Langley Heritage Society recently added its support to a new museum and cultural centre for Langley in collaboration with the Kwantlen First Nation:

Honourable Lisa Beare
Minister of Tourism, Arts & Culture
Victoria, B.C.

The Langley Heritage Society fully endorses efforts by the Township of Langley and Kwantlen First Nation to build a 36,000 square foot museum and cultural centre in Fort Langley. Replacement of the existing 60 year old facility is long overdue. The federal government recently committed $3 million toward this project through the Canada Cultural Spaces Fund, but it cannot proceed without provincial government support. The Township of Langley has submitted a request to the province for $10 million; it is currently under review.  

Langley Heritage Society urges you to support this exciting project, and the timing couldn’t be better. The 150th anniversary of British Columbia joining Confederation is less than two years away (2021). British Columbia may not exist if not for events at Fort Langley during the fur trade and gold rush. Tens of thousands of Americans flooded into this region in the spring of 1858; proclamation of the Colony of British Columbia at Fort Langley wasn’t far behind. The year 2023 will also mark Langley’s sesquicentennial. A new museum and cultural centre would honour these historical landmarks in a meaningful way. It would also advance reconciliation with our Indigenous communities, and strengthen cultural tourism in the Fraser Valley.

Fort Langley is a cultural hub, home to the Parks Canada National Historic Site, British Columbia Farm Museum, Langley Centennial Museum and historic CNR Station — operated by the Langley Heritage Society. Fort Langley hosts visitors from across the country, indeed, from around the world. Creating a modern venue for collaborative story-telling with the Kwantlen First Nation is an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed.  This new space would also accommodate Langley’s archives, a new library, theatre, and enhanced arts programming. Langley Heritage Society currently sponsors visits to the Langley Centennial Museum for inner city students, and funds a local Heritage Fair that is organized by the museum. We look forward to discovering new ways to connect young people with B.C.’s history through a new centre.

Langley Heritage Society has been a strong advocate of heritage awareness and preservation for 40 years, and has been recognized by Heritage B.C. for its efforts. A new museum and cultural centre in the Birthplace of B.C. would be a sound investment in our collective futures. 

Sincerely,
Fred Pepin, President
Langley Heritage Society