Business View Magazine | July 2020

186 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE JULY 2020 mitigation aspect for the City of Maple Ridge.” Tourism is also a key focus of the City Council. They endeavour to promote the City’s vast beauty and visitor experiences, such as Sky Helicopters and the local Farm Tours, which in turn help drive the economy and put Pitt Meadows on the map. “We support our farmers, more than three quarters of our community is still farm land. We have some of the best blueberry and cranberry farms in Canada,” says the Mayor. “Pitt Meadows has a wealth of walkways and pathways throughout the whole community, recently rated in the top five cycling areas in Metro Vancouver, and we’re very aware of our role around climate change and the environment. In fact we have two EV charging stations right outside City Hall.” Looking ahead, Pitt Meadows has a vision for a downtown revitalization that will include the area around City Hall, because land is expensive and the City needs more density. But Mayor Dingwall emphasizes, “The first goal is to maintain this quaint community that embraces our neighbours, families, seniors, and growth. The greatest risk is in affordability of housing in the Metro Vancouver region. We want our children to grow up here, find employment, and raise their families. Our land values are much more attractive than cities west of here. We can be very competitive for people who want to live in a small city and have this great ambience, as well as accessibility to urban areas like Vancouver.” PREFERRED VENDOR n YPK Pitt Meadows Airport www.flyypk.ca