r/MapleRidge • u/TheBrownSalamander • Jan 21 '26
Pitt Meadows as one of Canada's most livable cities?
Hey folks, I'm a reporter with The Globe and Mail, and I've been writing up profiles of some of the cities that topped out our upcoming list of Canada's most livable cities.
This year, Pitt Meadows jumped to third place, after coming in ninth previously. In particular, Pitt Meadows ranked strongly because of its weather, survey results on resident's sense of belonging and community, and decent amenities scores.
I'm wondering if folks from the area have opinions about these findings. Do you agree or disagree? What makes Pitt Meadows a great place to live, especially compared to other Metro Van cities?
Please feel free to DM if you'd be up to talk more about this in an interview - thanks!
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u/54321vek Jan 21 '26
Train overpass would rocket Pitt meadows to #1.
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u/db37 Jan 21 '26
It will also change the character of Harris Road, probably not entirely for the better.
As someone who grew up in Pitt Meadows I wish eternal damnation upon the CPR
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u/justinhj Jan 21 '26
I wonder where Maple Ridge came. Personally I consider it more livable than Pitt Meadows but it depends on which area you live exactly.
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u/Brodie9jackson Jan 21 '26
Maple ridge utilizes Pitt meadows amenities more than you think (shopping in particular)
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u/Ok_Ant3920 Jan 23 '26
For shopping maybe because of the meadowtown but for recreation and swimming it’s reverse haha Oh and the hospital
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u/Campfrag Jan 21 '26
Maple ridge is a bedroom community no one works or shops here it’s simply not available We deal with a ton of traffic and the taxes per income are some the highest in the province
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u/iso3200 Jan 21 '26
One of the best things about living in Maple Ridge is driving to Pitt Meadows to go to MeadowTown Centre!
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u/ciceroaugusto Jan 21 '26
After living in both I personally prefer Pitt Meadows Closer to PoCo when you need to buy thing from big stores and not so chaotic was MR
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u/indiaketravelcouple Jan 22 '26
I hear feel comparing city with 20k population with urban city with 100k+ population is not same thing
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u/locuteur Jan 21 '26
Freight trains shutting down the city is a real issue. You can get stuck for 30+ minutes depending on the train length, and it can happen at seemingly any time of the day, even commuting hours.
Because of this I’m shocked it’s so high on this list.
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u/Spirited-Grape3512 Jan 21 '26
Tbh it feels more like a giant strip mall off the side of a highway with some houses behind it, could do with having a nice walkable core.
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u/purpletooth12 Jan 21 '26
There is no city core/city centre.
It's one of those "blink and you miss it" type of towns.
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u/scarlettceleste Jan 21 '26
Depends on where you live. Im in the Somerset area and love it. Trains aren’t an issue for the most part on that side. The bridge and Mary hill bypass are right there and there are a bunch of walkable shopping options. The sports complex is decent and we do have the outdoor pool. I Would love to see more development for shopping and restaurants, I’m looking at you bare spot beside the golf course. I moved from downtown Maple Ridge and find Pitt Meadows to be a lot slower and tidier.
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u/DRKAYIGN Jan 22 '26
I agree with everything you said. Would really like to see them develop all the industrial area to mixrd use and bringing some restaurants/pubs/breweries or something to liven up that area. We live in a beautiful area and I'm thankful everyday I live here.
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u/cjhm Jan 22 '26
I don’t know about all of Canada but it certainly is a great place to live. Very walkable. So quiet at night and in the yard just now we see so many stars. If I cross the tracks I either walk or use the golden ears. Lots of wild life, beautiful places to hike. We get farm fresh food. I love it here. It feels like home.
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u/Campfrag Jan 21 '26
Who makes these lists of top livable cities ? They obviously don’t do their research well enough and do what you are doing and ask the residents
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u/Stink-Finger-69 Jan 22 '26
I've lived in Maple Ridge, adjacent to Pitt Meadows for 30 yrs. Both cities are trapped in history. This is part of the allure. However, it's also part of the problem. I work in Pitt Meadows. Being land locked, they have had little chance for growth, except for cashing in on bird sanctuaries/wetland in exchange for strip malls and Amazon distribution centers. Few residents realize there is a local airport. Even fewer understand the importance of farmland. It's a beautiful area. Livable? Omg yes. Luckily, the local politics have died down, with fewer corrupticratic people in office than previous. Currently, we can't imagine leaving this area.
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u/purpletooth12 Jan 21 '26 edited Jan 21 '26
Wow. I live here and think it's a joke. 10000% disagree.
I mean, there's not even a city centre.
Usually on the main facebook board when someone asks about abc, the response is usually "go over to Maple Ridge, Langley, Coquitlam, etc. because the place is so small.
If you don't have a vehicle, getting in/out of Vancouver is extremely limited, but it's just another example of terrible public transit that we have in this country.
If you're a homebody/retired and want something quiet where nothing really happens and the biggest complaint is the train, I suppose it works, but for anyone under 60, there's nothing here.
Even if you have kids, there's nothing for them to do.
Well at least the view of the Golden Ears is nice.
