This summer, we used 205 billion litres of drinking water in Metro Vancouver

On an average day in Metro Vancouver, we use about 1 billion litres of water. That means, on average, each of us uses about 330 litres of water daily, about a bathtub or two's worth. This number grows during the summer.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District recently released a report showing water usage over the 2024 summer season. The following chart shows water usage.

Metro Vancouver Daily System Consumption Comparison 2023 and 2024. Source: Metro Vancouver

In 2023, there was higher water usage in May and June. Over the peak May 1st to October 15th season, we used 216 billion litres in 2023 and 205 billion litres in 2024.

The following chart shows our region's water storage levels. Our water comes from the North Shore mountains and Coquitlam Lake.

Total Source Storage for Metro Vancouver Usage, 2021-2024. Source: Metro Vancouver

While we used less water this summer, we had lower snow packs and drier conditions, which meant we were close to lower-than-normal water storage levels. Water conservation will continue to be the path forward for our region. I was born and raised in Okanagan, so water conservation has always been on my mind. In Metro Vancouver, we must get away from grass lawns and look at other landscaping treatments. In my townhouse complex, they replaced some grass with river rocks and some low-water plants. It looks pretty nice.

Metro Vancouver Looking To Tighten Air Quality Regs. Smog Increasing.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District has delegated authority from the provincial government to regulate air quality in our region. The Regional District is looking to tighten up ambient air quality objectives. The target numbers help guide Metro Vancouver's regulation, enforcement, and alerting efforts.

The Region District is looking into tightening up the objectives for three key air pollutants: ground-level ozone, nitrogen dioxide, and sulphur dioxide.

Ground-level ozone, sometimes known as smog, is produced by vehicle and industrial emissions. Nitrogen dioxide is produced by vehicle, industrial, and building (heating) emissions. Sulphur Dioxide is produced by petroleum refining, marine vessels, cement production, and aircraft. Ground-level ozone is harmful to human health and contributes to climate change. All three are linked to respiratory problems and contribute to early death.

The Regional District has an extensive air quality monitoring network in Metro Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. You can check out Metro Vancouver's AirMap to see.

The proposed new target levels are:
Ground-level ozone (8-hour averaging period): Reducing from 62ppb to 60ppb
Nitrogen dioxide (1-hour average period): Reducing from 60ppb to 42ppb
Nitrogen dioxide (annual average): Reducing from 17ppb to 12ppb
Sulphur dioxide (annual average): Reducing from 5ppb to 4ppb

There is no safe level of ground-level ozone; unfortunately, this pollutant is increasing in our region. The following table shows ground-level ozone in Metro Vancouver over the last three years.

2021-2023, Ground-level ozone 8-hour average levels in Metro Vancouver compared to regional ambient air quality objectives. Source: Metro Vancouver

Maple Ridge has some of the worst ground-level ozone in the region, and Langley is up there. Work needs to be done to drive down ground-level ozone by reducing the use of internal combustion engines, which the provincial and federal governments control.

Metro Vancouver Population to Increase to 3.3 Million in 2030. Langley City Middle of the Road.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District recently updated its population growth projections within our region. When it comes to the projected total population growth, Vancouver and Surrey will continue to be the places with the highest total population growth.

Map of Projected Change in Dwelling Units (Medium-Growth Scenario), from 2021 to 2051, by Member Jurisdiction. Source: Metro Vancouver

When it comes to the change in population, the Township of Langley, Maple Ridge, New Westminster, Coquitlam, UBC, and Tsawwassen First Nation are where Metro Vancouver is predicting will see the most significant increase as a percentage of the current population over the next 25 years.

Map of Projected Increase (%) in Dwelling Units (Medium-Growth Scenario), from 2021 to 2051, by Member Jurisdiction. Source: Metro Vancouver

In recent years, Langley City has been a high-growth community, according to census data. Still, the Metro Vancouver model predicts that Langley City will see medium growth in the coming decades. Langley City's population is now closely tracking with the City of Port Moody.

These population growth projections help the region and municipalities plan for infrastructure needs such as water, sewer, and transportation. It can also help inform land-use decisions.

You can view the updated projections on the Metro Vancouver website.

Getting Politicians Working for You Again

About a year ago, I got a ride to a SkyTrain station from a mayor of one of the larger municipalities in our region. He told me people need a roof over their heads and a good job. He said many politicians have forgotten that this is the most basic thing we must enable. I agreed, and this conversation has stuck with me.

While I’ve been actively involved in politics for some time now, that conversation got me thinking about what I believe the role of government should be. The results of various provincial and other elections over the last few months really got me thinking about this.

There are really five things that we, as politicians and government, need to enable for people.

• We need to ensure that people’s basic needs are met.
• We need to ensure that people have access to opportunity.
• We need to ensure that people feel safe.
• We need to ensure that when people need help, we are there.
• We need to ensure that people feel they are valued in our society.

While the federal and provincial governments and politicians have the most control over these five outcomes, local governments also have a role.

I created a Langley City Solutions Tracker 2.1, which outlines everything I promised over the years. Most of what I’ve promised fits within the five key outcomes, but I want to expand on this slightly.

We provide water and sewer services as local governments. It doesn’t get more basic than this.

Local governments play a prominent role in our transportation network. Roads and transit ensure that people have access to opportunities.

