New Policy to Prevent Parkade Construction Cave-Ins

Until December 2022, I'd never heard of a parkade under construction in Langley City having a cave-in or partial cave-in during construction. In December 2022 and August 2024, the construction shoring at two different sites failed.

As I posted in November, Langley City implemented a practice of having independent reviews of the geotechnical design for underground parkades. Last night, Langley City Council adopted a new "CO-87 - Excavation and Shoring Policy."

This policy makes the new practice of having an independent review of geotechnical design a requirement for all proposed excavations with 3 metres or greater depth. It also reserves the right for the City to request an independent review for any excavations.

While this might seem like the City is adding red tape, the safety of our community and workers is paramount. This policy will help improve underground parkades' safety and other underground construction.

Metro Vancouver Housing Supply Challenge Started in the 1990s

Everyone knows that there is a housing shortage in Metro Vancouver. All municipalities now have provincially mandated housing needs reports. I posted about Langley City's report in December.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District recently completed a Regional Housing Needs Report. There were a few things that stood out to me.

One thing is that this housing shortage we find ourselves in today, while certainly exacerbated in the last few years, really started back in the early 1990s. This period is when governments were cutting funding to housing programs. Interestingly, it was also in the early 1990s when the province started the process of shutting down Riverview Hospital without providing adequate facilities in other locations. Decisions made in the past (good and bad) can impact people for generations.

Metro Vancouver Housing Completions per 1,000 Population, (1970 to 2024) and Required Level of Completions to Meet 20-Year Housing Need (2022 to 2041). Select chart to enlarge.

Region-wide, we need to increase yearly housing completions by 22,668. We need to double the current rate in the South of Fraser - East (where Langley City is located). The following chart shows the sub-regional breakdown.

Estimated Annual Shortfall in Housing Completions, Metro Vancouver Sub-Regions, 2022 to 2026. Select chart to enlarge.

Regional District staff made the following overall observations:

• Housing development levels must double to address regional housing pressures.
• The federal and provincial governments must significantly increase their loan and funding programs to build more affordable rental housing.
• Overall, we need more purpose-built rental housing.

Certainly, municipal governments have taken our lumps for being a barrier to getting housing built (some deserved and others not), though we will continue to need to invest in ways to build housing more efficiently to meet the growing demand, such as modular construction.

Please read the April 3 Metro Vancouver Regional Planning Committee agenda for more information.

Proposed Regional Parks Bylaw Update: E-Bikes, Alcohol in Parks, and Dog Leashes

The Metro Vancouver Regional District is proposing several changes to the bylaw regulating regional park use. I wanted to highlight some of the proposed changes.

Right now, e-bikes are technically not permitted in regional parks (outside of roadways), even in areas where human-powered-only bikes are permitted. The proposed update will allow e-bikes to be used wherever traditional bikes are permitted.

The District is also looking to allow electric kick scooters on designated trails and greenways.

Regarding dogs, the Regional District is looking at reducing the allowed leash length from 5 metres to 2.5 metres to ensure that people can keep their pets under control better. The District is also looking to make Codd Wetland Ecological Conservancy Area a no-dog area.

The proposed bylaw changes also include an update around requirements for camping in regional parks for people who are experiencing homelessness. People experiencing homelessness will be allowed to camp in grassy areas that are not in ecological conservancy areas, park reserves, or any other ecologically sensitive areas.

The Regional District also proposes extending their pilot program, allowing people to consume alcohol in specific areas of regional parks from Friday, May 16, 2025, to Monday, October 13, 2025.

The areas are:

• Boundary Bay Regional Park at Centennial Beach
• Brunette Fraser Regional Greenway at Sapperton Landing
• Campbell Valley Regional Park at the 8th Avenue Picnic Area/Order of Canada Grove
• Capilano River Regional Park at the Cleveland Dam Picnic Area
• Derby Reach Regional Park at the Day Use Area adjacent to Edgewater Bar campground
• The Iona Beach Regional Park Picnic Area

Please read the latest Regional Parks Committee agenda for more information.

March 24 Council Notes: Traffic Lights, Committees, Surety Bonds

Yesterday, I posted about the proposed BC Builds Affordable Rental Mixed-Use Project at 49th Avenue and 200th Street, and today, I will post about the remaining items addressed at Monday's Langley City Council meeting.

Council approved a contract worth $689,700 to Crown Contracting Ltd and $5,300 to W.K. Williams Engineering Consultants Ltd. to upgrade various traffic signals throughout the City. The City is also setting aside a $68,970 contingency for this project.

Council also changed who chairs and co-chairs our Crime Prevention Committee. Councillor Albrecht will chair the committee, and Councillor Solyom will co-chair. If you would like to volunteer for this committee, please visit Langley City's website.

When people build a project in any municipality, they must provide bonds or deposits to the municipality. For example, you must pay a deposit for landscaping in new projects to ensure that the landscaping survives at least a year. Any landscaping that dies after one year needs to be replaced. This deposit is returned after this one year and after the City verifies that all landscaping is alive and to the original plan.

Some municipalities are piloting allowing surety bonds instead of cash deposits. Instead of a builder having to give cash to a municipality for a deposit, they would take out an "insurance plan" that would be paid out to a municipality if a builder didn't meet their obligations. Surety bonds could help lower the cost of housing project construction. Council passed a motion asking that we consider exploring a surety bond program as part of our upcoming strategic planning.

