Community Links
Links to helpful resources for living in Ryder Lake:
Facebook Pages, Groups and Ryder Lake Email List
There are four very active residents-only Facebook groups that you can join:
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Ryder Lake Family and Friends
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Ryder Lake
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Ryder Lake Alerts
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Ryder Lake Farm and Garden
Plus there are public pages for both the Ryder Lake Farmers' Institute and Ryder Lake Women's Institute.
There is also an Email list for announcements which picks up some of the Facebook posts - contact Peter Whitlock at editorRLnews@gmail.com to be added to this list. You may opt out of this list at any time.
Police / RCMP
In and emergency call 9-1-1 and be prepared to give an exact address with cross street to help dispatchers unfamiliar with this area.
The Chilliwack Community Policing Office is located at 45924 Airport Rd. For non-emergencies, call them at 604-792-4611.
You can use the RCMP Online Crime Reporting form if:
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You have lost something that costs less than $5000;
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Someone has stolen something from you that costs less than $5000;
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Someone has vandalized your property or vehicle and it will cost less than $5000 to repair it; or
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The crime happened within the jurisdiction of the Upper Fraser Valley RCMP.
Visit https://ocre-sielc.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/ufvrd/en for more information.
City of Chilliwack
There is a City of Chilliwack mobile app available in the Apple or Google Play app stores which makes it easy to:
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Report issues like potholes, streetlight repairs, illegal dumping, park maintenance and more.
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Stay up to date on the latest City of Chilliwack events, news and initiatives.
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Find information about your Mayor and Council.
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Connect to the Curbside Collection app.
Chilliwack Fire Department
In an emergency call 9-1-1 and be prepared to give an exact address with cross street to help dispatchers unfamiliar with this area.
The Ryder Lake Fire Hall on Elk View Road is Hall #5 with paid on-call firefighters, so trucks from other halls often respond first. Recruitment for this Hall takes place annually - see the website for more information.
Burning permits are required for open burning by residents:
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Open burning is limited to two separate seasons per year:
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March 1 to April 30
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October 1 to November 30
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A burning permit is required for each season - Apply online during the burning season.
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More information is available with the detailed regulations.
Chilliwack Web Map
The City of Chilliwack on-line mapping system allows you to view property information, contours, streams, zoning and more.
The layer for Aerial History gives a fascinating view of the development of each property over a range of dates starting in 1954.
Schools (School District 33)
Many areas of Chilliwack have a closed catchment, which means only students who live in the defined area may attend the school.
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Primary (Kindergarten – Grade 5) – Vedder Elementary
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604-858-4759
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Middle School (Grades 6-8) – Mount Slesse Middle School
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(604) 824-7481
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Middle/High School (Grades 9 – 12) – G.W. Graham Secondary
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604-847-0772
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School Buses
General information on bus transportation and registration may be found on the School District Transportation Department website or by calling 604-792-1255.
The Ride 360 App available in either the Apple or Google Play app stores provides information on school bus schedules, notifications and alerts.
School Closures
In the event of extreme weather conditions, parents are urged to check the Chilliwack School District website www.sd33.bc.ca or tune into radio stations STAR FM (98.3 FM) or The Drive (89.5 FM), to receive up-to-date information on school closures and information on the buses. Reports will start after 6:00 a.m. and will be repeated often. The information broadcast is directly from the School District. The reports are confirmed, and there is no need to call your school, the School District Office or the radio station.
More information on the Chilliwack School District website.
Driving Conditions
Information on snow and winter road conditions is available on the City of Chilliwack website. Elk View Road is a Priority 1 and Ryder Lake Road a Priority 2 for snow clearing.
There are web cams throughout Chilliwack including one at the Ryder Lake Fire Hall which are useful for assessing road conditions. Other web cams covering the Fraser Valley are available on the Drive BC website.
BC Hydro power outages
Check the BC Hydro Outage Map to see if they are aware of the outage. If your outage isn't shown, call 1 800 BCHYDRO (1 800 224 9376) or *HYDRO (*49376) on your mobile or report it online by logging in to your account.
Water
Lack of water, especially in summer, is an issue for many properties.
There are two bulk potable water filling stations provided by the City of Chilliwack at 46893 Bailey Road and 45160 Yale Road. There is an annual fee which gives you a fob with an access code. See the City website for more information.
Some residents are on shared wells or have permits to draw water from the various streams in the valley. Natural resource violations can be filed on the BC government website, for example, contractors causing sediment into a stream.
Garbage, compost and recycling
Pickup day in Ryder Lake is a Tuesday - starting at 7am. Residents are advised not to put out garbage the night before as this attracts animals.
Recycling must be in a blue container provided by the city (with a lid). Blue bags are no longer accepted. See the City website for more information. Recycling and the green waste bin are picked up every week, whereas garbage and the grey glass recycling bin are collected every second week (with a limit of two cans per pick-up).
There is a helpful app that reminds you of what is being picked up and when. Go to the Apple or Google Play app store and search for Chilliwack Collect.
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Missed Pickup? Call 604-795-7795
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General inquiries: City of Chilliwack Engineering Dept. 604-793-2907
The Ryder Lake Women's Institute has an account at the Sardis Bottle Depot where you can drop off recyclable bottles with money being logged and paid out to the WI. Bottles can be dropped off in bags without being sorted using the account # E149949 or the Hall phone number 604-858-5160.
Internet Service Providers
Internet access and cell phone coverage are often spotty and depend very much on your location. Not all of the following are available in all areas:
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Lookieloo.net – 1-800-481-3863
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Network Integrated Communications (wireless high speed)
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Rogers (rocket hub)
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Starlink (satellite)
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Xplornet (satellite)
BC Conservation Office
Use the Report All Poachers and Polluters (RAPP) hotline at 1-877-952-7277 form to report wildlife-human interactions where public safety may be at risk, or known or suspected violations of fisheries, wildlife, or environmental protection laws.
The RAPP program is a toll-free tip line and online service that allows you to report known or suspected violations of fisheries, wildlife, or environmental protection laws anonymously and without risk of confronting the offender and is available 24/7. You can also report a violation online.
Bears, cougars, bobcats and coyotes all transit through the Ryder Lake area regularly. Many conflicts can be avoided by removing food attractants such as garbage, removing fruit as it ripens and picking up windfalls, and not leaving pet food outside. Garbage should only be set out on the day of pickup.
If you have excess fruit in the summer The Valley Permaculture Guild runs a free backyard fruit gleaning programme for local charities : contact peter.whitlock@one-name.org to have your trees picked.
Injured or Orphaned Wildlife
The BC SPCA recommend not trying to take care of injured or orphaned wildlife yourself – it is illegal and can cause harm. Call the BC SPCA Provincial Call Centre at 1-855-622-7722 (1-855-6BC-SPCA) for advice on wildlife situations and to find a local wildlife rehabilitator.
Toad migration
Every spring, thousands of Western toadlets migrate from the wetland across our roads to the forest. Western toads spend most of their lives in woodland habitat but migrate to and from wetlands for breeding. In Ryder Lake, Western toads, Red-legged frogs, Pacific Chorus frogs, Long-toed salamanders, Northwestern salamanders, and Roughskin newts are all found crossing and being killed on roads surrounding local breeding ponds.
In June 2015 a permanent amphibian crossing was installed on Elk View between Ryder Lake Rd and Huston Rd. Please help protect our toads and take alternate routes when you see the signs. The toadlets are very tiny so you won’t see them when you are driving. Voluntary road detours are in effect during the peak of the migration each year.
More information on the Ryder Lake Amphibian Protection Program is available on the Fraser Valley Conservancy website.