How we police our communities and design and operate our public spaces, libraries, and recreation centres contributes to people’s feeling of safety.

When people need help, sometimes it isn’t available or hard to know where to start. Some local governments, such as Langley City, have now taken on the role of advocate to get required services for a community and are working to reduce the barriers to accessing these services.

It is crucial to feel that society and, by extension, your government value you. As local government, we can meaningfully include people in our decisions as we serve a smaller area. I’m very excited about direct democracy systems, such as Citizens’ Assemblies and Citizens’ Budgets.

Many times, politicians forget who they should be serving. These five ideals have become a bit of a lighthouse for me.

Extreme Weather Response Shelter Program Not Effective, Needs An Overhaul

In BC, we have a system of emergency shelters that provide space for people with the most urgent need of a basic place to sleep. Unfortunately, there are few shelters, and most are at capacity on any given night, as seen in the Shelter Map system by StreetMessenger. The following list shows the number of permanent emergency shelters by municipalities in the South of Fraser.

Gateway of Hope in Langley City. Source: Gateway of Hope

Delta: 0
Langley City: 1
Langley Township: 0
Surrey: 9
White Rock: 0

To provide additional space in the winter months, from October 15th to April 15th, BC Housing provides limited funding for additional extreme weather response spaces when it is snowing, it rains heavily, or there are freezing temperatures.

In Delta, there are ten additional spaces for women and nine for anybody.

In Langley City, there have traditionally been 15 additional spaces for anybody.

In Surrey, there are currently 45 additional spaces for anyone.

While I don't want to get too caught up on the numbers, the main point is that given the rapid growth in the number of people who experience homelessness, the current year-round and Extreme Weather Response emergency shelter system is at capacity.

I wanted to focus on the BC Housing Extreme Weather Response program.

Over the years I've been on Langley City Council, the School District and faith-based organizations have made spaces available to host extreme weather response shelters in our community. I've observed that these spaces only last one Extreme Weather Response season and are not made available in future seasons (except the Gateway of Hope.) Some challenges with the Extreme Weather Response program included finding qualified staffing, dealing with people who have complex needs, and conflicts with other uses. I've seen that it becomes more challenging every year to find organizations willing to host an Extreme Weather Response in Langley City.

I don't want to be all doom and gloom. There is a path forward.

We all know that the province needs to ramp up housing and mental health treatment, but even with ramped-up services, we will always need emergency shelters.

At the core, we need to expand the permanent shelter network and ensure that those facilities are equipped to handle extreme summer and winter weather events. We must also ensure the shelter network has the support staff to help people with complex needs.

Smaller-scale, geographically distributed facilities ensure better outcomes for both the neighbourhoods in which they are based and the folks accessing emergency shelter services.

Frankly, emergency shelter services are needed in the Township of Langley and Delta.

Langley City Council is looking at all the gaps in our social infrastructure, including emergency shelter services. While it is a provincial responsibility to fund the emergency shelter network, we are doing our part by advocating for expanding the emergency shelter network, including advocating for the province to implement the HEART and HEARTH programs in both Langley City and Township.

The status quo isn't working, and we need provincial action to ensure the most vulnerable people in our communities can access emergency shelter services.

November 4 Council Notes: Langely City Committee Appointments, Volunteer for a Committee, Other Appointments and Housekeeping

Every year, Langley City Council appoints members of Council to both our City run committees, external committees, and organizations that we are a part of, such as the Metro Vancouver Regional District and Fraser Valley Regional Library.

Last night, Council reappointed Councillor Rosemary Wallace as our Fraser Valley Regional Library representative and appointed Councillor Delaney Mack as our alternative if Councillor Wallace is unable to attend a meeting.

Council also reappointed Councillor Paul Albrecht to the Metro Vancouver Regional District Board and reappointed Councillor Wallace as our alternative.

Council also made a series of other appointments for 2025, which you can read more about in the November 4th Council agenda. There were a few changes to note. Langley City's Community Day and Magic of Christmas Festival and the Langley Christmas Bureau were heavily driven by the Council committee back in the day. Committees are not used today as they have been handled by internal City staff working groups and volunteers for the last several years. So, while Council will always be involved, there is no need to make committee appointments.

While Langley City is still a strong supporter of the Langley Human Dignity Coalition, scheduling conflicts have prevented council members from attending over the last year. As such, we did not appoint a representative this year.

It is also the time of the year for people in our community to put their names forward to volunteer for committees. If you'd like to learn more about Langley City committees, please visit the City's committee webpage. You can apply on that page for 2025 committee appointments.

Council also repealed old policies for committees that we no longer have, such as the Social Planning Committee, Event & Parade Committees, and Youth Advisory Committee (youth reps are part of all our City committees now.) Council repealed old policies on alerting the press of a Council meeting agenda (the policy stating we should use a fax machine) and a "Notice to Public" policy, which more robust policies have superseded.

Low Number of Air Quality Advisories this Summer. Wood-Burning Fireplace Regulation.

Since about 2015, there has been a marked increase in the number of summer air quality advisories in the Fraser Valley airshed (from the ocean to Hope.) The Metro Vancouver Regional District issues these advisories when smog or fine particulate matter reaches levels that harm human health.

These days, most air quality advisories result from fine particulate matter found in wildfire smoke. While this year was another extreme wildfire season, 75% of the wildfires were in northern BC, and the resulting smoke did not make its way down to our airshed.

