Archive for October, 2010

Tourism Maple Ridge & Pitt Meadows (TMRPM) is seeking a motivated individual to participate in a Job Creation Project.

This initiative, funded by the Province of British Columbia under the Employment & Labour Market Services, enables participants to receive benefits while experiencing the opportunity to enhance or maintain their employment skills and develop a network of future employers.

Positions are open only to individuals who are currently receiving unemployment benefits or have done so in the past 36 months or to individuals who are returning to work for the first time following a maternity/paternity leave within the past 5 years.

Employment skills include:  Hospitality Personality, customer service; organizational skills; competent knowledge of Microsoft Word; Excel; Internet email; communication skills, both spoken and written and an acute attention to detail.

The TMRPM project will address the objectives of the organization by creating an inventory of community events, promoting events and the community through social media, web site maintenance, media releases and story ideas, representing the community at events and business functions and be trained as a travel counsellor to assist visitors who come to the Visitor Centre.

This position will require the applicant to work weekends during the months of July and August.

This full time position, 35 hours a week, is contracted for a term no longer than 52 weeks or until the participant obtain other employment. Candidates will be approved by their caseworker prior to being offered a position. Salary is equal to EI Benefits.

Applicants must be E I. eligible.

Deliver resumes to [email protected] or mail to  12492 Harris Road, Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2J4. NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

Registration Open for 4th Annual Pumpkin Cross

October 2, 2010 (Maple Ridge, BC) – With fall comes cyclocross season, and since cyclocross racing is well underway in B.C., it means the much-anticipated Pumpkin ‘Cross presented by Local Ride Bike Shop is nearly upon us. The Fourth Annual Halloween-themed Pumpkin Cross race to be held at the Maple Ridge Equestrian Centre in Maple Ridge is set for Sunday, October 24. Registration for BC Cup event is now available online at www.karelo.com.

“After three years of successful Pumpkin Crosses behind us, we can guarantee the 2010 edition will be better than ever,” said race organizer Barry Lyster. “As usual, we’re encouraging competitors to wear costumes and we will be awarding prizes for the best one. We also give a cash bonus to any rider who wins his or her category in costume.”

The race’s festive Halloween theme is great fun for all ages and will make the exciting, dirty, and action-filled cycling discipline of cyclocross even more entertaining for spectators. Beyond the usual obstacles of barriers, run-ups, sand, tight corners, slick grass and roots, racers will have to tackle riding in costumes that may not be optimal attire for bike riding.

In the race’s first year, the costume contest winner was a creative creature from the sea with a sparkling and spiky blowfish helmet cover. In the second year, the iconic “Carrot” took the title hands down, while last year, the Incredible Hulk rode away with the glory.

“Every year, the costumes get better and better,” said 2007 Pumpkin Cross costume contest winner Sandra Walter. “I thought I had a good chance last year with my ‘Super Clean Girl’ get-up, but it just wasn’t enough to take back the title.”

Pumpkin Cross is accessible to all ages and all levels of riders with beginner men’s and women’s categories available, as well as a U17 youth race and a kid’s race. The highlight of the day will be the elite men’s and open women’s races, featuring the top cyclocross riders in B.C. vying for the BC Cup title. For more information, visit www.localride.ca and click on Races to follow the links to Pumpkin Cross.

Great prizes and support are provided by Local Ride Bike Shop, Maple Ridge Equestrian Centre, Cycles Lambert, Giant Bicycles, Cycling BC, Maxxis, Lezyne, Gore Ride-On Cables, Tifosi Optics, Kicking Horse Coffee.

Media Contact:
Barry Lyster, Race Organizer
604-466-2016 (work), 604-312-3318 (mobile), [email protected]

This year Ghost Ridge is opening their doors on two different weekends, October 22nd – 23rd and October 28th – 30th. Another huge change for the event is that there will not be a separate Kids Ghost Ridge for the younger kids. The loss of the “not so scary” will be replaced with the early opening of the Ghost Ridge Haunted House which will allow the young and folks that don’t enjoy the fear factor to visit Ghost Ridge.  Between 5pm – 6pm the haunted house will have no dimming of lights, no fear of turning a corner and no costumed scary actors unexpectedly jumping out. There will be one actor in each set in a position of security only. Come and feast your eyes on the decorating and creative skills of the organizing groups.

