment has finally provided Maple Golden Ears Bridge between Ridge and Pitt Meadows with Langley and Maple Ridge in a direct link to Highway 1 and 2009 and the opening of the has reduced the time it takes to new Port Mann Bridge in travel to Vancouver and the sur2012 has brought the one-time rounding region, the report said. sleepy Fraser Valley farmBetween 2006 and 2011, the ing communities closer to District of Maple Ridge recorded Vancouver. Real estate prices a population growth of 10.3 per remain relatively low, for cent while Pitt Meadows witnow. As more people begin to nessed a population increase of Sandy Blue realize what these two grow13.5 per cent, both significantly Invest Maple Ridge ing communities have to offer, above the provincial average of demand will increase and seven per cent during the same prices will rise.” time period. With about 65 per cent of Maple Ridge The region’s affordability and the transresidents currently commuting to other portation changes will drive more resiregions for work, REIN believes no area dents to the areas, driving up property in British Columbia will be impacted values and rents, according to the report. •More online at www.mrtimes.com more significantly by the completion of
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Wildlife
Elk sighted on highway
A few local motorists reported seeing a pair of majestic animals crossing the Lougheed Highway early Friday morning. by Roxanne Hooper rhooper@mrtimes.com
It’s not a sight locals would expect to see, but Victor Morissette was driving to work early Friday morning when he almost struck a pair of elk on the Lougheed Highway. It was still dark at about 4:30 a.m. when Morissette passed Tamarack Lane, heading west on the highway. He had just pulled up onto the four-lane bridge over Kanaka Creek, approaching the Haney Bypass, when he spotted it. “I hung my head It was a out the window to pair of elk – he believes make sure I wasn’t a male and hallucinating.” female – crossVictor Morissette ing north across the highway. Morissette slammed on his brakes to avoid hitting them, then watched dumbstruck as the “majestic creatures” casually sauntered behind his car. “I hung my head out the window to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating,” he said, noting another westbound car slammed on its brakes about that time, its driver also looking “shell shocked” by the encounter. One elk, who Morissette described as the male, was “so intimidating” standing about 10 feet tall including its antlers. While Morissette has hunted deer in the past, he said he’s never seen an elk before – except inside the fences of the Greater Vancouver Zoo. “I was just in such awe. I had to take a double look… I really can’t believe it,” he told The TIMES. When he shared the news with his coworkers at the mill a short time later, they first questioned his sanity and sight, then asked if he also saw Santa. But when a second mill employee began talking up a similar encounter that morning, Morissette’s story suddenly became credible and staff began seeking him out asking for details.
• More online at www.mrtimes.com, search “elk”
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