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Fort Langley railway station to celebrate 100th birthday

Special event planned on Saturday, June 20 as historic building marks landmark birthday.
86152langleyStationbeforerestoration
The CN railway station at Fort Langley is shown after the railway stopped using the building. It was facing demolition, but an active community campaign was responsible for moving it closer to Glover Road and restoring it. The station will be 100 years old this year, and an anniversary celebration is planned for June 20.

The 100th anniversary of the Fort Langley railway station will be marked with a special event on Saturday, June 20.

The station was originally built by Canadian Northern Railway as one of its third-class stations in 1915, as it completed its line from Edmonton to Vancouver. It was originally located about two blocks west of its current location.

In 1918, Canadian Northern became part of what is now Canadian National Railway.

The station remained an important part of the town into the 1970s, when passenger service was cut back. CN closed the building in the early 1980s and planned to demolish it. However, a concerted community effort resulted in it being moved closer to Glover Road and restored in 1983 and 1984 by the Langley Heritage Society. It  now sits adjacent to a caboose and passenger car and is a central historic attraction in the town.

LHS continues to maintain and preserve the station, and the living quarters in it are occupied to ensure that there are watchful eyes on it at all times.

The beautiful gardens that were once a feature of many railway stations have been brought back and are well-maintained.

The event on Saturday, June 20 will begin with RazzMaJazz jazz band performing at 12 p.m., with remarks and a cake cutting at 1 p.m.

“History does not have to be something you learn in school,” say organizers of the event.

The building will be open to the public and there will be displays of historic railway photos from Langley Camera Club on both Saturday and Sunday, June 20 and 21, from 12 to 4 p.m.