Langley City Council Invites Bellingham City Council and Mayor Over for a Meal and to Plant a Tree

At the end of May, several news outlets reported that the City of Bellingham in Washington sent letters to municipalities in Metro Vancouver, including Langley City, expressing their support for our peaceful border and long-standing relationship between BC and Washington State.

There are strong ties between Bellingham and Langley City that go beyond cheap gas and groceries. For example, at one point in my life, I took part in Highland Dancing. The group I was part of included members from Langley and Bellingham, and we would attend events on both sides of the border. I know a few people in Metro Vancouver who have cabins in and around Bellingham.

Highland Dancing in the City of Bellingham in 2007.

At the time, several news outlets reached out to ask if I had anything to say about the letter. Unfortunately, Langley City was not in receipt of the letter at that time, as Bellingham City Council and Mayor sent it via mail.

In Canada, official letters are sent as PDF attachments in emails, including letters from other local governments, the province, and the federal government. As I found out, the proper protocol in the US is to send official letters via mail.

On June 6th, we received the letter from Bellingham, which you can see below.

Letter from the Council and Mayor of the City of Bellingham. Select the letter to enlarge.

Given the current federal dynamics in the US, I have not travelled to the US, and I am supporting local, BC, and Canadian businesses whenever possible.

That being said, Langley City and Bellingham share the same airshed and watershed and have historic personal and economic connections; we are also inextricably linked ecologically.

As a symbol and acknowledgment of our shared history, friendship between our communities, and hope for a brighter future, Langley City Council on Monday approved my sending a letter to the Council and Mayor of Bellingham inviting them to come up to Langley City to share a meal and plant a tree at a Langley City park.

The official motion was:

THAT Langley City Council direct the Mayor to write a letter on behalf of Council thanking the Council and Mayor of the City of Bellingham for their letter dated May 19th, 2025, and invite the Council and Mayor of the City of Bellingham to a meal and tree planting ceremony in Langley City.