I've lived in Maple Ridge the majority of my life. In those 20+ years, I've watched as our community turned from a largely farming town, to a bustling suburban city. I still remember when horses were common place on the downtown core, and when there was a bog filled with frogs beside Zellers (don't you miss Zellers?) There have been many positive changes in our community. The development of Maple Ride's downtown core has been very well handled, with attractive new store fronts to bring our community together. And new apartment buildings being renter friendly, making housing accessible (despite still high rental costs). But I'm concerned with issues that come with a growing city. The increase in crime and addiction; activists proposing safe injection sites, with very little community treatment; development of new, temporary homeless facilities that do little to solve the growing homelessness problem; increasing costs of living; slowed development; encroachment on sensitive waterways and ecosystems; and the destruction of our small-town culture. I fear if we continue on our current trajectory, Maple Ridge will become entirely unrecognizable. We need to stop adopting policies that enable addiction and instead invest in real long-term solutions like treatment facilities, low-income housing, or implementing job-placement programs. We need to fund and support our local law enforcement so they are able to keep our streets safe. We need to do everything we can to assist our small businesses so families can succeed. We need to green light new developments that invigorate economic growth in our city, all while protecting our wildlife so that Maple Ridge retains its natural beauty that attract tourism and future residents.
In short... There's a lot to be done.
So why run for council? I care about our community. I'm worried about where it's going. I believe I bring a fresh outlook, and I will do my absolute best to serve Maple Ridge.