Metro Vancouver issued a three-day smog advisory starting on July 8th this summer, which was caused by local pollution.

The following chart shows the number of days an air quality advisory was in effect, from 2005 until now.

Number of days of air quality advisories in the Lower Fraser Valley. Source: Metro Vancouver

You can sign up for air quality advisories on the Metro Vancouver website. You can also view Metro Vancouver's real-time air quality map. Most weather apps and sites also include Metro Vancouver's air quality data.

On the topic of air quality, Metro Vancouver also regulates:

• Fireplace
• Fireplace insert (that burns wood)
• Wood stove
• Pellet stove
• Masonry heater
• Other wood burning device

You must register your wood-burning appliance, ensure it meets our region's emission standards, and follow the region's wood burning regulations. The Metro Vancouver's real-time air quality map also shows if you can use your wood-burning fireplace. For example, you cannot use a wood-burning fireplace in Langley today.

Quick Council Update and City Infrastructure Renewal Projects Wrap-Up

On Monday, Langley City Council held a special video conference meeting to give final reading to our 2025 Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw. You can read more about this bylaw in a previous post. Council needed to hold the special meeting because the province needs a copy of approved permissive tax exemption bylaws before the end of October.

One of the key commitments I made when I ran for mayor was to double-down on investing in the basics like water, sewer, and road renewals. I'm incredibly proud of the work that Council and the City have done and are continuing to do to improve our infrastructure.

Road construction is disruptive, and as you are likely aware, some key projects have recently wrapped up, which is a reason to celebrate.

The first project was the 56th Avenue Renewal Project. This project rebuilt the road from the ground up, including replacing end-of-life water and sewer lines.

Fraser Highway between 201A Street and 203rd Street has also been rebuilt, including replacing end-of-life water lines.

If you ever crossed the railway tracks on Fraser Highway near Production Way, you might have caught some air. The City also completed rebuilding that railway crossing for a smoother experience.

Earlier this year, the City completed water infrastructure renewal and repaved all the roads in the 202 Street area near Simonds Elementary School.

Other projects are still occurring in our community as we chip away at our infrastructure debt to ensure smooth roads, running water, and flushing toilets.

Save the Date: Langley Christmas Bureau and Christmas Wish Breakfast

Every year, the Langley Christmas Bureau enables all families in the City and Township to have a Merry Christmas. Though Langley City provides administrative support for the Bureau, it is 100% supported by volunteers and donations from the community.

The annual Christmas Wish Breakfast is back! Mark your calendars for
Tuesday, November 26th
6:30 am to 9:30 am
Newlands Golf & Country Club

If you bring unopened toys, cash, or gift cards, the fine folks at Newlands will treat you to breakfast. Many businesses are now getting involved, bringing their teams down to support the Bureau and having breakfast. It is a great team-building exercise.

The Langley Christmas Bureau also relies on individuals, businesses, and organizations sponsoring families. You can sponsor a family of two for $200. If you want to support making the Christmas season a little brighter for a Langley family, please visit the Bureau's website.

The Langley Christmas Bureau shows the power of a community coming together. I look forward to seeing you at this year's Christmas Wish Breakfast.

My Thoughts on the City of Victoria’s Community Safety and Wellbeing Conference

Yesterday, I attended the Community Safety and Wellbeing Conference the City of Victoria hosted. The conference organizers invited me to be a panellist on “Urban Cities Safety.”

The conference started with an opening on Truth and Reconciliation, where one of the key takeaways for me was that reconciliation starts with meaningful relationships. Before trying to “do reconciliation,” local government leaders need to go for coffee and tea with elders and leaders of host Nations, get to know each other, and build trust. This relationship-building takes time, but you cannot do challenging work without having a solid relational foundation. This relationship theme weaved its way throughout the conference.

I also heard from Victoria Mayor Marianne Alto about the work that her city is doing to create its first Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan. The plan started with talking with a large cross-section of the community, including people who usually don’t participate in local city initiatives. The plan includes actions that need to be taken by the province, police, non-profit sector, and the city. Three things stood out to me from Mayor Alto’s presentation.

The first was that the province plays a significant role in community safety and wellbeing as it funds housing and mental health care. If we had adequate housing for everyone and better access to mental health care (including treatment), we would be 80% there.

The second thing that stood out was that the City of Victoria will be asking the community if they want to increase their city property tax to fund some of the gaps in service that the federal and provincial governments should otherwise fund.

The third thing for me was that their Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan is very similar to the Citizens’ Assembly on Community Safety work we are doing in Langley City.

The former BC Chief Coroner Lisa LaPointe provided an overview of BC’s toxic drug crisis. Some key takeaways were that street fentanyl is still what is killing people. She said that the toxic drug crisis is a fentanyl crisis. She also said that of about 100,000 people who use fentanyl in BC, only about 5,000 have access to “safer supply” alternatives from their doctor. The final takeaway was that the province’s unregulated private treatment system may do more harm than good. She said the province must set and enforce private treatment centres standards.

I was a panellist on the “Urban Cities Safety” with the Mayor of Nanaimo, Leonard Krog and the Mayor of Bend, Oregon, Melanie Kebler. One takeaway from the panel was that to create community safety, we need to work on universality, which means that the best programs help everyone. An example of these kinds of programs could be a free food program in a school or, at the federal scale, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit.