BC Builds Affordable Rental Mixed-Use Project at 49th and 200th

Last night, Langley City Council gave first and second reading to three bylaws, which, if approved, would allow the construction of a BC Builds housing project between 49th Avenue and 50th Avenue on the west side of 200th Street.

Rendering of the proposed project at 19991 49 Avenue, 19990 50 Avenue, and 4951-4975 & 4991 200 Street. Select the image to enlarge.

BC Builds is a provincial government program that provides grants and low-interest loans to build rental housing for people who make middle-income levels, such as teachers, nurses, tradespeople, and small business owners. The specific household income brackets for renting in a BC Builds project are:

• $85,870 - $136,210 for a studio or one-bedroom
• $138,770 - $201,030 for a two-bedroom or large

BC Builds projects must have at least 20% of their unit available at 20% below market rents.

To make these projects viable, BC Builds partners must contribute free or low-cost land. The Church of the Nazarene is leading this project and is contributing land. Langley City is also contributing land for the project. Even though the Church is leading the project, there are no and cannot be any religious requirements/preferences/obligations to rent in the building.

The project, if approved, would have:

• 302 apartments (60 of these units will have below-market rents)
• A secular childcare facility (with approximately 49 infant/toddler/preschool spaces and approximately 24 after-school spaces. No preference is given to people who rent in the building or church members.)
• A new church and community hall
• A greenway plaza and connection to a future trail to be extended to Conder Park
• 6,458 sq. ft. of commercial space for shops or services

Langley City's Official Community Plan must be amended for this project to move forward. While the Official Community Plan envisions a mixed-use project like this proposal around 49th Avenue and 200th Street, the height limit was 3 stories, which needs to be increased to 6 stories. 6-stories height is proposed only to be allowed when "20% of the total unit count being rented at a minimum of 20% below market rent rates, and secured by Housing Agreement for the life of these buildings" and only a project touches 49th Avenue and 200th Street on the northwest corner.

The next step will be a public hearing at 7 pm on April 7th at Langley City Council Chamber. This public hearing is when people can formally provide written or verbal feedback on this proposal. You can find out more information on Langley City's website.

I will post more information about the project's specifics after the public hearing.

Langley City Film Festival - Film Submissions Open

Langley City will host its 2nd Film Festival on October 18th and 19th. This year's themes are "The Emotion of Sound" and "The Natural Environment."

This short film festival has youth and general filmmaker categories. Young filmmakers can submit films between 30 seconds and 5 minutes, while general short films can be between 2 minutes and 20 minutes. Prizes range from $500 to $1,000. Filmmakers must reside in BC.

You must have created any submitted film between May 1st, 2023, and May 1st, 2025.

The deadline to submit a film is May 1st.

For more information, including how to submit your film, please visit Langley City's website or events@langleycity.ca.

The following trailer is from the 2023 festival.

Accommodating Population Growth Requires a Plan, Invest Langley City

In February, BC Stats released the last population estimates for municipalities in BC. While looking at the year-over-year changes is interesting, there is value in looking over a more extended period. I wanted to look at the population growth of municipalities in the South of Fraser over the last few decades.

The following is the change in population between 2004 and 2024 by municipality:

• Surrey - 80%
• Langley Township - 73%
• Langley City - 44%
• White Rock - 32%
• Delta - 26%

One of the challenges with fast growth is keeping up with services. Building new cultural and recreation facilities takes time and considerable finances. For example, it is easier for Delta to plan for and build these facilities than Surrey. Surrey is always in catch-up mode.

Langley City's growth is "middle of the road" for South of the Fraser communities, but we still must invest in facilities to keep up with growth. We will need to expand basic facilities like our operations and maintenance yard as well as recreation and cultural facilities. With SkyTrain, population growth will accelerate, which is why Langley City Council is creating our Invest Langley City vision. This vision will outline when and what we need to build to ensure that our residents and businesses continue receiving a high service level. I'll be sharing more about this vision as it progresses.

Langley City's Citizen's Assembly on Community Safety: First Offical Meeting

On Saturday, Langley City held the first meeting of our Citizen's Assembly on Community Safety. The Assembly will be looking into how we can meaningfully improve safety in our community and shift response away from emergency services, which is reactionary to proactive solutions. The Assembly will have experts, researchers, and facilitators to support their work.

A Citizen's Assembly differs from a regular City Committee in several ways. One difference is that the Citizen's Assembly membership reflects the makeup of people in our community and is a form of direct democratic process.

A regular City Committee has people appointed by Council from the community who are passionate about a topic, representatives from organizations working within the topic area, and members of City Council. The Arts, Recreation, Culture and Heritage Committee has specific membership requirements. For example, one person on that committee must be from the performing arts community, and another must represent heritage.

The Citizen's Assembly also has significantly more financial and staffing resources behind it as the Citizen's Assembly will be putting forward solutions for a complex challenge.

Council met the 29 people who are the Citizen's Assembly. The City hosted a welcoming ceremony. After the ceremony, the Citizen's Assembly got to business.

There has been a lot of interest in the Citizen's Assembly. You can follow along with the Assembly as the City will post information online. You can also sign up for email updates on the City's website. There will be opportunities for broader public participation throughout the process.

