A Vimy Oak was planted at Derek Doubleday Arboretum during Rivers Days in Langley on Sunday.
The sapling was planted next to the Afghanistan Commemorative Structure by Cloverdale-Langley City MP John Aldag with the assistance of Township councillor Bob Long and Kwantlen First Nation elder Lekeyten.
Aldag said the Vimy Oak was one of three that he obtained as a living memorial to commemorate 100th anniversary of the battle of Vimy Ridge.
Another will be planted “in a couple of weeks” in the Cloverdale area and one will be planted in Langley City on Remembrance Day, Aldag said.
It seemed appropriate to plant an oak on Rivers Day, Aldag said.
“We thought after the really dry summer we had this year … it would be a great day to plant a Vimy oak in the Township of Langley.”
The Vimy Oak is a direct descendant of an oak tree at Vimy Ridge, from acorns that were gathered in the days following the fateful battle of 1917 by Lt. Col. Leslie Miller, who brought them back to Canada where they were planted in Scarborough, Ontario.
Miller, who was looking around for a souvenir on the Ridge, found a half-buried oak tree and gathered up a handful of acorns.
When he returned home he planted the acorns on farmland which he called the ‘Vimy Oaks Farm’.
The planting of the Vimy Oak marked the start of the BC Rivers Day Community Festival in Langley at the Derek Doubleday Arboretum at 21200 Fraser Hwy. which is home to the Langley Demonstration Garden, a fully accessible trail system, and the Nicomekl River as well as the soldiers memorial.
The free, family-oriented event, which aims to enhances understanding of the environment and spotlights our water resources, had the beaver as its theme this year.
“This is the first year that this species is in the spotlight,” Township Environmental Coordinator Meaghan Norton Daniel said.
“Beavers are the engineering masters of our waterways and are important to Canada’s history and to our ecosystem.”
The festival featured more than 25 interactive displays and activity booths.
In addition to a performance by childrens music duo Bobs &Lolo, there were other live acts on stage, animal displays, story time, a climbing wall, and a free hotdog barbecue lunch.
Visitors also had a first look at the new interpretive centre, currently under construction with plans to open next year.
The Langley event also kicked off Water Week, which celebrates awareness of the importance of all B.C.’s waterways.
Presented by the Township of Langley and the Langley Environmental Partners Society, WaterWeeks 2017 activities are designed to encourage environmental stewardship in residents of all ages. They are free and open to the public, but space is limited. To register, call 604-532-3511 or email exec_director@leps.bc.ca.
This year’s WaterWeeks events include the Fishy Finale and Coquitlam Watershed Tour on Sept. 30, a Farm Fresh Bus Tour on Oct. 1, Our Water BC on Oct. 5, a Wetland Walk on Oct. 7, and an Invasive Plant Pull and Streamside Clean Up on Oct. 8. A Film Screening will take place Oct. 11, and Dig In Treeplanting at the Jackman Wetlands will conclude WaterWeeks on October 14. Visit tol.ca/waterweeks.
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