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Maple Ridge Post Office — First Among Many
When the district incorporated in 1874, the total population was about 20 families. These families were scattered along the north bank of the Fraser from the Pitt to the Stave, with the majority located between Hammond and Kanaka Creek.
The closest thing to a centre was the area that is now the foot of Laity Street where it meets River Road. This is where the first post office was established in 1876 with the name "Maple Ridge Post Office". All settlers had to travel to this location to get their mail.
In 1885, the Maple Ridge Post Office was closed to make way for new ones in Port Haney and Port Hammond, both named after founding citizens. The Whonnock Post Office also opened in 1885. All three of these openings were related to the coming of the CPR and its stations. The Maple Ridge post office was up a steep bank away from the tracks so it was no longer a good location. It is interesting to note that in the 1970's, when Canada Post insisted on the change from Haney to Maple Ridge, people reacted as though this were a newly invented name being imposed from on high when it was, in fact, the original name.
As postal districts became larger and door-to-door delivery from a central station more common, all the local postal addresses were gradually taken under the umbrella of "Maple Ridge". The name of the first and most short-lived local postal address [which had only applied to the area around the foot of Laity Street when first established] was to be applied to the whole district as of 1970.
There was another choice. Haney had gone to door to door delivery in 1950 under the postal name "Haney". When Hammond also wanted this service, they were told they would have to adopt the designation "Haney". That was too much to ask. Haney and Hammond had been rivals in almost everything. "Maple Ridge" was seen as the more neutral choice and so the old original name was reinstated.
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