The City put together a small video from the welcoming ceremony.

Langley City's 70th Anniversary Celebrations

Saturday, March 15, was Langley City's 70th birthday, and we will be celebrating our history throughout the year. The festivities started last week with a cake cutting which included Eric Vogel, the grandson of Langley City's first mayor, Hunter Vogel.

Council also thought it would be fun to recreate one of the first Langley City Council pictures.

Langley City's First Council in 1955. Select the image to enlarge.

Re-creation of First Council Photo with Current Langley City Council in 2025. Select the image to enlarge.

The table, chairs, and gavel are original. The story is that these pieces of our history were almost thrown into the trash but were saved at the last minute. They are now in the small museum at the fire hall.

The City has set up a 70th Anniversary webpage. You can stay updated on 70th Anniversary events and activities by visiting the page. The City has also posted historic photos of Langley Prairie, the community's original name, on the page.

For example, an online contest is running right now where you could win prizes such as a 70th Anniversary Langley City Hat, a rec pass, or Downtown Dollars.

I look forward to celebrating the City's 70th anniversary throughout this year!

Langley City Habitat Compensation Areas

Langley City's Official Community Plan maps out Environmentally Sensitive Areas in our community on a scale of low to high.

Low areas include grass fields and some treed areas. Low to moderately low areas can be developed, though subject to requirements such as replacing any lost habitat at a ratio of 2:1.

Moderate to high areas cannot be developed. These areas include all stream and river areas, including the Nicomekl River floodplain.

Langley City staff recently presented a report to Council that outlined some proposed habitat compensation areas. These are where enhancement or restoration would have to occur if a low or moderately low area in another part of our community was developed.

The proposed areas include:

• Nicomekl Park/208 Street Causeway
• East Powerline Trail
• Uplands Dog Park
• Brydon Park
• Hunter Park
• Nicomekl Floodplain and Trail System
• Boulevard Tree Plantings

Council asked staff to identify further areas in our industrial and Langley Bypass parts of our community that could benefit from habitat compensation.

Going through the Nicomekl River District Neighbourhood planning process several years ago, I learned that many areas of the Nicomekl River Floodplain have been altered in the past. The grassy areas are remnants of past farms, and the floodplain is full of invasive plants such as the Himalayan blackberry. There is a significant opportunity to restore the floodplain as it is a continuous habitat area that runs throughout our whole community.

For more information on compensation areas, please read the full report.

Hunter Vogel - The First Mayor of Langley City

Saturday, March 15, 2025, is Langley City's 70th birthday! We had a cake-cutting event with Eric Vogel, the grandson of Langley City's first mayor, Hunter Vogel. It is rumoured that Hunter Park (in the southern part of the City) is named after our first mayor.

Eric gifted me a copy of Hunter's book "The Key and the Pork Barrel." You definitely won't find this book in the library.

Updated Design for the Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station

Langley City's Advisory Design Panel, which includes folks from our community, architects, and landscape architects, provides feedback on the design of building projects in our community. They also provided input on the design of the Langley City Centre SkyTrain station.

Based on the feedback from the Advisory Design Panel and other feedback received, South Fraser Station Partners (the station builder) updated the design.

The updated designs are below.

Render of Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station with proposed design changes. Select the rendering to enlarge.

Illustrative Landscape Plan of Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station. Select the rendering to enlarge.

View of the Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station from the transit exchange showing wall design. Select the rendering to enlarge.

There is also a Propulsion Power Substation on Industrial Avenue, which will supply power to the SkyTrain tracks. The original design was a blank concrete box. The updated design is below.

Rendering of proposed SkyTrain Propulsion Power Substation on Industrial Avenue near 201A Street. Select the rendering to enlarge.

Please look through the Langley City Centre Station Design Submission #2 package for more information.

March 10 Council Notes: Housing Matters, Electric Kick Scooters, Budget

At its Monday night meeting, Langley City Council gave third reading to a rezoning bylaw which would enable the construction of a 10-unit "phase two" extension of a townhouse project at 5080 & 5096 208 Street. You can read more about this project in a previous blog post. After the applicant finalizes the project's details and pays the required fees and deposits to the City, Council will consider the final reading of the rezoning bylaw and issue a development permit.

Council gave final reading to approve our 2025-2029 Financial Plan or 2025 budget. You can learn more about the ongoing operating part of the budget and the one-time capital part of the budget in previous posts.

Council received a recommendation from our Accessibility Advisory Committee to consider creating a micromobility devices plan. While micromobility devices vary, the term generally refers to electric kick scooters in BC. These devices cannot be used on public sidewalks and streets unless you are in a "pilot" community. Langley City is not a pilot community. While several members of Council expressed that the committee's recommendation was broad and may have exceeded the committee's mandate, Council agreed to consider this recommendation during our upcoming strategic planning sessions.

Council also approved a recommendation to update our Environmental Sustainability Committee membership to include a seniors representative.

Like many municipalities, Langley City must submit reports to the province on its housing target order for net new completed housing units. Our community's cumulative ordered targets are:

Year 1: 251
Year 2: 541
Year 3: 890
Year 4: 1,318
Year 5: 1,844

Langley City is required to submit a six-month report to the province. We had a net increase of 237 units, or 94% of the province's one-year target for our community.

