New Parks, Recreation & Culture Plan downplays the importance of nature and the environment

Statements, goals, and strategies to honour nature and protect the environment have traditionally formed a major part of Maple Ridge’s parks, recreation and cultural planning. 

However, in the latter part of its term, the outgoing Council contracted out the creation of a new plan to a firm that has created a radically different 2022 plan which almost totally neglects the emphasis on nature and the environment featured in previous plans. 

The 2010 Parks, Recreation, and Culture Master Plan opened with this Vision Statement:

"Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows are physically beautiful communities, with extensive forests, mountains, rivers, creeks, lakes, and agricultural lands. People choose to live here because of the natural and rural environment, and also because of the strong sense of community. . . A wide variety of linked parks, trails and recreation facilities support diverse activities, resulting in a healthy, active community. People work together at all levels to ensure that the community retains the characteristics that drew them here originally."

The 2010 plan also contained many findings and recommendations which are congruent with the goals of reducing greenhouse gas emissions.  Here is a small sampling of them:

"The health of the environment ranks high on the list of priorities for residents." 

"Demonstrating innovation by creating a policy that all new municipal buildings achieve minimum energy performance targets, and creating a green building program for residential, commercial and industrial buildings." 

"Work with other departments and both municipalities to improve consistency with regard to sustainability measures."

"Initiatives which contribute to positive environmental impacts should enjoy a higher priority than those that do not."

The 2017 Cultural Plan contained the following:

"Celebrating the natural environment" was identified by citizens as the number one priority.

"Guiding Principles: Maple Ridge’s cultural development is sustainable and ensures a high quality of life for residents."

"Nature is deeply valued and enhances our experience of arts and culture." 

If Council adopts the new plan as recommended, many of the environmental initiatives put in motion by Maple Ridge’s previous Parks, Recreation, and Cultural planning will be lost.  

Adopting the new plan would also be a lost opportunity for the new Council, most of whom campaigned as progressives in regard to climate change, to take serious actions in harmony with the previous planning and recognized priorities of Maple Ridge citizens. 

Citizens still have a chance to express their concerns regarding the new plan. 

Council is accepting input on the final draft of the 2022 plan through this PRC Master Plan: Final Community Check-in Survey, which contains a box for comments, until December 31.

Time for a new furnace? Consider a heat pump

Heat pumps cool your home in summer, and heat it in the winter

If it’s time to replace your furnace, there are lots of reasons to consider a heat pump. Our family’s main purpose was to reduce the climate impact that came from burning gas to heat our home. That goal, coupled with the provincial and federal government rebates, made an electric heat pump the ideal solution.

Because it’s a relatively new industry here in BC, the process for finding an experienced installer, selecting your heat pump and applying for rebates is not nearly as straightforward as calling up your local heating expert to install a new gas furnace. But the advantages are worth it, and in this post we’ll share both the benefits of heat pumps, and the steps that are needed to have one installed and get the available rebates.

Benefits of a heat pump

Heat and cool your home with the same unit

With our climate heating up, surviving summer heat waves has become a serious consideration, even here in BC’s normally cool and damp south coast. Now that we have our heat pump we’ve been comfortable even during the hottest days – what we used to call scorchers growing up in Saskatchewan. And contrary to popular myth, our heat pump is more than equal to the challenge of winter weather on the Lower Mainland. No backup gas furnace required.

Save money on your energy bills

We pay less for heating our home in winter, cooling it in summer, and charging our electric car, than we used to pay just to heat the house with our “high efficiency” gas furnace. And that saving will continue to increase as the price of gas increases, which it is legislated to do.

Dramatically reduce your carbon footprint

BC’s power is largely supplied by clean hydroelectricity. So switching to electricity to heat your home really does make an important difference.

Getting a heat pump and applying for rebates

If you are replacing a gas or oil furnace with an electric heat pump, you should qualify for both provincial and federal rebates. Combined, these rebates are intended to bring the cost of a heat pump down to the point where it’s competitive with gas furnaces.

Here are the steps you’ll need to take to get your heat pump installed and receive your government rebates.

1. First, sign up for the Canada Greener Homes program. This program provides grants and interest-free loans for home evaluations and home energy upgrades. Eligible work includes installing a heat pump, adding insulation, and sealing windows and doors.
   
   
2. Make an appointment with an Energy Advisor to inspect your home before you do the upgrades. The BC government’s CleanBC website lists qualified advisors for our area. They’re in big demand, so book your appointment as soon as you can. They will come to your home and do a thorough assessment of the current energy demands of your home, then provide a report that includes recommendations for how you can improve your home’s performance, i.e. reduce the energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions. This service is eligible for a Canada Greener Homes rebate of $600, which is generally what the energy advisor will charge.
   
   
3. Next, find a contractor to remove your furnace and install your heat pump. This is not easy, as not all contractors are experienced with heat pump installs. We recommend getting at least three quotes. The Clean BC website has a list of registered contractors who service our area.  You must use a registered contractor in order to qualify for the provincial rebate. But just because they are registered, it doesn’t necessarily mean they will give you good advice, or that they are experienced with heat pumps. We got wildly different quotes and advice from each of the four companies who gave us estimates. Find someone who is well-experienced with heat pumps, can provide references, and doesn’t try to upsell you by telling you you’ll also need a back-up gas furnace. 
   
   It will be helpful to show the contractor the energy advisor’s report so they  know what size of heat pump is needed. Each contractor will carry a different brand. Our heat pump is a Mitsubishi and we’re happy with it.
   
   
4. Once you have installed your heat pump, you can apply to Clean BC for your provincial rebate. Our installer did that for us. The application must be submitted within six months of the invoice date.
   
   
5. Last, bring the energy advisor back for a post-upgrade assessment and report. You'll need that final report to apply for the Canada Greener Homes grant, which you signed up for in Step 1. Best to do this after you have completed all of your upgrades. We had our heat pump installed last winter, and are booked to get more attic insulation added this winter. Once that’s completed we’ll bring the energy advisor back and apply for the federal government grant. 

Learn more about heat pumps

Last year the Climate Hub hosted a webinar with a speaker from CleanBC. To learn more about heat pumps and the provincial rebate program, watch the recorded video on our YouTube channel. Bear in mind that the webinar took place in 2021, so some of the program details may have changed.

And on behalf of the climate and future generations, thank you for considering a heat pump to warm and cool your home.