Langley City got its start in the 1870s, when Adam and William Innes bought land at the junction of Smuggler’s Trail (now Glover Road) and Yale Road (now Fraser Highway).
Today, Innes Corners is Langley City — 10 square kilometres (four square miles) that is home to more than 26,000 people.
For residents and visitors alike, the City offers a mix of small-town feel and the amenities of a major urban centre that includes more than 346 acres of parkland.
There is a wide range of recreation options, ranging from the Cascades Casino to Canada’s largest outdoor Parkour park and the all-new Timms community centre.
Entertainment and attractions
The Cascades Casino Hotel and Convention Centre offers around-the-clock gaming as well as dining and live on-stage performances.
The facility, located in the 20300 block of Fraser Highway, is preparing to add two additional restaurants and more space for gaming and special events.
Just a few blocks south of the casino, stands the restored heritage Michaud House at the foot of 204 Street, south of 53 Avenue. The house was built in 1888 by Joseph and Georgiana Michaud, who operated a thriving dairy farm. The house includes space for the new archival museum of the Langley Memorial Hospital Heritage Committee.
The new Timms Community Centre, at 20399 Douglas Cres. has been a hive of activity since it opened in February 2016. The 35,000 square-foot, $14.3 million facility includes a full gymnasium with an upper level 100-metre indoor walking/running track, a weight/cardio room, showers and changing rooms, a spin room and two fitness studios with sprung floors.
There is also access to City Hall and the public library next door.
The Langley Senior Resources Society is an independent, non for profit, charitable organization that has been providing health, recreational and food services to seniors and adults of all abilities since 1982. The society is lead by a voluntary board of directors who work or live in the Langley community. The seniors centre at 20605 51B Ave, features a tuk shop, dining room and more. For information on programs and services visit www.lsrs.ca.
At Brydon Lagoon, which is southwest of Brydon Park at 198 Street and 53 Avenue, the transformation of a decommissioned sewer lagoon into a nature park continues to pay dividends. In the mid-1980s Langley Field Naturalist volunteers set about building nature trails, installing nest boxes, erecting educational signage, planting berry-producing shrubs to attract songbirds and creating a viewing area, among other improvements.
Sendall Gardens, a pedestrian friendly public garden, located at 201A Street and 50 Avenue, is a popular spot for wedding parties to pose for photos. It’s also the perfect place to enjoy a few minutes of quiet reflection in the midst of a hectic day.
Dining
There is a wide range of dining and shopping experiences available in the City, everything from long-established mom-and-pop businesses to popular chain restaurants.
If you aren’t quite sure what you’re in the mood for, why not take a stroll along the pedestrian-friendly One-Way, where a number of potential dining experiences await — everything from authentic Mexican cuisine to classic Chinese food and gourmet fusion cooking.
Or you can bring your own meal or take-out from one of the many local eateries and enjoy the City’s Lunch and Lounge pilot project at McBurney Plaza each Wednesday and Friday between 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m. until Sept. 1.
New tables, Adirondack chairs and an array of ‘Big’ games, free music and other fun activities are being offered by City recreation staff for people of all ages.
Shopping
Whatever you’re looking for, whether its hardware, collectibles, fancy cooking or wedding dresses, there is a very good chance you can find it in the City. Shopping choices range from the Willowbrook shopping centre, which straddles the border between the City and the neighbouring Township, a wide variety of chain outlets on the Bypass, and the many unique little shops that line routes like the One-way, 56 Avenue and Douglas Crescent. Each Wednesday afternoon, from spring until fall, the Kwantlen Polytechnic University parking lot is home to the Langley Community Farmers Market, where shoppers can choose from fresh, locally grown produce, baked goods and a range of other locally made items.
Online, visit http://www.downtownlangley.com/ for shopping and recreational suggestions.
Sports and recreation
Penzer Action Park at 198C Street and 47A Avenue re-opened in June of this year after undergoing a $1.3 million re-do. The former baseball diamond and soccer pitch now features the biggest outdoor Parkour facility in Canada, a 10,000-square foot collection of heavy-duty wooden forms designed to accommodate a sport where competitors navigate obstacles by running, climbing, swinging, vaulting, jumping, and otherwise moving. The park also boasts a European-design multi-purpose sports plaza that can accommodate various sports, including basketball, soccer, ball hockey and volleyball and a one-of-a kind “pump track” designed by and built for skateboarders that can accommodate scooters and cyclists.
Twin Rinks at 5700 Langley Bypass is a 90,000 square foot facility with two NHL-sized ice rinks, a full size outdoor beach volleyball court and a three-on-three basketball court.
The facility plays host to several minor hockey associations such as: Langley Minor Hockey Association, Langley Girls Hockey Association, Fraser Valley Ringette, and Cloverdale Minor Hockey Association.
The Al Anderson Memorial Pool in City Park at 4949 207 St. includes a waterpark, picnic tables and barbecue facility. It is, among other things, home to the annual Legendary Water Fight where swimmers take on firefighters in a friendly competition.
Douglas Park at 206 Street and Douglas Crescent recently added a variety of outdoor exercise stations as well as ping-pong tables and other activities. The covered Spirit Square Stage is host to a variety of events, including the Bard in the Valley production of “Much Ado About Nothing” mounted earlier this summer.
The green space is also home to the Langley Lawn Bowling club at 204 street and 54 Avenue, whose members will happily explain the sport to newcomers.
Portage Park at 204 Street and 51A Avenue is the main entrance to the Nicomekl Floodplain Trail system, a hidden gem of the City’s extensive park system with an adventure playground and a paved play area for ball hockey.
Linwood Park, at 201A Street and Michaud Crescent, features a wheelchair accessible playground, a fenced off-leash dog park and a community garden.
Education
As part of Langley School District #35, the City has six elementary schools and one middle school with a combined enrolment of about 2,000 students. It is also home to the world-renowned non-profit Langley Community Music School, and the Langley campus of Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) designed to accommodate 4,500 students. Among other things, the campus houses an eight hectare Horticulture Training Centre with greenhouse, nurseries, and field lab, a 250-seat auditorium and music studios and a new instructional brewing laboratory.
