Maple Ridge, B.C., Feb. 6, 2025 — Maple Ridge is moving forward with plans to develop two new ice sheets at the Albion Fairgrounds arena complex.
Maple Ridge Council has directed staff to plan for the addition of two ice sheets, creating a hub for arena sports featuring four rinks and one curling rink to meet current and future needs.
“The expansion of our arena complex is a critical step toward meeting what we’ve heard from residents to address the increased demand for ice and dry floor sports as our community grows,” said Mayor Dan Ruimy. “Council recognizes the urgency of this project and is focused on balancing the scale of new facilities with their impact on our neighbourhoods. We are committed to moving forward efficiently while ensuring the project remains financially feasible.”
Council’s decision aligns with the Parks, Recreation, and Culture (PRC) Master Plan, which recommends one additional ice sheet in the near term and another in the medium term.
The City was already planning to add one new rink at the fairgrounds site, where Planet Ice and Golden Ears Winter Club are located. With the launch of the Recreation Facility Feasibility Study in late 2023, an assessment was completed to see if an ice sheet could be accommodated as part of an aquatic recreation facility at Hammond Community Park.
Given the constraints of the Hammond site, and the need for two additional rinks, the fairground site is the viable option, and has the benefit of complementing the existing facility, creating a sports and event hub for the community.
“After completing our due diligence, it was clear Albion is the community’s best option for two additional rinks,” Ruimy noted. “We’re looking forward to hearing from the community to help refine our plans for an expanded arena hub in east Maple Ridge.”
Revised Plans for Hammond Community Park
The Recreation Facility Feasibility Study has been assessing the feasibility of combining aquatics, arena, and other recreation services in a new facility at Hammond Community Park. Work to date has included extensive community engagement, analysis of the service demand and trends, detailed site analysis, and design concept options.
Through this process, it became clear that Hammond Community Park was not sufficiently large enough to accommodate the desired services as well as the necessary parking.
With the decision to plan for an arena expansion at the fairgrounds, the recreation facility feasibility study will now refocus on developing a community recreation and aquatics facility, including a U13- sized baseball diamond, park amenities, and green space for use at Hammond Community Park.
The City plans to engage residents on the revised plans for the Hammond facility this spring.
Planning and Engagement for Albion Rinks
The City is inviting feedback from the community and hosting engagement sessions with key user groups to refine the design concept for the expanded arena facility at the Albion Fairgrounds.
The engagement results will be assessed and refinements to the concept plan made based on the feedback. The City will submit an application to the Agricultural Land Commission (ALC) for additional non-farm use of the site to accommodate the two new rinks. The ALC previously approved a single ice sheet at the site in July 2024.
For more information and to provide feedback on the Albion Fairgrounds Arena Expansion project, visit Engage.MapleRidge.ca/Arenas.
For more information on the Recreation Facility Feasibility Study, visit Engage.MapleRidge.ca/MoveMeetPlay.
For additional information, contact Christa Balatti at CBalatti@MapleRidge.ca or 604-467-7310.
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Media contact:
Pardeep Purewal, Senior Manager, Corporate Communications and Public Engagement
T 604 467-4319 C 778-955-4249 E PPurewal@MapleRidge.ca