For the visitors who crave the scare, scream and heart thumping, the theme is “The After Death…” . It all starts in a funeral home and then takes you through what each group’s interpretation of the worse kind of HELL. The seven deadly sins, a chilling water feature, a deadly forest are just a few of the sets being created down at the Maple Ridge Fairgrounds. All four non-profit groups have been working on design and construction from September to treat our local residents and beyond to the “best for less” haunted house in the Fraser Valley. The committee is dedicated to taking scary to a new level.

Admission prices are:  $ 7 for everyone  – 6pm – 9pm
$5 for children (non – scary hour)  5pm – 6pm
Nobody is paid on this project and all profits will be donated to the four local non-profit groups that work hard to make this unique event happen in our community.

The 2010 groups are:
Maple Ridge Pitt Meadows Agricultural Association
Society for Creative Anachronism -Medieval Group
Millennium Players – Theatrical Group
Ridge Canoe and Kayak Club

Win a Halloween Costume!!!
On the first weekend (Friday, October 22nd & Saturday, October 23rd) each child that visits Ghost Ridge will have the opportunity to win a Halloween Costume. With the generosity of the Lower Mainland Christmas Bureau approximately one hundred costumes will be won. Each child will be given a numbered ticket and the winning numbers will posted at the exit door. All winners will be asked to go to the “Family Friendly Waiting and Activity Area” opposite the Maple Ridge Lions Club Kitchen and pick out the costume of their choice. Come early and get the ultimate choices. If there isn’t a costume that is the correct size for the winner, they may be asked to pick one for another family member.
Family Friendly Waiting and Activity Area

This area is situated in the Exhibition Building opposite the Lions Club Kitchen. It is offered to provide an area where family members who either have already visited the haunted house and are waiting for other members to go through or have children who just simply doesn’t want to go through. Babysitting will not be provided. There will be coloring and some activities offered by the Maple Ridge Lions to raise funds for the fireworks. On Saturday, October 30th Mad Science will be featuring a free show.
Maple Ridge Lions Club Food Concession
As in previous years the Maple Ridge Lions will be ready to take your food orders at the Main Kitchen. Why not make a night of it, have supper and then go to the haunted house. Remember profits from food sales assist with the fireworks costs.

Fireworks!!!
In a generous effort to give the residents of Maple Ridge and Pitt Meadows an unbelievable Halloween experience, Maple Ridge Fire Department and Maple Ridge Lions have joined forces to feature a firework display.
There is a strong rumour of a “Bonfire” for 2010, watch the newspaper or our visit our website at www.ghostridge.org for times and more details.
GHOST RIDGE HAUNTED HOUSE IS INSIDE EVENT BUT THERE MAY BE LINEUPS AND SO PLEASE REMEMBER TO BRING WARM CLOTHING

Submitted by: Lorraine Bates, Ghost Ridge Committee Member
Phone: W: 604-463-6922  —H: 604-462-7995
Email: [email protected]

People with some hand-held communications devices can now get basic information about Metro Vancouver’s 22 regional parks via the Internet.

Metro Vancouver has released an application or “app” for users of Apple Computer’s 3G-enabled iPhone and iPad devices.

Finding a regional park while on the road has never been easier. A new app called iParks Explorer uses the built-in location services in iPhones to provide directions to each park – whether you are walking, cycling, driving or taking transit. Other features include a calendar of interpretive programs, special events, updated park advisories and safety information. Users can even assign regional parks to a “favourites” list – something that’s particularly useful if someone has one or two favourite parks that they often visit.

Over the next three months, Metro Vancouver will gather feedback and assess the effectiveness of this first application for regional parks. Future versions under development include interactive maps, audio, streaming video, enhanced levels of interpretation and educational games for children. Versions will also be designed to function on other communication devices such as Blackberry and Android phones.

“This product will facilitate our goal of getting 10 million visits to our regional parks and greenways by the end of 2012,” said Gayle Martin, Metro Vancouver Parks Committee Chair.  “Technology on its own is no substitute for getting people outdoors and enjoying a regional park. This provides mobile users with easier access to information and encourages them to get outside and enjoy the health and wellness benefits of an active lifestyle.”

iParks Explorer is free and can be downloaded directly from iTunes App Store (search “iParks”) or Click here to see it in the iTunes preview.

For more information visit www.metrovancouver.org, search for “iParks Explorer.”