Another takeaway was that local governments need to play a facilitator role because many of the programs and groups that are meant to help out folks operate in silos, limiting their effectiveness. To see meaningful change, we need to bring the province and service providers together and have transparent measures to see what is helping and what is not.

The final takeaway was that the challenges we face in our communities cannot be addressed in one four-year election term; we need to embed a culture of working together and transparently measuring the effectiveness of our program in government and non-profit systems that can withstand political change.

It was a packed day yesterday, and for me, it confirmed that Langley City is on the right course as we work to improve community safety.

Development Fees and Property Tax: How Should We Pay for Population Growth?

When paying for building or renewing infrastructure, a local government only has three choices: development fees, property tax, and utility fees. The provincial and federal governments also give local government grants, but this funding is limited.

There has traditionally been a consensus that the infrastructure required to help support population growth is paid for by development fees. A local government's property tax and utility fees are used to pay for this infrastructure's upkeep and eventual renewal.

In Langley City, development fees are charged by the City, Metro Vancouver Regional District, School District 35, and TransLink.

For a new apartment in Langley City, this works out to $38,034. You can learn more about the different rates for our amenities contributions and development cost charges for all property types.

Infrastructure costs have rapidly increased over the last few years, development fees will need to increase, in some cases doubling over the next several years, to keep up. That new apartment fee could be approaching $80,000. I know that last year, the federal government was calling on local governments to stop development fees. A few weeks ago, at a Metro Vancouver Mayors' Committee meeting, we heard developers saying that the fees hurt their business when interest rates are high but are OK when interest rates are low. They ask for the region to pause increasing development fees.

Most typical mortgages are 25 years. If those development fees were to increase to $80,000 per apartment, the principal cost and interest would contribute to $5,442.24 in mortgage payments annually over a 25-year term based on today's rates.

For context, I looked up the property and utility fee bill for 304-5485 Brydon Crescent. With City, TransLink, Metro Vancouver, and School District 2024, the all-in cost was $2,093.38.

The federal and provincial governments are unlikely to come to the table with serious infrastructure money, so if local governments want to reduce development fees, it would need to be picked up by property tax and utility fees.

If we went down that path, as a society, we would need to come to a new consensus that everyone pays for the cost of new infrastructure related to population growth. We also need to agree to see property taxes double. There may be somewhere in between. It is a conversation that we need to have.

The bottom line is that if we want to reduce development fees, the money needs to come from somewhere. Housing won't be built if local governments don't have the money to expand infrastructure to accommodate population growth. There would be no water and sewer connections at a minimum.

Remembrance Day Ceremony Details for Langley City. Purchasing a Wreath

On Monday, November 11th, Langley City will remember and honour those who lost their lives in war and armed conflict in service of our country. It is also a time for us to reflect on what peace means.

Langley City will be holding a Remembrance Day ceremony at the Douglas Park Cenotaph. The ceremony starts promptly at 10:50 am, so please arrive a little early.

There is free parking at Timms Community Centre/City Hall (both the surface parking lot and underground.)

If you want to purchase a wreath and lay it as part of the ceremony, there are two steps.

1. Purchase a wreath from a Royal Canadian Legion branch. (The closest branches are in Cloverdale and Aldergrove.)
2. Email tedell@langleycity.ca by November 8th. Please note in the email that you would like to lay a wreath, including the name of the person who will be laying the wreath and for what organization.

Royal Canadian Legion Branch - Cloverdale
Email: rcl6legion@outlook.com
Phone: (604) 574-5300

Royal Canadian Legion Branch - Aldergrove
Email: rcl265@hotmail.com
Phone: (604) 856-8814

Least we forget.

Your Feedback Needed to Protect and Growth Langley City's Tree Cover

The growth of our urban forest is critical to the health and well-being of people in Langley City. The City has been working to create a new Urban Forest Management Strategy to help protect and expand the tree cover in our community.

I posted a two-part series about Langley City's new draft Urban Forest Management Strategy in September. In the first part, I looked at the current state of Langley City's urban forest, highlighting the lack of tree cover in the northwestern part of the community. The second part of the series looked at the specific strategies Langley City proposes to grow our urban forest and protect trees.

Input from the community is needed for any strategy to be successful. Langley City is seeking your feedback on our draft Urban Forest Management Strategy. The survey will take about 15-20 to complete. Your feedback is critical to setting the future of the urban forest in Langley City.

Take the Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LangleyCityUFMSphase2

October 21 Council Notes: Langley City Officially A Bat Friendly Community. Deputy Mayor Rotation for 2024-25 Approved

Last night's Langley City Council meeting was brief.

As I posted, Langley City, through the work of our Environmental Sustainability Committee, recommended that Langley City become a bat-friendly community in July. Bats provide pest control, pollinate plants, and disperse seeds. They have a symbolic relationship with humans as they use our built environment for their homes, though because of how we build things today, there is less space where they can live now. We are trying to change that. You can read more about it in that previous post. Langley City is now officially a bat-friendly community, and we received a certificate which attests to that last night.

The Deputy Mayor takes on the role of the Mayor if the Mayor becomes unavailable. The Deputy Mayor also represents the City at events when there are concurrent events that request official representation from the Mayor's Office. Council approved the following Deputy Mayor schedule for 2024-25.