The 6-month net increase in units by bedroom count is:
Studio: 43
One-Bedroom: 123
Two-Bedroom: 56
Three-Bedroom: 14
Four or More Bedrooms: 1

As a note, the net number is new units minus demolished units.

Langley City Council also approved seeking grants from the Union of BC Municipalities for $40,000 to purchase supplies for Emergency Support Services and $39,870.25 for supplies for our Emergency Operation Centre.

Climate and Metro Vancouver's Water Supply

The water in our region comes from the North Shore and Coquitlam Mountains. We depend on snowpack levels and their melt rate to provide enough water to Metro Vancouver during summer. Climate change is impacting our water supply and how we manage it. The Region District publishes a report that outlines annual weather and climate patterns. The following experts are from a report covering 2024.

An overview map of the Metro Vancouver watershed, including weather monitoring stations (orange triangles.) Select the map to enlarge.

Temperature Trends: This year was the third warmest year on record at the Vancouver Airport since 1936 (behind 2015 and 2023). Despite being a warm El Niño year, the coldest temperatures ever recorded occurred during the January deep-freeze. The Orchid Lake weather station in the Seymour WSA dropped to a low of -22.7°C on January 12. December was a stand out month, averaging 2.7 degrees warmer than normal.

Precipitation Patterns:
Annual precipitation amounts were well above normal in 2024. At the Vancouver Airport, this was the wettest year of this century, and among the top 10 wettest years since records began in 1937. October was an exceptionally wet month, which included the record-breaking October 19-20 atmospheric river. The summer months were quite dry, but each month saw at least one moderate rainfall event. July was the driest month, with no rainfall recorded until July 29.

Snowpack:
This was a very poor snowpack year. There was almost no mountain snowpack until the end of February. Conditions did improve in March, but average snow water equivalent values were only half of the historical average at the start of the melt season. Fortunately, relatively cool and damp spring weather slowed snowmelt and kept reservoirs full for longer than expected.

Drought and Wildfire Risk:
Drought was a concern again in 2024, but it was not as exceptional as the previous few seasons. The Lower Mainland basin was at drought level 3 (adverse impacts possible) for most of the summer. There were fewer days in high and extreme fire danger this year than the previous few years. Fire danger was high for most of July; however, well timed storms provided relief when conditions were becoming very dry.

The short of it is that climate change is making it more difficult to predict how much water we will have available for use. Water conservation will continue to be an increasingly important action that we must all take during the summer.

For more information, please read "Water Supply Areas – Climate Report 2024 Annual Weather and Climate Summary" on page 101 of the March 12, 2025, Metro Vancouver Water Committee Agenda.

Volunteer for a Langley City Committee

Langley City Council is looking for people to volunteer for some of our committees. These committees advise Council on various topics and can also do on-the-ground work. For example, the Accessibility Advisory Committee is working on audits to find areas where there may be barriers for people with a disability. Crime Prevention Committee members attend or host community events to raise awareness about how to make our community safer.

The following committee has vacant positions. Some of these positions have specific requirements.

For more information and to apply, please visit Langley City's website.

Environmental Sustainability Committee:
Promoting environmental awareness, education, and best practices throughout the City of Langley.

-One Post-Secondary Institution student representative
-One Member representing Indigenous Peoples

Arts, Recreation, Culture and Heritage Committee:
Provides advice on the implementation of various arts, recreation, culture and heritage initiatives.

-One Multi-Cultural Organization representatives
-One Heritage representative (anyone passionate about heritage)
-One Member representing Indigenous Peoples

Crime Prevention Committee:
Share messaging about crime prevention and promote community connectedness through community engagement.

-Two Community Members at Large representatives
-One Social Services Representative

Socio-Cultural and Economic Development Advisory Committee
Provides advice on social, cultural, and economic growth.

-One Social & Cultural Diversity, Inclusion, Equity Perspective Representative

The Importance of the Neighbourhood Park

I recently read a report called "The 2024 Canadian City Parks Report." One of the sections of the report contained data on what kind of parks people visit regularly. About three-quarters of Canadians visit local or neighbourhood parks regularly. The next most popular outdoor public space people use is trails at around 40%. It got me thinking about Langley Prarie Park, which is tucked away behind the Varsity Condos on Fraser Highway.

Iris Mooney Park

I was on the Parks, Environment, Recreation and Culture Advisory Committee (over a decade ago) when we discussed this park. I remember that the City wanted to put a lot of stuff into the park, but residents in the area just wanted a simple park with some benches and a walking loop. The City went with the simple design.

Having access to high-quality, if even simple, public parks is critical for people's health, happiness, and social cohesion. I live in the Brydon Neighbourhood, and I see how Brydon Park is a hub where kids play with other kids in the neighbourhood, and people get to talk to their neighbours.

Langley City's goal is to ensure everyone is within a five-minute walk of a park or green space.

There are some gaps. In my neighbourhood, people on Brydon Crescent need better access to park space. The City plans to build a pedestrian bridge to connect the southwestern section of Brydon Crescent to the trail between 53rd and 200th Street, enabling better park access.

Map showing sections of community within a 5-minute walk of a park. Areas without colour overlays are outside of the 5-minute walk zone. Select the map to enlarge.

More broadly, there is a lack of parks or greenspace in our Downtown/Northwestern part of the community. The City has identified the need for this space in our Park, Recreation, and Culture Plan.

