We acknowledge with respect and gratitude that the City of Pitt Meadows is located on the traditional, unceded territory of q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation, whose people have been stewards of these lands and waters since time immemorial. The City is committed to learning, evolving, and taking meaningful steps toward reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples.
Pitt Meadows is shaped by its river, lake and lowland landscape. The community takes its name from the nearby Pitt River and Pitt Lake. Historical accounts differ on the precise origin of those names; this history continues to be an important part of the community’s relationship with the surrounding waterways.
Before colonial settlement, the lands and waterways of present-day Pitt Meadows were home to the Katzie First Nation. European settlement began in the latter part of the 19th century, including at an early community known as Bonson’s Landing. During this period, the provincial government offered land at low prices to encourage settlement. While some land was purchased by speculators, agricultural settlers also arrived, and farming—particularly dairy farming—became a defining local industry alongside logging.
For many early residents, the rivers were the main transportation routes. The completion of the Canadian Pacific Railway through Pitt Meadows in 1885 created an important land connection, linking the area with neighbouring communities and the broader region. Road connections expanded over time, including an early Pitt River traffic bridge and, later, the Pitt River highway bridge completed in 1957.
Pitt Meadows was initially included within the Municipality of Maple Ridge when it was incorporated in 1874. Following local disputes, including concerns related to diking, Pitt Meadows returned to unorganized territory before becoming an independently incorporated municipality on April 24, 1914.
Diking has been central to the development of Pitt Meadows. The first diking district was organized in 1893, and the major Fraser River flood of 1894 demonstrated the vulnerability of the area’s low-lying lands. In the decades that followed, diking and drainage projects helped transform wet and swampy areas into productive agricultural land. After the Second World War, Dutch farming families—working in areas including Pitt Polder—made significant contributions to land reclamation and agricultural development.
Pitt Meadows has also been shaped by the diverse communities that made it home. Early settlers were primarily of British and Anglo-Saxon background, followed by French Canadian, Japanese Canadian and Dutch residents. Japanese Canadian families contributed to the community during the early 20th century, but many were forcibly removed and interned during the Second World War in 1942—an injustice that had a lasting impact on families and the community.
As the community grew, important services and institutions followed. Pitt Meadows received its first post office in 1908, its first school in 1909, electrical service in 1928, and a water connection in 1948 through the Greater Vancouver Water District. The Pitt Meadows Airport opened in 1963, further strengthening regional transportation connections.
In 2007, the District of Pitt Meadows was incorporated as the City of Pitt Meadows. The opening of the Golden Ears Bridge in 2009 improved connections between Pitt Meadows, Maple Ridge, Surrey and Langley. In 2014, the community marked 100 years since its incorporation with centennial celebrations.
Today, Pitt Meadows continues to balance its agricultural roots, natural environment, transportation connections and growing urban community while recognizing the enduring relationship of q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie) First Nation to these lands and waters.
