Recreation Ready is Maple Ridge's plan to deliver three major recreation infrastructure projects—a new Aquatics and Recreation Centre, a Twin-Rink Arena Expansion, and a 40-Acre Multi-Use Community Park.
Project Update: Assent Vote Results
On October 17, 2026, as part of the General Local Election, Maple Ridge voters were asked whether they supported three loan authorization bylaws for long-term borrowing for the proposed Recreation Ready projects.
The City did not receive elector approval to adopt any of the three loan authorization bylaws or proceed with the proposed long-term borrowing.
Assent Vote Results and Next Steps
The following are the official results of the assent vote held on October 17, 2026 as part of the General Local Election in which Maple Ridge voters were asked whether they supported three loan authorization bylaws for long-term borrowing for the proposed Recreation Ready projects:
Hammond Aquatics and Recreation Centre
Hammond Multi-Use Community Park
Albion Twin-Rink Arena Expansion
Thank you to everyone who took the time to participate.
A question passed if more than 50% of valid votes cast were Yes.
| Hammond Aquatics & Recreation Centre: Are you in favour of the City of Maple Ridge adopting the Hammond Aquatics and Recreation Centre Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 8123-2026 to authorize borrowing up to $227,000,000 for a term up to 25 years to construct an aquatic recreation centre at the properties located at 11509 207 Street, 20601 Westfield Avenue and an unaddressed property (PID: 013-715-984)? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Yes Votes | 6,841 | 32.48% |
| No Votes | 14,218 | 67.52% |
| Hammond Multi-Use Community Park: Are you in favour of the City of Maple Ridge adopting the Hammond Multi-Use Community Park Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 8124-2026 to authorize borrowing up to $23,000,000 for a term up to 25 years to construct a multi-use community park at the property located at 20818 Golf Lane? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Yes Votes | 6,209 | 29.56% |
| No Votes | 14,797 | 70.44% |
| Albion Twin-Rink Arena Expansion: Are you in favour of the City of Maple Ridge adopting the Albion Twin-Rink Arenas Expansion Loan Authorization Bylaw No. 8122-2026 to authorize borrowing up to $143,000,000 for a term up to 25 years to construct a twin-rink arena expansion at the property located at 23588 Jim Robson Way? | ||
|---|---|---|
| Yes Votes | 9,501 | 45.13% |
| No Votes | 11,553 | 54.87% |
What Happens Next
As the borrowing was not approved, the three projects cannot proceed under the funding plan presented to voters. In the coming months, City staff will seek Council direction to determine any next steps and will share updates with the community.
City services and existing recreation facilities will continue to operate as usual.
Background
The 2023 Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan identified new aquatic and arena facilities as top priorities for Maple Ridge as the community continues to grow.
A Recreation Facility Feasibility Study launched in December 2023 to assess the potential for an aquatics facility at Hammond Community Park. Initial findings confirmed that Hammond Community Park could support a new aquatics and recreation facility, but not a twin-sheet arena. As a result, the City began planning for two new ice sheets at Albion Fairgrounds and two replacement baseball diamonds on the 40-acres of parkland currently leased to the Maple Ridge Golf Course, as part of the first phase of a multi-use community park at this site.
In December 2025, Council received the final facility feasibility study and directed staff to move forward with schematic design, costing and a funding strategy for the three projects that aimed at delivering critical amenities while minimizing impacts to taxpayers.
On October 17, 2026, an assent vote was included in the Local General Election Maple Ridge voters were asked whether they supported three loan authorization bylaws for long-term borrowing for the proposed Recreation Ready projects.
The program was informed by community input, needs assessment, technical studies, the Parks, Recreation and Culture Master Plan, and earlier Council direction.
The following summarizes the Recreation Ready program, project concepts, technical work and community engagement completed prior to the October 17, 2026 assent vote. The concepts, cost estimates, timelines and proposed funding approach were developed for the assent vote and are provided for background information only. They are not approved construction plans.
As part of the planning and schematic design of the Recreation Ready projects, the City assessed transportation-related impacts for neighbourhoods where the projects were proposed. Transportation Impact Assessments (TIAs) were completed for the Aquatics and Recreation Centre and Multi-Use Community Park projects proposed for the Hammond area. Transportation-related data was collected for the Twin-Rink Arena Expansion in Albion.
The City’s Strategic Transportation Plan and recommendations from the TIAs informed plans to enhance roads, active transportation routes and transit connections near the project sites. Proposed improvements would be considered in the City’s future annual capital planning process if the Recreation Ready projects proceeded to final design and construction, with public engagement where applicable.
Recreation Ready works alongside the City’s Maple Ridge Moves strategy to provide the infrastructure needed to support our growing city and the high-density development planned in West Maple Ridge and along the Lougheed Highway corridor.
Key Findings of TIAs in Hammond
- TRANSIT: The proposed aquatics and recreation centre site is connected by transit and the main road network. The City will continue to advocate to TransLink for connected bus routes and increased service frequency.
- ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION: Improvements within this area, such as cycling and walking paths, are recommended.