Nov. 1 - Dec. 31 - Councillor Solyom
Jan. 1 - Feb. 28 - Councillor Albrecht
Mar. 1 - Apr. 30 - Councillor Mack
May 1 - June 30 - Councillor Wallace
July 1 - Aug. 31 - Councillor White
Sept. 1- Oct. 31 - Councillor James

Council also gave third reading to a rezoning bylaw to enable a multi-phase apartment and commercial mixed-use project at 20501 Logan Avenue. You can read more about this in a previous blog post.

Finally, Council had to give third reading again to our "2025 Permissive Tax Exemption Bylaw." There was a small typo that needed to be corrected. You can read more about permissive tax exemptions and who will receive these exemptions in 2025 in an earlier blog post.

Reminder: This Tuesday and Wednesday, Langley City Connects Open House Events

Last week, Langley City held our first Langley City Connects Open House at Simond Elementary School. These annual open houses take place every fall.

All Langley City departments and the RCMP will be at the open house events. Langley City senior staff, Council, and the RCMP will be available to answer your questions and listen to your feedback.

We will be able to address any topics that are the responsibility of municipal government, including policing, bylaw enforcement, transportation, emergency management, fire protection, recreation, cultural activities, parks, garbage/recycling, libraries, land use planning, and water/sewer utilities.

There will be additional information at the open houses about:

• Langley City's Zoning Bylaw Update
• Our New Urban Forest Management Plan
• The SkyTrain Project
• Our Proposed Transportation 2050 Plan
• The Langley City Emergency Program (Including Volunteer Opportunities)
• The Work We Are Doing to Address Social Challenges in Our Community

Each open house will have the same information, and you can attend any open house; no RSVP is needed.

The details are as follows:

Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Nicomekl Elementary - 20050 53 Avenue

Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Coast Langley City Hotel and Convention Centre, 20393 Fraser Highway

I look forward to seeing you there!

Langley City's Hidden Heroes Video Series

There are many workers at Langley City whose jobs ensure that we have a good quality of life in our community. I interviewed a few workers this summer to explore their roles in our community.

The first video is with James, who is a Horticulture Chargehand. He keeps our parks and plazas looking their best.

The second video is with Sonia. She takes on many important tasks in our community, including testing the quality of our drinking water. I finally learned what those mysterious green cylinders throughout our community are used for.

This video series is ongoing, and I look forward to sharing more about Langley City's Hidden Heroes.

2025 Langely City Proposed Property Tax Exemptions

In BC, a house of worship building such as a church, gurudwara, synagogue, or mosque is automatically exempt from paying property tax. However, the parking or landscaping areas of a house of worship property are not automatically exempt. Local governments in BC are allowed to provide a whole or partial property tax exemption for land used by charitable, philanthropic, and non-profit organizations.

Other property owners must make up the difference for each permissive tax exemption a local government grants.

The following math is simplified and based on parcel tax (an available tax type that Langley City doesn't use but proves the point.)

For example, if the City has a $50m budget and 8,000 parcels of property, the City would need to raise $6,250 from each property owner. If City Council granted 20 properties a permissive tax exemption, the City would need to raise $6,265.66 from the remaining property owners.

For the 2024 property tax year, the City provided $274,632 in tax exemptions, about 0.65% of each property owner's property tax bill.

All that to say, permissive property tax exemptions are not something that we take lightly.

Langley City Council grants permissive tax exemptions for all property of a house of worship. Council has historically granted permissive tax exemptions to some other organizations. The current Langley City Council has so far voted to continue with the annual renewal of these "legacy" permissive tax exemptions but has signalled no interest in expanding permissive tax exemptions.

In 2021, Langley City Council capped permissive tax exemptions to 1.4% of total property tax revenue and $75,000 per exempted property.

On Monday, October 7th, Council gave first, second and third reading of the 2025 permissive tax exemption bylaw, which will provide an exemption for the following organizations' properties:

Anglican Parish of St Andrew's - 20955 Old Yale Rd
Bridge Community Church - 5521 Brydon Cres
Church of the Nazarene Canada Pacific District - 19991 49 Ave
New Apostolic Church Canada - 19999 53 Ave
Roman Catholic Archbishop of Vancouver - 20676 Fraser Hwy
Town & Field Church - 20719 48 Ave
Vancouver Global Mission Church - 5673 200 St
Vineyard Christian Fellowship - 5708 Glover Rd
Community Police Office* - 100-20408 Douglas Cr
Convention Centre* - 20393 Fraser Hwy
Council of the Salvation Army - 5787 Langley Bypass
Langley Community Music School - 4899 207 St
Langley Community Services Society - 5339 207 St
Langley Lawn Bowling - 20471 54 Ave
Langley Seniors Resource Society - 20605 51B Ave
Langley Stepping Stones - 20101 Michaud Cr
Encompass Support Services Society - 20616 Eastleigh Cr
Inclusion Langley Society - 20689 Fraser Hwy
Inclusion Langley Society - 210-20239 Michaud Cr
Inclusion Langley Society - 208-20239 Michaud Cr
Inclusion Langley Society - 210-5650 201A St
Inclusion Langley Society - 312-5650 201A St
Inclusion Langley Society - 19977 45A Ave
Inclusion Langley Society - 4570 209A St
Inclusion Langley Society - 4830 196 St
Langley Care Society - 5451 204 St
Langley Food Bank - 20308 Logan Ave
Langley Hospice Society - 20660 48 Ave
Langley Memorial Hospital Auxiliary - 20560 Fraser Hwy

For more information, please read the Council report.

