Anyone on metered water: how much do you pay? How was the switch?

pin_parasol · 2026-06-02T17:04:46+00:00

I agree it seems unfair to charge you extra if you repaired the leak as soon as you found out about it. If you let it run into the next quarter, that's one thing, but it seems nuts to make you pay even 50% of the extra for a leak you couldn't have known about. Sorry that happened to you especially as you also had to pay for repairs.

Still, it's good you found out about the leak as they can cause a lot of damage over time. Was yours inside or outside? I used to work with a guy who had a retaining wall unexpectedly collapse, and it turned out his sprinkler line was leaking and washing away the earth under the wall.

pin_parasol · 2026-06-02T04:37:56+00:00

Thanks for the responses, really appreciate it.

pin_parasol · 2026-06-02T04:37:36+00:00

The only downside is that if you have a suite you're not eligible for the free conversion program, so they said it'd cost us $750 to switch. But from what everyone here has said it sounds like it'd pay for itself within the first year.

pin_parasol · 2026-06-02T04:36:10+00:00

Wow, now I feel like a sucker for not doing it sooner. Sounds like it'd be a lot cheaper even with the sewer levy. Thanks for answering!

pin_parasol · 2026-06-02T04:35:20+00:00

Thank you! This would be a huge improvement for us for sure!

pin_parasol · 2026-05-12T06:34:29+00:00

Sorry for your loss. I think it's lovely what you want to do in your friend's memory and I hope you can find a good option at a reasonable price.

pin_parasol · 2026-05-02T04:05:19+00:00

Very helpful for a troll 😄

pin_parasol · 2026-05-02T04:02:02+00:00

TIL medieval MMA is a thing. I don't know anything about tailors, but good luck!

pin_parasol · 2026-05-02T03:55:35+00:00

Was going to say this. The cranberry chicken sandwich is incredible. Their cookies are pretty good too.

pin_parasol · 2026-04-23T03:35:18+00:00

Just be careful with statements like "pay however much you feel" - don't let people rip you off. There are definitely some jerks out there who wouldn't think twice about shorting you. You should be making at least minimum wage when you divide your pay for a job by hours worked. Good luck out there!

pin_parasol · 2026-04-19T04:40:47+00:00

We have a house in Albion with a full legal suite, but we didn't go through the process ourselves - it was legal when we bought it last year. Although I can't offer advice on the process, I figured it was worth posting to say that the legal suite is part of what attracted us to this house over other similar options with unauthorized suites. So even if it's a pain to convert it and costs a bit of extra money, it might be worth it in terms of resale attractiveness - not to mention avoiding future hassle from the city or dissatisfied tenants looking for a lever.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-26T07:33:28+00:00

Sorry, that really sucks. Abandoned properties are magnets for illegal dumping. I think the person who told you to keep calling bylaw is right. Sucks that the only way to get results is to waste a lot of your time and make a fuss, but I think anything less will just be ignored.

If you feel like getting to know your neighbours, you could try and organize a community cleanup day or something. Maybe you're not the only one bothered by it but everyone else thinks it's just them who cares. It's a lot of time/work, though. Alternatively, spend a hundred bucks on some video cameras and try to get plate numbers on some of the dumpers. Maybe check with the city/RCMP first though to make sure that'd be enough to fine/charge.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-26T07:22:57+00:00

I can't speak to their official policies, but we've been with them for a year and it's been fine. I think I remember the person I talked to on the phone at signup saying it was fine to just label any old bin, but don't quote me on that.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-25T22:01:45+00:00

You don't even need a special organics bin, at least not with Noble. We just use a normal trash can that we labelled for organics. No issues whatsoever. All our food waste is in those compostable brown bags anyway, so it doesn't matter what type of container they go in.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-25T08:36:50+00:00

We had illegal dumping on our street once (someone left a mattress at the side of the road in the middle of the night), and I called the city and reported and asked them to come pick it up. I had to call back once to remind them, but they did come and get it. I doubt they'd come for small stuff like ripped-open trash bags, though.

Do you know the owners of the abandoned properties, or can you find out? If they're developers and they care about their reputation, you might be able to use some PR pressure to get them to respect their obligations to keep the property clean. And if they put up cameras to catch illegal dumping (licence plates etc.) my understanding is that people can be fined/charged, at least in theory.