- TRAFFIC: Motorists shortcut through neighbourhood roadways at peak travel times to avoid queues and delays on surrounding highways and roads. Traffic calming measures would be reviewed on surrounding neighbourhood streets to deter short-cutting.
- BUS RAPID TRANSIT: BRT is identified along Lougheed Highway, connecting to the Maple Ridge Town Centre. 203 Street and 207 Street are identified for BRT stations and signal upgrades.
- INTERSECTIONS AND CORRIDORS: Improvements will be evaluated to help support future transportation needs, improve traffic operations, and enhance road safety.
Transportation Impact Assessments
Read the following Traffic Impact Assessments:
- Maple Ridge Recreation Centre Transportation Impact Assessment (Sept. 29, 2025)
- Multi-Sport Facility Traffic Impact Assessment (May 29, 2026)
Previous Proposed Funding Approach
With a total preliminary cost estimate of $393 million, the City proposed to fund the three projects through a mix of long-term borrowing at favourable municipal rates, phased in Amenity Cost Charges (ACCs), senior government grants, and potentially sponsorships.
The borrowing portion required voter approval through an assent vote during the Oct. 17 local government election. Voters were asked to authorize borrowing up to the maximum amount needed to allow the projects to proceed as planned, while the City continues to pursue other funding sources that could reduce the amount ultimately borrowed. Approximately 60% of the borrowing would have been repaid through property tax increases and about 40% through ACCs. The charges would be phased in over time and existing development applications would have one year from bylaw adoption to proceed without paying the new charges.
Based on cost estimates at the time and the proposed funding strategy, the annual property tax impact for homeowners and commercial property owners was estimated at three per cent per year for four years (2027-2030). For example, a home assessed at $1 million would pay an additional $90 in 2027, increasing until it reached $385 annually (about $32 monthly) in 2030.
After 2030 the additional tax amount would remain at that level each year until the loan is repaid.
Community Engagement
Extensive community engagement was done to inform the Recreation Facility Feasibility Study. Visit the Recreation Facility Feasibility Study engagement page for details, including engagement results from the two phases of engagement, and to sign up to receive project updates.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have additional questions, please contact the Recreation Ready program team at RecReady@MapleRidge.ca
What was the result of the assent vote? Maple Ridge voters were asked three separate questions about whether they supported loan authorization bylaws for long-term borrowing for three proposed Recreation Ready projects. Voters answered No to each of the three bylaws.
Does this mean the Recreation Ready projects are cancelled? The projects will not proceed as proposed because the long-term borrowing was not approved. In the coming months, staff will seek direction from the newly elected Council on next steps
What is happening to the Hammond Outdoor Pool given it’s at the end of its service life? The City will continue to operate and maintain the Hammond Outdoor Pool subject to safety, operational, condition and budget considerations.
What will happen with the Fourth Ice Sheet that has received the Agricultural Land Commission's conditional approval and has approved borrowing? In the coming months, staff will seek direction on the Recreation Ready projects including the previous proposed fourth ice sheet proposal from the newly elected Council
What will happen to the loan authorization bylaws? The current Council gave the three loan authorization bylaws first, second and third readings on June 30, 2026. Because voters did not approve the assent vote questions, the City cannot adopt the bylaws or proceed with the related borrowing.
What is happening to the Amenity Cost Charges bylaw? The Amenity Cost Charges, or ACC, bylaw is separate from the loan authorization bylaws that were considered through the October 17 assent vote. The charges in the ACC bylaw are scheduled to take effect in January 2027. No ACCs have been collected. The three Recreation Ready projects are included in the ACC bylaw. Staff will be providing options to consider and seeking direction from the newly elected Council on the ACC bylaw. ACCs are a provincial funding tool that allows local governments to collect contributions from new development toward community amenities that are needed to support that growth. The City’s ACC bylaw is intended to support future community amenities beyond the three Recreation Ready projects and identifies other projects the funds can be used for.
Will the City still collect ACCs from new development? The ACC bylaw is scheduled to come into effect on Jan 1 to collect for future recreation amenities.
Will my property taxes go down because the borrowing was not approved? The projected Recreation Ready property tax increase will not occur because it was tied to the proposed long-term borrowing.
What happens to the money spent on planning and design? The current Council had approved the costs associated with project planning, public engagement and design of the three projects, and no further work is being done on the projects. Work already completed—including public engagement, needs assessment and service delivery review, technical studies, site assessments and preliminary design—will be reviewed to determine what information can support future Council decisions and community planning.
Will the City still pursue grants or senior government funding? Staff will review the status and conditions of any grant applications or funding opportunities connected to the Recreation Ready projects. The City will continue to pursue appropriate external funding opportunities for future infrastructure and recreation priorities, subject to Council direction.
When will Council decide what happens next? Staff will prepare information and options for the newly elected Council in alignment with Council’s priorities.
- Planet Ice: 28 years old
- Maple Ridge Leisure Centre: 45 years old
- Hammond Pool: 63 years old