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Diversified, Thriving Economy

City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan

Diversified, Thriving Economy Priority Statement

Our local economy is as diverse and vibrant as our community. We attract business investment to balance our tax base and provide employment opportunities across different sectors and our businesses are supported in their growth and innovation goals. Our community is a destination for seekers of arts, culture and outdoor adventure.

Initiative Status Snapshot
Diversified, Thriving Economy

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Status Legend

Symbol	Status Title
	Key Result or Initiative in Progress
	Key Result Partially Met - No Further Action
	Key Result Fully Met - No Further Action
	Initiative Complete
	Initiative Under Review
	Initiative Needs Attention
	Key Result or Initiative Not Started
	Key Result or Initiative Not Met

Key Results	KR End Date	Initiatives	Initiative End Date	Initiative Status Icon		Initiative External Update
Key Results	KR End Date	Initiatives	Initiative End Date	Q4-24	Q1-25	Q1-25
Objectives Attract, retain and expand business investment to diversify the tax base and increase local employment
Complete a Business Retention & Expansion (BR&E) Analysis and Implementation Plan	5/30/25	Develop business retention and expansion analysis and implementation plan	5/30/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	This project has progressed well, and staff are reviewing the final strategy which will be brought forward to Council in the coming weeks for endorsement. The work to retain and expand the existing businesses in Maple Ridge is closely related to the completion and implementation of the Investment Attraction Strategy and will be aligned when this initial plan is completed. Future focus will be on ensuring that the appropriate supports are in place for existing Maple Ridge businesses to foster their continued success and growth despite challenging economic times.
Develop an Incentive Strategy for New Business Attraction	9/30/25	Develop an Incentive Strategy for new business attraction	9/30/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	This work is linked to the investment attraction strategy the city is building to encourage businesses to locate and operate in Maple Ridge. Early work is in development on this strategy to consider additional business incentives and will be brought forward after the Investment Strategy has been endorsed by Council.
Develop an Investment Attraction Strategy for targeted industries, including a value/supply chain strategy	5/5/25	Conduct investment attraction analysis and Implementation plan for targeted industries	5/5/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	A draft strategy is now complete and is being reviewed internally. This draft strategy is a culmination of many elements including but not limited to Investment attraction best practices, an in-depth analysis of competitive bench marketing and other analysis. Once the Strategy is finalized and endorsed by Council this part of the work will be completed, and future initiatives will focus on delivering the recommendations on the plan to drive business attraction efforts to encourage businesses to locate in Maple Ridge.
Ensure that the business licensing process and service delivery is capable of processing 20% more applications annually	12/31/25	Increase staffing levels for business licensing processing	12/31/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	Planning for staffing level changes in business license processing has commenced but the initiative will likely be brought forward in late 2025 to inform budget allocations for 2026. The goal of this work is to improve staffing coverage for business license applications and renewals and will take place in the context of other customer experience improvements.
	12/31/25	Complete business license process and digital application review	6/30/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	Work is well underway to make continuous improvements to the business licence processes to streamline and improve the experience for our business community. Several elements of this work have been completed including process mapping to look for efficiencies and development of new tools including online review of applications to accelerate the process and get businesses operating or renewed faster. Work is still continuing on more resources for the Building & Bylaw front counters to support applicants and updating our website resources for the business licencing section. The form will also be updated to make it easier to complete. The updates are expected to be in place by the end of Q2 2025.
Objectives Expand training and educational options in Maple Ridge to build a skilled workforce that attracts innovative businesses
Establish a collaborative Tech Hub to specifically nurture the growth of technologically inclined entrepreneurs	6/30/25	Establish a collaborative Tech Hub to specifically nurture the growth of technologically inclined entrepreneurs	6/30/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	Work was undertaken in 2024 and 2025 to create relationships and build partnerships with post-secondary institutions and business groups to create events, and other elements that can build momentum for a potential future tech hub. This initiative will continue and be informed by other work on the Investment Attraction Strategy and pending funding with UBC to enable specific projects that will stimulate technology focused business development in Maple Ridge. A further update will be provided at the end of Q2 2025.
Complete a Labour Market and Gap Analysis	9/5/25	Conduct Labour Market Gap Analysis	9/5/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	The City has been working with Work BC to obtain funding to support a targeted labour market assessment. This work is related to the Invesment Attraction and Business Retention and Expansion Analysis - draft strategy, which is expected to be endorsed in later Q2 2025. The city will advance this project when funding is confirmed, to use the data to inform the Investment Attraction Project.
Objectives Explore and maximize tourism opportunities as a means to further diversify the local economy
Implement a net promotor score for Adventure Hub, Urban Hot Spots, and Farm Fresh experiences , set the baseline, and improve by 20%	12/31/26	Implement Net Promoter Score for Adventure Hub, Urban Hot Spots, and Farm Fresh Experiences with a set baseline and improve by 20% by the end of 2025	12/31/26	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	Establishing a way to track the impact of key agricultural and adventure tourism assets in Maple Ridge was a core focus of this initiative. A Net Promoter Score uses data and surveys from customers to assess the degree to which people enjoy an event, activity or tourism location enough to recommend it to others. The goal is to score highly and this would mean that everyone who visits these attractions in Maple Ridge rates them highly and encourages others to visit, growing the business overall. In 2024 and 2025 the City undertook research and was able to create a baseline of data for our Net Promoter Score for these areas of tourist businesses. Later in 2026/2027 we will continue to survey to maintain a focus on progress to improve our Net Promoter Score. The first phase of the work is completed and the initiative will be kept open and active until the target of a 20% improvement in our Net Promoter Score is achieved.
	12/31/26	Complete regulatory review of eco-tourism, adventure tourism and agri-tourism policies	12/31/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	This work will conduct a comprehensive examination of policies governing nature-based travel, thrilling experiences, and farm-oriented getaways to ensure City regulations enable sustainable development, safeguard natural habitats, and foster economic growth. Once analysis is completed it will be brought forward for Council review in late 2025.
Objectives Foundational Initiatives for Diversified, Thriving Economy
Foundational Initiatives for Diversified, Thriving Economy	N/A	Facilitate Downtown Revitalization Initiatives	12/31/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	The City has developed comprehensive activities to support local businesses and residents in the downtown area. This work relates to Operations department activities to do dedicated clean ups in the downtown core, and with the work of the Bylaws and RCMP teams to implement the Community Safety Plan. Together this work will further enhance beautification, cleanliness, safety and vibrant social and economic activity in the town centre of Maple Ridge. Further communications will be coming out in Q2 2025 for upcoming events, and activations to encourage residents to visit and enjoy the downtown and support local businesses.
		Conduct Albion Industrial Land Use and Servicing Analysis	6/30/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	This work will conduct a comprehensive examination of policies governing nature-based travel, thrilling experiences, and farm-oriented getaways to ensure City regulations enable sustainable development, safeguard natural habitats, and foster economic growth.
		Refresh Agricultural Plan	10/30/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	This project is anticipated to be advanced in future business planning cycles. It was not approved for funding in 2025 due to competing priorities. However, the City is committed to remaining focused on developing the agricultural sector in Maple Ridge and will be proposing new related actions under the forthcoming Climate Action Plan that relate to the refresh of the Agricultural Plan.

