Dr. Bhupider Johar for Maple Ridge City Council 

"What I am today is because of the people of Maple Ridge and the support I have received from this community. Now I believe it is my turn to give back."

For over twenty years, Dr. Johar has been part of the fabric of Maple Ridge, first as the vet who cared for people's pets, and now as someone ready to care for the city itself. He says the city is the reason he's made it. The clients who trusted him with their pets. The neighbours who welcomed his family. The community that gave him a place to belong.

Twenty-three years later, he's still here, and he still believes he owes this city more than he's given it so far.

Dr. Johar grew up on a farm in Punjab, where he learned early that a community only works when neighbours look out for one another. He carried that with him when he immigrated to Canada in 1999, hoping to keep practicing as a veterinarian.

Getting there wasn't easy: it took four years, and a lot of jobs that had nothing to do with veterinary medicine, before he earned his licence in 2003 and opened his own practice right here in Maple Ridge. Along the way he learned firsthand what it means to fight for fairness, an experience that has stayed with him ever since.

Twenty-three years later, he's still here, still watching cricket at Selvey Park, still on the tennis courts at MRSS where his own kids once played, and he still believes he owes this city more than he's given it so far.

For 16 years he's been a director with the Ridge Meadows South Asian Cultural Society, work that includes organizing Maple Ridge's first-ever Vaisakhi Celebration. He's chaired the city's Agriculture Advisory Committee, spent years volunteering with the Ridge Meadows Cricket Association, and given his own time and veterinary skills to the BC SPCA and Katie's Place, caring for animals who needed it most.

That's why he's running. 

On Council, he'll push for:

• Getting Bus Rapid Transit done and finishing Abernethy Way, so no family has to choose between a doctor's appointment and a day of work just to get there
• Helping local businesses invest and stay, so Maple Ridge has more jobs and a stronger tax base
• Investing in parks and recreation that reflect the full community that calls Maple Ridge home

"I think about the seniors in our community who can no longer drive; a reliable transit connection means they can still get to a family dinner or their place of worship without depending on someone else to take a day off work to drive them. That's true for a lot of families in Maple Ridge, not just mine."

A Better Maple Ridge is a team of neighbours from across this community who believe local government works best when it stays focused on local solutions. 

We're building something here, and there's a place in it for you!