While having destination parks, such as City Park or Sendall Gardens, is good, it is our neighbourhood parks that people visit the most and what builds community. As more people live Downtown and near Willowbrook Mall, we must build (and the City does plan to build) neighbourhood parks in these areas to ensure that everyone in our community is within a 5-minute walk of a park.

Your Input Needed on Langley City's Public Parking Strategy

With the pending arrival of SkyTrain, continued growth, and an increased number of people visiting our community for shopping, work, or recreation, Langley City is developing an on-street and publicly-owned lot parking strategy. The strategy will apply to all areas north of the Nicomekl River.

Based on research, such as from the late Donald Shoup, we should not have more than 85% of parking spaces full on any given block. This percentage works out to about one free space in every block, which prevents people from driving in circles looking for parking.

On average, in Downtown Langley today, we have about 60% utilization at the busiest times, though there are hot spots. The following map shows utilization when parking demand is the highest. The Fraser Highway One-Way exceed 85% utilization on Saturdays from the last morning until the afternoon.

Existing Typical Saturday Peak Parking Demand. Select the image to enlarge.

There are many ways to manage parking, including adjusting time limits, making it easier to find areas with ample available parking, and implementing parking permits, resident-only parking, or paid parking. The City has yet to determine what, if any, solutions we would need for our community.

An example of a solution could be to let people know there is always ample parking at Timms Community Centre/City Hall, just across the street from the Fraser Highway One-Way.

If you travel to Downtown Langley City (whether walking, cycling, taking transit, or driving) or living in Langley City, the City wants to hear from you.

Please consider taking Langley City's Parking Survey. It will take about five to ten to complete. You could also win a $50 Visa gift card. The deadline in March 9th.

For more information on parking in Langley City, please view the Public Parking Strategy presentation.

Derby Reach Proposed Campground Expansion

Derby Reach Regional Park is a popular destination for day trips and overnight camping. The current Edgewater Bar Campground, which has 38 campsites that can accommodate tents and RVs, is usually booked for the camping season within a week of reservations opening. The Metro Vancouver Regional District wants to expand the campground with 30 additional campsites.

The following image shows the proposed layout for the campground expansion.

Proposed concept site plan for the Edgewater Bar Campground expansion. Select the image to enlarge.

The proposed expansion will occur in the current grassy space so that it won't impact the forested and bog areas.

The Metro Vancouver Regional District will be completing planning work this year, and their current target is to include the expansion within the regional district's 2026 budget.

February 24 Council Notes: Regional Sewage, Motions, and Provincial Advocacy

Yesterday, I posted about the housing items from Monday's Langley City Council meeting. Today, I will post about the remaining items from that meeting.

Council received a presentation from Jerry Dobrovolny, the Chief Administrative Officer for the Metro Vancouver Regional District, and Cheryl Nelms, who is part of their major project delivery office. They gave a presentation and answered questions from Council on the North Shore Waste Water Treatment Plant. As you may know, there have been some serious challenges with the construction of the project, which resulted in a 3.5 times increase in price from its 2020 budget. These costs are reflected in this year's sewer rates, including those of Langley City. Council asked several questions about the project, the distribution of costs across the region, and lessons learned to prevent cost overruns like this from happening for future projects. You can learn more about the North Shore Waste Water Treatment Plant on Metro Vancouver's website.

Council also gave third reading to our 2025 - 2029 Financial Plan. You can learn more about the budget and proposed project in previous posts.

Council also considered a motion to record who moves and seconds motions in our minutes. City staff noted that this would be against best practices as minutes are supposed to reflect the collective actions of a council and are not transcripts. Council elected to maintain our current policy.

One of the ways local governments can advocate to the province is through the Lower Mainland Local Government Association. This organization represents local governments from Lillooet to Hope. Local governments submit motions to debate at the annual conference and, if approved at the conference, are forwarded for debate at the annual Union of BC Municipalities conference in the fall. If approved at that conference, they are submitted to the province, which responds, including noting any action they might take.

Langley City Council approved submitting the following two motions to LMLGA.

Enhancing Housing Stability through Preventive Measures and Supportive Programs

WHEREAS the housing crisis in British Columbia is influenced by both insufficient housing supply and escalating demand pressures, leading to affordability challenges and housing insecurity that forces many individuals and families into unsafe and precarious living conditions, increasing their vulnerability to exploitation and victimization; and

WHEREAS preventive strategies, including the provision of adequate supports and access to portable rental subsidies, are essential to maintain housing stability and prevent homelessness;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia, in partnership with local governments and non-profit housing providers, expand programs to reduce housing vulnerability by expanding portable rental subsidies, enhancing support services, investing in preventive strategies, and providing direct grants to municipalities.

Enhancing A Collaborative, Sustainable, and Inclusive Approach to Food Security and Well-being

WHEREAS food insecurity remains a critical issue in British Columbia, exacerbated by climate change, economic instability, and supply chain disruptions, disproportionately affecting vulnerable populations, Indigenous communities, and socioeconomically disadvantaged regions; and

WHEREAS a resilient and inclusive food system requires sustained investment, cross-sector collaboration, and policies that integrate infrastructure development, technological innovation, cultural food systems, and community-driven approaches to ensure equitable access to nutritious food, economic resilience, and regional food security;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Province of British Columbia collaborate with municipalities to develop and implement a comprehensive food security and well-being strategy that ensures sustainable investment in local food systems, strengthens regional and provincial food networks, promotes innovation in agriculture and food technology, and enhances access to culturally appropriate, affordable, and nutritious food for all communities.

