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Friday - Sept. 12 - Abbotsford hosts community tree-planting event
Lubna El Elaimy
September 12, 2025
⛅️ High 23C
Good morning!
I wonder what the future holds for the arts in Canada. On the surface, it may seem like everything is fine, but in the past year or so, I’ve seen several arts spaces close down, arts councils losing their funding, and generally feeling the squeeze and the slow eroding of programming. It’s heartbreaking.
There is also a trend of municipalities taking over art centres and galleries, and whether or not that is a good thing remains to be seen.
Today’s main story discusses the recent decision by the City of Maple Ridge to assume operations of the ACT Arts Centre, an important community hub for the arts in Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows.
Although the Current doesn’t usually cover Maple Ridge, I thought this might be relevant and important for readers.
What do you think? Should cities take over arts programming and venues?
– Lubna
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News
City of Maple Ridge to take over operations of ACT Arts Centre
ACT Arts Centre 📸 Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows Arts Council
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.”
Related
Need to Know
🏛️ Langley Township has ordered Langley Animal Protection Society to leave its leased facilities within one month after the organization declined to negotiate a new contract, as the Township plans to transfer animal control duties to bylaw officers [Langley Advance Times]
🏍️ The same Langley RCMP officer caught two motorcyclists on separate occasions speeding at 124 km/h and 143 km/h, resulting in both vehicles being impounded for a week and riders receiving excessive speed tickets [Langley Advance Times]
🚜 A $150,000 Kubota skid-steer loader taken from a Hope construction site was found at a Mission acreage, where police detained two individuals and discovered evidence of additional criminal connections [Mission City Record]
🔥 A Tuesday night cooking fire at a Chilliwack residence sent three people to hospital with one suffering serious burns and two others minor injuries, prompting kitchen safety warnings from fire officials [Chilliwack Progress]
💧 Hope District Council approved spending $700,000 from reserves for urgent sludge removal at the municipal wastewater facility after buildup reached critical levels near the water surface [Hope Standard]
💰 Timothy Hockridge of Abbotsford plans to mark his $500,000 Daily Grand lottery win with an iced cappuccino while considering how the windfall might expand his life choices [Fraser Valley Today]
🌊 The annual B.C. Rivers Day cleanup event on September 28 at Thompson Regional Park will include volunteer registration, complimentary meals, and environmental stewardship activities [Fraser Valley Today]
🎗️ Mill Lake Park will host Fraser Valley Recovery Day on September 13, a free community gathering featuring personal stories, entertainment, and resources to combat addiction stigma [Abbotsford News]
☺ TODAY’S SMILE: Congrats to Linda Borden for being the first reader to correctly identify Wednesday’s Current Cam location as Chilliwack Library.
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SPONSORED BY CITY OF ABBOTSFORD
Update from Abbotsford City Council
Check out some of the important work being done by Abbotsford City Council in the latest update of Your Council in the Community.
The Agenda
The City of Abbotsford is hosting a community tree-planting event. 📸 Shutterstock
Abbotsford hosts community tree-planting event
The City of Abbotsford’s Parks Planning division is hosting a tree-planting event on Sept. 27, from 12:30 - 3:30 pm at Amblewood Park to celebrate Tree Canada’s National Tree Day. The event is open to all members of the community who are encouraged to participate.
“City staff will be helping volunteers to plant new park trees, while Invasive Art Initiative will be showing participants how to make keychains from invasive plants,” the city said in its announcement.
The city will offer free keychain-making workshops every 15-20 minutes between 12:30 and 2:30pm. Each workshop has a five-person capacity.
Tree planting sessions will take place every 30 minutes from 12:30 to 3:30, with a capacity of four participants per session. Visitors intending to participate are required to sign up for their preferred time slots once they arrive.
Visitors will receive a tree-seedling to plant at home and expert advice from the city’s arborist.
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🗓 Things to do
Fraser Valley Recovery Day: A free family-oriented celebration takes place September 13 from 11:00 AM - 3:00 PM, featuring music, food, kids' activities, and networking opportunities with service providers.
Pumpkin Spice Creamsicle Launch Party: A brewery will debut their new seasonal beer on September 13 with the drink available on tap and in cans, plus nitro pours, floats, and fritter pairings throughout the day.
Thai Basics Cooking Class: Chef GJ will teach participants how to make som tam salad, chicken satay, pad thai, and red curry from scratch during this cooking class on September 16 from 6-9 PM.
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