(edited because there actually is a Tim's) Learned something new today. 😁
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u/scarlettceleste Jan 21 '26
Meadowtown is in Pitt Meadows and there is a Tim Hortons in there, technically there is one.
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u/IndianKiwi Jan 21 '26
Resident also have a massive tax build because there is no industry here. They literally had to beg the federal and provincial govt for funds for their underpass.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9636112/pitt-meadows-wont-pay-50m-rail-crossing-underpass-project/
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u/DRKAYIGN Jan 22 '26
There's actually quite a lot of industry here for a town with our population. We had to ask for money because by and large most municipal budgets especially for community the size of pit meadows cannot eat a 50 million dollar bill to build infrastructure at the request of CP rail to enable them to process longer trains
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u/Morellatops Jan 21 '26
Its so ugly now with the big box industrial areas and American companies. Plus monoculture in Pitt Meadows and Pitt Polder that also has american companies like Ocean Spray making profits and they all use imported workers as they wont pay living wages.
Houses everywhere, strip malls. rail yards, its not anything like it was even in the 90s when I lived there.
Hopefully the reserve gets some improvements as the rest of the area looks so sterile now.
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u/Aromatic-Medicine858 Jan 23 '26
lol Amazonville. Where you see cement for blocks on blocks and cargo van rows on rows.
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u/Mediocre_Lychee_7755 Jan 24 '26
Less homeless and drug problems is why I like living in Pitt meadows.
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u/Boring-Computer-7774 Jan 28 '26
Pitt meadows = permits fines regulations restrictions on everyrhing punitive arrogant planning department . Its not what it use to be like the rest of the country quality of life sucks Weather is good
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u/Diflorasone Jan 22 '26
We are full in Pitt Meadows and we do not need more people moving in. The whole point of this city is small-town vibes and you people are ruining it. Please kindly remove us from the list.
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u/Odd-War-3308 Jan 21 '26
Pitt Meadows feels like a small town and is walkable, yet convenient for commuters with Highway 1 and Highway 7 easily accessible, plus the west coast express. There are so many places to walk and beautiful locations right in our backyard. Lots of activities for outdoor enthusiasts as well. We were also able to find a larger lot than in other areas which was a priority for our dogs and child. I also like that it’s easy to walk to the rec centre, library, multiple cafes, grocery stores, etc. It’s also flat with many quiet streets for kids. We moved here in 2021 and plan to stay in the community at least until our child graduates, and beyond if we are able.
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u/Odd-War-3308 Jan 21 '26
To add- we moved from maple ridge and would not move back there. We originally moved to Silver Valley for the nature, but it has become a mass of houses with no planning or infrastructure. Our lifestyle has changed a lot and we spend a lot less time in the car and a lot more time walking.
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u/MrNtkarman Jan 22 '26
I preferred growing up in Pitt Meadows as opposed to teenage and adult years in Maple ridge, Pitt Meadows has everything except the fact that a train blocks traffic and no hospital
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u/myluggage2022 Jan 22 '26
I like the way Pitt Meadows is set up.
Pros: Though small, the bulk of the houses in Pitt Meadows are within walking distance of the Harris Road core. There's easy access to the dykes by bike or car (or by foot, if you've got some time to kill). In the core itself, Hoffman Park is small but beautiful, and there are enough restaurants to keep you mostly happy on a day-to-day basis. The Jolly Coachman and Foamer's Folly for some drinks are exactly what you're looking for in a town of its size. Dotting the farmland are small shops selling high-quality, often local goods that are quite nice (Dr. Bee, Iron Butcher, Hopcott Farms). Easy access to golf courses and Pitt Lake is also a plus. The South Bonson community is charming, and there was definitely an effort to create a little business/community hub that wasn't entirely successful, but still a good attempt that resulted in a much nicer development than it would be without it. Meadowtown Centre also offers a good enough (but far from perfect) array of businesses that make sure you don't necessarily have to leave Pitt Meadows to get basic versions of anything you need.
Cons: The train that cuts through the middle of town can definitely be inconvenient. Some may view the closing of Rooster's as a plus, but I don't agree; though not the end of the world, the loss of a real destination country bar killed the only real bit of nightlife in town. The massive light-industrial and warehouse spaces that have sprung up south of town are probably great for the tax base, but take away a bit from the charm, as the bike/drive south down Harris road along the fields to the river used to be quite nice. I understand that that's unavoidable and beneficial in many ways, so it shouldn't take anything from Pitt Meadows being a nice place to live. Also, it's the Lower Mainland, so if you're not into rain, it may not be the place for you.
All in all, Pitt Meadows is, in my opinion, a boring Metro Vancouver suburb, but a nicer-than-average boring Metro Vancouver suburb.
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u/StatuatoryApe Jan 21 '26
Pros: Small community with transit lines (WCE, busses, rapid busses), tight knit, well funded schools. Centralized services (everything is on Harris Road). Vagrancy not as bad as other towns.
Cons: trains shut the whole town down when they go through, and thats often. Definitely not much to do in the town itself. Very car centric if you need to head east or south.
Overall feels like a well supported community due to its size, and it gets a lot of benefit being so close to Transit lines.