*City used or owned

Losing Your Home Due To Unpaid Property Tax Is Rare

If you do not pay your property tax within two years in BC, a municipality must sell your property to collect owed taxes. This tax sale is not optional. Going to a tax sale is very rare, and in Langley City, it normally results from the City being unable to contact a property owner over multiple years.

Under BC law, a tax sale is an auction that must occur at 10:00 am on the last Monday in September in a municipality's council chamber. A municipality sells the property to the highest bidder. Even after the tax sale, the original property owner has a year to pay their taxes and get their property back. A year after the property sale, if the original property owner still doesn't pay taxes, the property is transferred to the successful bidder. The City receives the amount owed in taxes, fees and interest, with the remainder going to the original property owner.

The short of it is that you have up to three years from when your taxes are due before you could lose your property. Again, it is extremely rare for someone to lose their property due to a tax sale in Langley City. City staff work hard to connect with someone before they lose their property.

The BC Ombudsperson in 2021 issued a report on a tax sale in Penticton called "A BID FOR FAIRNESS: How $10,000 in Property Tax Debt Led to a Vulnerable Person Losing Their Home." As the title of this report suggests, Ms. Wilson, a senior, lost her home due to a tax sale, and the Ombudsperson found it was due to unclear and inadequate communication by a municipality.

To prevent a Ms. Wilson situation from happening in our community, Langley City Council passed a motion last Monday to authorize the City's "Director of Corporate Services or his or her designate be appointed to bid on behalf of the municipality for any City of Langley Tax Sales." If a property ever went to a tax sale in our community, the City would bid for it to recover any property taxes owed and work to transfer it back to the original owner without evicting the original owner if it is a residential property.

Again, while someone losing their property due to a tax sale is extremely rare, this authorization from Council adds another layer of protection.

Please note that there was previously a picture of a house in Langley City. I was alerted that some folks thought it was a picture of a house owned by someone who didn't pay their property taxes on time. I want to be clear that the homeowner has always paid their property taxes on time. I regrets my decision to use that picture as its use has caused embarrassment and concern to this homeowner. I apologize.

I have replaced the picture with an example of a house in Wellington, New Zealand.

October 17th, 10:17 am: The Great BC ShakeOut

When I was in elementary school, I remember we had "earthquake dots." These dots were the direction we were supposed to orient ourselves during "drop, cover, and hold on" drills. These drills happened when there was peak knowledge that BC was due for "the big one." I remember a BCTV special from the 1990s on what life would be like during and after "the big one" hits. While these drills might have gone out of fashion, and we don't talk about "the big one" as much, earthquakes are very much a part of life in BC, and we are still due for "the big one."

On October 17th at 10:17 am, thousands of British Columbians, including Langley City staff, will participate in the Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills.

You can also join in by visiting the ShakeOut website. You can sign up and download resources to help you with your own drill, whether at home or your workplace.

It is also an excellent time to remind people to check the state of their emergency kit and grab-and-go bag. If you don't have an emergency kit and grab-and-go bag, please check out PreparedBC for more information on how to build your own.

When "the big one" hits, will you and your family be ready?

Multi-Phased, Mixed-Use Building Project at Fitness Unlimited Site

Typically, when there is an application for a building project, Langley City Council will vote concurrently on a rezoning bylaw and a development permit. For longer-term, multi-phase projects, Council will consider the rezoning bylaw first and consider development permits separately for each phase of a project. A good example is the multi-phase Langley Lions Housing renewal just south of the Langley Mall.

Zoning addresses the density, height, general layout of buildings and public space on a property, and permitted uses. A development permit addresses the design and details of a building, landscaping, and public or common spaces.

On Monday, Langley City Council gave first and second reading to a rezoning bylaw for a seven-phase building project at 20501 Logan Avenue. This site is home to a fitness club and storage facility. These businesses are owned by a local family (they live on Glover Road), and the same family submitted this rezoning.

The proposed rezoning would allow buildings ranging in height from 6 to 15 storeys. It would enable residential, office, and retail uses. Eastleigh Crescent will be extended through the property as part of the proposed project. The road will be turned over to Langley City.

The following images show the overall plan and concept landscaping plan.

Concept Landscaping Plan for 20501 Logan Avenue. Select the image to enlarge.

Overall Site Plan for 20501 Logan Avenue. Select the image to enlarge.

Langley City is currently developing below-market-priced rental and three-bedroom unit policies. This project will be subject to those policies when Council adopts them.

As I noted, Council will address the details of each phase with development permits going forward. If Council approves the rezoning, Council could consider the development permit for the first phase of this project within a year.

Langley City Trash Talk: Part 2. New Garbage/Organics Collection Fee Lower Than Township and Surrey

Last month, I posted that Langley City's 10-year garbage and organics collection contract is expiring with Emterra at the end of this year. Over the last year, City staff have worked on putting together a request for proposal to the private market for a new garbage and organics collections contract. Langley City received a proposal from Emterra and GFL.

As I previously posted, Council had several questions about the new contract, so Council decided to defer voting on approving a new contract to allow City staff time to address Council's questions.

For people who currently get Langley City garbage and organics collections service, the rate is changing from an annual rate of $271 this year to an annual rate of $409* next year. We had a very good deal with our old contract, and that pricing is not available anymore.