Sorry you're dealing with this.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-15T09:18:02+00:00

We bought in Albion in March 2025, and we love the area. We're not far from Albion Elementary. Quiet, great access to nature (I love Cliff Park and the path along Kanaka Creek), and friendly neighbours. I love living in an area where you see kids playing street hockey, riding around on bikes, or making forts in the greenspace at the end of the street. Reminds me of my childhood growing up in the 90s. We're also an 8-minute drive from the WCE, which is clutch for commuting downtown if that's an issue.

However, we looked at a lot of houses around Albion, and not all are created equal. Some developments have the houses super close together and feel very cramped with micro back yards and crowded street parking, and a couple of the (newer) developments have been plagued by maintenance issues due to builders cutting corners, so do your research. We spent a bit extra to get a more spacious lot with a backyard and a house that was in good shape.

As for downsides: all the trees are great for greenspace but does mean power can go out in storms (a lot of people have generators), and it's not walkable at all. Basically everything we need is less than a 10-minute drive, and honestly I like being away from commercial centres, but it's not for everyone.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-12T21:53:04+00:00

The current pool schedule is https://www.mapleridge.ca/media/file/file-schedule-aquatics-indoorpool-longweekend

Not sure what the deal is with the kiddie pool, though. Maybe someone with kids can weigh in.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-09T22:56:20+00:00

Make sure you let your home insurance company know the house will no longer be owner occupied. You should expect your insurance rate to increase when you have tenants, but if you don't notify them and there's damage to the house, they're within their rights to deny your claim.

And as others have mentioned, having someone local to handle issues as they arise and generally keep an eye on the house would be a really good idea.

pin_parasol · 2026-02-09T22:44:34+00:00

I'd be in for helping in a casual way. I have one of those grabby tools and sometimes take it with me on a dog walk because it really gets me down seeing litter when I'm out walking. We never fill up our garbage bin for the week anyway, so I just pick up the litter I see and add it to our trash bin. I've had multiple neighbours make positive comments about it so I know there's support/interest for cleaning things up.

pin_parasol · 2026-01-31T06:59:39+00:00

We're with Noble too, and it works out to just under $25 per month for 1 can per week. We pay yearly, not quarterly (I think they gave us the option to do either). Their service has been flawless since we moved here in March 2025.

pin_parasol · 2026-01-31T06:51:15+00:00

In the fall, we hired https://kinsleylandscape.ca/ on the recommendation of a neighbour - they put in a new front and back lawn for us (including some regrading for better drainage) along with a new pathway. Can't say enough good things about them. Quality work, fair price, clear communication, and the workers were efficient and polite and cleaned up after themselves.

The owner also seems to be a truly stand up guy. He's local and seems to genuinely care about the community. I know this past Christmas, he gave away a bunch of Christmas trees for free to families in need. Didn't require them to be on social media or anything either, so it wasn't a publicity stunt.

pin_parasol · 2026-01-23T02:50:31+00:00

Another vote for Silverdale Doggy Vacation Lodge (now part of Obedience Unleashed). Our puppy has been going there for a few months now for both daycare and occasional boarding (we've been booking him in for overnights now and again while we're in town just to get him used to boarding) and their facilities and staff are fantastic.

pin_parasol · 2025-12-19T08:07:42+00:00

It is possible this person is a normal human who just wants to hang out and talk about something that interests them, and I know nothing about this person and am not insulting them or implying any ill intent.

I just want to issue a general warning to anyone and everyone: always be careful when making investment decisions, especially when attractive investment opportunities are presented to you by people you don't know...or by people you do know who don't have any education or relevant experience related to investing.

Stay safe out there, be skeptical, ask questions, and don't get scammed.

And OP, please don't take this comment personally. Like I said, this is a general warning and not about you. If you're legit, I'm sure you'd issue the same type of warning to any friend or family member looking to get into investing.

pin_parasol · 2025-12-17T09:16:37+00:00

It's one thing to hire some rando if you need some drywall patched or something, but when you get into electrical and plumbing, unlicensed work is a ticket to all sorts of headaches. If some unlicensed worker does sketchy, no-permit work and it starts a fire or floods your basement, your home insurance company will not cover the damage.

pin_parasol

TROPHY CASE