Eighty Years Ago
September 23, 1937
• The Langley Agricultural Association was rapped for being “in a rut,” and critics called its fall fair a failure. Vancouver Province newspaper representative Mr. Harbord said he had been chided for “letting the Langley fair down too easy.”
Seventy Years Ago
September 25, 1947
• An estimated 7,000 people, including children, attended the 55th annual Langley Fall Fair.
Sixty Years Ago
September 19, 1957
• Langley City Alderman John Conder reported that the provincial government had decided to cooperate with municipal centennial committees in a much more satisfactory manner, and that the history of Langley was being compiled in a small book in time for the 1958 celebrations of the 1858 establishment of British Columbia as a Crown colony, an event that occurred at Fort Langley.
• A meeting between Township council, the school board, and the town planning board was deemed both unique and historic by Reeve D.W. Poppy.
Fifty Years Ago
September 21, 1967
• Results of a water supply survey in the Brookswood-Fernridge area were made known at a South Langley Ratepayers Association meeting. Fifty-nine per cent said they supported the survey.
Forty Years Ago
September 21, 1977
• Tenders were requested for drilling a production water well to be sunk in the Willoughby area.
Thirty Years Ago
September 23, 1987
• When the figures for the new school year were in, Langley had experienced an unexpected school enrolment growth of 600 students. Superintendent Emery Dosdall was at a loss to explain where all the new students came from, but noted that Langley’s situation reflected similar increases throughout the Fraser Valley.
• Two hydrologists, one hired by a prospective developer and the other hired by the South Langley Ratepayers Association, disagreed over whether or not there was not enough water to serve 20 proposed new homes for a subdivision south of 4th Avenue and east of 200th Street.
• Willoughby residents demanded water service at a cheaper cost than the $9,400 per household offered by the Township.
• The provincial highways minister met with local MLAs Dan Peterson and Carol Gran and representatives from both Langley councils to discuss the need for overpasses at three local rail crossings: Fraser Highway, 200th Street, and Langley Bypass.
Twenty Years Ago
September 19, 1997
• More than 1,300 mourners paid their last respects to 17-year-old Ashley Reber who was killed in the Stokes Pit tragedy.
• The Birthplace of B.C. art gallery, owned by Kurt and Brenda Alberts, donated $2,000 to the annual Fort Langley May Day celebrations. The Albertses said the donation was “temporary,” until Township council finally approved its traditional grant to help organizer Howie Vickberg with costs.
• Township council was concerned about the repercussions that Langley City’s plans for a casino might have on its part of Langley.
• Independent Township councillor Heather McMullan charged that the Township’s new executive assistant was a political appointee, and that their job was “to make sure that the Langley Leadership Team is re-elected.”