Our new rate is still lower than other South of Fraser municipalities. The following table shows the rates for other South of Fraser municipalities.

Municipality	2024 Annual Rate
Langley City	$271
Surrey	$337
White Rock	$346
Langley Township	$372

* 2025 Rate Estimate ($309 + Estimated $100 in Metro Vancouver fees

The most significant change you will notice with the new garbage and organics collection service is new City-provided toters. People will get 240-litre toters for detached houses and 120-litre toters for townhouses with Langley City service (most townhouse stratas contract their own service.) People can swap out their toter size between 240 and 120 litres.

Example of Toters

Among Council, there is a desire to move towards an in-housing garbage and organics service as we believe it will provide a better quality of service and help us better control costs. Langley City's current operation centre does not have the space for an in-house service. Langley City recently purchased additional property and is designing a new operation centre. Council asked that it be designed to support an in-house garbage and organics collection service. Our contract with Emterra is for seven years.

Supporting Fraser Highway Oneway Small Businesses Impacted by Fire

On Saturday, the building on the Fraser Highway Oneway in Downtown Langley City, which was the home of the Viva Mexico Restaurant, Olive Physiotherapy, Harmony Animal Training Facility, and several professional services businesses on the building's 2nd floor, burned to this ground. This 1950s-era building had many renovations over the years (some documented and others not), including before robust fire safety design and systems were in place. The relentless efforts of the Langley City and Township firefighters contained this fire to one building in this historic part of our community.

It is unknown at this time what caused the fire.

Water and smoke damage has also impacted other businesses in the area. There has been an outpouring of support for the small businesses impacted by the fire, with people asking how they can help.

The number one thing you can do is continue shopping and eating in Downtown Langley City and encourage your friends to do so as well.

The Downtown Langley Business Associate is working with impacted business owners to provide information on how people in the community can support impacted businesses. Please watch the DLBA's website and social media, which I have linked below, for further information.

Website: https://www.downtownlangley.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/discoverdowntownlangley/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/downtownlangleybusinessassociation

The Fraser Highway Oneway is the heart of our community. While this fire saddens me, I also feel a strong sense of pride as our community comes together and continues supporting those small businesses.

Metro Vancouver Walkability Map Doesn't Make Sense

I was reading the latest Metro Vancouver Regional District's Regional Planning Committee agenda and noticed a report called the Walkability Index Update. The report has a map that shows the walkability of neighbourhoods throughout Metro Vancouver. When we ask people what they love the most about living in Langley City, walkable is always at the top of the list.

I was surprised when the map showed Willoughby and Clayton as more walkable than Langley City. As someone who doesn't own a car, this doesn't align with my lived experience in this part of Metro Vancouver.

2021 Walkability Index Map. Select the map to enlarge.

How is this map created? It combines residential density, commercial floor space, the mix of uses, intersection density, and sidewalks.

When looking at the map of intersection density, it started to make sense why the map is off. The following is a map of intersection density from the report.

Map of Intersection Density in the Urban Containment Boundary, 2021. Select the map to enlarge.

It shows that Vancouver, North Vancouver, and Langley City have low intersection density while places like Pitt Meadows, Clayton or Willoughby have high density.

Living in Langley City without a car, I've always felt I can easily walk where I need to go without going out of my way. Langley City has a lot of walkway connectors.

Another metric missing on the map is access to other modes of travel. Having good transit access improves the walkability of a neighbourhood. Road design also factors in. For example, walking along 200th Street differs significantly from walking down the Fraser Highway Oneway.

I appreciate a walkability map, but this map from Metro Vancouver doesn't seem grounded in lived experience. The map shows White Rock as being less walkable than South Surrey and Clayton as being more walkable than Langley City.

Mark Your Calendar: Langley City Connects Open House Events

Langley City's neighbourhood meetings are back and are rebranded as Langley City Connects Open House. The format is the same as last year. All Langley City departments and the RCMP will be at the open house events. Langley City senior staff, Council, and the RCMP will be available to answer your questions and listen to your feedback.

We will be able to address any topics that are the responsibility of municipal government, including policing, bylaw enforcement, transportation, emergency management, fire protection, recreation, cultural activities, parks, garbage/recycling, libraries, land use planning, and water/sewer utilities.

There will be additional information at the open houses about:

Langley City's Zoning Bylaw Update
Our New Urban Forest Management Plan
The SkyTrain Project
Our Proposed Transportation 2050 Plan
The Langley City Emergency Program (Including Volunteer Opportunities)
The Work We Are Doing to Address Social Challenges in Our Community

Each open house will have the same information, and you can attend any open house; no RSVP is needed.

The details are as follows:

Date: Thursday, October 17, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Simonds Elementary - 20190 48 Avenue

Date: Tuesday, October 22, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Nicomekl Elementary - 20050 53 Avenue

Date: Wednesday, October 23, 2024
Time: 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm
Location: Coast Langley City Hotel and Convention Centre, 20393 Fraser Highway

72% of Metro Vancouver Residents Say Transit An Important Election Issue

While transit may not be the number one issue this election, 72% of people living in Metro Vancouver say it is a very important or important issue for this provincial election. Transit gives people an affordable transportation option and a way out of congestion.

