Introduction
“As a community museum, stories are what we do. Our job is to preserve and celebrate the stories of Maple Ridge and its residents, whether their ancestors have been on this land since time immemorial, or if they moved here two months ago. We tell these stories through artifacts, exhibits, events, presentations, and social media. We use a mixture of tangible and intangible ways to explore Maple Ridge’s past and educate the public. We try to tell these stories from different perspectives so that the viewer or listener can share in that new perspective. In short, the stories we hear and tell help us care about each other and about the city we all share. We believe all stories are important, and the stories of Maple Ridge are what add richness to our community. That is how we learn from our past and inform our future.”
In 2025 Maple Ridge Museum created a temporary exhibit in partnership with the annual Earth Day celebration held in Memorial Peace Park on April 26, 2025. The 2025 Earth Day theme was Stories. Stories bring people together and connect us across time and distance. They can be told in so many ways – through music & dance, visual art & tattoos, oral & written traditions. The annual festival used this theme to weave together environmentalism, community, tradition, and performance.
Prior to the festival, we launched the idea for this exhibit. Here of All Places asks the question, “Of all the places in the world, why is Maple Ridge your home?” Some Maple Ridge residents have ancestors who have lived on this land since time immemorial. Some residents moved here two months ago. All of them make up the community we have today. We asked residents, businesses, and community groups to share their own personal stories. This could be done in multiple ways. The physical exhibit had a recording device in the shape of a rotary phone where people could record their voices. We had handouts with prompts and space to write answers. We had handouts with space to draw a response. People could email us their story or comment on one of our social media posts. We promoted this exhibit at community events, including the Children and Family Resource Fair at the Maple Ridge Library, Pride in the Park, and of course Earth Day itself. In short, we tried to make story telling as accessible as possible.
This exhibit was on display from April 3 to August 29. During this time we continued to receive submissions. Everything we received was collected with the intention of adding them to this permanent online space. We hope you enjoy reading these stories and seeing what your fellow community members find special about the city we share.
“Maple Ridge Public Library is delighted to celebrate Maple Ridge Earth Day 2025 at Memorial Peace Park on Saturday, April 26. This year’s theme, Stories, holds a special place in our hearts. Libraries are naturally home to countless stories—found in books, movies, music, and shared through our beloved programs like Babytime and Storytime. But stories are more than what’s on our shelves; they’re the threads of connection we weave within our community. From students and seniors to young families and newcomers, every library visitor brings their own story, enriching our shared narrative. Libraries are not just places to borrow or hear stories—they are spaces where people come together to create and live stories that celebrate the beauty of this city and its people.”
On Paper
Anaya, age 7
Felix, age 5
Naomi, age 10
Sukhdeep & Gurpreet
Arjun, age 6
Harley, age 7
Kirosh
Peqri
Edward, age 4 (slide)
Anonymous
Felix, age 5
Ayana, age 9
Annie, age 4
Arjun, age 6
Amber, age 11
Anonymous
Makayla, age 5/6
Ruhin, age 5
Anonymous
Ethan, age 9
Gracielle, age 4
Anonymous
Adhithri, age 8
Jaxx
Ali, age 6
Katie, age 8/9
Here of All Places
Out one night,
just driving through,
not really looking
for somewhere new
to live,
when in Whonnock,
the house said, “Stop!”
It called to us
with its raked rooftop
that almost,
nearly
touched the ground.
And the trees!
A whole forest
hugged right round.
Though it needed work
(so much work),
one thing was clear,
we’d found our place,
and that place was
here.-by Tiffany Stone
children’s book author,
resident of Whonnock since 2008
Maple Ridge Non-Profit Stories
From the Phone
Anonymous:
Abby, age 8:
Arjun, age 6:
Julia:
Daniel:
Joan:
David:
Julie:
Harrison, age 6:
Maple Ridge Business Stories
Exhibit Photos
Acknowledgements
Thank you to Leanne Koehn for her tireless work in organizing the annual Earth Day festival in Maple Ridge. Thank you to James Rowley for collecting and editing the non-profit stories and writing the story of Earth Day. Thank you to the Maple Ridge Business Improvement Association for encouraging local businesses to contribute their stories. Lastly, thank you to everyone who contributed to this exhibit.