Diversified, Thriving Economy Completed Key Results

Key Results	KR End Date	Initiatives	Initiative End Date	Initiative Status Icon		Initiative External Update
Key Results	KR End Date	Initiatives	Initiative End Date	Q4-24	Q1-25	Q1-25
Objectives Expand training and educational options in Maple Ridge to build a skilled workforce that attracts innovative businesses
Create a formal, collaborative partnership with a post-secondary institution	9/30/25	Collaborate with post-secondary institutions on feasibility study to develop and sustain program training that addresses workforce needs	3/31/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	In 2024 and early 2025 considerable work was done to build a collaboration with key partners to encourage location of a post-secondary institution in Maple Ridge. Establishing a collaboration model is now completed and will continue to be maintained. Future work will focus on connecting the post-secondary engagement and collaboration to investment attraction needs regarding the future labour force. This aspect of the feasibility study for post-secondary intuitions is now completed. It will remain a longer-term focus for the City to prepare for an upturn in growth of the post-secondary sector as current external factors such as immigration policy have made the operating environment more challenging in the medium term for post-secondary institutions expansion and growth in satellite campuses.
	9/30/25	Pre-work for: Creating a formalized partnership with a post secondary institution	9/30/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	This work is now completed. Foundational work to build partnerships with potential post-secondary institutions that may locate facilities in the community in the future has been successful. External factors have caused a realignment in the post-secondary sector which mean that the viability of a new institution locating in Maple Ridge in the short to medium term is less likely. Staff are continuing to engage with the sector to prepare for future expansion of the post-secondary sector and align this with the Investment Attraction and business expansion needs of the community.
Objectives Explore and maximize tourism opportunities as a means to further diversify the local economy
Increase film-based tourism by 10%	12/31/24	Electrification of Railway Lot for film (Creative BC Reel Green Grant) and continued through BC hydro incentive offer	11/29/24	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	Electrification of the Railway Waterfront Filming Location was completed in 2024. Staff are now working to attract film companies who have shown strong demand for these facilities. The work will be ongoing, but this part of the initiative is now completed. Film companies save money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by using the lots so it serves multiple purposes for industry while increasing the number of film productions that choose Maple Ridge as an attractive destination for filming.
Increase film-based tourism by 10%	12/31/24	Implement a circular economy program to re-purpose film set materials	2/28/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	Initial investigative work to determine if a circular economy model could work for film sets was undertaken in 2024 and 2025. This identified barriers to implementation that would prevent this moving forward in the short to mid-term for the film sector. The City is committed to looking for new opportunities to prioritize recycling and circular economy projects for industries to support economic growth and achieve climate goals and lower costs by reducing waste to our landfills. No further action will be taken at this time on the Film Set circular economy model originally proposed.
Develop an event attraction strategy for tourist-driven events aligned with community-based events	3/21/25	Develop an Event Attraction Strategy for Tourist-driven Events Aligned with Community Based Events	3/21/25	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	City of Maple Ridge Corporate Plan	The event attraction strategy has been prepared and was reviewed by Council for input in Q1, 2025. Staff are now working though the strategy recommendations determine next steps to foster events that have multiplier benefits for the community through tourism attraction, business development and aligns well with existing community based and recreational events. Future initiatives will be put in place to enact the strategy and undertake work in earnest to target the attraction of specific high profile events (e.g., concerts, cultural events and festivals, film festivals, sports and games events) that can generate tourism and community outcomes.