February 24 Council Notes: Housing Projects Considered

On Monday night, Langley City Council addressed two housing redevelopment applications.

Council gave first and second reading to a rezoning bylaw to enable the construction of 10 new townhouses at 5080 & 5096 208 Street. This proposed project is "phase two" for a 26-unit townhouse complex just south, which received third reading of its rezoning bylaw last summer. The project applicant noted that they would be building both phase one and phase two at the same time if the Council grants final reading of the rezoning bylaws and issues development permits for these projects.

Rendering of proposed 10-unit townhouse complex at 5080 & 5096 208 Street. Select the image to enlarge.

All the units in this proposed townhouse project will have double-wide garages and three-bedroom + flex room units.

This proposed project is subject to Langley City's Townhome & Plex-Home Best Practices Guide due to its locations along 208th Street. Council had a good discussion about outdoor space, such as yards, centralized greenspace within a project (when it should be provided), and access and applicant-funded enhancements to existing or new public parks and green spaces. This project will have direct access (via phase one) to Nicholas Park.

At the same meeting, the Council gave final reading of a rezoning bylaw and issued a development permit to enable the construction of a 5-storey, 132-unit apartment development at 20719-20731 Eastleigh Crescent. You can read more about this project in a previous post.

How is Hiring of RCMP Officers and Firefighters Going in Langley?

I don't usually like to compare Langley City and the Township of Langley. Still, some information has been circulating online suggesting that the City isn't investing in policing or our fire service.

At the beginning of this current election term, Langley City Council passed a motion to hire nine firefighters over the election term. The Township of Langley Council passed a motion to hire 44 firefighters (11 per year) over the same period.

Langley City Council approved two new firefighting positions in 2023, three in 2024, and we gave third reading to our 2025 budget last night to add another two. The numbers add up to seven new firefighting positions, or 77% of what we promised to deliver, with another year to reach 100% of our promise.

If Langley City Council continues on our current path next year, we will have increased our full-time suppression firefighting staff by 40% in four years.

The Township of Langley approved 11 firefighting positions in 2023 and zero in 2024 and is proposing to add 11 firefighting positions this year. These numbers add up to 22, or 50% of what they promised to deliver with a year to go.

We share the Langley RCMP detachment with the Township of Langley. The Township of Langley approved five new RCMP positions in 2023, two in 2023, and is proposing another two this year. That is a total of nine new positions. Langley City Council approved three new positions last year. Factoring in population and population growth, Langley City and Township have contributed proportionately to additional RCMP hires over the current election term so far.

We must invest in frontline policing and firefighting. We also know that to improve community safety over the long term, we need to deal with the root challenges, which include poverty, mental health, addiction, and cycles of violence.

For example, Langley City Council has partnered with the Langley School District on Project Black Feather to help young people before they enter a life of crime. We have also created two new City positions to work with the province government, health, and social service provider sector to better advocate for, support, and coordinate the delivery of support services for our community. We have launched our Citizens Assembly on Community Safety.

Ensuring we increase frontline positions, as appropriate, while also working to address the root causes of safety impacts is how we move the needle to improve community safety in Langley City. What we are doing isn't flashy, but over time, it will positively impact current and future members of our community.

Preparing for Wildfire Smoke Season, Taking Care of Your Health

It is still winter, so you might wonder why I'm writing a post about wildfire smoke season. It is always better to be prepared than to deal with something in the middle of an event. For example, finding an air conditioner in the middle of the summer is more challenging and more costly than getting one right now.

Wildefire Smoke over Downtown Vancouver. Source: Nick Dobbing

The BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC) has provided guidance on preparing for and protecting yourself during wildfire smoke season.

The BCCDC provides data that show not only does smoke impact your health in conventional ways, such as increased risk of asthma, reduced lung function, lung cancer, heart disease, and stroke, but there is growing evidence that it can cause reduced mental function and increased risk of dementia later in life. If you are pregnant and exposed, smoke can also have an impact on your baby.

The good news is that we know simple ways to clean indoor air and protect yourself if you need to spend significant time outdoors during a wildfire smoke event. We learned many of these things during the pandemic.

If you have a forced-air heating or cooling system, purchase MERV 13-rated filters and change them regularly. You can also purchase a portable air filter with a HEPA filter or even search the internet for how to DIY an air filter. You'll also want to seal any gaps and cracks around windows and doors. Your favourite home improvement store can help you find the right products.

You should also pick up some N95 masks if you have to spend significant time outdoors.

For more information, please visit the BCCDC's webpage on Wildfire Smoke to learn more and get planning today!

Only 2% of New Rental Units Meet Regional Affordability Measure

As the Metro Vancouver Region, we have set a goal to have 15% of new rental units in transit-oriented areas meet our affordability targets. The provincial government has set similar targets for our region.

The following tables show the affordable rental breakdown based on the number of bedrooms and median household incomes.

