91Ô­´´ is made up of a series of neighbourhoods or "communities," some that were developed in the past few decades, while others enjoy long, rich histories, some reaching back to the mid to late 1800s. In this neighbourhood feature package, the 91Ô­´´ Advance Times introduces its readers to a few individuals who call these various areas of town home, talk about why they settled here, and address a little history about their neighbourhoods. Hope you enjoy this package.

Therese and Jonathan Moorhouse live on the quintessential Walnut Grove street – in the loop of a cul-de-sac.

Therese moved there in 1999, with young children who needed a bit more space, and with her own parents having just made the move to a nearby housing development themselves.

While house-hunting, she found a quiet location, close to school and groceries but far off enough major roads that there was very little traffic.

"We pulled in the driveway and thought, that's it!" Therese said.

Jonathan joined the family a few years later and moved in with Therese in 2012.

The neighbourhood is 91Ô­´´'s second newest – before 1980, it was mostly rural farmland sitting north of the Trans Canada Highway.

In early 1979 the Township formalized plans to create a new "high density" neighbourhood in northwest 91Ô­´´.

Over the course of the 1980s and 1990s, the community would take shape as rapid development took place on the model of suburban living then most popular in Metro Vancouver – single-family homes on quiet, suburban streets, many of which terminated in cul-de-sacs. 

The neighbourhood came into existence for a prosaic reason – a new sewage plant to serve 91Ô­´´ had excess capacity, and Walnut Grove was the closest neighburhood to the site, and the easiest to hook up.

Kurt Alberts, who served in the Township's planning department from the early 1980s to the mid 1990s, and then as mayor from 1999 to 2008 as mayor, recalled that the first couple of neighbourhoods went up quickly, but then there was a major property crash.

Vacant lots that had been going for $70,000 in late 1980 were selling for $27,000 a few years later.

Things picked up again within a few years, but for a while, parts of the new area were eerily vacant.

"You could drive on the brand new streets, and there wasn't a house on the street!" Alberts remembered.

Although most of the community was single-family homes, density increased over time. From quarter-acre lots in the first subdivisions, lot sizes fell to 7,000 square feet, then to as little as 5,000 square feet. Townhomes and gated communities were also built in some areas.

But for most of those who moved in, the single-family home remained the standard.

The Moorhouses are each from Surrey, though two different versions of it – Therese was living just west of 91Ô­´´, and Jonathan grew up in Surrey, England.

Jonathan said that when he grew up, his Surrey was surrounded by manor houses and farmland, very suburban in its own way.

Walnut Grove's closeness to the country and the Fraser River – Jonathan spends some time kayaking – is one of the draws of the area. 

"The recreation is an absolute wonderland," he said.

The couple have explored the trail network that winds through the community, and Jonathan mentions that they sometimes find the spots where a local black bear has bedded down for the night.

But what really made them love living in Walnut Grove was the people and the local amenities.

When Therese moved in in 1999, the Walnut Grove Community Centre was open, and it was simple to sign up her children for swimming lessons. 

"There was no waiting!" she said.

Now, with the growth of the community and 91Ô­´´ in general, she noted that people sign up six months in advance. They were blessed to be able to have easy access to such programs, she noted.

Access was also a big part. When he first moved to Vancouver, Jonathan noted that 91Ô­´´ felt really far out into the suburbs, but the actual drive back to Vancouver was not that big a deal.

"We really couldn't picture anywhere else in the Lower Mainland we'd end up moving," Therese said.

Although it's busier and more crowded than when they first moved to the area, the Moorhouse's say they'd still not live anywhere else in the Lower Mainland.

Hidden Gem: Walnut Grove's trail system

Ravines and rivers run through Walnut Grove, and 91Ô­´´ Township took advantage of that fact as the neighbourhood began to grow. As Kurt Alberts recalled, from the very beginning there were plans to place public trails alongside the ravines.

That policy got a little pushback at the beginning – not everyone was happy with a trail running behind their back yard – but the trails quickly became popular. The trail network now extends east of 216 Street and as far west as 196 Street. It runs from Highway One all the way north to the community's outer edge, where determined hikers can connect up with the Golden Ears Bridge's pedestrian/bike paths and cross over into Pitt Meadows.

Paths are paved, connect with local sidewalks and parks, and a few bridges, including one east of the Walnut Grove Secondary, help walkers cross major ravines.

Highlights in History:

• 1979 – 91Ô­´´ Township council approves the plans that will transform the area then known as "Area E" or "West 91Ô­´´" into Walnut Grove

• 1981 – West 91Ô­´´ Elementary re-opens after a fire that burned the original building to the ground. Only West 91Ô­´´ and Topham Elementary schools served the area before development – there are now six elementary schools

• 1994 – The first phase of the Walnut Grove Community Centre opened its doors

• 1999 â€“ The movie theatre, then known as Colossus, opened in time to screen Star Wars: The Phantom Menace