Pitt Meadows

Pitt Meadows is a city of 18,500 people (2016) in the Fraser Valley of British Columbia, on the north bank of the Fraser River at the confluence with the Pitt River. It's part of the urban edge, where bedroom housing for suburban Vancouver is displacing the small agricultural town of Pitt Meadows past — but the farms hang on.

Understand
The Municipality takes its name from the Pitt River and Pitt Lake, which were possibly named after former British Prime Minister William Pitt.

Aboriginal people resided in the Pitt Meadows area approximately 1000 years ago. James McMillan explored the area in 1874. Europeans started a settlement known as Bonson's Landing in the area in the 1870s. Early settlers were mostly Anglo-Saxon until after 1910.

In 1885, the Canadian Pacific Railway was constructed through Pitt Meadows to Port Moody, British Columbia. In 1893, the first dyking district was organized. In 1914, Pitt Meadows was a small, agricultural community of less than 250 individuals which supplied Vancouver and New Westminster with produce and dairy products.

After 1910, many French Canadians and Japanese arrived as settlers. A large group of Dutch farmers reclaimed much of the low-lying land in Pitt Meadows after World War II.

Get in
See Vancouver for options to get in the Vancouver area by plane, by bus, and by train, and by boat.

By car
The most convenient access is by car, with two options. The first is by the Lougheed Highway over the Pitt River Bridge from Port Coquitlam. The second option is by the Golden Ears Bridge, a toll bridge that links with 200th St. in Langley and Highway 1.

By public transit
Passengers can pay for fares using Compass Cards ($6 refundable deposit), Compass Tickets, or tap-to-pay using contactless credit cards (only American Express, Mastercard or Visa) or mobile wallets. Passengers using Compass Cards and Compass Tickets pay discounted fares. Passengers can transfer for up to 90 minutes, except if taking West Coast Express, in which case they can transfer for up to 120 minutes. On bus and HandyDART, passengers can also pay in cash, but in that case will not receive change and are not eligible for transfers. Zone based fares apply between Monday and Friday for trips starting before 6:30 pm, if travel involves SkyTrain or SeaBus. Outside of those hours or for travel on only bus or HandyDART, a single zone rate applies. If traveling by West Coast Express, a higher cost zone based fare system applies regardless of time of travel. Children 12 and under can ride for free. People aged 13 to 18, and 65 and older pay discounted concession fares.

By bus
Route #701 is a major route that connects Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Pitt Meadows, and Maple Ridge.

By train
West Coast Express commuter rail service operates on weekdays, which goes in to Vancouver in the morning and back out in the evening.

See
A Heritage Preservation Area contains several buildings of significant heritage value, including the old General Store (now the Pitt Meadows Museum) and Hoffman and Sons Garage.

Hospital

 * The nearest hospital is in Maple Ridge.

Go next

 * Nearby towns of Mission, Maple Ridge, Port Moody, Port Coquitlam, and Coquitlam
 * Langley on the south bank of the Fraser River
 * Langley on the south bank of the Fraser River