#WeAreMapleRidge

Name: Rick Moyer

How long have you called Maple Ridge home? Twenty years. I used to come out here as a kid with my dad, to Haney Speedway. As an adult I decided to make it home.

What inspires you to give? It’s in my blood, I get it from my mom. Giving is like singing a love song. I like to give away umbrellas and gloves to people in the street. They are inexpensive and it helps them out; it feels good to give.

What is the kindest thing someone has done for you lately? Someone made me breakfast recently, that dish where you bake an egg into the middle of a piece of bread. I had never had that before, it was nice.

What makes you proud to be from Maple Ridge? When I work as a DJ, I get to go to many different events at cool old halls such as the one in Silverdale. We have these small, unique communities still within Maple Ridge. I love our feel. I also love that you can ride a horse in Maple Ridge.

What do you do to keep happy and healthy? I run and swim, give back to the community and spend time doing things I love to do such as singing, working as a DJ, taking photos, playing guitar.

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Name: April Lacheur

How long have you lived in Maple Ridge? Five months. We moved here because we wanted more space. We love to be outside. As an artist who likes to paint nature, I’m drawn to natural beauty. Maple Ridge is spacious, we have the backdrop of the mountains, it’s great.

What inspires you to give? I just feel so lucky and privileged in my life, and I want to give to those less fortunate.

Do you have any favourite local hangouts yet? We keep finding great places. Kanaka Creek, Cliff Park, Gold Creek at Alouette Lake.

What do you do to keep happy and healthy? I try to spend lots of time outside, nature makes me happy. I also recently started practicing yoga. It helps me destress, be mindful and aware. I have also chosen a career that I love. I believe if we spend our lives working, we should do something we love.

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To read more #WeAreMapleRidge stories, please click here.

Name: Bonnie Telep

How long have you lived in Maple Ridge? I have lived here since I was 17 years old.

What inspires you to give? I like helping people. I am so lucky in my life; I believe humanity needs to share, bottom line. I have always volunteered.

Why are you proud to call Maple Ridge home? Maple Ridge is a nice community. We are close to Vancouver, but still have a small town feel. There are beautiful green farms and lots of amenities; it’s the best of both worlds.

What do you do to keep happy and healthy? I exercise every morning with my husband, walk the Vancouver seawall most Saturday evenings, play tennis and read.

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To read more #WeAreMapleRidge stories, please click here.

Name: Sophia

How long have you lived in Maple Ridge? My whole entire life.

Why do you think it’s important to help others? We have to help others because it’s a good thing. It makes me feel happy.

Where is your favourite place in Maple Ridge? I love the Maple Ridge Park. It’s fun to play on the twisty thing.

What do you want to be when you grow up? I want to be a doctor, because they fix people.

What is the nicest thing someone has done for you lately? My Mummy made me food, and then I helped her clean the car.

Name: Dennis Hemminger

How long have you lived in Maple Ridge? 49 years! I was born and raised here.

Why are you proud to call it home? There’s a lot of amenities close at hand here in Maple Ridge. As well, Maple Ridge is a tight knit community. People and organizations work well together, network together. We do community well.

Youth Unlimited received a grant from MRCF recently. How will this money help the organization reach its goals? This money allows us to continue to move further forward. It provides us with an opportunity to have longevity as an organization by being seed money for an expansion. In 2014 the grant we received from MRCF allowed us to expand our program to a fourth high school. This year, we plan to expand into a fifth.

What inspires you to give? I am a Christian, so first and foremost I am inspired by God. Beyond that, I have always realized that it’s not what I can get out of life, it’s what I can do. I have always had a community mindset.

Name: Fred Armstrong

How long have you called Maple Ridge home? I came here in the late 80s to work at the local paper. This community embraced me, gave me opportunities to grow and contribute. It won my heart.

What inspires you to give? Seeing other people giving is inspiring. I see individuals who give of themselves so generously, often in unsung positions such as volunteering at their church, or the kid’s soccer coaches who are out there every week in the rain. I can’t help but be inspired by these people.

Do you have any favourite local hangouts? I love to take nature photos. It’s great that in just 10 minutes from my home and work, I can be in a trail that the Haney Horsemen built, with a cathedral of beautiful trees, or on the 216th Street dikes looking out at cranberry fields.

What is the kindest thing someone has done for you lately? I have friends who were recently traveling around Europe. Throughout their vacation, they would post photos on Facebook and tag their friends, me included, in photos of things or places they thought would interest each of us individually. It was really thoughtful.

What makes you proud to be from Maple Ridge? When the community gathers, it’s so great. During the 2010 Olympic torch relays, there was a crowd of five to six thousand people gathered here in Memorial Peace Park and suddenly everyone started to sing Oh Canada. This year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies had the largest crowd I’ve seen here.