Number of Bedroom	Median Income Target	Affordable Rent
1 Bedroom	$60,700	$1,517
2 Bedroom	$75,350	$1,884
3 Bedroom	$90,000	$2,250
4+ Bedroom	$113,500	$2,813

98% of the 2,545 affordable housing units built between 2018 and 2023 were built by the government and non-profits (which usually rely on funding from the government.) The provincial and federal governments are responsible for funding these units.

Local government can also support affordable housing projects by contributing land, reducing development charges, creating partnerships, and having policies to encourage affordable housing units. An example in Langley City is a proposed BC Builds project (on 200th Street near 49th Avenue), a partnership between the province and the Pacific Nazarene Housing Society, where the city is contributing land.

Local government support must be balanced to ensure we aren't further driving up the cost of market units.

The data shows that the provincial and federal governments will continue to be critical in getting affordable rental units built in our region. Only 2% of housing units built between 2018-2023 were affordable for people who make the median income in our region. I believe it will require a "wartime" effort level of response, like right after World War 2 when the federal government made it a priority to ensure everyone had an affordable home.

For more information on our Metro Vancouver affordable housing targets and progress, please read the February 6th Regional Planning Committee agenda.

Grand Opening - The Station Café @ Timms Community Centre

Before COVID times, the Langley Senior Resources Society operated the Station Café at Timms Community Centre. The café provided light meals and snacks. This iteration of the café closed some time ago but has now been reimaged and reopened as a community food space.

One of the most basic and fulfilling things is to connect with others over a shared meal. The Station Café will further the City's goal of connecting community members. You can expect City-led events and activities at the café that help foster getting people involved in our community by promoting civic engagement.

The café's operator is Indigenous, and the café is supported by funding from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities.

Next week will be the café's grand opening, which is open for all to attend.

Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025
Time: 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. (Welcome ceremony at 10:00 a.m., coffee and treats available at 11:00 a.m.)

I look forward to seeing people come together in this space at Timms Community Centre.

Strata Retrofit Program - Going Electric, Saving Money

If you live in Langley City, there is a good chance you live in a strata building, which may be older. I lived in an older building and served on its strata council for many years. Over time, we needed to replace or renew many building systems, such as hot water, lighting, and roofing. We tried to do "green" things like replacing our lights with LED, but many of the systems we replaced like for like, including our hot water system.

Many strata, even with experienced strata property managers, do not have the expertise to understand what provides the most long-term value, improves building systems, and lowers climate change impacts. The good news is there is now a program that can help stratas with retrofitting called the "Strata Energy Advisor Program."

If your building is four stories high or has more than 30 units, has an upcoming end-of-life replacement project, and uses natural gas for heating, hot water, ventilation, or fireplaces, you could qualify for free support.

For more information, check out the Strata Energy Advisor. You can sign up for a mailing list, attend a virtual seminar, or sign up for the program. You can also send this information to your strata.

The Zero Emission Innovation Centre also has programs for market rental buildings, commercial buildings, and non-profit-owned buildings. Please visit their website for more information.

February 10 Council Notes: Housing Matters

Yesterday, I posted about Monday's Langley City Council meeting but did not post about the housing and transit-oriented projects that Council considered. Today, I wanted to touch on those projects.

A typical development project consistent with our Official Community Plan and needing rezoning requires four separate votes from Council for approval. These votes include first and second reading, third reading, final reading, and issuing a development permit.

Significant Council discussions on a project will typically occur during first and second reading since changes to provincial law now limit public hearings for most projects. There is usually a delay between third reading and final reading/issuing a development permit as a project applicant needs to finalize their design plans and engineering requirements and pay deposits to the City before it is ready for consideration of final approval.

Overall site plan of 5501 204 Street and 20300 Douglas Crescent. Select the image to enlarge.

All that being said, Council gave third reading for the following projects. I've included links to previous posts for more information on the projects:

• Langley Mall Redevelopment (20300 Douglas Crescent)
• 26-Unit Townhouse Project (20815 45A Avenue, 4560, 4570 & 4580 208 Street)
• 6-storey, 70-Unit Apartment Building (20239-20249 54A Avenue)

Council also gave final reading and issued a development permit for the following projects:

• 14-Unit Townhome Project (4503 & 4513 200 Street)
• 6-storey, 136-Unit Apartment Building (20619 & 20629 Eastleigh Crescent)

February 10 Council Notes: SkyTrain Construction and Budget Feedback

At Monday's Langley City Council meeting, staff from Transporation Investment Corporation, a provincial crown corporation, gave an update on SkyTrain construction. The project is in full swing, with work at the future Langley City Centre SkyTrain Station underway. They noted that this station will have a centre platform and two elevators, ensuring that even if one elevator is out of service, the stations will remain accessible.

Council asked several questions on public art and design. The SkyTrain team told us they will incorporate public art into the project. Like at Lafarge Lake-Douglas Station in Coquitlam, the Langley City Centre Station will have a track stub. Council asked if it would be designed to soften its impact, and the SkyTrain team said it would not.

Council also ask many questions about construction and its impact on residents, businesses, and accessibility. The SkyTrain team told us they plan to minimize all impacts and maintain accessible access on our sidewalks and streets at all times. The key takeaway was that people should visit the Surrey Langely SkyTrain project website and sign up for the email list. They also provided the 24/7 project hotline, which is 1-844-815-6111.

