Langley Township

1858 – 1920

The Fraser River Gold Rush, boom and bust.

The (literally) shiny draw that brought the first major influx of settlers to the Langley area was gold. After the discovery of gold in the Fraser Canyon area, around 30,000 settlers poured in attempting to strike it rich. HBC was upset at first, having only recently developed a delicate trade network, and it didn’t want newcomers spoiling anything. But eventually, HBC’s fortunes boomed as well.

With violence against Indigenous people spiking and newcomers growing ever rowdier, the province of British Columbia was established on 2 August 1858 in response and declared as such at Fort Langley by Governor James Douglas. This allowed the British authorities to exert control in the area, making Fort Langley, in many ways, the “birthplace of BC.”

The Gold Rush was short lived, though. By 1860, BC was in a recession and the speculative bubble that gold created had popped. The fortunes of Fort Langley also took a dive, with other trade routes opening up. By 1886, HBC ceased using Fort Langley as a trading post.

Porter's General Store

Porter’s General Store in Murrayville is one of the oldest remaining businesses in Langley; it’s now a coffee shop.

commons.wikimedia.org

At this time, Paul Murray, another settler, arrived near what is now Yale Road and 216 St. The area was nicknamed Murray’s Corners – later dubbed Murrayville. Still home to Langley’s oldest subdivisions today, one business that has links back to this time is the local coffee shop, Porter's Bistro Coffee & Tea House. Formerly a general store, it was rebuilt on the same site after the Great Depression, eventually becoming the café it is today. Also around this time, Langley was incorporated as a municipality in 1873.

With the construction of the British Columbia Electric Railway interurban line in 1910, Langley became much more accessible for newcomers. The historic Coghlan Substation dates from this time to power the overhead electric wires of the interurban line. And the construction of the Fraser Highway in the 1920s brought in more new arrivals. By the 1920s, the only building left standing of the original Fort Langley outpost was the storehouse (built in 1840), which was declared a historic site in 1923.

1920 - 1955

The divorce.

The 1920s saw more economic engines popping up in and around Langley. The Langley Sawmill opened near Fort Langley and employed many people, giving the neighbourhood a working-class character. The mill operated until 1996, and the land it sat on is now a housing development. Meanwhile, Fort Langley Community Hall was built in 1931 and continues to stand today; it still hosts gatherings, weddings, events and more.

However, the area of central Langley known as Langley Prairie saw the most economic and business development compared to the outskirts of town, and this meant the rising need for infrastructure. But the rest of Langley did not require such intensive projects, and an impasse began to form. Throughout the 1930s and 1940s, Langley Prairie wanted more projects built, while other communities felt that intensive spending in one area was unbalanced.

In particular, Langley Prairie wanted streetlights, but mayor George Brooks declared, "Not a nickel for streetlights for Langley Prairie!" In 1954 a vote was held on whether Langley Prairie should secede from Langley Township and be an independent city. This vote passed with 85% in favour, and Langley City was established in 1955.

Fort Langley Community Hall.

Fort Langley Community Hall was built in 1931 and still stands today.

collections.tol.ca

1955 - 1980s

The rise of the suburbs and the Agricultural Land Reserve.

Post-war affluence and the increasing adoption of the automobile meant that the Township of Langley was ideally positioned to become a commuter suburb of Vancouver. During this time, single-family homes sprung up. Also in 1955, Fort Langley was rebuilt and turned into a museum. But Langley Township was still a small town, with a population of 14,585 in 1961. Improvements to Highway 1 also contributed to Langley’s Township’s development, and the last interurban train ran in 1950.

This increased development led to concerns that Langley was losing much of its farmland. As a result, the Agricultural Land Reserve (ALR) was established in 1973. The ALR sets aside specific areas for farming, and other uses on designated land are tightly regulated. If you buy ALR land in Langley, be aware of these restrictions.

The ALR has led to Langley’s unique development pattern. Because development is only permitted in certain areas, Langley consists of many “core areas” or “centres” in which housing and businesses may be built. Outside of these areas, acres of farmland spread out. This means you can often find condos overlooking fertile fields, for instance.

1990 - Now

The SkyTrain is coming.

By 1991, Langley’s population had reached 66,040. There were also changes in the local economy. With the closure of the Langley Sawmill and the rise of industrial parks, Langley Township saw a diversified tax base and many more white collar workers arrived. Areas with heritage buildings, like Fort Langley, began to be renovated and redeveloped, and older buildings can still be seen there today, now filled with boutique shops and coffee houses. In 1995, the annual Fort Langley Cranberry Festival began as an opportunity to celebrate the harvest and try out local shops and restaurants.

But perhaps the most anticipated change coming to Langley Township and Langley City is the Surrey-Langley SkyTrain extension of the Expo Line. Its estimated completion is set for 2029, and will return rail service to the area nearly 80 years after the last interurban train departed. It will serve two stations in the area, Willowbrook Station and Langley City Centre Station. These stations will allow easier access to Surrey, New Westminster and Downtown Vancouver, plus transit-oriented development.

As a result, expect to see many more condo towers near these stations in the future, along with townhomes, duplexes, triplexes and more. Still, the ALR will stay, so you can expect farms to remain a large part of the area.
Langley Township is poised to see some big changes going forward, but looking at its history shows that it has gone through many evolutions already. No matter what eventually gets built and where, its spirit of community and connectedness are staying.