City of Maple Ridge to take over operations of ACT Arts Centre

For the past 22 years, the ACT Arts Centre has been a cultural and artistic hub for the community. The centre, which is located at 11944 Haney Place, Maple Ridge, sees an average of 70,000 visitors annually to its exhibitions, performances, and art gallery. Approximately 3,500 residents participate in art classes organized by ACT Arts Centre, which offers visual arts, ceramics, music, dance, and theatre classes. 

Although technically ACT is the property of the City of Maple Ridge, since its founding in 2003, the centre has been managed by the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Arts Council. This is all set to change on January 1, 2026. 

The City of Maple Ridge announced on Sept. 8 that it will assume operations of the centre at the start of next year. For its part, the city has not provided clear reasons for this decision, although there are implied financial motivations. 

“Given how much The ACT benefits our community, this change will allow the City to have more direct influence over the operation, maintenance, and programming of the Centre while remaining accountable to local taxpayers,” the City of Maple Ridge said in its announcement. “A dedicated City team will oversee operations, ensuring accountability, financial transparency, and alignment with community priorities.”

Dan Ruimy, the mayor of Maple Ridge, also implied that there is a financial incentive for the decision to take over ACT Centre’s operations. 

“The ACT is at the heart of Maple Ridge’s vibrant arts scene, and our priority is to ensure it remains a place where creativity and culture can flourish,” said Ruimy. “The City is grateful for the dedication and contributions of the Arts Council in stewarding The ACT for more than 20 years. With more than $1 million in annual investment by the City, this change allows us to manage taxpayer dollars responsibly and transparently while creating new opportunities to expand access to arts and culture for residents. We look forward to engaging the Arts Council and other partners in shaping future cultural initiatives.”

The city also provided reassurances in its public announcement that it would retain the centre’s staff, volunteers, and contractors “where possible,” and the centre would remain open to the public throughout the transition. It also said that the decision came after a year of discussions with the Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Arts Council. 

However, the Arts Council painted a very different picture in its public announcement about the city’s decision. It disputed several of the city’s statements, adding that the decision to take over operations was unilateral and did not involve any public engagement or an independent assessment.  

“In a press release from the City of Maple Ridge, the City claims a million-dollar annual investment in the centre and its operations, a figure that the Arts Council disputes. The Arts Council notes that it operates the centre as a not-for-profit organization, with a budget of approximately $2.5M annually, and that the City contributes less than a third to its current operation,” the Arts Council said in a statement. 

Only time will tell whether the city will keep its promises of retaining staff, volunteers, and contractors and keep the current programming. If the decision is financially motivated, there may be upcoming cost-cutting measures. 

“The Arts Council is deeply disappointed that the City of Maple Ridge has chosen to end the agreement with one of its oldest community partners before pursuing an assessment exploring the best sustainable options for the Centre and its long-term benefit to the community, as we have been advocating for,” said artistic and executive director Curtis Pendleton.

“The City presented the Arts Council with an untenable ‘take-it-or-leave-it’ agreement that would have greatly diminished the Arts Council’s capacity and future. It had been our hope that the City would engage in good-faith dialogue with us and with an expert third-party consultant to address the many real challenges arts centres are facing across Canada, and to work together on solutions. Instead, City Council made a unilateral decision, without any advance notice to us before sharing their decision publicly. We believe that this decision will ultimately be judged as a very hasty and costly mistake.”