Maple Ridge, B.C., January 27, 2026 – City staff shared the results of the independent 2025 Community Survey at yesterday’s Council meeting as part of the department business planning presentations.
The quantitative public opinion survey was conducted by Earnscliffe and Leger between October and November 2025 and offers a snapshot of resident priorities, perceptions, and attitudes about quality of life, municipal services, infrastructure investment, and the City’s long-term direction.
A total of 711 residents and business owners participated through a combination of an online panel and City-led outreach. Results were weighted by age and gender to ensure they are representative of the Maple Ridge population.
The 2025 survey builds on some of the insights from the 2024 Citizen Satisfaction Survey and other community engagements and introduced new questions to provide insight to City business planning, major project delivery, annual budget communications, and public engagement strategies. The full report and presentation are available as part of the January 27 Council agenda package at MapleRidge.ca/CouncilMeetings and the survey findings are available at Engage.MapleRidge.ca/2025CommunitySurvey.
The following are key highlights as outlined in Earnscliffe’s summary report:
Community pride and quality of life
The survey shows that community pride remains strong in Maple Ridge. A majority of respondents agree that Maple Ridge has natural beauty, community spirit, and economic potential (70%). More than half (56%) also agree that Maple Ridge is an attractive place to live, particularly because of its natural spaces and family-friendly neighbourhoods.
These findings are consistent with the 2024 Citizen Satisfaction Survey, which found that overall quality-of-life satisfaction remained relatively high, reinforcing Maple Ridge’s continued appeal as a place to live and grow.
Resident priorities and core services
As in previous surveys, residents place the highest importance on foundational municipal services. Road maintenance (96%), fire protection (93%), and police services (93%) continue to rank as top priorities, highlighting the importance residents place on safety, reliability, and well-maintained infrastructure.
When asked to identify the most pressing issues facing Maple Ridge today, residents most frequently cited infrastructure investment (59%), traffic congestion (45%), taxes (35%), and public safety (35%). These responses reflect the pressures of a growing community and the challenges of balancing affordability, mobility, and long-term infrastructure needs.
Perceptions of City direction
Residents shared mixed views on the City’s overall direction. More respondents indicated the City is heading in the “wrong” direction (43%) than the “right” direction (31%); however, the intensity of concern is relatively low.
Only 13% of respondents say the City is going “completely in the wrong direction,” a significantly lower proportion than the average across all Metro Vancouver municipalities found in a separate study conducted during the same time frame (23%). Overall, Maple Ridge’s results closely align with those of other Metro Vancouver communities, suggesting cautious concern rather than polarized dissatisfaction.
When asked why they felt this way, residents who believe the City is on the right track most often pointed to leadership and community-building efforts. Those who expressed concern cited issues about growth, infrastructure gaps, and traffic congestion. Taken together, the results suggest residents are balancing concern about affordability and growth with strong support for long-term investment in infrastructure and essential services.
Value for money and service experience
While satisfaction with specific City services remains generally positive, perceptions of value for property taxes continue to be a challenge. Among property taxpayers, 55% rate the overall value they receive for property taxes paid as “poor” or “very poor.”
At the same time, respondents report positive experiences when interacting directly with City services. For every service attribute measured, more residents rated their experience as “good” or “excellent” than “poor” or “very poor,” with staff helpfulness standing out as a consistent strength.
Capital investment and long-term planning
Nearly all respondents (95%) say it is important for the City to continue investing in long-term capital projects such as roads, utilities, and community facilities. However, awareness of the City’s 2025–2029 Capital Works Program remains low, with 69% of respondents saying they are not very or not at all familiar with the program.
While 48% say they support the Capital Works Program, a further 35% say they are unsure, suggesting that uncertainty is largely driven by lack of awareness rather than opposition. The findings point to an opportunity for clearer communication around project sequencing, funding, and long-term benefits.
Looking ahead
Results from the 2025 Citizen Survey inform Council’s 2026 budget deliberations and help guide strategic planning and communications in the year ahead.
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Contact:
Pardeep Purewal, Senior Manager Corporate Communications and Public Engagement
T: 604 466 4319 C: 778 955 4249
E: media@mapleridge.ca