The Mayors' Council on Regional Transportation, one of the two governing bodies of TransLink, recently released a survey on transit that was intentionally dropped during the provincial election campaign period.

The following graph shows sub-regional views on the importance of transit.

72% of residents believe transit is an important issue in this provincial election. Select the image to enlarge.

It is not surprising to me that the North Shore is where transit is flagged as very important or important by 77% of people who live there. I've taken the speedy RapidBus on Marine Drive and had the misfortune of being stuck in a car along that same corridor during the afternoon peak period. Transit is the only way to get people out of congestion on the North Shore. That being said, support is consistent across sub-regions in Metro Vancouver.

While people in our region understand that all governments have a role in transit service, they have flagged the provincial government as having the most responsibility for transit in Metro Vancouver.

Residents believe the Province has the greatest responsibility among all levels of government to fund transit. Select the image to enlarge.

This survey was done before the BC Unity Party disappeared, but transit is not a partisan issue. The majority of BC Conservative, BC Green, and BCNDP supporters believe that transit is an important issue in this election.

When asked if public transit is an important issue in this election, a majority of supporters from ALL political parties answered YES. Select the image to enlarge.

71% of people in Metro Vancouver are also concerned about potential transit cuts, which I posted about last week. You can learn more by reading the September 26, 2024, Mayors' Council agenda.

Potential 2026 Transit Cuts Means 20% Increase in Congestion, $1 Billion Negative Annual Economic Impact

As I posted in July, starting in 2026, TransLink will have to cut transit service by 50% if we cannot develop a new deal to fund transit service in our region with the federal and provincial governments. The short of it is that as more people are taking transit and switching to EVs, the gas tax (a significant funding source) continues to decline.

TransLink staff commissioned a report called "Economic Impacts of Potential Service Cuts" which is on today's Mayors' Council meeting agenda.

Reduced transit service by 50% would increase the average household's costs by $993 annually. For some perspective, the average household pays about $200 per year in fuel tax to TransLink.

$638 of that impact would be due to people having to find alternative ways to get around other than by transit. $236 would be because of a loss of access to jobs and increased congestion. $108 would be due to increased vehicle operating costs, including insurance premiums, and $10 would be due to the increased cost of goods due to increased congestion.

Big picture, cutting transit service by 50% would have a $1 billion negative impact on our economy in Metro Vancouver.

These transit cuts would also increase congestion by 20%. The following map shows where people would see changed travel times with a 50% transit cut.

Map of changing travel times on Metro Vancouver road network with 50% transit service cuts. Green means decreased travel time, and red means increased travel time. Select the map to enlarge.

I'm certain that the majority of folks in Metro Vancouver and whoever forms the next provincial government do not want to see transit service cut, so I am hopeful that we will find a new deal to fund transit service in our region.

Please read the September 25, 2024, Mayors' Council agenda for the full report.

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station Includes Washrooms, Retail & Mini-Police Station

I'm excited about the Surrey Langley SkyTrain extension, which extends the Expo Line and provides a one-seat ride from Langley City to Downtown Vancouver. Langley City will be served by two stations (Willowbrook and Langley City Centre.)

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station view from 203rd Street. Select the rendering to enlarge.

Langley City's Advisory Design Panel and City Council recently reviewed the design of the Langley City Centre Station. This station has some great features, making it unique among the new stations the province is building for the extension.

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station landscaping plan. Select the rendering to enlarge.

The first is that the station is designed for high capacity. The station will have a centre platform, two sets of up/down escalators, and two elevators. It will have two entrances, one on the west and another on the east. While I've heard some folks talk about parks and rides, almost all SkyTrain riders start their journey on foot/wheeling or by bus. Park and rides are not a part of any of the new SkyTrain stations. Langley City Centre Station will accommodate a significant transit exchange that can support Bus Rapid Transit. Langley City is a highly walkable community.

Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station transit exchange. Select the rendering to enlarge.

The station will also have a transit police office, secure bike parking, washrooms, and a retail outlet.

The station will also have a plaza on the south with many shade trees. Over time, I expect people will construct mixed-use buildings to the immediate south of the station.

As part of the SkyTrain project and to support improved access, the province and City are extending Industrial Avenue to 203A Street and 203A Street to Fraser Highway.

The station's construction and finishing materials will be durable and resistant to vandalism. The station will also feature a lot of glass to improve safety, ensuring no hidden spaces.

The station will feature public art and design features, such as a wave design in the concrete sidewalks that symbolize the Nicomekl River and will extend along all of Industrial Avenue.

September 23 Council Notes: Apartment Project and New Garbage Collection

Last night's Langley City Council meeting was brief, with two items that Council voted on in the agenda.

The first was to give third reading to a rezoning bylaw update for a 64-unit apartment project on Michaud Crescent with 7 three-bedroom units, 43 two-bedroom units, 5 one-bedroom + flex units, and 9 one-bedroom units. Third reading is considered "approval-in-principle" for a rezoning. The applicant will now work with the city to finalize the design, pay required deposits, and pay development cost charges and community amenity charges for infrastructure to accommodate population growth, among other things. Once this is completed, Council will consider the final reading of the rezoning and issue a development permit. You can read more about this project in a previous post.

Council also deferred voting on a new garbage collection contract for detached homes and small townhouse/rowhouse complexes until the October 7th Council meeting. You can read more about proposed changes to garbage collection in a previous post.