Later in the meeting, Council provided a formal opportunity for the community to provide feedback on the proposed 2025 budget. Three people provided feedback. One person supported the proposed budget, and one business owner wanted the City to provide financial compensation to businesses on the Fraser Highway Oneway because of the current construction project. Another person had a question about two staffing positions, wanted Council to remove the proposed infrastructure level increase and wanted a freeze on any Council compensation increases.

Later in the meeting, Council gave final reading to a bylaw to update some job titles. Council also approved signing an agreement between Metro Vancouver and ourselves for Next Generation 911. The short version is that Next Generation 911 will provide your exact location when you call. Munipcailities need to provide the geographic data to enable this feature. This agreement was around how we provide and update this data.

Council also approved a motion from a member of Council to receive an operational review report of our fire/rescue service and deferred another motion to release it publically until Council had received the report.

Council also released a January version of the City's organizational charts and referred to City staff a letter from Squamish Nation asking for us to work on a climate strategy.

Cost-Sharing Aquatic Facilities in Langley City and Township

Langley City and Township have a long history of working together on recreation facilities. For example, the City helped fund the construction of McLoead Athletic Park, WC Blair Pool and George Preston Recreation Centre. The City also provided operating funding for booth Blair and McLoead until 2006, when the City exited these agreements and gave up ownership rights of these facilities.

Council recently received a letter from the Township of Langley asking that we work towards a multi-year funding agreement to support aquatic facilities. City and Township residents use aquatic facilities and, more generally, recreational facilities across municipality borders.

For example, about 52% of swimming lessons at Al Anderson Memorial Pool in 2024 were for Township residents, 35% for City residents, and 13% for Surrey residents.

The City of North Vancouver and the District of North Vancouver have a joint funding agreement and operate under the North Vancouver Recreation and Culture brand (even though each community owns and maintains its facilities.) This type of agreement could be a model for Langley City and Township.

At last night's Council meeting, Langley City Council asked our staff to "explore inter-municipal recreation services cost-sharing models, with a focus on aquatic facilities, that may be applicable within the context of the City of Langley and the Township of Langley" and formally reply to the Township to let them know.

I look forward to seeing what's possible and how we can cooperate to provide fair and equitable cost-share of aquatic facilities to benefit residents in both communities.

Making our Community Less Lonely: Building Housing for Social Connection

While it may seem that we are more connected than ever, loneliness and isolation are rising. The pandemic showed us that no amount of technology replaces face-to-face interaction with others. Langley City is a walkable community, and we've intentionally designed our public spaces, parks, libraries, and community centres to help people connect.

Langley City is also a community where 80% of households live in apartments or townhouses. So, there is an excellent opportunity to think about how we design semi-public spaces in and around these buildings to support bringing people together. Community gardens are one of the most basic and powerful connectors I've seen. We have many community gardens in our parks and new apartment projects. Of course, we can go beyond community gardens.

SFU, Happy Cities, and Hey Neighbour Collective have been researching and developing design toolkits to help municipalities and home builders create buildings that support social connections. To be clear, this isn't about co-living, as most people also love the privacy of their own home, but it does include outdoor and indoor amenity spaces of buildings, how buildings connect with the street, lobbies, balconies, hallways, and other common spaces.

The following are the six design principles for the "Building Social Connections" toolkit.

• Location: Maximize opportunities for interaction by locating social features and spaces in convenient, visible, and prominent locations with natural light; Multiply social impact through co-location.
• Invitation: Maximize spontaneous daily encounters by designing places to pause and interact; Use the built environment as an icebreaker for social interaction.
• Activation: Create interesting, functional spaces and a centre or heart for the community through diverse scales of common spaces with intentional things to see and do.
• Inclusion: Create spaces that are accessible and safe for people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds; Reflect different cultural preferences and identities.
• Transition: Balance high-quality, livable private homes with common spaces; Consider thoughtful transitions and gradients from public to private space.
• Evolution: Nurture a sense of belonging through stewardship of common spaces; Allow spaces to evolve with residents over time to meet changing community needs.

A visual example of the "Invitation" principle. Select the image to enlarge.

One of the things that stood out to me is that many of these considerations can be applied to existing buildings with simple retrofits or even just new furniture.

If you are interested in how to design buildings that help combat loneliness and support community, check out the toolkit and visit the Hey Neighbour Collective website.

Apply Today for Langley City's Citizens' Assembly

As I've posted about in the past, Langley City is starting a Citizens' Assembly on Community Safety to create a Made-in-Langley-City action plan to improve safety and well-being.

A Citizens' Assembly is a form of direct democracy where regular folks create City policy. The City is fully supporting assembly members with data, people with knowledge about community safety best practices, and people to help facilitate the assembly process.

If you are over the age of 16 and either live in or own a business in Langley City, you can apply to become a member.

The City will randomly select 29 people from those who apply to join the assembly. The selected folks will reflect the current makeup of our community. People will receive a living wage when attending the assembly meeting, and the City will provide support to help them participate in the assembly.

I genuinely believe the only way to create a safer community where people's well-being is improved is when we all come together. We live in a divisive time, so I'm proud that we are coming together to solve real challenges in Langley City.

The deadline to apply is Friday, February 7th. Last week, Langley City mailed out an application postcard to every household in our community. You can also directly apply at https://langleycity.ca/CitizensAssembly

Don't delay, apply today!